Action Research Idea: Creating a System for Collecting Qualitative Data on CIP Goals

My current position within the district as an Academic Dean offers many challenges and opportunities to be part of the school improvement efforts. Last year, my campus worked with central office to identify campus needs through observations. Unfortunately, the observations were geared toward identifying basic best practices and offered little to no feedback on our progress toward the goals outlined in our CIP. I am interested in studying how the alignment of our campus plan to our observations would effect the quality of data gathered.

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation
• Increased monitoring and evaluation of our CIP
• Improved alignment to classroom behaviors and professional development
• Individualized support based on observations
Activities designed to achieve the objectives
• Administrative meeting to create a system for observations and sharing observational data
• Calibration activity to ensure a standard for collecting data from observations
• Regular administrative meetings to share observational data and discuss how to respond
• System for instructional coaches to be notified of our observational data
• System for instructional coaches to share their response to the data
• System for following up with teachers (a minimum of 3 times per year) to review observational data, their personal improvement efforts, and identify additional needs
Resources and research tools needed for data gathering
• Master calendar – to schedule meeting times, teacher formative conferences, and professional development days
• Master schedule – to indentify who is responsible for observing whom
• Format for observations – to ensure alignment
• Agenda for meetings around observations – to ensure regular discussions
• Access to articles/books to research our response (professional development) to our observations
• Format for instructional coaches to share their response to observations
Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities
• August 9 – Meet with administration to create a schedule for administrative team meetings and formative conversations. Create a system for observations to include the focus, how often, calibration walks, and who will observe whom.
• August 10 – Meet with instructional coaches to share the administrative plan. Discuss their role in working with teachers who have been identified as in need of support. Train coaches on having critical conversations. Create a system for instructional coaches to share their work with individual teachers. Create a format for communication.
• August 25 – collaboration walk, using the format and gathering data
• Ongoing – observations, administrative meetings, coaching meetings
• Monthly embedded professional development sessions to address identified needs
Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan
• Administration – conduct observations
• Administration – meet to discuss observations and discuss response
• Academic Dean – liaison between coaches and administrative team
• Academic Dean – plan and facilitate professional development sessions
• Instructional Coaches – respond to individual teacher needs
Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
• Monitor if the system created for observations is being carried through – if not, identify barriers and problem solve.
• Monitor the attendance and feedback from professional development sessions to identify the alignment to campus goals and the quality of information received – if not favorable, identify issues and problem solve.
• Monitor the system for instructional coaching to ensure that coaches are responding to individual teacher needs – if coaches are not responding to teacher needs, identify barriers and problem solve.
Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study
• Ability to communicate the degree of success in implementing CIP goals
• Feedback data from teachers with regard to alignment and quality of professional development offerings
Survey for instructional coaches to identify if they feel that the system helped them to work with teachers in need