A Reflection on Research; Highlights of My Learning

I started the Lamar/Academic Partnership program out of a sort of ennui, an intellectual boredom, and not as a means of climbing any career ladders. The format of the program intrigued me and a master's degree is an immediate pay raise, after all, even while I remain in the role of Special Educator. Reflecting now, I have never been as challenged as during the last eleven courses. Throughout my life I have read, researched, and shared regularly, but there has never been a coherence or plan to my approach. When my investigations have turned up information arguably very important to school improvement or even just interesting, I have lacked a framework for sharing that information in an approachable and digestible way not to even get into the lack of research structure. So, without a doubt the most powerful, applicable thing I have learned during this course is the action-research model, itself.
While the professional application of action research has been the purpose of this particular class, the broad spectrum of possible applications is positively intoxicating. When developing possible research topics, my first thoughts were about special education students - life skills, specifically. "What effect does regular exercise incorporated into the class-day have on learning/cognitive performance and/or disruptive behaviors?" I did not choose this topic solely because it does not readily lend itself to administrative practice. However, outside of this class - yet thanks to this class, I am able to develop an action research plan on this exact topic which can then be shared with the general population of special education teachers. Further, I can see community/neighborhood applications abound. "How can a community of neighbors maintain the social coherence required for effective 'tribal' child-rearing? What are the benefits/limitations of this style of community behavior?" Community organization is a growing and vibrant field of study and action-research can be an invaluable tool in improving our community/social-fabric. While conducting research for this class I have encountered both amazing resources, like the Center for Collaborative Action Research at Pepperdine University (http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/ccar/index.html), and inspiring areas for future academic growth, like the Peabody College at Vanderbilt's Ph.D. program in Community Research and Action (http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/x3689.xml). While perhaps not necessarily in line with this course's stated goals, these resources/veins of study certainly demonstrate the power of action research as a tool.
I, like many people, feel more comfortable with a framework to follow. The action research model has a basic structure with flexibility and variations available; exactly what I/we need. However, for improvement to take root there has to be at least an acceptable level of quality in study construction, execution, and presentation. While the C.A.R.E. Model (Concerns, Affirmations, Recommendations, and Evaluations) is a solid tool for action-research development, it doesn't directly look at quality. (Harris, et al. 2010.) Dana's Quality Indicators, on the other hand, are exactly what is needed; "quality" is right there in the name! They provide an excellent tool "to gain insights that you can apply to your next action research cycle." (Dana, 2009.) The action research cycle is the aspect of the process where improvement becomes an ongoing, "living" endeavor; therefore, its' success is predicated by a need for quality, making Dana's Quality Indicators an excellent partner to the action research process.
One last highlight of my learning in EDLD 5301 is gleaned from the discussion board format. Discussion, as a means of improving any practice, depends on honest, critical input. Face-to-face communication is inherently constrained by physical and temporal limitations; you have to be in the same place at the same time. Taking the discussion into the electronic format allows us to slip free of the boundaries of time and space or, at the least, finesse them. The written postings allow participants the time to digest and reflect, facilitating more in-depth conversation, while the online nature allows participation from anywhere with connectivity. While I have yet to use an online meeting/discussion format in the workplace, I can see great power in its' use.

Applicability being the measure, the action-research model, Dana's Quality Indicators, and the online discussion format are my identified highlights of this course. In my opinion, these three learnings have made EDLD 5301 one of the most productive classes in the Lamar/Academic Partnership program. They are immediately applicable in my professional life, my personal life, and in my own activist ideal.

Action Research Plan!!!

Question: In light of local perceptions of equity problems on our campus and considering that current research has found that African American students with emotional or behavioral disabilities are most likely to be suspended (Krezmien, et al. "Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders". 2006.) -in what ways does our current use of In-School-Suspension and Off-Campus-Suspension for disciplinary referrals affect specific student sub-population's academic performance?

Target Population: students assigned ISS/OSS for disciplinary referrals (I choose to investigate these students because they are missing instructional time when completing their disciplinary assignments. We are supposed to provide work for students in disciplinary settings, but I know that -all too often- there is insufficient work provided by the student's teachers; special education students are still guaranteed their modifications on work completed in ISS, but I don't know if they are. So, establishing a link between ISS/OSS participation and academic performance (see: reading level!) should provide valuable and persuasive information.)
Selected Sample: 10 ISS & 5 OSS "Frequent Fliers" from grades 6 & 7 selected for further, in-depth investigation of academic performance and abilities (I am selecting from grades 6 & 7 for these in-depth investigations because the 8th grade students will have moved on to high school...perhaps...and would be difficult to interview. Further, I am choosing twice the number of students from the ISS setting becuase the total number of students in ISS is vastly greater than those suspended off campus.)



Goal:Gather and process local ISS/OSS, student sub-grouping, and academic performance data; draw conclusions based on data-relationships and share findings of action research project with stakeholders and peers.






Activity I: Gather and process ISS/OSS disciplinary data via TEMS (Tyler Education Management Solution); classifying data into age, gender, program status, and race ; evaluate for trends, patterns or interesting artifacts.

Person(s) responsible: Alan Burd *self*.
Timeline: August-October, 2010.
Resources: access to TEMS data systems; time for data disaggregation and reflection.
Monitoring: Tuesday & Thursday afternoons, 30 minutes/day (3:30-4:00), Action Research Project Work Time.
Assessment: Final Activity I product detailing ISS/OSS data for grades 6-7, '09-'10 school year.

Activity II: Use data from Activity I to identify the 10 students who spend the most time in ISS and 5 students who spend the most time in OSS; gather and process academic data (grades, attendance, reading level) for these students; evaluate for trends, patterns or interesting artifacts; if possible, interview these students regarding their ISS experiences, their feelings & thoughts about academics and -specifically- reading.


Person(s) responsible: Alan Burd *self*.
Timeline: September - November, 2010.
Resources: data from Activity I; student academic records (names eliminated and case numbers assigned for privacy); time for data disaggregation and reflection.
Monitoring: Tuesday & Thursday afternoons, 30 minutes/day (3:30-4:00 or 4:00-4:30, if needed), designated Action Research Project Work Time.
Assessment: Final Activity II product detailing findings of ISS/OSS disciplinary and academic performance correlations for 10 ISS/OSS "Frequent Fliers".

Activity III: Survey of literature, professional blogs, and web resources.

Person(s) responsible: Alan Burd *self*.
Timeline: August-December, 2010 (ongoing).
Resources: public library access; ERIC Digest access; internet access & personal laptop.
Monitoring: Tuesday & Thursday afternoons, 30 minutes/day (3:30-4:00 or 4:00-4:30, at least), designated Action Research Project Work Time.
Assessment: Blogged reflections on a minimum of 5 scholarly/professional articles/studies, 5-7 professional blogs, and up to 10 web-sites or other web-based resources.

Activity IV: Dissemination of / Sharing Action Research Findings Final Product.

Person(s) responsible: Alan Burd *self*.
Timeline: December, 2010.
Resources: personal laptop & internet access; professional blog; $50 (personal resources) to print and prepare Action Research hard copies to distribute to local stakeholders; contact information for at least three professional journals.
Monitoring: Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 throughout December, designated Action Research Project Work Time.
Assessment: Blog entries, including reflections on data and literature; posting of final product (findings) on personal-professional blog; at least 10 hard copies of final product (findings) distributed to campus, district, and community leadership; appropriately composed article detailing findings submitted to at least three professional journals for consideration.

shaping and honing a research topic

My initial wondering, at the start of this class, centered on a local perception of "isms" infesting our campus: racism, classism, sexism, etc. It makes me profoundly sad to think that there may be any merit to these assertions. Further, if there is solid evidence to the contrary, then I think it is my duty to share that information... which may or may not help change the perception of a fractured school culture.
During conversation with my supervisor, what I perceived to be my "weakest" research question began to evolve when paired with this initial wondering/source of angst. In the process of going over data, conducting interviews (having conversations), digesting readings and brainstorming (stream-of-consciousness wondering/questioning) I have combined previous areas of potential research into my current action research question: "In light of local perceptions of equity problems on our campus and considering that current research has found that African American students with emotional or behavioral disabilities are most likely to be suspended (Krezmien, et al. "Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders". 2006.) -in what ways does our current use of In-School-Suspension and Off-Campus-Suspension for disciplinary referrals affect specific student sub-population's academic performance?"
So...this is the current state of my "wondering".
If you have any thoughts, please comment! Thank you. :0)

Ponderings on Week #2

This week I watched three different interviews. My stated purpose was identifying perspectives on and identifying areas ripe for action research. While I gleaned some good information, what struck me was how I reacted to the interviewees themselves and how my reactions seemed to relate to their professional assignments.

Of the three interviewees, I found the first, an elementary school principal, to be the most accessible. Both his status as an elementary school principal and his concern for achievement test scores are facets of his leadership experience I can relate to. I have asserted in the past that the only administrative position I have interest in is in the elementary setting, because I believe that the greatest impact we can have as professionals on the lives of our students and on the whole of our society resides in the earliest years of education; much like steering an ocean liner, the earlier the intervention the better. Further, my entire professional life has taken place during the taking root of outcome based education and high stakes testing. ( I remember administering the TAAS test and not being threatened with the suspension of my certification for any "testing irregularities"! ) So, this principal's discussion on using action research to find ways of identifying and spreading successful classroom approaches within the campus for the purpose of improving student learning matches one of my first impulses when considering how to apply action research! This administrator also mentions wondering about the discrepancies in achievement test scores from one year to the next; exercising the wondering, "Why wasn't this student successful?", with the purpose of executing and honing student intervention. Both of the concerns that he invokes during his interview are immediately comprehensible and familiar to me. The second interviewee, in comparison, leaves me with a taste of concerns I may be growing into as the next phase of my professional life unfolds.

The Director of Research, Planning and Development of a large school district,and a PhD -whereas the first interviewee was not-, is the second participant. He approaches action research from a much broader view of student learning and everything that affects it. Some of the areas he touches on include: data management on campuses and throughout the district; teacher behaviors and beliefs (ethics) toward students and student learning; maximizing the use of district fostered data streams to change/guide/inform "what we do". The purpose, regardless of topic, is increasing student performance. Dr. Director-of-Research illuminated some of this goal's breadth by discussing data as a district resource and I thoroughly enjoyed the allusion to data as water-like in imagery, like "data pools" or "data streams"; his interview expanded my awareness of the multiplicity of systems involved in increasing student performance, their data/information-spheres and the idea of applying action research to maximizing their usage.

The difference between these two leaders was like the difference between a battlefield sergeant and a colonel. I, being "in the trenches" (wondering: why do we use such garish, wartime vocabulary in our profession? should education be "war"?), have 14 years of direct exposure to principal leadership, often up close as a teacher leader. However, my exposure to directors-of-anything is more selective. I was intellectually titillated by "the colonel's" presentation, his vocabulary, his "big picture" view. This person had much to teach. "The Sergeant", on the other hand, was familiar/comfortable/accessible; from the perspective of leadership, he clearly has more experience than I and plenty to teach... but his presentation was not as challenging.

The last interview was of a superintendent: The General. I'm not exactly sure what he said, but it was motivating and impressive! ;0)

Blogging Administrators?

Blogs are a great way for administrators to share information with their communities. They may be used for communicating any number of streams of information oriented toward the running of their campus, district or other body. Blogs can also be used to disseminate action research findings, helping spread best practice and the discipline of reflective thinking.

What is "action research"?

Administrative inquiry is, " the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of inquiry." (Dana, 2009) Action research is pretty much the same process, but without the specific administrative orientation. It seems to me that an effective leader would improve the professional craft of those around them by modeling "action research" by utilizing "administrative inquiry"! Traditional educational research relies on "outsiders", those not on the actual campus or in classrooms, while action research is conducted by the practitioners themselves. Process-product research is one such tradition whereby teachers and principals implement the findings of "experts" in a transmissive relationship. The other main tradition relies on qualitative or interpretive studies. Most of these are conducted by university researchers whose target audiences are fellow academicians. While these traditions have value and cam provide important insights, they limit the practitioner's role in the research process thereby making it less likely that substantive, lasting improvements will be made.
Without knowing the label ("action research") I have been utilizing this strategy in my professional life ever since I accepted an assignment outside my comfort zone: Adaptive Behavior. I had no idea what it was and didn't have ANY special education background. However, I went about the process of identifying a problem (what in the world is ABU and how do I do it?!?!), gathering information (articles, peers, the students themselves, professional development), planning action (designing classroom and behavioral supports and strategies), taking action (implementing planned action!), assessing outcome and starting over again. By my third year teaching in the Adaptive Behavior Unit, I had a very successful program going with two students ready to leave the support of our program and start their high school career.

Action research should be a tool utilized by every professional. It allows itself to be customized to your particular problem or need because it is an approach and not an end it itself.