Action research does not require the "outside researchers" input but the ones that are there from day to day and see what the school really needs. These are the ones that really care personally about the school and want to see the school grow and flourish as an individual and not like the "outside researchers" known as the school district board. Action research can be used in the school by developing committiees that fous on individual ideas that want to be changed or improved.
In Dana (2009) says there are 4 ripe contexts for facilitating the development of principal inquiry/ action research. They are University Coursework, Superintendent/District Meetings, Leadership Teams and Professional Learning Communities. The following are descriptions and ways to use them in the school.
University Coursework is when principal or aspiring principles continue their education through their local college or university or online, Dana (2009). During their education they may have to participate in action research by completing portfolio project, papers, thesis, or even dissertations. Many do complete a proposal or creating in their own action research inquiry. I am completing this currently, in my school. I am part of a group of teachers collecting data and analyzing this data to help our students get better scores on their test and helping them to get ready for the STAAR. We as a committee have discussed the different types of strategies that we need to focus on to help the students succeed not only in the tested grade levels but from kindergarten up.
They also have incorporated action research in Superintendent/District Meetings. During the meetings they focus on the principal engagement in action research. They put the principals into to small groups to complete a series of interactive task to help each principal identify an area to study about his/her own personal practice. Dana (2009) I would like to see this in the school meetings instead of the other "time wasting" information that we sometimes get. We could divide the school into different groups, possibly by subject. Then the teachers discuss the different things that the students are not succeeding in. The teachers then use the information that they have gathered from the group and use in the classroom. When they have used the strategies/information the teachers then report back to the group. If the strategies/information does not work the group develops other strategies to try and use. This type of action research helps the teachers throughout the school with the development and growth of all students. If the teachers try to use the same strategies, they can thne see what works well with certain kids. If they can keep those ideas in mind as the students grow through each grade level, they can achieve success faster, beacuse they know waht works or dosent work with each student.
Leadership Teams exist right in the school the two pervious ones I mentioned do not. It consists of an administrator and three or more teachers. These teams make decisions with the principal, strategic planning, policy development, monitoring and coordinating programs, and maintaining a committee to collaboration and shared leadership. This is something that we currently use in the school and everyone really enjoys it, we have different teams relating to fun within the staff, students success, teacher success, and staff development. These different comities work together to decide what is good for the school. I feel that these really help make the school successful. Principals make many different decisions and sometimes teacher involvement is not needed. From what I have learned in pervious interviews with principals, they do like the help with making decisions for the school. My principal told me that "two heads are always better than one."
Resources
Dana, N.F., (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge. Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Corwin
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