Action Research Plan

                                                ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

                                                       PROCESS OVERVIEW

                     TOPIC:  Is the Academic Interventions Program at SISD effective?

1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION

Students at SJHS that fall behind or underperform in their core classes are assigned to “Academic Intervention.”  This is an after school program designed to help students catch up on missing work and receive one on one tutorials by the teacher who assigned them.  The student is required to attend 30 minutes of tutorials after school on Tuesday and Thursday each week until released.

2. ANALYZING DATA

The Director of the Academic Intervention Program keeps detailed records of students assigned to the program. We will collect and analyze the totality of the data looking for any obvious patterns or conclusions supported by the data.

3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

Additional data will be collected via teacher interviews and a teacher survey (developed by the intern) in an effort to gather greater insight into the numbers revealed by the data.

4. ENGAGING IN SELF-REFLECTION

Reflecting on the overall effectiveness of the program and discussion with the site supervisor, program director, and teachers to determine if the program should be continued, modified, or eliminated.

5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS

The data will be carefully analyzed to see if the data identifies patterns, gaps, and equity issues. The site supervisor, program director and the intern will perform the analysis and share the results with the core teachers, asking for further input from those teachers.

6. DETERMINING DIRECTION

Looking at the current results of the program should answer the question posed: Does the program improve scores and overall student performance? If it is determined the program needs modification or elimination the panel will research other Academic Intervention programs to evaluate what modifications would improve the program, or what similar programs are being used by other districts that are successful.

7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

After analyzing the data, utilizing teacher input, and researching available alternatives the results will be presented to the faculty for discussion on the appropriate action to be taken.

8. SUSTAINING IMPROVEMENT

To ensure improvement in this area the campus principal, program director, and teachers will evaluate the revised program as to its effectiveness and success over an agreed upon period (possibly the fall 2012 semester) to see the results. The panel will set improvement goals and periodic points to re-evaluate the program.