Sharing My Work

To provide background information and share the design of the inquiry, I will deliver a presentation to the school staff during one of the staff development days right before the school year begins.  This presentation will include what led me to this study and how the monitoring of the research will progress.  I will also inform the staff of ways they can become involved or follow the progress of the study. 

As the research project continues, I will blog and tweet for others to follow and post comments and questions.  Each six weeks, the teachers involved in the study will compile their anecdotal notes and discuss the research project.  I will also collect behavior and benchmark data then share it with the teachers and CILT members each six weeks.  The data will be presented through bar graphs and summative statements.  Once every 2 or 3 months, data will be formally presented to the entire staff during staff development meetings. 

Each six weeks, claims or assertion will be transcribed, and then revised as more new data is collected.  As the year ends, I will select the most powerful pieces of data, and compose a document for my concluding thoughts.  This will be shared with our campus staff and district administrators along with my twitter and blog followers.   

Research Plan

Gender Based Classes
Goal: To improve student achievement through gender           based classes
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Create two fourth grade all male classes of various academic abilities	Principal, Assistant Principals Academic Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Numeracy coach (Lamar Intern)	May-June, 2012	Third grade STAAR and benchmark results,  student cumulative folders	Completion, CILT approval
Obtain parental consent for each student selected to be a part of the study	Academic Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Numeracy coach (Lamar Intern)	May-June, 2012	Permissions slips Informative presentation	Completion, site supervisor approval
Gather previous assessment scores for each student involved in the study	Lamar Intern	June-August, 2012	Third grade STAAR and benchmark results	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Analyze Mathematics, Reading, and ELA benchmark results each six weeks	Literacy Coach, Numeracy coach (Lamar Intern)	August, 2012-June 2013	Benchmark assessment results in Eduphoria	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Analyze behavior data each six weeks	Assistant Principals, Lamar Intern	August, 2012-June 2013	Referral reports, teacher tracking charts	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Compile the weekly anecdotal notes taken by teachers involved in the research.	Teachers, Lamar Intern	August, 2012-June 2013	Notes taken by teachers	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Observe gender based and heterogeneously grouped classes then record and compare observations	Principal, Assistant Principals Academic Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Numeracy coach (Lamar Intern)	August, 2012-June 2013	Observation forms	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Analyze Mathematics, Reading, and ELA STAAR results	Lamar Intern	May 2013	STAAR assessment results	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Reflect on progress and thoughts regarding the gender based classes	Principal, Assistant Principals Academic Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Numeracy coach (Lamar Intern), CILT, Teachers involved in study	August, 2012-June 2013	Anecdotal notes, observations, benchmark results, behavior data	Completion, peer review, site supervisor approval
Plan for the future	Principal, Assistant Principals Academic Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Numeracy coach (Lamar Intern), CILT, Teachers involved in study	May 2013		Completion, CILT approval, site supervisor approval

The Significance of the Proposed Action Research Study

This action research study on gender-based classroom grouping will serve as a decision making tool to plan for the future grouping of students in years to come.  Depending on our results, struggling students or students with major behavior issues may be placed in gender specific classroom.  This research will also benefit teachers in narrowing the best practices they use in classes depending on the cognitive development of the male or female brain.  

Proposed Action Research Study

My campus will be piloting a gender-based class to determine the impact on student achievement beginning next year.  We question if grouping students by gender will improve academic achievement.  We know that male and female brains develop differently, and we plan to take advantage of this knowledge.  We also believe the students will not feel obligated to impress or perform for the opposite gender therefore resulting in improved behavior and increased success. 

I am also considering using cognitive thinking as my action research topic.  At my school the teachers and I have been discussing why they believe students are not achieving academically, and one of the top conversations that is continually brought up in every grade level discussion is the lack of cognitive thinking skills.  They believe the students lack knowledge on how to think about what they are thinking.  I find this topic EXTREMELY interesting and I know our teachers would appreciate it if we looked deeper into the topic and formed some solutions that they could apply to their classes; however, I am a little afraid that I would be biting off more than I could chew.

Educational Leaders and Blogs

Leaders can use blogs in many ways.  They can be a form of communication, or a tool to gain insight into your staff’s thoughts.  It can also be used to asses the strengths and weaknesses on a campus, or used to guide decision making through the use of action research.  Blogs can become a place for

leaders to shape the vision and culture of the campus and open discussions beyond the campus.