My Action Research Project

Action Planning Template
Goal: To determine how increased student participation in Fine Arts performances / extracurricular activities help increase parental involvement in academic endeavors and daily instructional success
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.     Formulate staff action research committee, as suggested by assigned AR reading   2.     Obtain summaries of parent participation from selected open house, parent nights, and parent teacher conferences.	Cordelia Cole {K. Nelson, S. Ramirez, T. Bellard, D. Williams} Cordelia Cole, Mrs. Trahan, Registrar, or designee.	August, 2012 – June, 2013 September, 2012 (allow school to begin and work out all the kinks).	Secondary handbook, syllabus, tentative performance schedule Summary reports	N/A N/A
3.     Determine focus group for project through choral music auditions.  Select 3 students each from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.	Cordelia Cole	August 27, 2012 -- Sept. 18-19, 2012	Music Room and Band Hall for Choir auditions; Signed permission slips;	Students perform selected pieces with noted mastery; permission granted by parent
4.     Acquire signed parent volunteer / consent forms	Cordelia Cole, Mrs. Trahan, Registrar, or designee.	First open house night hosted by the school; Sept. 2012	Sign-in sheets and consent forms	N/A
5.     Align PAISD course syllabus and policy on participation and grading from secondary handbook; modify for elementary usage.	Cordelia Cole, Middle School / High School Choir Director, Fine Arts Supervisor	Complete prior to first open house night hosted by the school; Sept, 2012	Officially adopted organizational handbook and syllabus for secondary choirs; elementary syllabus	N/A
6.     Parent meeting to review expectations, issue practice and performance logs, and award expectations based on performance.	Cordelia Cole Action Research Project Committee	Sept, 2012 {Initial meeting at open house; subsequent meeting scheduled afterward to reach parents who were not in attendance afterwards}	Classroom technology, copies of syllabus	Parents complete an evaluation form similar to what is submitted after in-service meetings
7.     Research the relationship between participation in the arts with  parental involvement in academic success	Cordelia Cole	Aug. 27, 2012  - Dec 7, 2012	Professional journals, articles, colleagues’ research, books	Summary presented to Site Supervisor
8.     Monitor & communicate with parents inre grades in 3 week increments (prog report / report card);	Cordelia Cole & AR committee	Sept, 2012 – June, 2013	Gradebook system, newsletter,mailout, and parent email; phone calls	N/A
9.     Implement practice and performance schedule w/attendance logs for students and voluntary supervision logs for parents	Cordelia Cole & AR Committee	Sept, 2012 – June 2013	Gradebook system, newsletter, mailout, and parent email; phone calls	N/A
10.   Collaborate w/other Fine Arts directors & classroom teachers on successful strategies that keep parents and students engaged and involved; implement new strategies	Cordelia Cole, PAISD Fine Arts Teachers	Aug 22, 2012 – June, 2013	Various technology	Successful implementation of mandates and participation by students and parents
11.  Survey students, teachers, and parents within target group; also examine disciplinary reports on included students	Cordelia Cole	May, 2013	Survey monkey, Zoomerang	Survey parents, students, and teachers on how  increased participation in fine arts affected students overall academic success
12.  Write paper based on collected data, generated reports, and evaluations.  *Share w/school admin & faculty.	Cordelia Cole	June – July, 2013	Professional literature, reports, and evaluations. *E-copies of research paper	Did implementing strategies to increase successful student participation in fine arts and extracurricular activities help increase parental involvement in academic endeavors and daily instructional success
13.  Self-reflection	Cordelia Cole	August, 2013	Feedback from blogs, research paper	Reflect; research experience & findings; prepare to implement new strategies into new school year.

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)