Sunday, December 9, 2012

Action Planning Template


Action Planning Template
Goal:  To determine what impact standards-based grading has on teacher performance and student learning.
Action Steps(s):
Person(s) Responsible:
Timeline: Start/End
Needed Resources
Evaluation
 
Research articles on standards-based grading.
 
 
Myself
 
Dec 2012/ Jan 10, 2013.
 
Computer
Internet
Printer
 
Discuss with ITRT team to see if what I learn in the articles will change the direction of my questioning.
 
 
Meeting with ITRT (Instructional
 Technology Resource Teacher) to discuss training needed for the software to implement standards-based grading.
 
 
Myself
ITRT Personnel
 
Dec 2012 / Jan 14, 2013
 
Computer
PowerSchool software
 
 
Site-mentor will approve the need and any training necessary; also, any changes to software needed to implement standards-based grading.
 
 
Determine how teachers are aligning their teaching with state standards before using standards-based grading.
 
 
 
Myself
 
Math teachers who are participating in standards-based grading. So far I have two.
 
 
Jan 6 – Jan 14
 
 
Survey instrument.
Excel
Computer
 
Spread sheet will be used to organize and categorize the answers
 
Training for Math teachers in standards-based grading.
 
 
 
 
 
Myself
ITRT Personnel
 
By Jan 10
 
Computer,
Software,
Smart Board,
Package containing VA SOL for middle school Math.
 
Teachers will complete a survey on the training. The survey will be through My Learning Plan.
 
 
 
 
 
Weekly reflection sheet
 
 
 
 
Teachers
 
 
 
 
Monthly
 
 
 
 
Computer
 
 
 
 
 
Teachers will chart how they have changed their teaching practices based on the new grading system.
 
 
Data gathering
 
 
Myself
ITRT personnel
Technology mentor
 
December 2012
Through February 2014
 
Student records
 


Prior and ongoing student Benchmark and VASOL scores. Scores from before the beginning of the project will be compared to scores after, first the benchmarks and then the SOL.

 

10 comments:

  1. I think your action research plan will not only be interesting but beneficial to your campus as well. My suggestion to you is to add what ITRT means.......
    I believe we have a similiar group on our campus. We call ours the SIT Team (Student Intervention Team). :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check out my blog!
      rebeccafulenwider.blogspot.com

      thanks!

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    2. Thanks for the input Rebecca. ITRT is Instructional Technology Resource Teacher. They help teachers with technology in the classrooms...help to set up difference resources and train on how to use them. They even help to create lesson plans, keep the grade book software up to date with the state standards, etc.

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  2. Excellent topic! It sounds like you have a great topic and an fantastic plan of action. It seems as if you have all the bases covered. I think this would be a great topic to share with other campuses and districts, since it can benefit everyone. My question is how are you going to measure "teacher performace"? Will it be based on their performance on Benchmarks and VASOL scores? Or on their "reflections"? Or on their Administrator walkthroughs? It's hard to measure teacher performace on anything but standaradized scores, but is there another way to measure it?

    Excellent topic, ma'am!

    If you can, please check out my blog and comment at epawkettresearch.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am planning to guage how teacher performance is affected based on their reflection logs. I will create standardized document where they will answer questions such as: I learned this from the Standards grading report; I changed instructional practice by; I provided this intervention due to; Any other thoughts. It will only take a few minutes for them to fill out and will help me track teacher activities that are based on or are a result of what they have learned from the change in the grading practices. The standardized scores will also reflect on teacher performance and student achievement. It will be a little complex, but I think it will be doable. However, I am open to suggestions!!!

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  3. I think this is a great topic for your research topic. It seems like your school will really benefit from this research. I like that you are providing training for the teachers. I know it is always hard for teachers to try to implement anything new but with training it makes things much easier.
    I also like the survey after the training to see what continued questions teachers have for this program.

    Good Luck

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  4. I think this is a good topic as well. I think part of the reason technology is not used as often as it should is because teachers are not given examples of how to use it in their particular classrooms, and relate it to their subjects. Having someone help out with lesson plans (or give suggestions) could be a valuable tool. Good luck!

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  5. Pam,
    I had to look up the PowerSchool software because I'd never heard of it. I gather it's similar to Edline, which we use at my school, and which I use as an instructional tool in the classroom.

    I noticed that one of your Action Steps involved training math teachers in using standard-based grading. In the next row, you are evaluating teachers based on charts they make keeping track of teaching practices they've tried. I'm not sure how one measures the other, or if something should be happening in between. Maybe I'm just interpreting that incorrectly. (Are teachers expected to use PowerSchool as an instructional tool? Or are they changing their instruction to make the new grading more effective?) I'm confused.

    Maybe I've just read too many action research plans. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your input Rhonda. The plan wasn't very clear in that action step. I have altered it to explain that I will be gathering information from teachers in a focus group setting on how their teaching practices have been changed based on the new grading system...if they have at all.

      As far as I can tell by the literature, standards-based grading allows the teacher to know how every student is doing on each standard taught. Most teacher has a really good idea where a class as a whole stand, but not to the detail that the grading system can provide. The program does all the analysis for the teacher. So time will be saved in pouring over tests and homework grades to see where a student needs help. As a remediation teacher I am forever searching for the gaps in my students understanding of math. This grading system should allow teachers to catch the gaps earlier, plan more appropriate remediation, and increase student achievement. We will see.

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  6. Pam, sounds really interesting. Honestly, I don't know enough about standards based grading to give an adequate response. I do like how you have planned for staff development and assessment. I'll have to do some research of my own to become more informed.

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