It is official! My action research wondering will be "Do small group settings, provided for students on state and district assessment days, truly increase a student's academic success, or are small group settings merely a way for some teachers to ease their classroom testing day tension because specific students have been removed to test elsewhere?
My action research plan is as follows:
A. I am going to research the number of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students on my campus that take these assessments (TAKS/Benchmarks) in small group settings and compare their success rate with their overall classroom passing rates.
B. I want to know what data/research is out there (online, articles, etc.) and what it has to say about the dynamics, positives/negatives of small group test administration.
C. I want to know what data/research has to say about the delivery of services, accommodations, placement, location and technology provided on testing days with emphasis on small group settings.
D. I want to know if the test drives the setting, or if the student drive the setting.
My sample population as stated in "A" above will be 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students on my campus that take these tests in small group settings; I chose these based on AEIS/TAKS scores. I am also going to compare their scores with those of at least 2 other similar district campuses. I will develop a questionnaire for campus administrators and teachers to complete to assist with determination of whether or not they feel that small group settings are student driven, or teacher driven. Hopefully, they will respond truthfully and those responses will be compared to data/research.
My goal is to find a more conclusive explanation as to why the phenomenon of small group test administration appears to be rapidly increasing. Perhaps this will help us to better understand the rationale behind the benefits of small group testing. If it is indeed discovered that teachers simply need to have specific students removed on testing days is driving this decision, then that would create another issue/concern for campus administrators to address, or not.
Granted, Special Education test taking accommodations can drive this decision, but is it really all that necessary? It seems that more and more of our students are removed from the comfort of their regular classroom to test in areas unknown. Now, before you all start tearing into me, let me state that I have experienced test administration days with students that I would have loved to send to another room (not all were ADD/ADHD students). It just seems that as more and more students are moved into the inclusion classroom setting, that more and more of those same students are now designated as small group test "takers".
This topic really "peaks" my curiosity, especially when students that normally do not take a test in a small group setting are magically placed in small groups or 1-on-1 when specific state/district assessments are given.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
TAKS Testing and Special Education Students
07/21/2010
Well, I really need to choose one topic for my action research. As an ARD facilitator, both of these topics frustrate me because parents and teachers frequently ask me similar questions. The answer, one would think is a simple once. Actually I don't know if there is a simple answer or not; therefore, action research comes in to play.
Do I go with:
(A) Researching if TAKS scores and content area grades are increasing, or not, for the special education students that are now all inclusive (who weren't last year) due to NCLB changes. With NCLB pushing more special education students into all grade level courses/classes regardless of their area of disability, are the students actually demonstrating academic achievements? Are these students now receiving more accommodations and modifications than they were before so they can be successful in the general education classes? Is there research/data that actually considers the students feelings or attitude with inclusion, or are we simply catering to the parents? I want to research if there is data out there to support the continued use of the all inclusive model, based upon current test scores, or should districts/campuses start moving towards (backwards for some) to a less inclusive model? Or, is this merely a budget reducing technique that districts/campuses use as a way to reduce personnel costs?
Who would this action research benefit, you ask? Well, for one, it would solve one of the most frequently asked questions I am confronted with, so I would benefit from developing a more solid response. I believe it would also provide additional information for teachers and campus administrators as they approach anxious, and sometimes angry parents with a more proper response based upon data driven research.
Or do I go with:
(B) There has got to be a better way to organize the TAKS, benchmark, RPTE, TOPL, etc. test administration settings than the system currently in place. The process is ever so time consuming and extremely frustrating. So many of our students (not all are special education students) take these tests in alternative settings from 1-on-1, to small group, to oral administration, etc. But according to research, do these small group settings actually benefit the students, or merely ease the classroom teachers' testing day tension when specific students are not in their classroom? What does research say about the dynamics of small group settings for test takers? What does research/data say about the delivery of services, placement, location, and technology provided on testing days? Does the test drive the student's setting, or does the student drive the setting?
Once again, I hear you asking, who would benefit from this action research? For certain all campus test coordinators, team leaders, campus administrators and teachers. The smoother an event (yes, TAKS days are events) runs, the happier the customers (students and parents) are. And, it might possibly stop some teachers/campus leaders from taking advantage of TAKS testing days as "give the teachers a break day". PLEASE! I know how difficult some students can be on test days... I am not a teacher turncoat.
Please don't be shy with responding. I really am serious in wanting to know if either of these topics sound like valid topics for an action research.
Jacque
Well, I really need to choose one topic for my action research. As an ARD facilitator, both of these topics frustrate me because parents and teachers frequently ask me similar questions. The answer, one would think is a simple once. Actually I don't know if there is a simple answer or not; therefore, action research comes in to play.
Do I go with:
(A) Researching if TAKS scores and content area grades are increasing, or not, for the special education students that are now all inclusive (who weren't last year) due to NCLB changes. With NCLB pushing more special education students into all grade level courses/classes regardless of their area of disability, are the students actually demonstrating academic achievements? Are these students now receiving more accommodations and modifications than they were before so they can be successful in the general education classes? Is there research/data that actually considers the students feelings or attitude with inclusion, or are we simply catering to the parents? I want to research if there is data out there to support the continued use of the all inclusive model, based upon current test scores, or should districts/campuses start moving towards (backwards for some) to a less inclusive model? Or, is this merely a budget reducing technique that districts/campuses use as a way to reduce personnel costs?
Who would this action research benefit, you ask? Well, for one, it would solve one of the most frequently asked questions I am confronted with, so I would benefit from developing a more solid response. I believe it would also provide additional information for teachers and campus administrators as they approach anxious, and sometimes angry parents with a more proper response based upon data driven research.
Or do I go with:
(B) There has got to be a better way to organize the TAKS, benchmark, RPTE, TOPL, etc. test administration settings than the system currently in place. The process is ever so time consuming and extremely frustrating. So many of our students (not all are special education students) take these tests in alternative settings from 1-on-1, to small group, to oral administration, etc. But according to research, do these small group settings actually benefit the students, or merely ease the classroom teachers' testing day tension when specific students are not in their classroom? What does research say about the dynamics of small group settings for test takers? What does research/data say about the delivery of services, placement, location, and technology provided on testing days? Does the test drive the student's setting, or does the student drive the setting?
Once again, I hear you asking, who would benefit from this action research? For certain all campus test coordinators, team leaders, campus administrators and teachers. The smoother an event (yes, TAKS days are events) runs, the happier the customers (students and parents) are. And, it might possibly stop some teachers/campus leaders from taking advantage of TAKS testing days as "give the teachers a break day". PLEASE! I know how difficult some students can be on test days... I am not a teacher turncoat.
Please don't be shy with responding. I really am serious in wanting to know if either of these topics sound like valid topics for an action research.
Jacque
Friday, July 16, 2010
Action Research: What I have learned and how I will use it.
Like many of my collegial cohorts, I hadn't heard of Action Research until taking this current Master of Educational Administration course (and am I ever glad that I know of it now). I acknowledge that as a hopeful future educational administrator there will be limits to the experiences I will directly bring to the position. While experience in and of itself does not guarantee success, I know that experiential best practices can be achieved through the Action Research process.
I have learned that Action Research, a "process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry" (Dana, 2009, p. 2) must be practiced. Action Research should be performed daily and is based upon the actions, issues/problems of the day. This is where the practitioner (principal) begins his/her analysis, data collection and investigative practices. I have also learned that this is where the "wondering" or contemplation stage begins. One cannot begin the collection and investigative practices without first wondering. A practitioner, after collecting, reviewing and discussing data from various research sources will then set out to implement changes, upgrades or improvements based upon final output and gleaning of information. The output is then shared with others.
Action Research is collaborative in nature which in turn lowers the invisible dividers or barriers between administration and other educators. While the administrator (practitioner) steers or guides the Action Research process, teachers and/or other administrators contribute to the process. Unlike traditional research where data completed by outsiders has been collected, Action Research is based upon identification and analysis of data collected by the campus/district team. Together they review the data and establish or implement changes. And, by incorporating blogging into the Action Research cycle the reflections, recommendations and comments (both positive and negative) of co-horts will bring added value to the entire process.
Dana, Nancy Fichtman. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
I have learned that Action Research, a "process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry" (Dana, 2009, p. 2) must be practiced. Action Research should be performed daily and is based upon the actions, issues/problems of the day. This is where the practitioner (principal) begins his/her analysis, data collection and investigative practices. I have also learned that this is where the "wondering" or contemplation stage begins. One cannot begin the collection and investigative practices without first wondering. A practitioner, after collecting, reviewing and discussing data from various research sources will then set out to implement changes, upgrades or improvements based upon final output and gleaning of information. The output is then shared with others.
Action Research is collaborative in nature which in turn lowers the invisible dividers or barriers between administration and other educators. While the administrator (practitioner) steers or guides the Action Research process, teachers and/or other administrators contribute to the process. Unlike traditional research where data completed by outsiders has been collected, Action Research is based upon identification and analysis of data collected by the campus/district team. Together they review the data and establish or implement changes. And, by incorporating blogging into the Action Research cycle the reflections, recommendations and comments (both positive and negative) of co-horts will bring added value to the entire process.
Dana, Nancy Fichtman. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs
Blogging is an excellent tool where educational leaders can share personal/professional thoughts, new ideas and experiences. Blogging can also serve as a reflective tool that allows colleagues to encourage one another while sharing their own concepts and learning experiences. Blogs are a sort of living entity where feedback moves from one place to another growing in depth of knowledge that educational administrators/leaders can plug into. And, blogging will expand an educational leader's sphere of influence, research and data collection as it reaches out across the globe returning with tidbits, or possibly volumes of information.
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