ACTION RESEARCH - NJL2L



JOB-EMBEDDED ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

DESCRIPTION and PLANNER

DESCRIPTION

All Residents are required to complete an individual Job-Embedded Action Research Project, which must be completed by the end of the Year 2 Residency. The Job-Embedded Action Research Project will be planned and developed by the Resident under the guidance of his/her Mentor, and will address the barriers to effective teaching and student learning in the Resident’s district/school that he/she identified during the Year 1 Residency Explorations. The project should be planned, developed and implemented by the Resident so that it may provide evidence to demonstrate that this State requirement for the Year 2 Residency has been met, and that actions he/she has taken effectively addressed barriers to teaching and student learning and enhanced his/her professional growth.

The Mentor will be responsible for assessing the Action Research Project using the NJ-L2L Action Research Rubric, and will provide feedback to the Resident. Residents will share their Action Research Projects in a PowerPoint presentation to their Peer Support Groups at the end of the Year 2 Residency.

All Action Research Projects will involve: data collection and analysis for needs assessments and evaluation; use of technologies to collect and present data (e.g. Excel, Inspiration, PowerPoint); planning for improved school and instructional effectiveness and student learning; and an evaluation design.

All Residents are required to submit an Action Research Project Proposal to their Mentors at the end of the Year 1 Residency for review and approval before beginning their projects. Mentors are responsible for: (1) guiding Residents through their Action Research Projects; (2) providing feedback through ongoing communication and review of project drafts; and (3) assessment of the final Action Research Project Report using the NJ-L2L Action Research Project Rubric. Peer reviews and feedback are also encouraged in Peer Support Group meetings with continuing online support from Mentors and peers.

Residents will share their completed Action Research Projects through PowerPoint presentations at a Peer Support Group meeting at the end of Year 2. These presentations will be assessed by Mentors using the Action Research project Presentation Rubric. All projects will be included in Residents’ Leadership Portfolios as evidence of completion of this Residency requirement.

Objectives

Upon completion of the Job-Embedded Action Research Project, the Resident will:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the action research process and use of data and technology to enhance the continuing improvement of schools, teaching and student learning.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of professional literature, research, and resources within the action research process.

3. Effectively apply the action research process to authentic problems that present 2-3 barriers to effective teaching and learning in his/her school setting and produce a data-driven action plan to address and overcome these barriers.

4. Produce a final written Action Research Report in a scholarly, organized manner with multiple formats of data presentation using technology applications.

5. Conduct a PowerPoint presentation of findings, conclusions, and action plans to an audience of peers, mentors, and others from the educational community.

JOB-EMBEDDED ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT PLANNER

(NOTE: This page may be used by Mentors and Residents to plan the action research process in accordance with the Year 2 Residency requirements and timelines. Timelines for readings, consultations and reviews of drafts should be planned by Mentors and Residents to ensure project completion by the end of the Year 2 Residency.

|Timelines |Topics of Study |Resources/ |

| | |References |

| |I. Introduction to Action Research | |

| |A. School leaders as researchers |Calhoun |

| |Role of action research in school improvement process |1-41 |

| |Using collaborative action research to build a professional learning community | |

| |Elements of action research as systematic inquiry | |

| |II. Beginning the Process: Overview | |

| |Expectations: Action research Assessment Rubric |Calhoun |

| |Selecting a focus |42-49 |

| |Writing a problem statement | |

| |Clarifying theories: Examining the literature and research related to the problem | |

| |Developing research questions | |

| |Identifying appropriate resources | |

| |Research methodology & ethical issues | |

| |Research Models (Experimental Design, Case Study, Descriptive Research) | |

| |III. Collecting, Analyzing, & Presenting Data: Overview | |

| |Data collection and analysis |Calhoun |

| |Types of data |50-88 |

| |Creating instruments | |

| |Probes | |

| |Using technologies to support systematic inquiry and present data (Excel, Inspiration, PowerPoint) | |

| |IV. Action Planning for School Improvement: Overview |Calhoun |

| |Using data to drive improvement in schools, instruction, and learning |89-100 |

| |School Improvement Planning Process | |

| |V. Submit Action Research Proposal | |

| |VI. Progress Report #1 | |

| |Developing problem statement and research questions | |

| |Identifying appropriate research model | |

| |Planning for data collection & analysis | |

| |Discussion of project completion schedule | |

| |VII. Progress Report #2 | |

| |Update on progress | |

| |Reviewing & organizing data | |

| |Mentor feedback and revisions as needed | |

| |Begin action planning for school improvement (if ready) | |

| |VIII. Progress Report #3 | |

| |Update on progress | |

| |Begin action planning for school improvement (if ready) | |

| |Mentor feedback and revisions as needed | |

| |IX. Drafting a Final Report | |

| |X. Progress Report #4 | |

| |Update on progress | |

| |Review of final report draft | |

| |Mentor feedback and revisions as needed | |

| |XI. Finalizing & Submitting the Final Report | |

| | | |

| |XI. Action Research PowerPoint Presentation at Peer Support Group Meeting | |

Action Research Project Format and Assessment

Format

The final Action Research Project Report will follow an approved format and guidelines (See Attached).

Assessment

The Action Research Project is a State requirement for successful completion of the Year 2 Residency. Assessment of the project will occur prior to the Summative Assessment, which is required at the end of 19 months of the Residency. Mentors are responsible for assessing projects for their Residents using the NJ-L2L Action Research Project Rubric (See Attached). Residents are expected to share project drafts of their project and consult with their Mentors to continually improve their project until it meets the expectations for a “Proficient” rating. The requirement for completion of the Action Research Project will be met ONLY when a “Proficient” rating is achieved.

Project Presentation

All Residents are required to share their action research in a PowerPoint presentation to their Peer Support Group. Action research presentations will be scheduled by Mentors. In general, these presentations should be scheduled for approximately 15 minutes and followed by sufficient time for questions and discussion. However, time limits may be set at the Mentors’ discretion. Mentors will assess Residents’ project presentations using the NJ-L2L Action Research Project Presentation Rubric (See Attached), and will provide feedback to Residents.

Resources

Calhoun, Emily. (1994). How to Use Action Research in the Self-Renewing School. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

(ISBN 0-87120-229-8)

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