Action+Plan

Every year, our math scores are always at the lowest among the four core subjects tested on TAKS, even though our scores have constantly improved, we are not getting the improvements based on our Economically Disadvantaged and Hispanic students, which is presenting usfrom obtaining the Recognized rating. Last year, our Commended rate in our Economically Disadvantaged students prevented us from being Recognized at our district.
 * Improvement of TAKS scores in Math **
 * Needs Assessment **

Our goal is to improve our TAKS scores in all areas for math by using a variety of methods as the year progresses. We will test students using Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) tests, two throughout the year, a full scale shut down TAKS test, and objective quizzes checking understanding of objectives covered through warm ups. We will also involve pull out programs and provide classes for seniors needing to pass and sophomores will have a computer remediation class paid for by the district.
 * Objectives and Vision of the action research project. **

According to Patricia Duebel, it is important for students to know where they stand as far as mastery of objectives and standards they are required to be familiar with. (Duebel, 2007) We will be using benchmark data to analyze students’ strengths and weaknesses and try to focus on those items throughout the year. The logic behind this action research project is that we are trying to develop a plan to improve our students’ scores so that our math scores get us to the Recognized level. The people that will be involved will be our students, math teachers, and our testing coordinator in which we will submit our data to. This action research plan has not been formally communicated to parents, staff, or students but is an overall understood by the math teachers and students. The students are required to take part in the required testing and the teachers are required to submit the data and analyze the results using AWARE, which organizes the data. Our biggest issue in conducting this plan is communication from the district and to the teachers. For example, when we provide a full practice TAKS test, which will require proper planning to organize all the students in rooms and provide calculators for each student. We will also have to account for accommodations for students taking TAKS-M and TAKS-A tests. We will also have to make sure that we have tests copied for each students and when a test can be around twenty pages long with over 800 students (juniors and seniors), this is a huge amount of time needed to have everything prepared and costly for paper. We do not have to worry about safety for this action plan, as nobody will be placed in any danger. It will also be the responsibility of the teacher to encourage students to take the tests seriously, as this is a way for the teachers to get a snapshot of where students are in the curriculum. We have a timeline to make sure all of our students are ready for the state testing by April 24th and 25th. We also have certain days that we are required to give assessments to analyze student progress. We also use an Eduphoria program called AWARE that analyzes the data for us and breaks down the results based on anything we need, ethnicity, economically disadvantaged, special education, and other items requested. All teachers are required to analyze the data but using it is difficult as teaching time is cut dramatically as we have a set schedule to follow and losing days for testing and other items puts the teachers in a bind. Our results give us an almost instant feedback on where all of our students are and what areas they have strengths and weaknesses in. As stated earlier, we can track any group, whether it is special education and for commended rates. I am not aware at the moment if we can track gifted and talented but I am sure the option is available. We do have a record in our grading system of who is considered 504, LEP, GT, and any other category assigned. Once again, by having instant data to look at, we can make appropriate changes and modifications to address needs and strengths.
 * Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy **
 * Articulate the Vision **
 * Manage the organization **
 * Manage Operations **
 * Respond to Community Interest and Needs **

Duebel, P. (2007, October 1). //Test Prep and Math Realities.// Retrieved September 8, 2011, from the Journal: []

At Weatherford High, our Math Economically Disadvantaged students will increase their passing rate by improving to a passing rate of 80% next year. || $70 *12*2 = $1680.00 || Students will be asked if they are willing to commit to tutoring to work on weak objectives. A list is kept of those who volunteer to get help and assistant principals and counselors will check on students commitments. || All staff will be required to fulfill the above stated duties as it is a part of their teaching requirements. It will be up to the teachers, counselors, assistant principals, coaches, ESL coordinator and others to encourage students to put their best efforts into the tests so that we can find an accurate assessment of their progress. It will also be the responsibility of the principal to maintain that the data collected has its uses and is worth the loss of instruction throughout the year. It will also be important to reinforce that we are on the same team and that we have the same goal. If there is to be a modification to the plan, we will need to heavily consider the input of the teachers since they are on the front lines, to say, and can implement the change needed immediately.
 * How are you implementing the vision (ELCC 1.3) **
 * S.M.A.R.T. Objective:
 * Target Group(s): Math Economically Disadvantaged and Hispanic Students ||
 * Activity/Strategy  ||  **Person(s) Responsible **  ||  **Timeline **  ||  **Resources/Estimated Cost **  ||  **Formative Evaluation **  ||
 * <span style="color: #403152; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">1. Students will take part in formative assessments at every 2 six weeks periods. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">All math teachers and district testing coordinator. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Every 2 six weeks period. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Boxes of paper to copy tests. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Tests will be scanned into AWARE, data will be analyzed and students will analyze their results and come up with a plan for improvement. ||
 * <span style="color: #403152; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">2. Teachers will provide TAKS warmups at the beginning of each class period. Students will work on 5 TEKS a week, 1 on Monday, 2 on block days (T/T and W/F). || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">All math teachers will assign warmups and will create warmups them as the year goes on. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">5 TEKS a week will be covered up until the end of April 2012 || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Time will be needed to create effective warmups to put on Promethean Board. Warmups are created from TAKS workbooks provided by textbook company. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">At the end of each objective covered, a 10 question quiz will be assigned and scanned into AWARE for data analysis. ||
 * <span style="color: #403152; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">3. TAKS one-on-one conference. English teachers will bring their classes down and sit with another teacher to analyze last years test results and come up with a plan to improve scores. Many students have not had analyzed last years scores and often find that they are close to passing and will have that motivation to improve. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">12 volunteer teachers, English teachers, Principals and testing coordinator. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">At the end of January for two days during their English classes. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Subs will be needed to cover the volunteer teachers classes for two days.
 * <span style="color: #403152; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">4. Students will be pulled out of electives to get addidtional one-on-one tutoring. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Elective teachers and math teachers. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">2 weeks before TAKS, students that are on the bubble of passing will be pulled out for individual tutoring for the TAKS test. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Time – math teachers will lose planning time and elective teachers will lose time for instruction for individual students. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Students will be tracked and evaluated when TAKS scores come back to see if improvement has been made. ||
 * <span style="color: #403152; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">5. Teachers will offer tutoring before and after school all year long. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Math teachers || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">Math teachers will have various tutoring times through out the year. || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">none || <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif';">A list of students attending tutoring will be kept as the year progresses. Results for students attending will be analyzed for effectiveness. ||
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Steward the Vision (ELCC 1.4) **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">For our students that are in bad situations outside of school, we have a off site person who works with our students with a partnership with our school and their program. We will also try to have an outreach program with churches and the community. We will inquire about the community donating items such as gift cards to provide incentives for students to want to succeed. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Our main issues with this action plan is coordinating efforts and to set a schedule on when all items will be ready to go smoothly. As teachers, we will plan out a calendar when tests are to be assigned and the TEKS that each test will cover. We will also apply this same stradegy to our warm ups that we will be practicing as the year progresses. After a calendar is created, it will be turned over to our testing coordinator and district assessment office so that the tests will have all the information for each question entered into our testing system, AWARE. We will also make sure that our scantrons are prepared atleast a week in advance so that teachers can have them prepared and ready to go for a smooth transition. Frustration mounts when things are not ready as teachers have to replan their day to accommodate things not being ready. Since our test will also be planned out, we will have test precopied and distributed to our classes early so that teachers will be prepared and students can analyze their results within a week so that they remembered what they did before. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Our community hopefully will be involved by encouraging students to try hard and work hard in school so that they may be ready for the challenges of the real world. I would like to get our community members to offer donations for rewards of succeeding in the classroom. The community and businesses need to and should understand that when students score well it effects them since more people will want their children in a successful school as it will bring more business and improve poperty values. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">I think the action plan reflects that we are one team and everyone is on the same page about what we are trying to accomplish. The students see that they have several groups and countless people behind them supporting them in their goal of passing TAKS. From principals to the teachers, students see that failure is not an option or a choice and that they can be successful if they work hard. Hopefully they will see the improvements in their scores as the year progresses and find the confidence to succeed. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">I will create a survey for teachers and principal to grade the success at the end of the year to analyze their thoughts on the action plan to search for positives and find things that need to be improved upon for next year.
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Promote community involvement in the vision (ELCC 1.5) **
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Manage resources (ELCC 3.3) **
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Mobilize community resources (ELCC 4.3) **
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Promote positive school culture(ELCC 2.1). **
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Provide an effective instructional program (ELCC 2.2). **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">After analyzing the results of the survey and the TAKS results, we will look into our plan for the next year. We will analyze what worked effectively and improve items that the stff feels did not meet their high expectations. The teachers will meet with the campus principal to finalize the plan and prepare to put it into action for the upcoming year. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">As far as professional development, I think time is needed to analyze the data effectively. I do not feel that there is a need for professional development to waste our teachers time, since teachers hear the same things over again. Time is needed to analyze the results. We will also need to provide teachers time to plan and analyze their curriculum to make sure that it is meeting the rigor of state testing and remove lessons not needed to be covered.
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Influencing the larger context (ELCC 6.3). **
 * <span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Design a comprehensive professional growth plan (ELCC 2.4). **