EDUC 6336 - Action Research Project for Practicum II

Spring 2020
Revised Action Research Project Overview Table

Intern Name: _Alicia Garcia______________ School:__Dogwood Elementary_________

Action Data Source that Summarizing Action Plan Steps Completed Evaluation: Reflection:
Research Identifies the Statement of the Prior to Schools’ Closing:
Projects Need Goals Describe the progress What has been
What were the Action Plan made toward your your major
goals? goals. learning in leading
What steps had you this action plan?
accomplished before schools Rate the amount of
closed? success you What did you
accomplished. discover about
yourself as a
leader?

Project 1 – An equity audit The goal is to To gather a better understanding The survey results show Before sharing the
was conducted to improve student of what our teachers need I that teachers have seen survey, I made sure
retrieve required growth by identify created a survey with the support over half of their I reassured each
school and district the needs of of my mentor. The main questions students show more grade level during
data. The teachers in in the survey were segregated by than 71-89% growth in their PLC meeting
Dogwood Dogwood state testing and non-state testing reading and math. Most that this survey is
Elementary Elementary. grade levels. teachers believed the designed to better
school consists of When teachers are Survey teachers: What percentage reason for such a large support our staff
a majority of first better equipped, of your students have you seen academic gap was due and provide aid for
year years and students can grow in the area of reading/math? to lack of exposure to our students. The
teachers with less accomplish more What do you think is holding your academic print, sense of teachers were asked
than 5 years of academically. students back from closing the urgency to learn, and their opinion and
teaching academic gaps in any content undiagnosed learning ideas, they did not
experience. Data area? Which part of your content disability. hesitate with their
shows that the block do you feel improvement is responses.
academic gap of needed? This can be an area that The survey results show I was very
 Dogwood you need more professional that students on impressed with the
Elementary is not development, modeling or average feel safe and teacher’s honesty
showing enough additional resources. Now that we like coming to school. and the students
progress in are approaching March, how can According to the data, self-believe.
reading. By the we as a school support you to be a 74% of the students According to the
time students more successful teacher? have meet their “+10” teacher survey, the
reach 5th grade, The teachers were asked to fill out goal in reading and plain need of our
some of them the survey as a closer during PLC math. When addressing teaching staff is
have a gap that and to be as honest as possible their believe in passing more productive
places them 2-3 when responding. the STAAR test, 85% of professional
years behind. the testing grade level development and
I created a survey to understand students trust that they more math
student social emotional levels will pass. manipulatives and
over their own academic believes. reading material in
The students were only surveyed if During PLC meetings, I both English and
they were in state tested grade would work alongside Spanish.
levels. with the instructional I learned that it may
Survey students: Do you feel safe coach to meet with be easy to blame
at Dogwood Elementary? During individual grade levels. others for the
school, if you need help or have a We would provide reason why
serious question, who do you feel rigorous and detailed students have
comfortable talking to? This school lessons that modeled learning gaps, but
year, have you met your +10 goal how to teach in a more this is a team effort
in reading/math? Do you believe rigorous and time and we need to
you will pass the Reading/Math beneficial way. work together to
STAAR? What about reading/math I believe I accomplished provide the best
is difficult and why? What can the 70% of success because education for our
principals and teachers do to help I still needed to analyze students. Teachers
you succeed? MOCK scores and send need to feel more
The students provided excellent out my End of Year comfortable to
and genuine feedback. They survey to the students speak up and ask
contributed personal examples and teaching staff. The for help, before the
and helpful ideas. teachers did not have students move
enough time to fully grade levels and the
implement the PLC gap only gets larger.
lessons with their
students.

Project 2 – According to TEA After completing The data wall focused on the With the support of the I discovered that
STAAR results, and analyzing the reading levels and goals of each schools’ instructional our teachers only
Dogwood data from the TAPR student by grade level, content, coach and special understood the gaps
Elementary report and the bilingual program, as well as education lead teacher within their own
school did not equity audit, the special education. and other staff, a data students but after
meet the focus goal to address was wall was created in the seeing the data
percentage under the reading gap District benchmark and state
special within the special assessment results by grade level,
population. education student TEKS, and homeroom teacher
population target were placed on a whiteboard. This
percentage. allowed staff to analyze data and
segregate by ability, needs, and
exceptions. By creating this data
wall teachers and administrators
were able to create and change
small groups and pull-out tutorial
groups. Special education teachers
met and helped design lessons that
provided reading support to the
special education students as well
as low-scoring students.
PLC room for all staff to walls and analyzing
read and update. other grade levels
Teachers could see the scores, teachers and
data every time they administration had
had PLC or whenever a better idea where
they needed to compare the academic gap
assessment scores. Each begins. We could
classroom had a data predict the
wall, but it was based on following group of
TEKS meets percentage, student’s academic
no student names were ability by their
used. present scores.
I believe my success I discovered that
rate when addressing analyzing the data is
the reading gap for something that
special education is very needs to be done
low. I was just before school
beginning my work with begins. First you, as
the Sped. Ed. teachers a teacher, need to
and I wish I had more analyze your own
time. student’s data. Then
as a grade level, you
need to share your
findings. Finally as a
school, we need to
support each other.