Action Plan Update

Action Research Project Title: Building Community among the Staff and Students

Blog URL: http://elsienash.blogspot.com/

Number of AR Project Documented Hours: 86 hours

AR Project Summary (at least 250 words):

At the beginning of the school year, our Differentiated Instructional team noticed a lack of morale among the staff and students due to our new testing standards, so we took on the task of building a sense of community among the staff and the students. We started the year with research and building our action plan. Then we started informing our staff through PLCs. Our PLCs were entitled the following: Student Mindset, Noticing the little things, Pre-Assessment and Menus, and RTI – What is It. After PLCs, we began activities to build staff morale with our Golden Nugget Notes and Staff Accolades Wall. We also began our Eagle of the Month awards for staff recognition. After these two things were implemented, staff members told me that they loves the Golden Nuggets and that it was nice to be noticed for their contributions to the school. For students we began implementing DI strategies in our classrooms to build community. In January, we revisited the topic through a PLC and evaluated our progress. It seemed we were making a difference, so that is when we came up with our RHS Kingpin Bowling Night for April. We currently have 22 teams of 4 signed up to compete. These teams include administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Our last step will be to do some comparative analysis and a survey of the staff to see of their sense of community has changed. We are hoping that using the strategies of Carol Tomlinson, the DI guru, we not only positively impacted our students, but our staff as well.

Changes to my Action Research:

OUTCOMES	ACTIVITIES	RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED	RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES	TIME LINE
Create a sense of community among the staff:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Survey of Staff’s morale	Google Docs	Kim Carlton Elsie Nash	October 2012
Create a sense of community among the staff:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	PLCs: Noticing the little things		Katie Fisher Tony Strohmeyer Other members of DI Committee	November 1, 2012
Create a sense of community among the staff:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Staff Appreciation Wall Golden Nuggets	Wall supplies and stationary for Golden Nuggets	DI Committee	November 2012 – May 2013
Create a sense of community among the staff:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Staff Team Building Events – RHS Kingpin Bowling Tournament		Administrators and Me	April 2013
Create a sense of community among the staff:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Ending Survey of Staff Morale	Google Docs	DI Committee	May 2013
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Research DI strategies to build community in Managing and Leading a Differentiated Classroom by  Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau	Managing and Leading a Differentiated Classroom by  Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau	DI Committee	October 2012 – December 2012
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	PLC: Noticing the Little Things		Katie Fisher Tony Strohmeyer Other members of DI Committee	November 1, 2012
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	PLC: Pre-Assessment and Menus		members of DI Committee	January 2012
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	PLC: What is RTI?		SpEd and Counselors	March 2012
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Implement strategies in classroom	Managing and Leading a Differentiated Classroom by  Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau	Elsie Nash	November 2012 – May 2013
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Assess students’ sense of community with comparison to beginning of school year and with survey	Survey and Research notes	Elsie Nash	January 2013 - May 2013
Create a sense of community among the students:  sense of belonging, usefulness, competence, and potency	Comparative analysis between 2nd and 5th classes	DI Strategies, Grades, Behavioral analysis	Elsie Nash	November 2012 – May 2013