My Action Research Project Draft Process Overview.

Action Research Project Draft

Process Overview

Travis Patocka

EDLD 5311

Goal:   How can the attendance program PlascoTrac be utilized to increase school attendance? and Is PlascoTrac delivering a measurable increase in attendance while being used in conjunction with our grading software, Power Teacher?

1.     SETTING THE FOUNDATION—Meeting with my site mentor on several occasions to discuss possible action research topics, we narrowed down my list to three topics.  After further discussing the three topics, it was decided that I would have full access to our new PlascoTrac attendance software as we were just switching over from the free trial version to the new, purchased full version.   It was also decided that I would analyze the program, how it was being utilized and how it could be utilized even more, and further to analyze the data it was producing to see if it contributed to any measurable improvement in student attendence.  This research was necessary as PlascoTrac promises significant improvements in attendance.  Our school board is currently considering purchasing this program for other schools in our district and much of my data generated will depend on this study.  I will also be able to make recommendations as to features of PlascoTrac that can be utilized to further enhance its’ use.

2.     Analyzing Data—PlascoTrac is a data heavy program as it generates absence/truancy reports for any given hour of the classroom day, integrates itself within and pulls attendance data from our existing grading program, Power School.  Using a combination of the quantitative data from Power School, as well as the attendance reports from PlascoTrac, as well as qualitative data which includes surveys and interviews with those that deal firsthand with attendance/truancy data (administrators and front office staff), I will begin to analyze the data.  Attendance figures from last year will be compared with attendance data from this current year, as PlascoTrac was running and being used from the first day of school, to see if PlascoTrac, and the information it generates, as well as the administrator to student contact it creates, is having a measureable impact on school attendance.  Other forms of data to be gathered for analysis include comparing any changes in our attendance policy both on the local and state level as they may also impact attendance figures in our schools.

3.     DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING—Once the data has been gathered and inserted into spreadsheets for analysis, the quantitative results can begin to be observed.  Once the interviews of the administration and office staff have been complete the qualitative data can be collected and reflected upon.  The final portion of the deeper understanding is to see how PlascoTrac, when integrated with PowerSchool and the effort of the administration to use PlascoTrac reports to increase attendance and lower absences as well as truancies, can be made.  Also, the comparison to the previous years attendance figures use can be made as well as reflection upon the changes in attendance policy to look at the progress made thus far, in boosting school attendance.  I will also read case studies from other schools that have used PlascoTrac to see how they integrated the program into their systems as well as look at the merit point system PlascoTrac offers as it may serve as reward system that encourages attendance in school. My observations and steps completed on both my blog as well as my google sites page will be posted.

4.     ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION—It is at this point that I will take a step back and continue my journaling with regards to my work as an action research, as well as how the process has been functioning.  I will post my thoughts and results to both my blog and google site.  It will be important to begin to see the connections my data has generated as well as continue to examine the idea of the merit points system for students.  I plan to also create a survey that will be presented to my administrators to analyze my performance on the project, as well as make any recommendations to improve my action research process.

5.     EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS—I will interview my site mentor about programmatic patterns that affect student attendance. Information that I need to know includes which challenges our students face in trying to be in school each day.  What factors try to pull them out?  I need to go beyond the data in search of factors that impact student attendance.  I will also interview both vice principals at our school as they to have first hand experience with locating students and can give me some insider information as to the factors that influence student attendance. I will ask if PlascoTrac functions as an intervention tool which can eliminate the delay in tracking down students to address the absence and truancy before it becomes a problem for that student.

6.     DETERMINING DIRECTION—It is at this point that I will begin to compile all of my data generated thus far to measure the impact and analyze the figures and information it has produced.  I also need to ask myself some important questions at this point such as: A. Do I know what I am trying to find in the data?  B. Do I have the adequate skills, resources, and data to compose my report and continue this project with the hope of answering my action research inquiry?  C. Have I collaborated on the issue and been sharing all of the data that I have encountered thus far?  What kind of feedback have I received and will it influence my proposed action?  These are all important questions to ask at this point as there are many requirements to successfully executing any action research and even the slightest unrecognized factor can have a major impact on my findings.  I also need to examine my timeline to ensure that I have set reasonable and realistic due dates for each project I hope to have completed.  Am I capable of monitoring all data collected and do I have a system of organization to handle all data, yet make it available for collaboration?  How can I go about making changes if required in a way that wont deviate from answering my original inquiry?  Also, how will I know if my plan is successful?  There will be much that will need to be answered at this point and I will address each issue in journaling and reflection.

7.     TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT—The data that I gather and wish to disseminate will rely heavily upon the qualitative and quantitative as well as the cooperation of administration and office personnel that handle attendance data.  I have a written plan for action that outlines exactly what will need to be done, when to have it completed by, who will be involved, as well as what evidence of the work I have completed will need to be available to my site mentor.  I will also prepare reports on my work which will include formative (of the project itself) as well as summative evaluation of my results to be shared with my site mentor and our school board, as this data may influence the purchase of PlascoTrac for other schools.  It is at this point that I will present the idea of using the merit points system as an option to encourage positive attendance as well as the steps required to make this option available to teachers in our school.  I will also need to survey our teachers to see if they would be willing to utilize a merit point system the following fall in our school.

8.     SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT—I will present the data that I have discovered to all stakeholders. I will consult my site mentor on this process, as I want to ensure that my information is communicated in the most effective manner possible.  I will also self reflect through journaling, blogging, and the process of doing action research, the results learned from the study of the data and if I feel that it was a successful process.  If PlascoTrac does report positive results, it would answer the original inquiry as to its’ effectiveness but will also outline the effort and procedure required to ensure its’ success through my analysis of the data, report of the procedure and sharing of my results and research.