Action Research Projected Plan

Mary Thrasher’s Action Research Plan
Goal: iPod Touches in the Co-Teach high school classrooms will increase student achievement and engagement.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Meet with mentor/advisor and technology director	Mary Thrasher, Kathy Hutto, Special Education Director, and  Rhonda Stonecipher, District Technology Coordinator	July 26, 2011	Action Plan and Calendar	Determine how to involve the district technology person to facilitate the district’s technology plan.
Determine which special education teachers at the high school will be involved in the project.	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, Special Education High School Dept. Chairman	July 28, 2011	Class Rosters and teaching assignments	Determine which teachers serve the highest number of special education students in co-teach class sections.
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Create a pre-project survey for both the general education students and special education students involved in co-teach sections in this project.	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair, and Michelle Darling, San Marcos High School Principal	August 8, 2011	Surveymonkey.com	Completion of survey ready for submission and approval of high school principal.
Gather iPods and carts	Mary Thrasher and Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Char	August 9, 2011	SMHS library and AV room	Identify the number of available iPods and carts.  Make assignments.
Download Literature to the iPods	Mary Thrasher, Kathy Hutto, Special Education Director, Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair.	August 10, 2011	English I, II, III, and IV literature selections on CD, iPods and downloading carts.	All literature selections will be downloaded for all English classes.
Meet with Special Education Department, General Education Teachers, and administrative staff to present the action research plan	Mary Thrasher, Kathy Hutto, Special Education Director, Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair.	August, 2011	iPods, carts,  Mac laptops, security codes, and action plan	All concerns will be addressed and clarified.  These will be used in conjunction with the teacher surveys to determine exact future professional development and support needed.
Create a blog for this Action Research Project to use with both students and teachers.	Mary Thrasher	August, 2011	Create a name and set up a blog to be used by both students and teachers during project.	Blog
Pre-project  survey teachers and students	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair, and project teachers.	September, 2011	Surveymonkey.com	80 – 90% completion of survey by those invited to participate.
Introduce the plan and opportunities to the entire SMHS faculty and staff.	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, and Michelle Darling	September, 2011	iPods downloaded with the PowerPoint Presentation.	Sign-In Sheets of teachers and staff in attendance.
Monthly meetings with teachers involved with project	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, and iPod Project Teachers	Monthly, September – May, 2012	Agenda, Introductions of new apps, sample lessons	Sign-In Sheets of teachers in attendance.
Monthly classroom observations of iPod usage in the classrooms.	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, and iPod Project Teachers	Monthly, September – May, 2012	Pre-determined schedule for classroom observations, camera, and iPod/iPad.	Scripted notes, photographs, and videos
Monthly Blog posting for the project	Mary Thrasher	Monthly, September, - May, 2012	Blog site entries	Entries and feedback
Create a post-project survey for both the general education students and special education students involved in co-teach sections in this project.	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair, and Michelle Darling, San Marcos High School Principal	April, 2012	Surveymonkey.com	Completion of survey ready for submission and approval of high school principal.
Post-project  survey teachers and students	Mary Thrasher, Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair, and project teachers.	April, 2012	Surveymonkey.com	80 – 90% completion of survey by those invited to participate.
Evaluate surveys	Mary Thrasher, Kathy Hutto, special education director,  Gail Gonzales, Special Education Dept. Chair, and project teachers..	May, 2012	Survey results from wwww.surveymonkey.com	Survey monkey report with data.  Determine the results of implementing the project.
Presentation of  preliminary Action Research Project results	Mary Thrasher	May, 2012	Data collected, surveys, photos, videos, agendas, etc…	Documentation of results of project.
Written Action Research Project Results	Mary Thrasher	August, 2012	Data collected, surveys, photos, videos, agendas, etc…	Documentation of results of project.

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)