Here is my new and improved Action Research Plan: Please post any comments discussing likes, dislikes, or even ways that it can be improved. Thank you so much for your time!
| Action Step(s) | Person(s) Responsible | Timeline: Start/End | Needed Resources | Evaluation |
| 1. Develop a Master Schedule that is conducive to teacher collaboration (by class period, grade level, and core subject) | Brittany Stivers Counselors (Beth Wells, and Charlotte Ward) Principal: Dr. Yearwood | Start: July End: August 1, 2010 | Allotted time to develop the Master Schedule, and Action Research Plan | Continued re-evaluation of the Master Schedule before implementation by accommodating all stakeholders. |
| 2. Meet with the department heads to discuss data and express expectations for Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) (Use the Nominal Group Technique Model demonstrated in Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis To Action, by Sandra Harris) | Brittany Stivers Dr. Yearwood | Start: August 2, 2010 End: August 3, 2010 | Action Research Plan, data to support the implementation of the Action Research Plan | Open ended discussions referencing the Action Research Plan |
| 3. Have department heads attend a staff development/training on how to effectively implement and engage teachers in PLC’s | Brittany Stivers Department Heads Dr. Yearwood | Start: August 9, 2010 End: August 11, 2010 | Funding from central office for teachers to attend staff development | Conduct a survey specific to the effectiveness of the content discussed |
| 4. Department heads plan a day where their team of subject teachers can meet to discuss PLC’s and collaborate to set expectations for themselves and students | Department Heads Department Teams Dr. Yearwood to oversee implementation of meetings | August 16-18 at teams discretion | Facility Resources gained from the staff development | A written report from each department head summarizing the expectations developed from their subject meetings |
| 5. Progress Reports to determine if teachers and students are meeting the expectations and goals established in PLC’s | Dr. Yearwood Brittany Stivers Department Teams | Weekly PLC meetings throughout the 2010-2011 school year. | Student work, and assessment data | An increase in student performance, attendance, behavior, and academics. |
| 6. Walk Throughs in classes and PLC meetings | Dr. Yearwood | Conduct classroom and PLC walk through’s once every six weeks | Notes in regards to the actions of teachers and students | Classroom Observation notes, and a scheduled meeting with individual teachers once a semester. |
| 7. Conduct an assessment to evaluate lesson plans to determine if lessons are vertically aligned | Dr. Yearwood | Teachers are to have lessons plans turned into Dr. Yearwood every friday for the following week | Lesson Plans Curriculum | Curriculum comparison to check for vertical alignment |
I do not know if your school is elementary, middle, or high school, but at the high school I work for we secified what PLC activity was to occur at each meeting. For example, Mondays=Professional Development, Tuesday=Classroom Walk-Throughs, Wednesday=Lesson Development, Thursday=Data Analysis, Friday=???. We did this on a 4 period block schedule. It worked great for us and provided the time needed to learn how to function as a true PLC. Additionally, we have a facilitator to serve the PLCs. She helps ensure that the teams stay on schedule and clears up misconceptions about the processes. The biggest battle we fight is keeping the PLCs from becoming lesson planning periods. With all that said, your plan looks pretty good. Depending upon your teachers, you might consider implementing more checks and balances to keep the PLC meetings focused. Good luck! I look forward to seeing how it works out.
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