Reflecting on What's Been Accomplished Thus Far

As I searched the internet for areas and topics that pertained to my action research, I found that there is an abundance of information on the topic of Parental Involvement in schools and its effect on student improvement. This is a weakness at my campus as Parent Involvement is something we struggle with greatly. Past attempts to cultivate fruitful parent participation have resulted in a desiccated outcome. But the need still exists as we wish to extend better success to our students and our community, thus improving the quality of our school (again, this is why I felt it was best to begin change here). I believe examining the issue and problems with the methodical approach Action Research provides, coupled with the resources and tools it applies, will allow me to lead our campus to a viable solution that will bring about sustained improvement.

Since measures must be provided to assure parents an active role in teaching our students, I decided to investigate which specific actions are needed for engaging students’ parents. After opting to place one set of activities on hold (the feasibility and effectiveness of offering classes to students’ families), I focused my effort to utilize the inquiry process to better explore exactly what is effective parent involvement. In doing so, I also chose to answer, ‘What constitutes effective parent involvement from a student’s perspective?’ Combined with asking ‘What activities would help engage parents to be actively involved with our campus?’ the answers and reflection of these two questions should lead to finding the best answer for my research inquiry, ‘How can my campus improve the amount of active parent involvement?’

To be successful, I deemed it best to create a committee of teachers and staff to assist in this inquiry. The committee will provide suggestions and feedback. I also intend to review disaggregated data of test results before, and after, the formation and contributions given by the committee – as well as, records of past parent involvement, logs, activities, events, and attendance at meetings. For students, I intend to utilize our Teen Leadership classes to discuss, in detail, active parent involvement. There, they too will be asked for input. Students’ work in class and homework will also be looked at for patterns of completion, as well as, evidence of strategies used. Parents will be targeted through activities (conferences, family nights, cultural days, open house, fundraisers, after-school clubs, fieldtrips, et al) and other numerous forms of communication (phone calls, emails, newsletters, blogs, surveys, and questionnaires) designed to garner their participation. Furthermore, all activities will be created to coordinate with responses of days and times that best serve the parents. Ultimately, my action research will reveal the necessary measures to undertake raising student achievement in school through better communication with parents. Consequently, the type of parental involvement needed to impact students the most at our school will also be discovered. So, stay tuned my friends and please offer your own insight and experience!

My Draft for an Action Research Plan

Any event at school offering free food usually draws a substantial size crowd of parents. Sadly, for a lot of campuses, this is about the only thing that does. Often dialogue is kept to a minimum and plenty of smiles are conveyed before a relatively quick departure ensues. For such schools, does student achievement suffer from the lack of more substantiated parent involvement? Furthermore, how does one delve deeper and get beyond this sort of scenario to establish relevant and active parental participation? The involvement of parents can often be challenging, especially in regards to the secondary schools. Many times, parents believe their child is doing ‘just fine’ or it is up to them to lead their own path now that they are older. For other parents that may possess interest, meeting times are usually not convenient for them. Also, there are many more who feel they are unable to provide any real assistance. I wish to discover what works in getting these 'hard to engage parents' actively involved with students' success, as well as, taking part in a more cooperative school culture that is conducive for improvement in the performance of all students.

Sound answers to these questions and doable solutions for desired improvement are best derived from action research. Furthermore, the issue I perceive as most ripe for investigation at my campus definitely pertains to increasing the amount and improving the quality parent involvement. Parents offer unique perspectives that broaden the school’s overall understanding and vision, unseen available resources (and sometimes procurement of these resources), and accurate information pertaining to their students and others. Therefore, it is important to schedule a time most opportune for them to explain the school improvement process. Parents that have time may be empowered to help organize and carryout needed activities conducive for augmenting others’ involvement. Needless to say, it is essential for schools to build strong alliances with parents

I would also like to utilize the inquiry process to better explore exactly what is effective parent involvement. In this instance, the question I would want to explore is: What constitutes effective parent involvement from a student’s perspective? Combined with discovering ‘What activities would help engage parents to be actively involved with our campus?’ these two questions will lead to finding the best answer for my research inquiry, How can my campus improve the amount of active parent involvement?

The majority of teachers and staff will be selected by formally inviting all that are interested to participate on a special committee formed to assist in this inquiry. The committee will provide suggestions and feedback (that will also include more formal forms and questionnaires). I also intend to review disaggregated data of test results before, and after, the formation and contributions given by the committee – as well as, records of past parent involvement, logs, activities, events, and attendance at meetings. For students, I intend to utilize our Teen leadership classes (and possible English classes, as well) to discuss active parent involvement. There, they too will be asked for input. Students’ math and science homework will also be looked at for patterns of completion, as well as, evidence of strategies used. Parents will be targeted through activities (conferences, family nights, cultural days, open house, fundraisers, after-school clubs, fieldtrips, et al) and other numerous forms of communication (phone calls, emails, newsletters, blogs, surveys, and questionnaires) designed to garner their participation. Furthermore, all activities will be created to coordinate with responses of days and times that best serve the parents.

Resources and research tools that will be needed for gathering data will be provided by campus administrators, district administrators, the special campus staff committee, action research blogs, and the resources/websites given by this course. Content literature based on parental involvement in schools will also be beneficial. In addition, the use of school software will be accessed for data disaggregation of student progress and benchmark exams. Needless to say, this study will take the entire upcoming school year. The timeline for this action research project will implemented through mid-August until mid-May (ten months). This is necessary for the full cycle of grades, benchmark, TAKS disaggregation and considerable time devoted to research and the reflection needed to draw suitable conclusions. The people that will be responsible for the implementation of the action research plan are campus administrators, counselors, other teachers and staff, the special formed committee spearheaded by me, as well as, other self contributions.

To measure the success of our endeavors for improved participation of active parent involvement my campus, I plan on implementing surveys that will allow for both qualitative and quantitative responses. They will consist of short answer responses coupled with a rating scale. I will also use four point Likert Scale for measuring performance. Additional monitoring of responses will come from parents through other surveys and questionnaires, as well as, comparing students’ grades and tests results (in order to assess increased academic success, grades will periodically be monitored in math and science classes in particular over the duration of the academic year. These observations will be recorded in order to measure student academic success as compared to previous years to determine the true strength and merit of the project). Attendance sheets for functions, meetings, and other campus sponsored events will also be reviewed. Furthermore, I will also use a formal survey at the beginning and end of the year to assess the campus culture and to measure the increased satisfaction of the teachers and parents, as well as, student performance.

Deciding the First Steps in Engaging Parents

I intend to look at the parental involvement for the high-school level where it most often tends to wane. I feel parent involvement is still crucial for schools and for students at this stage of their learning - especially since this is when they form so many life-directing decisions. I know there are also a lot of parents who feel their kids are doing just fine but their concern and participation can motivate and push their children to greater heights. These parents have a lot to offer to our campus, and any other campus, that will benefit other students as well. This is where I feel leadership classes can help - maybe as much as ESL classes can help other families.

While for the most part, their TAKS scores are on par with students of other demographics, parental involvement from the Hispanic community is far less experienced - almost non-existent. Maybe it is a perception that includes intimidation or maybe it is just simply a language barrier? Although a lot of headway has been accomplished through after-school soccer programs and many multi-cultural events, there is still plenty of ground to cover. This is why I believe a natural progression would be to offer language courses to build better relationships with all parents. But, feasibility and effectiveness of my current campus offering these classes to students’ families is not so easily achieved at the moment. Furthermore, it seems like other initial steps need to be experienced by our students’ parents first, before I can guarantee expenditures of time, money and other resources will be well received. Therefore, I am led to creating the foundation required to obtain the active parent involvement our school needs. The inquiry involving class offerings to parents will simply be temporarily shelved and revisited once the objective of amassing parent engagement and participation in our campus has been accomplished. This avenue will be great to explore in an effort to not only sustain parent involvement but increase it as well.

Nevertheless, in my quest of exploring what relevant parental involvement is, I still intended to explore the student perspective. To move beyond just adding insight and broadening this definition, I am also seeking activities that will initially engage parents and forge a more cooperative school culture. The inquiry process is effective and often leads to many other questions to be investigated. I believe this first step is warranted before proceeding to the second step. Both will be many steps taken on the road to improving our school’s and students’ performance. As I continue, I welcome any and all input you may have in increasing parent involvement for our schools.

The Need for Parent Involvement

As previously stated, it is essential for schools to build strong alliances with parents. Despite of anything else, parents are our students’ first teachers. They provided guidance well before they enrolled into any school district. It is important to realize the vital role parents have (or should have) in their child’s education – even at the secondary level. Therefore, measures must be provided to assure parents an active role in teaching our shared student. In doing so, they will foster a culture of engagement I would like to look at which specific measures are needed for engaging students’ parents. At the current moment, I am looking at two different inquiries to explore.

The first is feasibility and effectiveness of offering classes to students’ families. The courses could be along the lines of ‘professional development’ to parents – such as acquiring leadership skills. Or courses could be used as resources – such as ESL classes. If parents partake of these learning opportunities, they will be exhibiting motivation as their children will see parents taking risks, investing time, and modeling what it is to be a lifelong learner.

The second is to explore what exactly is effective parent involvement. From most of what I’ve seen on the topic are adults informing other adults about what parent involvement entails. But what better way to seek what is truly effective than to ask students themselves. In this instance, the question I would want to explore is: What constitutes effective parent involvement from a student’s perspective?

What do you think?
Is there another avenue yet to be mentioned that beckons an inquiry?
Are these substantial questions that, if fully explored, merit answers for change?
If so which of the two would you investigate first?

How My Campus Can Benefit

An issue that would best benefit from action research at my campus pertains to increasing the amount and improving the quality parent involvement. Doing so would provide an immediate impact for the betterment of our school, especially since this desired participation continues to dwindle at our campus. This trend is reflected in the continual drop in our math and science scores. Even graduation and course competition rates are starting to be affected. I believe one method to begin to buck this phenomenon is to build new and better partnerships with our students caregivers.

It is essential for schools to build strong alliances with parents. In fact, compliance with federal mandates obliges our campus to attract and nurture partnerships with families. To foster this assistance, schools should view parental involvement as critical in facilitating children’s development and achievement, as well as, preventing and remedying educational and developmental problems.

Administrators and educators alike should habitually welcome and solicit parent participation. Building such a partnership structures a learning environment that is quite conducive for students to succeed. Therefore, measures must be provided to assure parents an active role in teaching our shared student. When schools successfully turn relationships with students’ families into partnerships, the student’s school and home develop a mutual responsibility that is beneficial for increasing their achievement. Consequently, there is a direct correlation with increased amounts of active, quality parent involvement linked with a child’s success. Therefore, the higher the degree of family support, inside and outside the walls of the school, the higher the percentage that is attained in reaching academic goals. The student not only feels the vested interest of their school but also their family. Ultimately, the accumulated effort benefits our students most as they will have more opportunities for meaningful, engaged learning that connects the school’s curriculum with skills required for their future endeavors.

What is 'Action' Research?

A fresh and effective approach to problem solving rests in a hands-on and interactive method of research. The self-motivated principal exhibits the quest for continual knowledge and a life-long learner as they engage in a process to find real solutions to real problems or issues on their campus. Known as many different names (practitioner research, practitioner inquiry, administrative inquiry, et al), active research is essentially a process to improve upon programs and issues principals face, as well as, a mode to bring about wanted change while providing administrators (and educators) a systematic study of their own practice. The inquiry process is a methodical investigation that poses questions, and examines data. It then allows for logical reasoning to determine an answer to the question – a solution to the problem. In doing so, information and data is synthesized with the principal’s (and other staff) input from previous experiences. This combination of mixed sources provides a more accurate and meaningful understanding, which ultimately leads to a better decision and successful solution. Undoubtedly, inquiry is an essential part for effective school improvement.

Educational research answers questions, as well. However, the source of these questions originates with a traditional researcher and is intended for an academic audience. Although its purpose is to provide knowledge to draw upon as a resource for one’s work practices, this form of research does not supply any real solutions to specific problems a principal encounters. Most often, their research is conducted by analyzing work products of students, documents, and standardized test results. Time and tradition has proven that relying on experts, beyond the walls of any campus, to create a fix all to your school’s problems is not the ideal situation.

Stoic, traditional educational research methods have become ineffective and have resulted in an out-dated and unfavorable approach to improving schools. In contrast, action research’s method of analyzing data is conducive to the betterment of one’s own pedagogical practices. This in turn, becomes conducive to better student achievement. Also, through this inquiry process, the administrator engages in reflective action for change based on what is learned from the inquiry. Questions originate with the principal and a cylindrical process is induced rather than the linear course educational researchers create. Even more so, this type of research can be performed by not only individuals, but through teams as well. Consequently, there is great potential to generate significant improvements within schools. Action research also produces new ideas through shared feedback with colleagues and allows decisions to be made with a fresh approach to curriculum, instruction and assessment strategies.

Action research proves itself as the best option to seek out effective and sustained change as it requires administrators reflect on their practice by asking questions then collecting data to gain insight to what those questions pose. This is then followed by analyzing the data along with reading relative literature, making changes in one’s practice based on new understandings developed during the inquiry, and sharing those findings with others. Consequently, active research produces a better understanding of the subject matter investigated while helping define the principal as the lead learner. Coupled with knowledge and experience that has already been acquired, this allows administrators to make sound decisions that are geared specifically for their campus. Typically, administrators will find four areas that lend themselves most applicable for the inquiry process - university coursework, superintendent/district meetings, leadership teams, and in professional learning communities (PLCs).

Welcome to The Ruby Inquiry!

Education blogs are becoming a considerably important method for educators and administrators to interact more effectively than they have ever experienced. As educational leaders, we guide the future through their formative years of knowledge aquisition. Often doing so causes us to encounter difficulties and problems to solve. These challenges should be embraced as part of the role we play and the duty we have as such an important leader. Furthermore, they offer an opportunity for improved measures, efficiency, and professional growth.

Blogs offer a tool that allows a place of reflection on issues and events that specifically pertain to their campus and environment. Not only is this insightful for me but it also permits access to a trove of knowledge, as well as, serving as a resource for others with the same questions or help in similar situations - or at least offer some sort of direction or inspiration.

With that being said, I wish to welcome you to my blog - my space for inquiries and reflection on those inquiries. Your input is both desired and appreciated. Through self-reflection and our collaboration, I seek to obtain valuable and comprehensive insight on questions that often warrant sound answers and doable solutions.