Action Research Plan

Research Action Plan
Goal:  To improve the reading ability of the lowest quartile students at Freiheit Elementary.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Set up a tutorial program.	Reading CIT, CIS, teachers	October 2013-May 2014	Data from screeners and common assessments on each student, tutoring schedule, reading resources including Burst materials, books, vocabulary and fluency resources.	Capacity matrix based on student knowledge of skills, fluency charts, growth of reading levels, higher performance on screeners and common assessments.
Provide summer professional development for teachers in the use of Thinking Maps.	Reading and Math CIT, Principal, Assistant Principal	August 2013	Thinking map tools, chart paper.	Survey assessing the level of understanding for teachers.
Provide summer, as well as ongoing professional development for teachers in the use of Quality Tools to improve instruction.	CILT Team, Reading and Math CIT	August 2013, monthly thereafter through May 2014	Quality Tools resource books, chart paper or board.	Survey assessing the level of understanding for teachers.  Capacity matrix showing growth in knowledge of Quality Tools over time.
Provide training to teachers in the use of universal screeners as well as continued support in the analysis of that data to improve instruction.	Reading CIT	September 2013, as needed thereafter to support teacher neesds.	Computer access, student data from universal screener.	Informal survey assessing the level of understanding for teachers.
Monitor use of quality learning tools, thinking maps and provide opportunities for teachers to share experiences using these tools during professional learning communities.	Reading CIT, CILT Team	September 2013-May 2014: monthly.	Examples of Quality Tools from teachers to share during PLC time, Thinking Maps or Quality Tools used as a model to reflect on best practices.	Continuum chart mapping out the level of learning and comfort for the teaching staff.  Survey assessing the level of understanding for teachers.  Capacity matrix showing growth in knowledge of Quality Tools over time.
Monitor data from screeners as well as common assessments to determine growth in student reading.	Reading CIT	September 2013-May 2014: minimum every six weeks; more often for at risk students.	Screening tools, common assessment data over time.	Growth chart showing reading levels per class, grade and as a whole.  Individual data sets for at risk students.
Collect field data regarding the use of Quality Tools and Thinking Maps in the classroom, as well as questions from teaching staff.  Also collect observations of student performance using these tools.	Reading CIT, teachers, students	September 2013 – May 2014	Time, teachers, students.	Data collection through field notes.
Share results of study with teaching staff and administration.	Reading CIT	May 2014	Student data and survey results from process.	Analyze results to determine where to improve the next year.