Doing Action Research to Focus
and Celebrate Improvements:
Meeting and Exceeding Standard
25!
Cairo Impact Conference
November 2, 2024
© 2024 Cognia, Inc.
Pick a card, any card
PLEASE CHOOSE A CARD FROM THE FIND SOMEONE NEAR YOU AND SHARE ANOTHER CARD, PLEASE
TABLE AND READ IT TO YOURSELF. READ IT ALOUD AND SHARE YOUR
ANSWER. COMPARE YOUR
EXPERIENCES AND INTRODUCE
YOURSELVES
Maybe we are all a little bit artistic
At your table, there is a pile of construction paper
and some pencils. Please draw a researcher.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Standard
#25
Standard #25 asks us all to
think about action research in
our institutions
Leaders promote action research by
professional staff members to improve
their practice and advance learning.
Who is this standard talking about here?
Standard
#25 Why do you think this standard was
included in this iteration?
Why would we be expected to do
research?
Elements of Standard 25 (Cognia)
Leaders create and preserve a culture that invites inquiry,
reflection, and dialogue about instructional problems and issues
relevant to the institution and/or individual learning environments.
Professional staff members, as a group or as individuals, engage in
action research using an inquiry-based process that includes
identifying instructional areas of improvement, collecting data,
and reporting results to make informed instructional changes.
Leaders provide and engage in learning opportunities for
professional staff members to implement action research.
Learning targets
We will find ways we are already engaged and
how we can capitalize on action research in
progress
We will define three cycles of action research.
Increase interest about the possibilities for action
research in your own institution
Two Essential Standard #7 Standard #25
and
Leaders guide Leaders promote
Interdependent
Standards professional staff action research
members in the by professional
continuous staff members to
improvement improve their
process focused practice and
on learners’ advance
experiences and learning.
needs.
Standard #25 - Rubric Level 3
Leaders regularly create and preserve a culture that
invites inquiry, reflection, and dialogue about
instructional problems and issues relevant to the
institution and/or individual learning environments.
Professional staff members, as a group or as
individuals, routinely engage in action research using
an inquiry- based process that includes identifying
instructional areas of improvement, collecting data, and
reporting results to make informed instructional
changes.
Leaders provide and engage in learning opportunities
for professional staff members to implement action
research
Rubric Level #3
Standard #7 Standard #25
Leaders regularly engage professional staff Leaders regularly create and preserve a culture that
members in developing, communicating, invites inquiry, reflection, and dialogue about instructional
implementing, monitoring, and adjusting the problems and issues relevant to the institution and/or
continuous improvement process.
individual learning environments.
The continuous improvement process is based on
analyzed trend and current data about learners’ Professional staff members, as a group or as individuals,
academic and non-academic needs and the routinely engage in action research using an inquiry-
institution’s organizational effectiveness. based process that includes identifying instructional areas
of improvement, collecting data, and reporting results to
Leaders and professional staff members make informed instructional changes.
consistently implement ongoing practices,
processes, and decision making that improve Leaders provide and engage in learning opportunities for
learning and engage stakeholders. professional staff members to implement action research
From Level 3 to Level 4
Standard 7 Standard 25
• Regularly to consistently • Regularly to intentionally
• Trend data • Routinely to consistently
• Routinely to consistently • Customized learning opportunities
• Sustain:
• o Consistently engage,
• o Create and preserve
• Formal processes:
Key words • o Documentation
in the
• o Cyclical, such as action research, including monitoring
and adjusting in response.
standards Embedded:
rubric • Ingrained in culture
• Cycle is systematic
• Formal structures:
• o Documented and customized
• o Professional development provided and evaluated
• Analysis:
• o Formal process
• o Implemented actions resulting from analysis
The continuous improvement plan (CIP): The CIP was developed
two years ago collaboratively with teachers, parents, learners, and
administrative staff. The plan includes goals to increase
achievement in math and science and an initiative to foster
stronger community support through sustained and consistent
surveys of all stakeholders. The school has engaged in the plan
over the past two years, implementing focused tutoring, tiered
support for learners, and a survey initiative that includes all
stakeholders.
Learner achievement data: The trend analysis indicates
Standard 7 successful growth in language arts and science, but math scores
have remained static or dropped slightly.
Supporting Survey data: The survey data has been collected for two years for
each major stakeholder group and includes growth in parent
Evidence
satisfaction, learner satisfaction, and teacher satisfaction.
Root cause analysis data: Institution’s leaders have analyzed the
trends in the achievement data and survey data and determined
that the tutoring programs have been moderately successful,
mainly due to time and funding. The mathematics tutoring has
been less effective, primarily because of low participation from
both learners and teachers.
Additionally, the leaders determined that satisfaction has
increased due to the collaborative efforts made to share elements
of decision making on professional learning, school schedules,
and school events. While the plan is not formally reviewed by a
collaborative team annually, the school leaders are planning a
collaborative session to review the plan with stakeholders to
determine what changes or adjustments may be appropriate
• All grade level instructors submitted lesson plans to
department heads that included differentiation for
students with low-medium-and high achievement
levels for mathematics, reading, and science.
Department Heads returned lesson plans that were
Standard 25 missing elements.
• Subject area instructors meet once per quarter to
Supporting review results of assessments and grades attained.
Department Heads report to Directors and results
Evidence are recorded.
• Tutors record numbers of students served.
• Teachers attended two half-day workshops on
differentiation at the beginning of each school year.
• Teachers surveyed reported feeling supported in
improving instruction.
• Students surveyed reported being supported by
teachers.
• Each teacher meets with department head bi-
weekly to plan and review progress.
How do you
Think for a minute on
deliberately get better
The your own…
as a leader/educator?
Questions
of the Day How do you believe
your school or
Share your thoughts
with your partner for a
organization
bit and then with your
deliberately gets
table, please
better?
Action (implying change)
Definition +
of Action
Research Research (Implying a
search for understanding)
A flexible process to
serve a range of needs
Action Research
Uses an inquiry-based process
Find, evaluate and use information
sources
Examine how our current
understandings/practices developed
and are working
Identify a gap, problem, messy
explanation, conflict, undefined goal or
concept.
Finding the question, the sources,
interpretation, methods, and timeline
• An action researcher is in the problem.
• The research is not for the sake of
research, to advance the field, to help
anyone else or to invent something new.
On the • An action researcher cannot not be
biased or not hope for an answer.
ground • An action researcher does not let the
research fail to answer the question or to
make things better.
• An action research has a heart in the
work.
Impact of Action
Research on
Practice
• Persuasive
• Authoritative
• Relevant
• Practical
• Realistic
• Convincing
• Why do we do research?
Iterative
Emergent
Cyclical or spiraling
Action
Research Usually participatory
is A different research paradigm
Responsive
Can emphasize “action” or “research” or
both
Identify question or issue
Research the issue
Design a plan
Essential Collect data
Steps in Possible changes to the plan
Action Analyze and organize data
Research Draw conclusions
Create action steps
Report/share findings
Elliot/Mills
1. General Idea
2. Reconnaissance – get back together
3. Construct the general plan
4. Develop next action steps.
5. Monitor plan and effects
6. Implement next action steps. Data
collection and analysis
7. Data Collection and analysis
8. Reporting
Dana/Silva
1. Find your question
2. Use literature as data
3. Decide if you will collaborate and how?
3. Determine methods and data collection
4. Implement and collect data
5. Find your findings: Data analysis
6. Extend learning: Inquiry write-up and
sharing with colleagues
Kuhne/Quigley
1. Understand the problem
• What have others said?
• Why does problem exist?
2. Define the project
3. Determine the measures
4. Implement an action and observe results.
5. Evaluating results
6. Implement more action if needed
Barnett, Wingard, Williams
Building the Foundation
What do I want to know? What have others found out about
What is the problem , if answered, would help us to address our situation? similar situations?
What data could provide information that could help us to understand Who should be part of this research?
causes and effects of strategies?
What is our timeline? How will data be collected and
analyzed?
When and how often will we meet to discuss our results? How will we How and with whom will we share
determine adjustments and changes? what we learn?
Implementing the Plan
Collect and analyze valid and reliable data from multiple sources according Determine any themes or trends
to plan emerging. Decide if strategies appear
to be effective
Decide if changes need to be made in the strategies Are there obstacles to making
changes. What are they? If you make
modifications or adjustments, how
can you document the changes?
So What?
What have you learned from this research? What changes were made based on
your research?
How will you use what you learned to continue to improve learner How will you share lessons learned
achievement? with others?
Action Research Maps
Elliot/Mills Dana/Silva Kuhn/Quigley
1. General Idea 1. Find your question 1. Understand the problem
2. Reconnaissance Literature as data What have others said?
Why does problem exist?
3, Construct the general 2. Will you collaborate and 2. Define the project
plan how?
4. Develop next action 3. Determine methods and 3. Determine the measures
steps data collection
5. Monitor plan and 4. Implementation and data 4. Implementing an action
effects collection and observing results.
6. Implementing next 5. Finding your findings: Data 5. Evaluating the results:
action steps. Data analysis Data analysis
collection and analysis
7. Reporting 6. Extending learning: Inquiry 6. Reflecting on data
write-up More indicated?
Sharing with colleagues
Truancy
Problems Absenteeism
Gaps in progress
Traditional
Socratic/Analytical
Curriculum
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Extra and Co-
curricular Programs
Parent Involvement
Programs
Innovations and
Interventions
Three Words
Reliability
Validity
Fairness
Data Collection
• Experiencing –Direct Observation
• Enquiring: Interview/Surveys
• Examining: Records/Journals/
Artifacts/Assessments
• Literature
• Whatever your stakeholders believe have
meaning
There are no answers in data.
Data are meaningless without
context.
Keep in Numbers are just numbers.
Mind
Words are just words.
Meaning is achieved in dialog,
consultation and understanding.
Analysis of classroom observations
that indicate areas needed for
improvement
Sample Comprehensive professional
Evidence development plan
for A professional learning community
implementation plan for professional
Cognia staff
Analysis of interventions implemented
and the evidence indicating the impact
of each intervention
Codes – just like
we did with the
drawings
Themes – emerging
Data over time or across
measures
Analysis Mapping – cohorts
or students’ Growth over time
for Action mastery
Research Descriptive
Statistics
Difference in
demographics
Comparisons
between groups
You are already doing some parts of
Action Research
It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed
at the time.
Barbara Kingsolver
Animal Dreams
What we do has an effect
The daily work – that goes on, it adds up.
Barbara Kingsolver
Animal Dreams
Thank you/Questions
Thank
Julia M. Williams, Ph.D.
Lead Evaluator
Regional Accreditation Evaluator
[email protected]
Duluth, Minnesota 1 218 940 7317
United States of America
Stay connected.
Learn more at cognia.org
Knowledge is Opportunity.
Cognia is a global nonprofit that has the knowledge to help
schools improve outcomes for all learners.
References
McNiff, P., Lomax, P., & Whitehead, J. (1999) You and your action research project. New York:
Routledge
Pallof, R. (1996). Confronting ghosts: Lessons in empowerment and action. Unpublished
dissertation. Santa Barbara, CA: Fielding Graduate Institute
Park, P. (1993). “What is participatory research? A theoretical and methodological perspective,” in
Park, P., Brydon-Miller, M., Hall, B., % Jackson, T (Eds), Voices of change (pp. 1-20). Westport, CT:
Bergin & Garvey
Quigley, B.A., & Kuhne, G.W. (eds). (1997). Creating practical knowledge through action research:
Posing problems, solving problems, and improveing daily practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishers.
Reason, P. (1994). “Three approaches to participatroy inquiry,” in Denzin, N. K.& Lincoln, Y.S. (Eds)
Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 324-339) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
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In Summary
Rubric Level 1
Leaders rarely create a culture that invites inquiry, reflection, and dialogue about
instructional problems and issues relevant to the institution or learning
environments. Professional staff members seldom engage in action research
to make informed instructional changes. Leaders provide and engage in few or
no learning opportunities for professional staff members about action research.
Rubric Level 2
Leaders occasionally create and preserve a culture that invites
inquiry, reflection, and dialogue about instructional problems and
issues relevant to the institution and/or individual learning
environments. Professional staff members, as a group or as
individuals, sometimes engage in action research using an inquiry-
based process that includes identifying instructional areas of
improvement, collecting data, and reporting results to make informed
instructional changes. Leaders provide and engage in some learning
opportunities for professional staff members to implement action
research.
Rubric Level 4
Leaders intentionally create and preserve a culture that invites
inquiry, reflection, and dialogue about instructional problems and
issues relevant to the institution and/or individual learning
environments. Professional staff members, as a group or as
individuals, consistently engage in action research using an inquiry-
based process that includes identifying instructional areas of
improvement, collecting data, and reporting results to make informed
instructional changes. Leaders provide and engage in learning
opportunities customized for professional staff members about
action research.
