My Action Research Plan Pt. 2..

Since the format of my plan in template form is messing up, I will just post it as a summary. Thanks for reading it! Any input is welcome and needed :)

 

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation:

1. Within the time allotted to complete my action research project, I want to see what improvements need to be made in regards to the interviewing portion of vocational curriculum within the MISD transition for special education students

Objective: Within the allotted time frame, I want to use surveys and a questionnaire to assess the area for needed improvement in the interviewing portion of MISD vocational curriculum. 

2. Within the time allotted to complete my action research project and given the data to confirm we need to improve, I want to collaborate with the other Occupational Preparation teachers across the district about ways to improve the curriculum.

Objective: Within the allotted time frame, we will meet two times in regards to this matter.

Activities designed to achieve the objective:

Part of the Occupational Career Experience class is to take the skills you learned from Occupational Preparation and use them in the interviewing process. We highly suggest the students obtain a job within the first 6 weeks off school.  Due to some students disabilities, this process may take a little longer so we give them a form to fill out to prove they have been attempting to find employment by filling out applications and following up with potential employers, even going on some interviews.  I will create a survey to give to the employers after they interview. I will then follow up to collect the data.  From there, I will see what areas need improving and praise the students on what they did correctly. 

Research and Resource tools for data gathering:

I will work hand and hand with DARS to collect any data they may have. I will also find other school districts that have this same program and ask for their success rate for students obtaining a job due to good interviewing skills.  If possible, I would like for the other school districts to fill out a questionnaire that I will create to give me insight to their scope and sequence.

Draft timeline for competition or implementation of activities:

October ’13-November ‘13: Create and send out survey to employers.  Continue to walk along side of students in employment process and help them be successful.

December ’13: Research and contact other school districts that have this program and gain insight to their curriculum.

January ’14: Start implementing what was learned for my action research plan into my Occupational Preparation class so they can benefit from it the following year. Also, share data with other teachers across the district so their students can benefit from it as well.

July ’14: Take data and share it across the districts and have specific meetings to help come up with a more effective method of teaching the interviewing curriculum to Occupational Preparation student for the upcoming school year.

October ‘14-November ’14: Send out same survey and assess the success and or failure.

Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan:

Karlee Wilson, Academic Principal, other MISD vocational teachers.

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives:

Create a spreadsheet in Excel to document all the surveys and questionnaires.

Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study:

I am going to send out the same survey in October-November of ’14 to see the success or failure of my action research plan.  Also, another assessment could be if students obtained job while still in my Occupational Prep. class.