Supervisor Conference and Consensus

After meeting with my principal we have come up with the following action research plan for the end of the 2011-12 school year to be completed during the 2012-13 school year.  The principal is fully onboard with this plan of action.  She suggested that I start right away collecting the data on discipline this year, as our discipline files are archived at the end of the school year.  At that point I will not be able to access this information.  She also told me that I may not have full buy in from our staff.  This is one of the issues that I am worried about and have spoke about in our discussion board.  She suggested that I try and meet with the staff and present the data to them so they fully understand why we are making the decision that we are making.  She still warned that full buy in may not be reached.  My principal agreed that students should be given a voice in this process.  When she’s spoken to the students that are currently having to serve Working Lunch, they do not understand what the point of this discipline procedure is.  When she’s asked them to come up with a new plan, they do not know and say that they’ll just attend Working Lunch.  I believe if we use the Delphi method, we may be able to reach a consensus from the students on a new discipline plan.  The principal told me to step back and not just go through the motions when doing my assignments.  Take a look at how the students or teachers react when meeting with them.  These can be added to my leadership toolbox for future purposes.  She said that sometimes when a leader makes a decision, or a suggestion, a ripple effect often occurs.  You can predict some events, but others that won’t even cross your mind arise.

In the end the principal agreed that this is a very good research topic.  She is here to support me with whatever I need.  There were no changes that were made or additions that needed to be added.  Below is the final plan.

Goals and objects/outcomes of the research investigation

To determine if Working Lunch is meeting the needs of all Raines High School students as a discipline consequence.

Activities designed to achieve the objectives

Meeting with the principal to discuss data that can be provided on the following areas:

-       # of students per day that attend Working Lunch

-       the names of students that are habitual attendees

-       the grades of habitual attendees in 1st period and 3rd period (right before lunch)

-       discipline referrals for the habitual attendees

-       collection of student anecdotal data

Meeting with a group of students to discuss a problem/solution process in which their voice will help shape the discipline/consequence structure at Raines High School

Enacting a new discipline/consequence structure at Raines High School and collecting data on this.

3.     Resources and research tools needed for data gathering

A log of all Working Lunch students from 2011-2012

A copy of discipline referrals that led to Working Lunch attendance in 2011-2012

A copy of attendance for the 2011-2012 school year (looking at tardies)

Grades for 2011-2012 Working Lunch attendees from 1^st and 3rd period

Time during the school day to meet with groups of students to discuss a problem/solution process

Full cooperation of staff to enact new discipline procedure during the 2012-2013 school year

A log of students who were consequenced under the new discipline plan from 2012-2013

A copy of all discipline referrals that led to consequences under new discipline plan in 2012-2013

A copy of attendance for the 2012-2013 school year (looking at tardies)

Grades for 2012-2013 students consequenced under the new discipline plan from 1^st and 4rd period

Student anecdotal data, to be collected throughout the process

4.     Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities

Gathering data starts immediately (March 2012)

Student meetings needs to occur before the end of the school year (June 2012)

Implementation of new discipline procedure needs to be agreed upon by the staff by the start of the 2012-2013 school year (August 2012)

Implementation of new discipline procedure needs to be discussed with students on the first day of school (September 2012)

Data needs to be collected throughout the process (September 2012-ongoing 2013)

Final analysis (May 2013)

5.     Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan

Jonathon Gutierrez – Masters student

Becky Tucker – Principal

Alys Shorter – Assistant Principal

Raines High School Staff

Raines High School Students

6.     Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives

Collecting data as discussed in #3

Student anecdotal data

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

Success will be measured by tardies, attendance, grades, # of discipline referrals, promotion to the “auto” program and possibly graduate success.