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The utilization of the action research process enables teachers
to provide school leaders with an understanding of what is
and is not working to improve student achievement. As this
process moves forward, learning teams will engage and evaluate
the implementation of new action goals and seem busier than
ever before. Yet, the learning community will not only be
achieving what Fullan describes as “coherence,” but
also what Donaldson describes as “action-in-common.” Leaders
play a key role in keeping staff focused by continually asking
how an activity will affect student achievement.
Teachers will expend a great deal of energy and time applying
action research strategies. The extended value of Action
Research goes beyond the solution of a specific problem.
It is the learning that the participants gain in the process
through the sharpening of their questions or inquiry into
the dynamics of problem-solution-measurement and the communication
of that learning or knowledge to the rest of the faculty.
The extended value of action research is the breath of change
through the entire organization. For that to occur with any
degree of impact, communication across subject areas, grade
levels and throughout the organization must be effective.
The process, therefore, must be acknowledged by the Leadership
Team through individual interactions, school-wide publications,
bulletin boards, website postings, and school-wide celebrations.
With an eye on the data and the standards, faculty teach
to the desired performance outcomes. Leaders must monitor
the instructional program carefully and perceive points at
which the focus needs to be shifted. Following are some guiding
principles for leaders:
- Sharpen personal focus on instruction
- Provide instructional
support as a priority over other managerial tasks
- Provide instructional presence in classrooms and throughout
the school
- Listen and then act on what you hear
- Reward teachers’ increasing
capacity to collect and teach from data
- Expect teachers
to debate school issues, reform, and new directions using
data
- Expect demands for more knowledge-building centered
on teaching content
Next: 2.
Be Responsive to Teacher Professional
Learning Needs:
Content and Methodology
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