This document outlines an action research plan to increase family and community involvement at a school. The goal is to improve student achievement through greater parental and community engagement. Over the course of the school year, the plan involves gathering input from teachers, parents, and community members. Multiple focus groups will analyze data and research ways to strengthen relationships. The groups will then develop and implement activities to enhance involvement. Progress will be assessed regularly and activities will be revised as needed based on results. The overall aim is to create a collaborative process for improving the school's family and community involvement program.

1. Action Research Plan Question:<br />What role does family and community involvement play in building student achievement levels? What can we do as a learning community to increase parental and community involvement for our students?<br />School Vision:<br />Our vision is to increase family and community involvement with the goal of increasing student success.<br />Goal:<br />Our goal is to increase student achievement by involving families and business members into the everyday lives of our students.<br />Action Research Plan Draft<br />Goals/ObjectivesActivitiesResources/ToolsPersons ResponsibleTimelineProgress Assessments/EvaluationsRevisionsBring concept of research/idea to SBDM team.Meet with SBDM to discuss interest in such matter, explain research data.Research data to support the benefits of including family/community involvement in the learning community.R. TrojcakSBDM TeamAugust 2010NoneGoal and main focus may be assessed and adjusted depending on the team’s opinions.Get permission to share information at one of the beginning of school year faculty meeting sessions.Get permission to speak at one of the beginning of year faculty meeting sessions.Research data to explain reason for such idea.R. TrojcakSBDM TeamAugust 2010NoneNoneShare the goal for this school year to increase family and community involvement to all stakeholders through the use of action research.Explain the need for increase of family/community involvement in students’ lives at beginning of school year.Have an open-session for all members to give their input and opinions of what should be done to increase such need.Cafeteria roomComputer, PowerPoint programSnacksProvide supporting research/data from articles as well as the state mandates included in NCLB that explains the increase of family/community involvement has on student achievement.R. TrojcakSBDM teamAugust 2010NoneDepending on what the entire staff thinks of the goal, the goal maybe revamped.Explain the concept of action research and how it will benefit our goal of increasing student achievement by involving family/community members into the students’ lives.Explain and outline the 8 Steps from Analysis to Action to faculty. Explain we will be using these 8 steps as a guideline to our action research plan.Computer, PowerPoint, PowerPoint presentation printout for each member, pens, highlightersInformation from: Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps from Analysis to Action, Harris et.al. textR. TrojcakSBDM teamAugust 2010Check for understanding throughout presentation.PowerPoint may need to be revamped to meet the needs of the members.Create reflection notebook as a means for complying all resources, notes, actions performed throughout the entire course of the plan.Assigned individual to be notebook keeper. Each meeting, action, activity, research analysis performed will be reflected in the notebook to review and refer back to throughout the course of the plan.Notebook, paper, dividers, computer, PowerPointsR. TrojcakSBDM teamAugust 2010By keeping record of all the actions, materials, resources, ideas, opinions etc. that have taken place throughout the course of the action research plan, our team will be allowed to refer back to it as a reference.Notebook will be revised throughout the course of the plan. Survey staff to determine what each member thinks of action research and improving student achievement by increasing family/community involvement.Ask each faculty member to take time to complete survey about action research and the goal of improving student achievement by increasing the involvement of families and community workers.Survey, pencilsR. TrojcakSBDM teamAugust 2010Using the survey results we will be able to determine if faculty members are intrigued to learn how to improve our family/community involvement.Survey may need to be revamped, give more room for additional areas of discussion or improvement.Set up session and PowerPoint to explain goal to parents, students and businesses at the beginning of the school year at orientation night.Set up short session at the beginning of orientation night to explain goal, ask for input and volunteers throughout this year’s action research project.CafeteriaPaper, pencilsTables and ChairsSnacksR. TrojcakSBDM teamCustodiansAugust 2010NoneMeeting date and time may have to be changed depending on when orientation will be set up.Design take-home survey that addresses the current family/community involvement that can be given to parents, students, and business members.Hand out survey at orientation night to gain the opinions and ideas from students, parents, and businesses to determine what needs to be improved, adjusted, changed, and taken out etc. to better our goal.Survey: paper, computer, printerR. TrojcakSBDM teamOffice StaffClassroom teachersAugust 2010Survey ResultsDepending on survey feedback, an additional survey may need to be sent home again.Develop multiple focus groups/teams including family and community businesses to closely analyze research data and survey results to develop ideas/opinions on how to improve family/community relationships into this school year. Focus groups will decide what research methods they will use to conduct their own research on how to improve family/community involvement in our learning community.Meet once a month to discuss results.Divide up faculty members throughout grade levels and teaching subjects evenly. Research articles to begin with, but also encourage group members to investigate themselves and do their own researching.Computers, paper, printers.R. TrojcakSBDM teamFocus GroupsSeptember-November 2010Gain a continuing amount of information/research.Determine if focus groups are gaining knowledge.If certain groups are not working collaboratively together, a talk to that group may be necessary to continue progress.Group members will collaborate and share information they researched/discovered with other group members and stakeholders.Each group will be encouraged to share their findings with other group members through the use of blogs, printouts, and discussion boards.Computers, printers, paper.R. TrojcakSBDM teamFocus GroupsSeptember-November 2010Will be determined by how much research and knowledge has been gathered and what knowledge can be used to benefit our action plan.The amount and quality of collaboration may need to be assessed.Focus groups will meet again to determine what will be decided based on the research each group gathered.Focus groups will develop their own goals and actions of how they think our learning community could improve family/community involvement. Computers, paper, pencilsR. TrojcakSBDM teamFocus GroupsDecember 2010The amount and quality of research ideas will be assessed to determine what are the best information/ideas to use to obtain our goal.Quality of research may need to be assessed and evaluated.We will begin to use the research we gained to improve the family/community involvement for our school.Ideas will be gathered and the process will begin on attempting to strengthen and improve our school’s family/community involvement program through the use of each focus group’s research and ideas.Resources will be dependent on each focus group’s ideas and actions.R. TrojcakSBDM teamFocus GroupsJanuary-May 2011Each group’s actions/activities will be assessed on a regular basis.Assessment will include students’ six week testing scores, daily attendance, each students’ attitude etc. Revisions will be made to activities wherever we see fit.Activities will be assessed and revamped for the following school year.Focus groups will meet again to express any concerns, areas of improvement etc. that needs to be revamped for the following school year.Paper, pencils, activity layoutsR. TrojcakSBDM teamFocus GroupsMay 2011Progression and assessment of each activity will be done.Revisions will be dependent on each activity and its progression.<br />