GOAL: Through collaboration or during meetings with my principal, attendance clerk, and other stakeholders like the site based decision making committee, the issue of students improving truancy and poor attendance rates to help improve student achievement.

OUTCOMES
ACTIVITIES
RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED
RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS ACTIVITIES
TIME LINE
Benchmarks/
ASSESSMENT
Revisions to SIP/PIP based on monitoring and assessments
Decrease the number of student absences and truancies
Develop a program using positive and negative reinforcements to encourage high attendance rates

Use daily, weekly and monthly attendance report from attendance clerk.
Attendance Clerk, Mr. Burns
May ,2011
Attendance Reports
Adaptations to teacher attitude toward release of students during class time
Improve student graduation rates
Develop a communication system to keep parents, teachers and school staff informed on the parameters and consequence of attendance rates

List of all students identified as at risk at the school. discipline referrals, drop out reports
Administration, Mr. Burns
October 2010
PIEM’s Reports
Adaptation of computer staff to contribute to research
Improve student passing rates in State testing averages
Develop a survey of teachers and student and parents to develop ideas on how to improve attendance rates.
Use internet “Go get it” to create a survey online on the schools website.
Technology Department, Mr. Burns
Sept, 2010
AIES, and PIEMS Data
Meeting with PLC’s by subject area
Decrease student discipline rates
Develop an educational or motivational program to show the benefits of attendance
School teacher In -service
Administration, Mr. Burns, Counselors secretaries
Jan. 2011
Teacher surveys after In - Service
Meeting with PLC’s by subject area
Decrease student overall subject failures

Develop community groups to get involved in sponsoring activities as an alternative to negative reinforcement
Use P.T.A. as a resource for alternative suggestions
Parent, teachers and community leaders, Mr. Burns
Sept. 2010
Feedback from community surveys online
Meet with parents of At Risk Students

What I have gleemed from week two

In week two I learned that there are grants a school can apply for to access funds that would not normally be available from the state. these grants will provide the neccasary funds to conduct research on a variety of subjects ranging from schoolattendance rates to curriculum, with these grants schools dissagrgate information to help students be more successful

I will be moving into the office this year on a part time basis. My official title will be "Attendance Czar". We have been having trouble the last couple of years with a decline in the rate of attendance. Some possible areas to research are: How attendance affects the school financially, what financial resources are available for monitoring and intervention, positive and negative reinforcement to improve attendance, the relationship of failure and drop outs to absenteeism, and attendance rates in relation to an economically disadvantaged status or a parent's education.The significance of the research is to explore the root causes of low attendance rates and find avenues to help alleviate this problem in our schools. I would like to create an action plan that would benefit the administration, teachers, and more specifically the at-risk students in our school. This action plan will reduce drop out rates, increase Taks scores, and save my school district money.

Action Research

Educational leaders can use the action research to introduce problems to staff. getting staff invovled in the process will not only give you more people to brainstorm the problem, but will promote inclusion and staff buy in. thereby promoting your vision for thr school.

Action Research Forum