Week 2 assignments have helped me narrow my topic down.  It was good to visit with my principal regarding my action research topic.  I feel like my inquiry will be helpful to the algebra students in the school.

narrowing down topic

I have narrowed down my action research topic to the following:

How can La Grange ISD develop a satisfactory benchmark test for the STAAR Algebra I test?

Another teacher and myself are going to meet and take a day to try to put a test together for our students.  From this activity, I can determine what material that we have is good and what is not good.  Until we actually know what is on the test, it is going to be difficult to rate the benchmark test we come up with.

the use of blogs

Educational leaders can use blogs to share information they have found in their action research projects.  Other leaders may have similar problems or issues that they need answers for.  The last step in the action research process is to share information, and blogging is a great way to do that.  Also, a review of professional literature and information about a certain topic is part of the action research process.  Maybe some other principal somewhere has a blog with pertinent information for other practitioners to use.

action research

I have learned a lot about action research in the last 5 days by reading the Dana text and the other articles on the subject.  There have been so many inservices that I have sat through thinking I will never be able to implement this stuff, because it just doesn't apply to me or my situation.  What I like about action research is the fact that the practioner gets to choose his or her area of interest.  Because this interest in personal, the action researcher is excited about the study.  I also think I will like action research, because I like collecting and looking at data.  This is a big step in the action research process.  I am planning on using the action research process to look at how benchmark testing affects student performance on standardized tests.  I am going to focus my study on algebra I students taking the STAAR test.  My "wondering" is how much does a good or bad benchmark test taken by students affect their performance on the STAAR test.  I am also interested in how teachers can use the results of the benchmark tests to their greatest advantage.  I understand that I am going to have to narrow my focus of my action research project to answer very specific questions.  In the end, I hope to have gained some knowledge as to what kind of benchmark test is most beneficial to students.  The lack of information on the STAAR test for teachers is what has stemmed my idea.