Action Research Project Title: What incentives and solutions can we provide
in our schools to increase attendance and what are the effects on student
achievement?
Blog URL: http://jdberna.blogspot.com/
Number of AR Project Documented Hours:
AR Project Summary (at least 250 words):
I feel strong about attendance and more strongly about students. I
believe this to be an issue everywhere and I know everybody has tried just
about anything and everything to fix it. I think it is about relationships with
students and building trust with each other in order to motivate and encourage
them to go to school.
My action plan project is progressing very timely through many meetings,
interviews, and observations. I started out by interviewing the attendance and
truancy officers on campus to identify the incentives that are effective and to
discuss the issue of attendance at Temple High School. After reviewing data
after the first six weeks, I notice that Temple High School has increased its
attendance rating by creating a welcoming school, teachers that are passionate
about students, and communicating with parents. With students attending school,
educators create effective learning communities in the classroom, positively
affecting student achievement. Interviews with administration and attending
attendance hearings and meetings have assisted me in developing incentives that
will be affective. I am currently working on surveying students and staff to
find motivating factors to motivate students to attend school. I will continue
to work with key personnel (attendance officers, site supervisor, Asst.
Supt., and staff) to develop creative incentives and motivating principals to
increase attendance and work collaboratively with all administration to gain
support in areas of concern and solutions presented in the action research
plan. I have been extremely pleased with the 21 hours of work accessed in my
research plan to this point. With attendance and student achievement
being a major issue in school today, I hope the project identifies and provides
solutions to attendance and student achievement. By interviewing, researching on the Internet,
and surveying students, I hope this project finds ways to motivate students and
parents to make school important. This project is projected to allow my
findings and research to generate inquiry among my colleagues and allow me to
reflect and grow professionally. In addition, this project should provide an
incentive plan to increase attendance and student achievement.
