The Plan

1. Setting the Foundation:
School climate is an important issue to providing a safe learning environment for students. We know that bullying and teasing occur at all levels of education and for this reason many students “disconnect” from school and ninth graders are particularly vulnerable. This is an issue that I and other teachers have discussed in PLC meetings.
Can the school climate be improved by initiating an intervention program like “Challenge Day” or an alternate program, to help the growing number of “disconnected” students in the ninth grade?

2. Analyzing Data:
A random sample of ninth grade students will be given a survey at the beginning of the school year to serve as a baseline and then given again at the beginning of the second 9 weeks to denote any changes in school climate and personal attitude.
Literature review will be conducted on the importance of school climate and education intervention programs.

3. Developing Deeper Understanding:
This is where I have decided to add two other programs that may help our students. After talking with some teachers, other campus leaders and reviewing information on the “Challenge Day” program the cost and the time may not be feasible. I added the survey for the administrators and staff to take so that we may compare their perceptions of school climate with the students and a brainstorming session during the staff development on how we can address the issue from a campus point of view. I believe this will give us a better picture and start taking steps to solve the problem ahead of the intervention program.

4. Engage in Self-Reflection:
Questions have already come to mind before even starting and I am sure that more will continue to pop up as go through the process.
How much do the intervention programs cost?
Do we have the money?
What can we do as a staff without the intervention programs?

5. Exploring Programmatic Patterns:
Could we get the community to help raise funds or somehow get involved in helping solve this issue?
Our principal is very visual; in order to make a compelling case, beyond the data, video clips of the programs in action would be useful.

6. Determining Direction:
This action research is attempting to put data to the problem on ninth graders becoming “disconnected” at school and imposing intervention programs to help with this issue. Because our school is so large, I will be focusing on ninth graders only. Getting the survey data will be time consuming in the beginning but should be completed within the first 14 weeks of school. The remaining task of finding the right intervention program and instilling campus interventions will take most of the school year and will take continuous monitoring the following years.
Including the SBDM committee and student council will help in the implementation of intervention ideas and bring in the student perspective.

7. Taking Action for School Improvement:
Write out a step by step of the action research project and work to include the SBDM committee. Also, student council is a good source for student input and perspective from all grades even though the research is focusing on freshman only.

8. Sustain Improvement:
This will be an ongoing issue. As a staff we need to make sure that the systems are in place to continue making school a safe place for students to learn. Hopefully the intervention skills the ninth grade students will learn will carry over year after year until they graduate. Surveys should become part of a yearly check on this and on incoming ninth graders.
on incoming ninth graders.