What I've Learned About Action Research

     Action research is the ability for educators to use scientific processes and practices to improve their practice as an educator.  Action research can be used for a variety of reasons, to help solve a problem, to become better at the craft of leadership or teaching, or to learn about a variety of solutions to various problems within the system.  Regardless of the reason that action research is used, it is invaluable in its role to improve the quality of education.
     My current role is as the Associate Principal at a large comprehensive high school in Houston.  Our school has a variety of problems including a large hispanic population that struggles in all aspects of their education.   I can use action research with the various teams at my school in order to evaluate various strategies, monitor them during implementation, and use data to guide our next steps, and best practices.   Currently, we are monitoring and implementing literacy strategies in order to help our ELL learners to be more successful in class.  Various teams are evaluating and implementing different reading, writing, listening, and speaking strategies within their classrooms to improve the quality of learning for students. Weekly, we look at data and lessons to evaluate their effectiveness over time.  I see it as a useful tool for not only myself, but also for my teachers and staff.