Hey everyone! Here is my Action Research Plan. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.
                 Goals:

ü  Students will show up the first day of school aware of what is expected of them as far as: dress code, behavior, attendance, grades, etc.

ü  Students will know their schedule, counselor, some teachers, some coaches and their administrators.

ü  Get rid of the first 12 week adjustment period that it took our freshmen this past year to assimilate. 

ü  Students will be familiar with the school’s layout and know where their classes are as well as important offices.

ü  Students will be informed of what clubs, sports, band, theater, etc. our school offers and be encouraged to join one or two in order to be active members of the school environment.

-Send out a brochure before school lets out letting incoming freshmen know the dates of the orientation (sent these out the last week of school to three middle schools that feed into our high school)

Action Steps:

-Counselors will meet with students one-on-one after their tours to discuss the student’s schedule and any changes that might need to be made.

-Student leaders will be asked to assist in the orientation by giving the tours to the incoming freshmen.

-Send out a brochure before school lets out letting incoming freshmen know the dates of the orientation (sent these out the last week of school to three middle schools that feed into our high school)

-Students will be given a map of campus upon arrival with important school information printed on the back as well as their class schedules.

-Teachers, administrators, club sponsors, extracurricular sports, band and theater directors will be sent an email a month ahead of time letting them know the objective and goal of the orientation and their part in it.

Persons Responsible:

Melissa Pechacek -masters student

Dr. Norma Ibarra -assistant principal in charge of freshmen grant funds

Dahlia Aguilar-principal

Timeline:

May 2012- Send out brochures to incoming freshmen at their middle schools

July 2012 (one month before orientation)- Email freshmen teachers, administrators, coaches, theater and band directors, club sponsors, librarians, etc. about their participation in the orientation

(Each teacher/sponsor/coach, etc. will need to bring a representative of their group so that they can lead a tour of freshmen for the orientation)

July 2012 (one week prior to orientation)- Everyone involved will be reminded about their participation and to bring a student

August 2012- Orientation will be held from 9-12pm.  Everyone involved will be asked to show up prepared by 8:30

After the orientation, students will be asked to fill out a questionnaire to see how effective the orientation was.

September 2012- The students that attended orientation will be asked to fill out a modified questionnaire about the orientation asking how effective it was now that they have been in classes for two weeks.  

I will also be asking faculty and staff involved in the orientation to fill out a questionnaire asking about effectiveness.  Later, they will answer a modified one which will focus on how the freshmen are adjusting to high school compared to the year before when there was no orientation.

Repeat steps for 2013-2014 school year and compare data.

Needed Resources:

-Research how other campuses run their freshmen orientations if they have them

-Ask former freshmen what they would want to know about the school before they came to it.

-Ask incoming freshmen how useful this orientation was to them after they go on it and a week into the new school year.

Evaluation:

      The assessment instruments will be the feedback that I will receive from the faculty and staff as well as the freshmen that attend orientation over the next year.  The information from this year will be used to improve the orientation for next year.  I hope that this plan will be successful and stay intact for many years to come.

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives:

      I will use questionnaires to determine how effective the orientation was by administering different ones to the incoming freshmen and the faculty and staff involved with orientation. I will also be conducting the same action research next year for the freshmen of 2013-2014.  I will use any insight or suggestions from this orientation to improve next year’s.