All coming together...

So we just closed up the second nine weeks at our school.  This means I've closed up the second round of my current research.  During the first 9 weeks I interviewed students about reading interests, discussed book requests for the library, and reviewed the Accellerated Reader incentive program with the students in my daily reading groups.  After interviewing them about our current AR incentive program, I took certain requests they made for our AR store and gave them to the AR committee.  The AR committee purchased these specific items and they were made available to our students at our first AR store in December.  The students also stated that they wished they knew which items were going to be in the store in advance so they knew how many points they had to work towards.  The AR committee took pictures of items during our first AR store during December.  A huge display was just hung in the school to show the students a variety of items that will be available in the May store and students are encourage to set AR goals.  During the second nine weeks I implemented an incentive program.  Students that made a 70 or above on their AR test could mark a check on a list I had posted in my room.  Once students had three checks a week they could visit my treasure drawer.  The treasure drawer is just like a treasure chest filled with trinkets from the dollar store, McDonalds, Oriental Trading, etc.  I was truly surprised to see the number of students that truly increased the number of books they were reading just to visit my treasure drawer.  I've never been one for rewarding students for their actions, but I do have to say that they system did motivate some students that otherwise probably wouldn't have continued reading.

Adequate Yearly Progress - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adequate Yearly Progress - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

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Accelerated Reader™: What Works Clearinghouse

Accelerated Reader™: What Works Clearinghouse

Research regarding the Accelerated Reader program and its effectiveness with ELL students.

Motivating our at-risk students with an AR program

As we draw nearer to the end of our first nine weeks of school, our intervention team is looking more closely at data.  One of the first things we noticed is the number of our at-risk students that have limited amounts of AR points.  Students have plenty of time in class to take tests, but it's not happening and this makes us think they aren't reading at home at all.  We've noticed many of our fourth grade, at-risk, below-level readers bothered by having to read picture books instead of a large chapter book.  This made me wonder if the stigma of having to read certain books on a specific AR level, like picture books, turned students off of reading?  Our academic coach and myself are discussing having an AR seminar with our fourth grade students.  We want to show them incentives they'll be working for, discuss the benefits of AR, discuss any concerns they have, etc.  I'm curious to see if we have an increase in AR points over the next nine weeks after we meet with the students.

Motivation | Reading Research and Reports | Reading Rockets

One of my favorite websites. I know this site will give me many great articles to read in relation to my action research.

Motivation | Reading Research and Reports | Reading Rockets:

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My Action Research Plan: "What Motivates our third and fourth grade at-risk students to read and which methods of motivation appear to be the most effective in our school?

Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template Goal:  What motivates our third and fourth grade at-risk students to read and which methods of motivation appear to be the most effective in our school?
Action Steps	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Discuss action research plan with site supervisor and immediate parties involved.	Amber Rodriguez Sara Williams Bridget Costello Christan Wood Kaye Chessher Dana English Sarah Bass Delana Dyer Rachel Henley Kelsey Strong	September 2011	Copy of action research plan. Reading Inventories to show what will be used to determine likes and dislikes of at-risk students.	Notes from meeting which include recommendations and suggestions for alternate ideas.
Meet with 3rd and 4th grade teachers to determine what current components of Accelerate Reader they use and if they conference and set goals with their students in regards to reading achievement.	Sara Williams Bridget Costello Christan Wood Kaye Chessher Dana English Sarah Bass Delana Dyer Rachel Henley Kelsey Strong	September 2011	Data form for each teacher to track information.	Compile information on a spreadsheet to disseminate information.
Survey teachers to determine current methods of motivation for reading that are being used in class.	Sara Williams K-4 teachers Sampling of teachers from 5th & 6th grade.	September 2011	Survey from Survey Monkey.	Results analyzed and graphed according to responses.  Share initial responses with the staff to discuss current methods already being used.
Meet with students I will be working with in the classroom in third and fourth grade to discuss their reading likes and dislikes.	Sara Williams 3rd & 4th grade low performing, reading at-risk students.	September 2011	Reading inventories. Paper survey to complete together.	Compile common results from student survey results which indicate most common likes and dislikes about reading. Share results with the staff at faculty meetings.
Meet with 3rd & 4th grade teachers to determine current reading PM levels and previous grade level AR points from the end of the year.	Sara Williams Bridget Costello Christan Wood Kaye Chessher Dana English Sarah Bass Delana Dyer Rachel Henley Kelsey Strong	September 2011	1st 9 weeks PM benchmarking data to show current PM reading levels. Data spreadsheet from last year to indicate end of year reading levels and AR point.	Compile a spreadsheet using information obtained from 3rd and 4th grade student data.
Conference with each student individually to share end of school year data from 2010-2011 and set goals for first 9 weeks according to that data.	Sara Williams 3rd & 4th grade groups of students from each class I’ll be working with.  4-5 students from each class involved.	September 2011	Data report from 2010-2011 school year which includes PM reading level and end of year AR points. Current 2011-2012 PM reading levels. Goal sheet which includes an area for setting goals each 9 weeks.	Share data with current student’s teachers to share goals discussed and planned and current data to support those goals.
Survey parents to determine which methods of motivation they use at home to encourage their child to read.	Home survey sent home to all of 3rd and 4th grade classes.  Not just the students I will be working with. 3rd and 4th grade teacher will send home the survey and/or ask parents to complete the short survey at open house.	October 2011	Survey questionnaire.  Offer online and paper copy for submission of survey. Questionnaire provided in English and Spanish Include in the questionnaire rationale for why I am obtaining this information and how it will be used.	Compile results. Disaggregate data into sub-populations to determine if there are any current trends between our sub-groups and their motivation to read. Share results with parents and teachers. Share results with new teachers at the district new teacher meeting to encourage a variety of ways to motivate students to read.
Observe classrooms throughout the school to evaluate current reading motivation techniques being used.	Sara Williams All 3rd and 4th grade classrooms.	September 2011-May 2012	Teacher schedules to determine minutes for reading block period.	Use observations and field notes to complete a chart which shows effective motivation techniques being used.
Use student PM levels and AR point levels to assess if there is an increase or decrease in reading performance.	Sara Williams 3rd & 4th grade teachers	At the end of every 9 weeks October 2011 January 2012 March 2012 June 2012	Data report from each 9 weeks which shows current PM reading level and AR points accumulated. Student goal sheets	Complete a spreadsheet to show PM reading levels and AR points for the end of each 9 weeks in relation to the goals set by students. Determine through the data if reading performance is increasing or decreasing based on this data.
Survey students and teachers in 3rd & 4th grade to determine effectiveness of the school Accelerate Reader Store and how they would improve it.	Sara Williams 3rd & 4th grade teachers 3rd & 4th grade students	December 2011 May 2012	Survey – paper and survey monkey online. Spanish and English version available List of current items available at the AR Store each semester.	Compile results from surveys. Share results with teachers. Share results with the AR committee to determine current needs and wants and how we can improve the AR store to motivate the students more based on their wants and needs.
Use end of 9 weeks data from the students and classes I’m working with versus the students and classes I am not working with.	Sara Williams All 3rd and 4th grade classes. 3rd and 4th grade teachers	September 2011 October 2011 January 2012 March 2012 June 2012	End of 9 weeks data profile sheets which include current PM reading levels, AR points accumulated. All 3rd and 4th grade class data profile sheets.	Compile results of data collected to determine if the classes I am working with has an increase in reading performance versus the classes I am not working with and that are not setting goals and conferencing with students. Share results with teachers after each 9 weeks.
Engage in self-reflection	Sara Williams	September 2011-November 2012	Internet web-sites pertaining to these topics Time set aside each week to devote to self-reflection by writing, reading articles or journals, conferencing with teachers, etc.	Use self-reflection throughout my research to make any changes in my plan throughout the research.
Continue to compile resources and articles through research on motivating students to read and how to use components of the Accelerated Reader program to increase reading performance.	Sara Williams	September 2011-August 2012	Educational Blogs Region VI Service Center Sam Houston State University Reading Department Internet – Researched topics	Compare and contrast results from my action research to the research I’ve found through other sources.
Meet with teachers to determine future action research projects of interest	Sara Williams Stewart Elementary Staff Future action research committee members Huntsville Elementary staff Scott Johnson Elementarystaff Gibbs Pre-K Center Sam Houston Elementary Staff Marjetta Spriggs & Cherie Meroney (District curriculum supervisors)	January 2012 May 2012 August 2012	Faculty meeting time to discuss how action research has affected my learning and teaching style. Chart tablets to collaborate on current school needs and possible action research topics.	Meet with the staff development committee to discuss topics presented. Gather information from the meeting and compile a list of possible action research topics for the future. Create an action research committee on our campus for teachers interested in learning more about action research and how it is best implemented and performed. Share results of action research collaboration with other elementary campuses in the district and our plans for implementing more action research within our campus.