Dress Code Research

Action Planning Template
Goal: To discover the correlation between dress code violations that result in missing class time and student's academic success in his/her overall grades. The administration will then use the findings to solidify, or modify, the dress code policy in a way that it is beneficial to all.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Review current dress code policy.	David Tarver Jim Yancey Mary Laigle	May 2013	MWHS Student Handbook	None
Survey Faculty, Staff, and random classes of students.	David Tarver	May 2013	Survey Questionnaire	Use survey questions to gain insight on the opinions of others, regarding the effectiveness and/or perceived flaws in the current dress code policy.
Collection of Data	David Tarver Jim Yancey Mary Laigle Office personnel	May 2013 - June 2013	Discipline referrals and any other paper, or electronic record, of violations.	Categorize data from discipline referrals into the various forms of violations.
Collection of Data	David Tarver Office personnel	June 2013	Final reported grade records.	Get access to the overall grade records for students that meet the criteria of dress code violations. .
Review Data Analysis	David Tarver Jim Yancey Mary Laigle	June 2013	All Data Collected	Develop a report for EDL class as a halfway point in research. Interpret findings and information learned from project.
Collection of Data	David Tarver Jim Yancey Mary Laigle Office personnel	August 2013 – January 2014	Discipline referrals and any other paper, or electronic record, of violations that meet the criteria of dress code violations under the new policy.	Review the data received under the new dress code policy to compare the results from the previous year.
Collection of Data	David Tarver Office personnel	January 2014	Final reported grade records.	Get access to the overall grade records for students that meet the criteria of dress code violations. .
Complete Report of Data Analysis	David Tarver Jim Yancey Mary Laigle Office personnel	February 2014	All Data Collected	Develop Action Research Report on all findings describing correlation of dress code violations and student's overall grades.
Meet with site supervisor and discuss how research findings have shown the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the new dress code policy.	David Tarver Jim Yancey Mary Laigle	February 2014	Action Research Results/Artifacts	Feedback from Supervisor
Report findings to Campus Improvement Committee	David Tarver   CIC	March 2014	Action Research Results/Artifacts   Action Research Report	Introduce and present Action Research Report with CIC, and discuss whether the current policy is functioning in the best interest of the students.
Revisit my action research plan, post on educational blog for continual improvement and ideas.	David Tarver	April 2014	Action Research Results/Artifacts   Educational Blog	Review comments and feedback from site supervisor, teachers, and grad school colleagues.

    I learned an abundance of information this week as I sought my topic for action research. As the readings, videos, and discussions were very helpful, it was the time I spent with my mentor that I really enjoyed. I had a great conversation with him that opened my eyes to a small portion of his working life. There is so much about the principalship of which I am completely oblivious. There is so much to learn. This makes me realize the importance of the opportunity that I have to learn throughout the duration of this program. I have been working hard in these first two classes, and have  had the full intention of working hard throughout. But now, after seeing some things through his eyes, I will be even more dedicated to the learning opportunity that I have at this time.
    My mentor started his career as an ag teacher. He then got into the coaching field, along with his new teaching assignment as a science teacher. It was not until his daughters reached high school that he became a principal. A few years later, he would climb the career ladder to the office of the superintendent. After doing this for many years, he retired. It was after a couple of years into retirement  that he came to our school as an assistant principal. I have a tremendous amount of respect for this man, as does our entire campus. He is a wealth of knowledge from which I am going to truly enjoy learning.

How might educational leaders use blogs?

    Educational leaders can use blogs as journals. This allows them to capture their thinking. It essentially provides a tool for reflecting on one’s own thought process. But with a blog, unlike a journal, you can combine text, images, and links to other blogs. Not only is this beneficial personally as a leader, but it can also be used to share with others in such a way that you model the type of atmosphere that you want.

What I have learned about action research and how I might be able to use it.

    Action research, in my opinion, must be a tool that is used by all administrators. I have sat through many staff developments throughout my seventeen years of teaching. I have grown more and more frustrated each year as we paid people to come speak to our staff. These people brought us their models of how to fix our school.

    Over and over again, ideas were infused into our daily rigor. But before we could get one implemented in an effective way, here came another. We did not change from one plan to the other, yet we added one and were doing multiple tasks half heartedly. Obviously, staff interest and morale were not at their best.

    As time has gone on, a question has resonated in teacher’s minds: “what are you going to add to our plate now?” As we moved on to a new year, a new presenter, and a new program, teachers became less and less determined to “buy in” to the new agenda. Now, the chances of success began to slip away. So many dollars, hours, and positive attitudes were lost throughout this process.

    Action research takes an active approach at fixing “our problems.” And if taken on correctly, presents teachers with something worth working towards. It involves everyone. It holds personal interest to the people in our district. We become the presenter, researcher, implementer, and solution to what we cherish in our community.

    Action research is a way to seek change and reflect on practice by posing questions (wonderings), collect data to gain insight into wonderings, analyze the data and read relevant literature, make changes based on new understanding, and share findings. I plan on using this process to continuously challenge myself to seek out the “problem areas” in my school to keep moving forward towards the most productive learning environment that I can provide.