School Climate

My action research aims to improve school climate by getting more kids involved in campus activities.  I am looking to expand our activities to better match the needs and wants of our student population.  My initial ideas revolved around adding the sport of soccer to attract our large Hispanic population.  My principal was interested in adding golf.  My classmates have suggested that I look outside of sports to other activities, such as a book or art club, to expand the reach of my proposal.  I have included those suggestions into my action research.  When contacting other middle schools, I will look for middle schools that have a diverse range of activities for kids. Initially I was hesitant to pursue this topic simply because athletics was involved.  My principal and many of my classmates helped to relieve those concerns by offering words of support.  Many of my classmates are interested to see if my ideas provide motivation for my students, particularly my Hispanic population. One classmate mentioned that this sub-group is underrepresented in school activities on his campus also, and he would like to see if my ideas pay dividends.  My principal was very enthusiastic about my topic.  He called the topic “relevant” and felt it would be beneficial to our school and district.  All of these positive comments reaffirmed my decision to pursue this topic with the only real changes being the one’s mentioned above.

Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan 1.  Goals and Objectives My primary research objective is to determine if providing a more diverse set of extra-curricular activities will enhance the overall school climate.  I want to see if providing more involvement opportunities for kids will help improve their perceptions of the school and improve the campus environment. Another goal of my action research is to improve the self-esteem of many of our students.  By getting them involved, they will feel better about themselves and their school which should reflect positively on our campus. 2.  Activities Designed to Meet Objectives I plan on searching the internet for Texas middle schools with similar size and demographics. I will then search their websites for information on their extra-curricular activities.  I will follow-up with e-mails and phone calls to the administrators and coaches at these schools to determine the effectiveness of their activities.  Middle schools in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Beaumont will be evaluated. I will survey students and teachers at local schools to determine if adding extra-curricular activities could better serve their student populations. I will implement these activities in physical education classes to determine the level of support for the new additions. I will research on the internet what motivates the middle school student. 3.  Resources and Research Tools a.  Interviews b.  Staff and student surveys c.  Internet searches d.  Direct feedback from students participating in the study e.  Periodicals 4.  Timeline for  Completion or Implementation