Action Research - Abstract

Below is the abstract from my Action Research Project that I completed during my coursework for the M.Ed. in Educational Technology Leadership.

ABSTRACT

What are the effects of retention on failing students?

by

Stacy Garner

Each school year, in schools near and far, the question comes up whether or not to retain a student in their current grade. This question is usually based directly on student performance, grades, and/or attendance. The decision of whether or not to retain a student should consider many factors including but not limited to actual reasons for the student not performing at a satisfactory level, social aspects, maturity, attendance rate, and past performance. What is important to consider is the overall, long-term impact of retention on the student. There are many questions that should be considered which will be addressed during this project.

In this study, these issues are investigated and discussed. Student performance data from Jonesville Elementary/Middle School, a kindergarten through eighth grade school, is retrieved from student records, tracked, and documented to support the findings of current research. After thorough research, the findings show that the retention of students does not provide long-term benefits with all students. There are exceptions to the research.  Alternatives and preventative measures to retention are also addressed.

Completion of Internship

The end of my internship has finally come. During the internship, I have had many opportunities to gain experience in many areas of leadership. I was fortunate to have a very supportive and easy to work with site supervisor. My principal who served as my site supervisor was able to provide me with valuable information and advice based on experience. As I finish up this program, I look back and find that eighteen months have passed so quickly. I am looking forward to the next steps in this journey of my career.

Final web conference reflection

During my final web conference with my field supervisor, we discussed expectations regarding the action research project as well as the progress I have made toward the completion of my research project. I shared that I had begun finding what research states regarding the topic. I had also begun pulling student data from my school to include and compare against what the research states.  At the time of my final web conference, the writing the research report was underway, but I was nowhere near finished. I had a plan and was working toward it. I also gained more information regarding the format and specifics required of the report as well. 

We also discussed the progress that I have made with my internship. I shared some of the experiences I have had at my school including working closely with my administration and the members of the leadership team at my school. I also shared how helpful and supportive my site supervisor had been in working with me and sharing valuable information with me. I had not completed all of my internship plan activities at the time of my final conference, but I was making a great deal of progress. Another student stated how she had been completing her internship activities but had not started writing the required reflections. She stated how she would be spending many late nights working on those reflections. I realized right then that I needed to be working on my internship logs more. I knew that I did not want to wait until the last minute to do so.

Attending the field supervisor web conferences gave me the opportunity to hear from other students in the program. I enjoyed learning about their experiences and being able to relate to what others were saying. I also gained a lot of information by talking about various topics during the conference with my field supervisor. Knowing that I would be expected to share details of my progress up to that point in the program gave me the push I needed to think about where I was in the program and what I had left to do before the end of the program. The web conferences were very beneficial to me and my success in this degree program.