The Effects of Family Activities on Morale, Participation and Achievement

For some reason, I cannot cut-and-paste my original table into my blog. This format will have to suffice until I figure it out.

Action Planning Template
Goal: Our goal is to have improved teacher, student and parent morale, participation and achievement through the consistent use of academic activities.
Each action step is listed in bold lettering, followed by the person(s) responsible, the timeline (start/end), the resources needed for the step, and the evaluation that lets us know if the step was completed successfully and correctly.

Schedule activity nights
Building principals, department chairs. September – April
This will be done throughout the year as other activities are being planned. Campus and testing calendars will be used to schedule these events. The activities will be coordinated so as not to conflict with other activities. Also, they need to be spaced out to avoid burnout.

Plan activities to be prepared for each night
Each respective department (math, reading, science). September – April
This is done as student needs are assessed throughout the year, with activities for upcoming sessions prepared at least a week in advance. Grade level TEKS, curriculum guides, and
reproducible/game books as needed, depending on the activity will be used to plan what we will be doing during each session. Keep record of activities planned for each session.

Gather and record attendance data
Campus administrators and teachers. September – April, and after each session. School attendance rosters, individual class rosters, spreadsheet software will be used to gather and record data. Attendance numbers should increase at the school level. Likewise, classroom teachers can keep a closer “eye” on their own student groups and we should see an increase in the number of parents attending and/or participating in the planning and implementation.

“Advertise” upcoming sessions
We will need a publications committee to assist in this area. Newsletters, blogs, flyers, and public address messages will be used to announce upcoming events. This will be done starting two weeks before each session, with a reminder within the week. We will need a blog set up and linked to the campus website. Also, paper will be needed for the printed media. An increase in the number of attendees is a direct result of the advertisement. Some participants may find out by word-of-mouth, however.

Conduct surveys of teachers, students and parents regarding their perception of the sessions
A small committee will be needed to draft the survey, collect those that are completed and analyze the responses. Also, the technology department will need to set up the online access of an electronic survey if possible. If not, a link to a printable survey will need to be added to the campus website. Surveys conducted within a week after each session. We will need a survey (electronic and/or printable) set up and linked to the campus website. Also, paper will be needed for the printed media. The number of respondents will determine which form of media is the most effective for us to use. The information we receive will help us plan for future sessions.
Note: This portion of the assessment is primarily designed to evaluate teacher and parent perception. The students’ benefit is assessed in the next step.

Assess improvement in student achievement and behavior
Campus administrators, classroom teachers. This step will occur at least every two sessions to give the students some time to adjust. All students may not attend every session, and hopefully this will provide each student ample time to attend at least one. Campus discipline data (such as the number of students referred to the office), teacher input. The data from the administrators will be quantitative; that from the teachers will be more qualitative. The number of students who are referred to the office should decrease. Student behavior in the classroom will improve, as evidenced by the teachers’ input.
Note: The improvement in student behavior is intended to increase teacher morale.