Action Research Dilemma

I am having trouble nailing down exactly how I would like to go about my Action Research project, and I would appreciate some feedback if possible.....
I have a passion for Discipline Management, and I was very involved in getting PBIS or Positive Behavior Intervention and Support to our campus last year.  I would like to do something that involves PBIS.  I can break down all the data on student referrals from the previous year and this year to make comparisons and find areas of weakness, students who are repeat offenders, and so on.  I really want to know how effective the program is overall because I feel some teachers have started to revert to older methods.  I want to know how I can make this program more successful or if it needs to be "tweeked" in any way.  There are so many angles I feel I could look at this from.  I can survey staff on the opinions of the program, students as well.  I can break down data to find the more common offenses, and more common areas and times for these offenses to take place.  I can break it down by grade level and teacher and compare this data with answers from the survey and present to my staff on the findings as well as collaborate with the current administration on any possible needs or changes to continue on the road to success.  Any suggestions or opinions are appreciated as I just want to make a mark when I am done and not do a project for the sake of fulfilling an obligation to Lamar University.

How Educational Leaders might use Blogs

     Blogs can and are used in every area of life.  Whether it be for business, leisure, or research, anyone and everyone with an internet connection has the opportunity to share or talk about something of interest to them.
     In an educational setting, blogs allow Educational Leaders or even the common teacher or paraprofessional to opportunity to share their experiences, research, knowledge, or just funny stories about incidents in their classrooms with others who may find joy in that information. Blogs can be a way to vent about issues that may be out of the control of the blogger, or solicit ideas from other like-minded individuals who may have dealt with the same situation. 
     The possibilities are endless for how a blog can be use for anyone let only Educational Leaders.   If you can dream it, it can be shared on a blog.  Enjoy!  -Nick-
  

What have I learned about Action Research?

     This is my first blog post on what I have learned about action research and how I might be able to use it.  After completing all the readings for week one, I found that action research seems like a strategy I unconsciously use to solve everyday classroom issues.  The only difference is that action research is on a much grander scale.
     I believe action research is a great tool to be utilized for many reasons.  First of all,  collecting the information needed to solve a problem or issue on your own will always lead to better outcomes.  When I read articles, or attend professional developments, I hear lots a great ideas and theories about how to solve a particular issue.  The problem is that often there are factors that hinder my ability to carry out those ideas whether they financial, time, participation, or support.  
     Another great advantage I see to action research is in completing the research or observation yourself will help you to become more invested in succeeding in finding the best outcome for your campus.  When you have a sense of belonging or being needed to fix something or solve something you are more motivated and driven to reach the best outcome.
      The last real advantage I see is the ability to use the process of reflection to better your solution.  With this opportunity, the inquirer is able to go back and look at how far they have come toward solving their issue, and make changes if needed to create more success.
     The only real downfall I see to action research is the amount of time it takes to successfully put together an action research project.  It is not something that can be done in a matter of days or weeks.  In most cases it takes months and after those months, it is best to reflect on the success and pitfalls of the generated solution to make better changes.  This leads to more months of analysis.  Being able to devote the time needed to create a successful action research project is not something one would enter into lightly.  But the sacrifice of time is well worth the positive end outcome in my opinion.   -Nick-