Action Research:

All teachers strive to affect student learning. Each teacher candidate will conduct Action
Research to document candidate’s impact on student learning. The project provides an
opportunity to measure students’ cumulative growth and progress during the implementation
of a unit of study. The attached rubric represents the scoring guidelines and provides criteria
for specific elements. The assignment should include the following components:

Title of Action Research Project

Abstract: Provide a brief summary of your action research report. Topics may include
student sample, instructional focus, and data collection and analysis.

Introduction: Provide a description of students, school, district or important features

that ensure understanding. The purposed is included and clearly stated.

Learning Goals and Objectives: The teacher candidate will set significant,
challenging, varied and appropriate learning goals and objectives based on the state
English language arts or math standards. Describe the students who will be affected.
What are the goals for improvement?

Assessment Plan: design an assessment plan to monitor student progress toward the
learning objectives. Plan appropriate assessment measures for assessing student learning
before instruction (pre-assessments), during instruction (interim or formative assessment),
and after instruction (post or summative assessments). Instructional sequence should
include a variety of assessment methods and strategies suited for the developmental level
of the students and your learning objectives. Align learning objectives and assessment
methods and strategies. Construct a table that lists learning objectives, the assessments
used to assess student performance relative to each learning objective, and a rationale for
each assessment that explains why the assessment was selected or developed. Expand
table as needed. Include copies of assessments, student directions, and criteria for scoring.

Student Objective (do) ELA specific assessments Rationale of Assessments

1. Pre-Assessment
Formative
Post-Assessment
(NCTE 4.10)

Design for Instruction/Teaching Unit Plans: Designs instruction for the specific learning
goal and objectives that address characteristics and needs of students, and the learning
context. Design the lessons for the unit based on the learning goal and objectives, students’
characteristics and learning context. Pre-assessment data must be used to guide
development or modification of your unit. Include all lesson plans and resources used in
unit plan. After administering the pre-assessment, analyze student performance relative to
the objectives. Provide a narrative description of the results and how the results shaped
your instruction.

Use of Technology: Candidate integrates appropriate technology that makes a significant

contribution to teaching and learning.
Instructional Decision-Making: Use on-going analysis of student learning to makes
instructional decisions. Based upon the experiences gained from teaching the unit, describe
a daily instructional strategy/activity and its assessment. Explain how the assessment caused
modification to the next day’s plan. Include an example for each day of the unit.
Impact on Student Learning (Results): Use assessment data to profile student learning
and communicate information about student progress and achievement. Report the results
of your assessments, including pre/post assessments and formative assessments to
determine students’ progress related to the learning goal and objectives. Use charts,
graphs and narrative to identify the performance of the whole class and two individual
students.
Reflection and Self-Evaluation: Analyzes the relationship between candidates’
instruction and student learning in order to improve teaching practice. Candidate will
evaluate performance as a teacher and link performance to student learning results.
Reflect on performance and identify future action that could improve teaching and
professional growth. Identify the learning activity where students were most successful
and the learning activity where students were least successful.
Organization and Presentation: Is your paper error free? Does your presentation flow
and include all requirements? Do you include technology for your presentation? Did you
include the lesson plans/unit? Did you include student work samples?

Revised Spring 2016

 Action Research Rubric
Name: __Action Research Title:______________________
Points 3 Proficient
Vivid and detailed description of students,
Introduction school, district, and/or important features
that ensure contextual understanding.
Score:_ Purpose is clearly stated.
State standards are clearly stated with
Learning Goals and reference numbers, objectives reinforce
Objectives learning outcomes (what the students will
be able to know, understand, and do), and
Score:_ align with standards. Objectives reflect
multiple levels of learning and are
appropriate for the development of the
student(s).
The plan is designed with multiple
Assessment Plan assessments carefully chosen to fit the
content and the student skill level in
Score:_ their complexity. Rationale for
assessments is clearly thought out to
reflect mastery of the content students
will learn.
Pre-assessment data are charted, analyzed,
Design for and consistently used to design and deliver
Instruction/Teaching Unit instruction. Learning activities are chosen to
Plans consistently reflect best practices in the
teaching ELA and are suited to the
instructional setting. Lessons are specific and
Score:_ relevant; unit/lesson plans and all other
resources are included.
Candidate integrates appropriate non-print
Use of Technology media and technology that makes a
significant contribution to teaching and
Score:_____ learning.
Instructional Decision Instructional strategies/activities were
Making chosen for each day of the unit, assessments
were included for all strategies/activities,
Score:_ and candidate provides thoughtful insights
for the next action based on the assessment
data.
Points 2 Satisfactory
Adequate description of students,
school, district, and/or important
features that ensure contextual
understanding. Purpose is addressed.
State standards are stated but not with
reference numbers. Some objectives
support the learning outcomes what the
students will be able to know,
understand, and do) and align with
standards. Objectives reflect few levels
of learning and lack
significance/challenge. Some objectives
are appropriate for the development of
the students(s).
The plan includes some assessments with
a variety of modes that fit the content and
the student skill level in their complexity.
Rationale for assessments doesn’t align
with the content that students will learn.
Pre-assessment data are charted, analyzed
and some evidence is provided that the
data influenced instructional design.
Some learning activities reflect best
practices in teaching ELA. Lessons are
somewhat logically sequenced; student
engagement is low. Unit/lesson plans are
included, but other resources are not
included.
Candidate integrates non-print media and Candidate does not use appropriate
technology into the unit that makes a technology or does not use technology.
contribution to teaching and learning.
Instructional strategies/activities were
chosen for about half of the unit.
Assessment were included for about half
of the instructional strategies/activities
listed. Candidate provides some insights
for the next action based on the
assessment data.
Points 0-1 Insufficient
Limited description of students,
school, district, and/or important
features necessary for contextual
understanding. Purpose is missing.
State standards are not clearly stated or
not stated at all; reference numbers are
not used. Objectives do not support the
learning outcomes and do not align
with standards. Objectives reflect only
one level of learning and are not
appropriate for the development of the
student(s).
Few to no assessments represent a
variety of modes that fit the
content and the student skill level
in their complexity. Rationale for
assessments chosen is not
included.
Pre-assessment data have not been
charted and analyzed or there is no
evidence that the information has been
used in instructional design. Few
learning activities reflect best practices
in teaching ELA. Lessons are
disorganized. Student engagement is
low. Lesson plans and other resources
are not included, missing, or
incomplete.
Instructional strategies/activities were
chosen for less than half of the days of
the unit. Assessment were included for
less than half of the instructional
strategies/activities listed. Candidate
does not provide a plan based on the
assessment data.
 For Whole class and individual students: For Whole class and individual For whole class and individual
Impact on Student Learning provides an in-depth profile of student students: provides some parts of students: profile is unclear. Summary
(Results) learning supported by data. Summary is the profile of student learning is inaccurate or conclusions are
meaningful and high-level conclusions are supported by data. Summary missing or not supported by data. No
Score:_ drawn from the data. Extensive evidence is includes some meaningful and evidence is provided on learner
provided on achievement and progress appropriate conclusions drawn achievement.
toward learning goal and/or each objective. from the data. Little evidence is
provided on achievement and
progress toward learning goal/
each objective.
Provides thorough reasons for why students Provides few reasons for why students Little or no evidence or reasons
Reflection and Self- met or did not meet the learning goals and met or did not meet the learning goals provided to explain student
Evaluation objectives; identifies the most and the least and objectives; identifies few performance; provides little or no
successful activities and assessments and activities and provides little rationale rationale for why some activities or
Score:_ explores plausible, and in-depth reasons for for why some activities or assessments assessments were more successful than
their success or failure; provides specific were more successful than others; others; provides inappropriate or no
and relevant ideas for redesigning and provides few ideas for redesigning ideas for redesigning instruction, and
instruction and assessment an explains in instruction, and assessment or offers assessment; does not clearly identify
detail way these changes would improve an inadequate explanation of why areas for improvement or provides a
student learning; identifies more than two these changes would improve student poor plan or no plan to improve in these
areas for improvement and lists and learning; identifies areas for areas.
describes a comprehensive plan to improve improvement and describes general
these areas. activities to improve these areas.
Organization & The paper reads well, is polished and The paper reads adequately and Surface errors disrupt the meaning
Presentation (includes: grammatically error free. The presentation problems with mechanics and of the paper and make the paper
PowerPoint, resources, use flowed well and included all requirements grammar exist. Some presentation difficult to read. The presentation
of grammar/mechanics, (for example, lesson plans and student requirements were met and/or was poor, and there were several
student work samples) work samples). Project reflects mastery in presentation was not polished. errors. Does not reflect the typical
Score:_ professional thought and effort expected in Project has sections that should be professional thought and effort
a culminating teaching assignment. revised and improved before expected in a culminating teacher
serving as a culminating education assignment.
assignment.