Action research is not a new term in today's education population, however, it is strong tool one could use in creating an effective school environment. If it is an excellent tool, what is action research defined as? To define, action research is a focused look that could be accomplished by either a teacher, principal, superintendent, or any school employee, that is intended to research the past or present opportunities to influence the best practices in affecting future practices. It is an idea that school employees will create a cycle of focused questions, gather data, reflect, and decide a course of action. Overall it is a quest for knowledge about how to improve.
Action research in the superintendent's program will allow all students to reflect in the areas we need assistance, and focus our attention in obtaining the knowledge we are weak in. This program of self-assessment monitoring will make our experience greater by capitalizing on our personal strength's and strategies.
As a superintendent, we must be ready to focus on identifying problem areas, and creating solutions to solving problems. The steps to solving this problem will be to identify the problem, gather data, interpret the data, act on the evidence, evaluate the results, and determine the next steps to solving the problem. This cycle is continuous. As a change is developed, and new set of problems will always arise, therefore action research is continuous.
