"Schoolwide renewal and improvement occurs only when a group of dedicated professionals decide to study and reflect on what they are doing and how it affects the students in their school and classrooms. Schmuck provides multiple examples of how school professionals use action research in their quest for improving the school experience for children." —Shaneen Bell, President and CEO Exchange Pointe International Create alternative ways for enhancing classroom practices and boosting student achievement! Action research can make a critical difference in helping educators collect objective data on their own practices and transform challenges into solutions. This new edition of a landmark collection reflects the editor's extensive educational experience, recent developments in action research, and the voices of some of the best and brightest in the field. This updated volume helps educators navigate the action research process by offering: Articles by experts—including seven new contributions—that help educators define, understand, implement, and study action research Case studies that demonstrate how the multiple forms of action research are used in real-world situations Discussions of the main models of action research, including proactive, responsive, and cooperative approaches An exploration of methods needed for gathering reliable objective data Well suited for individual reflection, group study, or staff development, the second edition of Practical Action Research is a valuable and much-needed contribution to the ongoing quest to strengthen educational outcomes for all schools.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Editor About the Contributors Part I. Defining Action Research 1. Writers Develop Skills Through Collaboration: An Action Research Approach - Kate Ferguson-Patrick 2. Educational Action Research - Ken Zeichner Part II. Understanding Action Research 3. The Unexpected Journey: Renewing Our Commitment to Students Through Educational Action Research - Helen Meyer, Bennyce Hamilton, Steve Kroeger, Stephanie Stewart, Mary Brydon-Miller 4. Action Research: Three Approaches - Emily F. Calhoun Exemplary Project: The Effectiveness of Spalding Instruction for Spelling Performance - Margo S. O’Neill Exemplary Project: The Business Managers’ Network: Action Research to Improve Business Capacities of Colorado Charter Schools - Lori Grant Exemplary Project: Improving Schoolwide Communication Through a New School Web Site: Responsive Action Research - Heidi Mitchell Part III. Implementing Action Research 5. Creating a School for David: A Principal’s Narrative - Eleanor A. Perry Exemplary Project: Proactive Action Research to Build Leadership for a Charter School’s Success - Lillian Thomas-Wilson Exemplary Project: Examining the Impact of External Building Coaches on Teachers - Betsy Apolito Exemplary Project: Implementing Strategies to Reduce Dropout Rates of At-Risk Youth in an Online Learning Environment - Jill Gaitens 6. Using Action Research to Assess Instruction - Carole Schulte Johnson, Inga Kromann-Kelly Exemplary Project: Singapore Math: Action Research on a Curriculum Change, Student Achievement, and Teacher Efficacy - Barbara J. Darroch Exemplary Project: Increasing Math Achievement of Title 1 Middle School Students - Tatyana Chayka 7. Action Research for School Improvement - Emily F. Calhoun Exemplary Project: Action Research on Middle School Mathematics Instruction Differentiated by Student Gender - Joshua Jordan 8. What Happens When a School District Supports Action Research - Cathy Caro-Bruce, Jennifer McCreadie Exemplary Project: Professional Development as a Tool to Enhance Teacher Quality in Charter Schools - Ricci Rodriquez-Elkins 9. Using Action Research to Solve Instructional Challenges in Inclusive Elementary School Settings - Christine L. Salisbury, Linda L. Wilson, Tabetha J. Swartz, Mary M. Palombaro, Jami Wassel Exemplary Project: Math Fact Memorization in a Highly Sequenced Elementary Mathematics Curriculum - Kelli Kreienkamp 10. Using Action Research as a Collaborative Process to Enhance Educators’ and Families’ Knowledge and Skills for Youth With Emotional or Behavioral Disorders - Douglas Cheney Exemplary Project: Building Blocks to Healthy Emotions: A Parenting Program to Improve the Emotional Health of Low-Income Children - Verree Laughlin 11. Action Research in Action: Curricular Articulation and Integrated Instruction - Douglas E. Arnold Part IV. Studying Action Research Exemplary Project: Initiating a Collaborative Action Research Project: From Choosing a School to Planning the Work on an Issue - Eva Espido Bello Exemplary Project: Self-Reflection in Essay Writing: An Action Research Project - Ronald Bergez 12. Promoting Quality for Teacher Action Research: Lessons Learned From Science Teachers’ Action Research - Brenda M. Capobianco, Allen Feldman 13. Schoolwide Action Research: Findings From Six Years of Study - Lew Allen, Emily F. Calhoun 14. Ecology and Ethics in Participatory Collaborative Action Research: An Argument for the Authentic Participation of Students in Educational Research - Steve Collins Index