Improving Student Outcomes
Teaching Organizational Skills Using the Academic Planner
Jennifer M. Bennett
Concordia University Portland
An Action Research Proposal/Report Presented to
The Graduate Program in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Masters in Education/Administrative License
Concordia University
2009
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Abstract
A research project was implemented to improve the use of the school-provided academic
planner in an urban setting in the Pacific Northwest. The researcher observed the
academic planner was an underutilized part of Middle School students’ academic day.
Existence of the problem was seen through blank calendar pages coinciding with
confusion about due dates; teacher and student surveys that stated under use of academic
planner and lack of time-management skills. Interventions focused on direct use of
academic planner. Post-intervention data suggests the academic planner had little impact
on academic grades, but there was an increase in awareness of materials needed for class
and it was a positive tool when students were absent. Appendices contain various surveys
and parent letter.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction ………………………………………………… 2
Chapter 2 – The Issue …………………………………………………… 7
The Literature Search …………………………………… 10
Chapter 3 – The Goal of the Action Research Project ………………….. 24
Chapter 4 – Action Plan …………………………………………………. 27
Chapter 5 – Results and Next Steps ……………………………………... 34
References ………………………………………………………………… 49
Appendix A – Parent Letter ……………………………………………… 53
Appendix B – Teacher, Student and Parent Surveys ……………………... 54
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Jennifer Bennett
Action Research Proposal
Chapter One -- The Introduction
The urban feel of this city cannot be denied. It is a city with all of the major crimes
and scandal, yet it is also a city that thinks forward and is concerned with the
environment. It is a city nestled in the Pacific Northwest boosting neighborhood
involvement and identity. As one drives through this city one cannot help but see the
mass transit system delivering citizens to their destination. Each neighborhood offers its
own set of restaurants, grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and boutique-like shops. As far
as its schools, the largest school district struggles with maintaining consistent leadership,
and has a pathetic drop out rate. Yet this district has much to be proud of too, especially
when considering the success rate on standardized testing; it ranks among the top urban
districts in the nation. Fulfilling the city’s slogan that states, “It’s a city that works.”
Upon entering distinct neighborhoods, it is impossible not to notice the identity
each neighborhood takes each known for their own specialty. One neighborhood boasts
fantastic pizzas, one consignment shops, one microbrews and another is family-friendly.
The neighborhood where the researcher is employed is entrenched in consignment shops,
family owned restaurants, a McDonalds, several Burgervilles, a mall, an electric train,
and people who have pride in their homes and more importantly their yards. This
particular community is concerned with their schools and fought to maintain one of the
few neighborhood middle schools within the enormous district. Most schools are
combining into K-8, to save district funds. District restructuring has meant closing down
some beautiful, but inefficient schools. However, this particular middle school has been
left untouched, and it is a successful one.
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The rate of student passing the state tests for reading is at 85% and math is 79%
school-wide. However, this school does have its challenges. It is a Title I school with a
free and reduced lunch rate hovering in the 40 - 45% range. The non-majority population
is near 53% with the largest group being African descent representing 37.2%. The
researcher’s classroom mirrors the student body at the school. Of the 60 students she
serves 51% are Caucasian, 33% are African American, 3% are Hispanic, 10% are Asian
and 2% are Native American.
The transfer rate into the school has traditionally been near 50%, with the other
50% is from the surrounding neighborhood. The exact numbers for the 2007-2008 school
year are 239 neighborhood students and 261 transfer students.
The neighborhood is
white upper-middle class with home prices ranging from $400,000 to $1,000,000. This is
in direct contrast to the neighborhoods of most the transfer family’s, creating a dynamic
student body.
At the start of this school year, the staff was informed by the school counselor that
outgoing students reported when they left middle school, they felt ill prepared in a few
areas. One of those areas is being organized enough to meet the challenges and rigor of
high school. A poll taken of high school students showed that the school-provided
academic planners are largely used as hall or bathroom passes. As a school the faculty is
intent on teaching content areas successfully. Test scores show this to be true, yet the
staff fails to ensure the students are organized enough to meet the rigors of daily life.
And those rigors only compound as each year ticks by.
As an eighth grade humanities teacher, the researcher believes in being highly
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organized. The researcher is amazed and saddened that the students were leaving feeling
they did not possess organizational skills. The idea that students had not been prepared to
use the organizational tools that were provided by the school was disheartening. Their
academic planner is an organization tool that transfers into organizational system used by
the majority of adults later in life. Adults use a day planner system to juggle their daily
lives. Parents often ask the researcher “How can I get Johnny to do his work on a daily
basis as opposed to cramming the night before?” The researcher’s traditional answer had
been “Mom, if I could answer that, I’d be on the circuit making millions!” The laugh
would die away, but the question never did. Parents and teachers wanted the same goal:
an efficient and organized adolescent.
The staff was asked at the end one academic year and the beginning of the next
about how they used the student academic planners. Was instruction centered on how to
use them? Did the teachers check that they were being used? And finally, did the staff
check to see that the students were filling them out appropriately? The researcher
reflected upon these questions and current practices being used in her classroom. She
realized her attitude was this: the eighth graders need to have those skills in place prior to
entering her classroom and even prior to entering the eighth grade. Then, she realized
that was probably the answer many of her colleagues shared. It became apparent that
careful instruction was needed for time management and organizational skills to prepare
and ensured that the students were better prepared not only academically but also on an
organizational level as well. She believed organizational skills are an essential skill that
will be used for the rest of their lives. After all, a solid foundation in organizational and
time management strategies would surely prepare them better for life than knowing
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where and when the Revolutionary War ended.
The researcher knows from direct observation in her classroom that middle school
students are capable of organization. The researcher’s goal is to teach students
organizational skills and ensure competence in time management strategies so that as the
rigors of high school demand the student is prepared to respond to. Preparing the student
to implement a plan of meeting the rigors of participating in after-school activities and
homework or breaking down projects in conjunction with tracking the assignments given
on a daily basis would show success in organization and time management strategies.
Traditionally, eighth grade is a year when state tests scores dramatically decline.
This school has managed to reverse the national trend and has consistently maintained
their percentage, improving on it yearly. Last year the eighth graders scored over 80% in
reading and 75% in math. Both of those numbers are higher than the national, state, and
district average especially when comparing the data with other urban districts. The
researcher’s students know the expectations and they rise to it. With that data in mind,
the number of students capable of completing work based on state reading assessments
data is near 90%. The researcher’s students are meeting benchmarks at a high rate.
Unfortunately, the number of students not passing classes and/or not regularly doing
homework is high when compared to state test scores.
The purpose of the study is to increase the use of the time management skills and
organizational strategies. Most importantly the researcher wanted student provided tools
and to see a positive change in time management as measured by students’ ability to turn
in work on time and as a result of needing to go to their lockers and other classes for
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materials needed. It will be measured by turning work in on time. The researcher’s
question is: Does teaching organizational skills and time management using the schoolprovided academic planner, improve student outcomes?
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Jennifer Bennett
Action Research Proposal
Chapter Two -- The Issue
Students are sent from home to school to be taught, informed, skilled, and prepared
to meet the challenges before them. But in the shuffle between home, school, and home
again, much is lost. As teachers consistently comment, “I’ve taught them how to write
an introduction. I don’t know why they don’t do it!” or “I don’t know why some students
can’t turn work in on time!” and, “There goes the work into the black hole of their
backpack.”
Educators agree that students are not organized. They lack various strategies--time
management, study skills, use of the academic planners they have, and active note-taking
skills. These issues plague the educator trying to aid the student. Each year the problem
is compounded because it is generally believed, if teacher statements are any indication
that these skills have already been taught. The researcher herself thought the same of her
students entering every year. She believed the skills involving organization were in place
before the student entered her classroom. Yet an informal check with the students
showed they had not been taught organizational skills. The researcher asked the students
if they had been shown how to use their student planner and students maintained that they
had not. This made the researcher wonder: if the students are explicitly taught
organizational skills and time management using the school provided academic planner,
would student outcomes improve?
Within the researcher’s humanities classroom 90% of the students have reached
benchmark with over 40% exceeding at the state level in reading. These same students
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struggle in completing work on time, and over 25% of them are receiving academic
grades of a D or lower at the midterm in a Language Arts course. What these state
scores reveal is that the researcher’s students are all capable, yet there is a significant
incongruence when these skills are measured by academic grades. A significant disparity
exists between their test results and their achievement within the school day. The
challenge appears to be that study skills and time management issues need to become a
central focus.
Countless articles appear in parent magazines and educational periodicals
mentioning the ill-fated results of students not meeting their potential because of lack of
organization and basic time management skills. An example of this can be found in the
Center for Effective Parenting, in which Edwards (2001) states, that one of the most
common reasons for poor grades is disorganization. Edwards mentions many key
strategies such as organization and planning ahead are learned skills. He goes on to
provide a checklist of poor organization and then gives methods for improving
organization (Edwards, 2001). For the adolescent, these organizational issues are focused
on school because that is where they typically spend their day.
As the researcher prepared to teach her eighth grade humanities classes at the
beginning of the school year, she realized that she expected the students to be prepared,
organized, and managers of their materials and time. However, they were not. The
majority of students were ill prepared in numerous aspects. Not only did they have little
to no time management skills, they were unable to meaningfully use their school
provided academic planner. It baffled them. The eighth graders reported they had no
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idea about basic strategies in completing their assignment planner, how to organize their
time, and the importance of prioritizing their work.
In prior school years the students had one teacher so no other student used their
desk. However, that changes for the researcher’s students in the eighth grade. She has
two groups, a morning and an afternoon class. Because of this “new” transition for the
student, the researcher’s room is often strewn with books, binders and papers left behind
by students expecting to return and find their items untouched the next day. Students
often struggle with remembering to take necessary items out of their desks and bringing
them to their lockers, or managing their materials. Then, the next group of students
arrives. It is very difficult for them to put their books, binders and papers anywhere
because the desk is full of another student’s belongings. After one group leaves the
researcher looks back at her room only to see disheveled desks, chairs, and papers, most
of them nameless, with some ending up on the floor. These students, who have scored
well enough on state tests to achieve state benchmarks, are not turning assignments in,
not because they lack the skills, but because they have not been taught how to organize
their day. Students need to be taught how to implement organizational strategies in order
to excel academically, remain focused and manage their materials.
According to a survey conducted by Monahan, Ognibene, and Torrisi, who
surveyed over 80 teachers, 93% of teachers agreed that there is a need to improve
students’ organizational skills (2000). The data also indicated that 86% of the teachers
feel that poor organization and study skills are directly related to lower grades. This is
alarming. Unfortunately, for the struggling students, few educators teach students what
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being organized looks likes, feels like, and the benefits of these skills.
The Literature Search
In reviewing literature on the role organizational skills play on academic success
defined as turning in completed assignments on time the researcher took into account the
following topics:
1. time management
2. organizational tools
3. study skills
4. note-taking skills
5. organizational skills
6. academic achievements
This literature review will begin with adolescents’ use of time management, and the
tools used for time management, of which academic planners are an incremental part.
The researcher will then discuss adolescent study skills, note-taking and organizational
skills and finally focus on the impact these factors have on academic achievement.
Time Management
It appears that adolescents have difficulty managing time. Smith, Teske, and
Gossmeyer discovered that 75% of students do not develop a weekly schedule to help
manage their time (2000). In fact, a survey conducted by FileMaker Inc. found that 87%
of college students believed that better time management strategies would help them
obtain higher grades. The study further suggests that the students were upset that they
weren’t taught these skills before leaving high school (FileMaker Inc. 2006). This
oversight begins at the middle school level where the need to organize for several classes
begins to hinder the student. These demands include the daily class activities, assignment
completion in an array of subjects, and multiple test preparation (Copeland, Davis, Foley,
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Morley, & Nyman, 2001).
The simplicity of disaggregating projects into smaller chunks and managing the
smaller bits is a skill that a majority of adolescents lack. Studies show that when a
teacher breaks down large projects into smaller chunks she models the completion of
assignments in a timely fashion that helps students manage their time and gives them a
real life experience of managing their time (Bakunas & Holley, 2004). Students may see
or hear the complexity of the entire project and become certain that only a miracle worker
could complete such a feat. This simple act of chunking makes a powerful, positive,
impact for students struggling with time management (Wright, 2007).
Similar to a teacher subdivides assignments, when students see the adults in their
lives managing their time it becomes beneficial for them. Students are able to make
sense of it. The experience of having someone show the adolescent how to manage their
time has a positive impact on them. A congruent technique the instructor can use within
a classroom is a well-designed classroom schedule (Bausch, & Becker, 2001). The
teacher uses routines that are taught. An example of this is shown in the Teacher’s
Institute Curriculum, in which a lesson is suggested for the teacher to instruct students in
desk Olympics. In this lesson, the students are shown how to arrange and rearrange their
desks quickly. The teacher creates a competition at the start of the year and the students
are then asked to move desks into different formations when the classroom activities call
for it. The teacher tells the students to place desks in partnership and times it. The
students race to beat their previous best times. The same procedures are used when the
teacher wants the students to place desks in groups of three, four, and five. Previewing
with the students the intended result in a fun and creative way allows for success and time
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management all in one (Bower, Lobdell, & Owens, 2005).
Another way to implement time management into the student day is to focus on the
academic planner. As Nelson suggests, teachers should teach units in time management
and focus on the academic planner being taught within the existing curriculum (2007).
Ideas for direct teaching academic planner use related to time-management skills include:

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
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Making lists
Keeping a diary
Listing after-school events
Adhering to a schedule
Daily to do list development and maintenance
Noting how much class work completed and how much remains
Charting how much time is spent on various activities including leisure
Crossing off items when complete
“Direct instruction of time-management skills is necessary because they are neither
common knowledge or innate” (Bausch, & Becker, 2001 p.26). Johnson and Parish
compiled ten recommendations for students to become better students, which center on
time-management skills. The ideas are as basic as arriving early or laying out clothes the
night before to familiarizing oneself with the resources available to assist in various
endeavors (2007).
In research conducted by Weimer, it was discovered that if the classroom norm was
to turn in work in a timely, good effort fashion then it was more likely to consistently
happen. In other words, social norms impacted time management and achievement
(2005). The biggest reason students do not complete their work on time is not because
they lack the skills to do the work, it appears it is due to a lack of understanding the time
assignments take. Few students take into account the relationship between time
management and their academic success. As one student commented “I underestimate
the time required to complete a task” (Adamson, Covic, & Lincoln. 2004 p. 265). As
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students continue to take on more and more extracurricular activities, requiring both their
time and energy, the time to complete homework gets shoved to the side (Smith, Teske,
and Gossmeyer, 2000). Managing time takes effort and direct attention. Students must
engage in these skills to gain achievement in their success. Managing these tasks, even
at the middle school level, requires an organized effort on the part of the student. The
instructor may choose to facilitate the time management factors by modeling the use of
academic planner as related to his/her classroom.
Tools
A common tool for aiding adults in time management is either an electronic or
paper daily planner. The researcher uses an electronic daily planner and is interested in
seeing students use their school-issued academic planner. An academic planner consists
of a list of classes with a spot to write assignment and due dates within a calendar. In
Fertig’s article, she states an academic planner is an important tool in assisting students
with organization (2006). Students have little consideration for the impact the academic
planner can have on their lives in regard to time management and organization.
According to Bakunas and Holley, the academic planner is the foundation for any
organizational effort (2004). The researcher believes the students’ use of their academic
planner will have a twofold effect. First, she believes it will help them organize their
time. Secondly, it will help them learn to divide the big projects into smaller more
manageable chunks enabling the student to complete the project within the timeframe.
Using a tool, such as an academic planner, will develop good organizational skills, a key
ingredient for success in school and life. According to Hatcher and Pond, the use of
student planners promotes habits that work to increase academic success, organization,
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persistence, self-motivation and communication between school and home (1998).
Research also indicates that it is imperative for teachers to model and assist in
organizing the academic planner. With this direct teacher guidance pupils understand the
benefit of the planner and how to utilize it (Copeland, Davis, Foley, Morley, & Nyman,
2001). A majority of students fail to use their academic planner if the teacher doesn’t
instruct them to do so. Without it, the student tries to use their memory to organize their
work (Scott & Compton, 2007). Developing a strategy to aid students in remembering to
use their academic planner is crucial to success. One strategy suggested by Scott and
Compton, highlights developing a mnemonic around the use. The researchers
recommend using TRICK BAG for special education students. The researcher believes
that it can be shortened to TRICK for class use. T - Take out your academic planner. R Record the assignment. I - Insert the important details. C - Circle the materials needed. K
- Keep materials in your binder (p. 282, 2007).
Data from a teacher survey included in a study conducted by Copeland, et al.,
showed that 100% of the teachers believed that the students should be required to carry
an academic planner. They also felt that “instructional techniques were slowed down
because students were not completing assignments and therefore were unprepared for
class” (p. 8). The teachers also felt that overall grades were lowered because of missing
assignments. Within the study the researchers discovered that nearly 75% of the students
were missing assignments. Teachers stated that this accounted for 62% of the students
having substantially or severely lowered their grades (2001). Research supports that with
the use of an academic planner, not only has student achievement been positive, but
students turned in assignments on time, came prepared for tests and had a place to refresh
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their memories (Hatcher & Pond, 1998). Clearly the academic planner to aids students if
it is implemented.
The use of an academic planner to aid in organizational skills as a strategy may
increase student desire for learning. Middle school is a time when assignment
management becomes evident. The increase of assignments and continual class change
mounted with the extracurricular activities brings chaos to the adolescents’ day. To
address this issue, students’ use of an academic planner would organize their hectic day.
In the academic planner the pupils could write down all assigned work in the boxes
provided, due dates for various assignments and projects, upcoming tests and any
extracurricular events planned (Copeland, Davis, Foley, Morley, & Nyman, 2001). This
simple tool would mean the difference between completing the work or not, simply
because the student does not remember what happened first period when they actually
have a chance to sit down to start their homework at 7:30 p.m. that evening.
Other tools the students need to focus on using are a three-ring binder which holds
the essentials of loose leaf paper, color coded file folders, the academic planner, and a
pencil pouch for colored pencils, pencils and highlighters (Hatcher & Pond, 1998). By
color-coding folders and notebooks the student is able to find their work easier and be
ready for active learning versus searching through a hefty binder or backpack containing
an abundance half-completed assignments (Bausch & Becker 2001).
With minimal teacher direction a binder check would ensure key materials are
organized in a sensible manner. This brief interruption helps the student manage the
tools they have in their possession (Nelson, 2007). Wright suggests another aid to the
student in becoming more efficient is to give the students time to clean out their binders
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and organize their work (2007). The curriculum-consumed teacher often overlooks this
simple, but efficient use of five to fifteen minutes. As curriculum becomes more and
more the focus in the classroom, the simple implementation of demonstrating and
modeling the use of time management tools is forgotten. The research has proven that
the use of a planner for the student or a electronic day-timer for the adult is a lifelong
skill and one that demands the attention of instructors to ensure students are prepared for
class and beyond.
Study Skills
As Bausch and Becker point out, good study skills connote the ability to learn and
make use of what one is learning (2001). All students need to hone their study skills
from time to time. The topic of study skills is broad and often difficult to define. There
are numerous approaches to solving a particular problem. However, the mere fact the
student has a solution, is a good example of using study skills. Study skills, then, are the
tricks and trade of surviving school. Underachieving students who lack the desired study
skills do not connect the cause of not studying to their low academic performance
(Hunker, 1999). “It is natural for a 13-year old boy to enjoy skateboarding over studying
for a science test. The difference between the achieving student and the underachieving
student is that the achiever will prioritize studying over skateboarding, manage his time
and be goal-directed. The poor performer will satisfy his immediate desire and go
skateboarding and NOT link that decision to his poor grade on the science test” (Hunker,
1999 p.1). As the student progresses each year they are expected to learn more and
more. The use of study skills becomes paramount as skills shift from processes to
information and facts (Bausch & Becker, 2001).
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Study skills are often not taught and it is hoped that student knows how to represent
the information they are taught instead of performing the skill. One reason for study
skills being ignored by educators is teachers feel they are inadequately trained to teach
them (Bausch & Becker, 2001). Researchers, Monahan, Ognibene, and Torrisi found that
93% of the teachers found a need for student improvement in study skills.
Fortunately, students who use and know proper study skills succeed where others
fail. Teachers, who incorporate learning strategies while teaching a lesson, model not
only expectations but reinforce the eleven success principals listed below. Students, in
turn, will begin to appreciate and learn how to incorporate these into their learning
(Smith, Teske, & Gossmeyer, 2000). Parents can be an asset in this area. They, too, can
assist their child with homework or in acquiring the skills or learning strategies listed
below. According to education experts and students, some secrets to school success
include:

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








set priorities
study everywhere
get organized
learn how to read
time management
note taking
turn in neat work
speak up in class
study together
test yourself
do more (Kiester & Kiester 1992).
According to Smith, Teske, and Gossmeyer, these eleven success principles are exactly
what underachieving students need to do to be successful. However, it is not being done
because these skills are not obvious to the student who is not aware of them; you do not
know what you do not know. The research also states that study skills “are cognitive
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processes that students need in order to facilitate their own learning and to improve their
academic performance in all subject areas” (2001, p 22).
Often the student who displays the most significant need to incorporate study skills
into their daily habits are those who do not use any of the eleven strategies listed above.
For these students, a lack of understanding course content may be the reason they are not
using time or other organizational strategies well. “Additionally, all students, at one time
or another, are forced to experience homework overload, with five or six extensive
assignments one evening... It is at this time that weak organizational and time
management skills become evident” (Smith, Teske, & Gossmeyer, 2000, p. 21). This is
especially evident in the student who struggles, because when coursework becomes
difficult, their strategies and study skills for surviving in the classroom fade. Students
who do not have the advantage of a solid foundation of study skills often suffer the most
when they are overloaded. At this time, it is clear that they have not maintained any of
the previously discussed organizational skills, time management or tool use, such as the
use of the academic planner.
Note-taking Skills
The discussion of note taking for large numbers of students must take into account
that is a necessary, but difficult skill. Students are interested in obtaining the
information, however, it is a skill that countless students feel ill equipped to handle.
Much of the benefit that is gained from taking notes results from distinguishing the
subordinate details from the main point (Bakunas & Holley, 2004). A myriad of
researchers recommended the use of Cornell note-taking (Hatcher & Pond. 1998; Nelson,
2007; Wright 2007). In this style the note-taker divides the paper into three separate
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sections. On the left side is the cue column that is approximately two and one-half
inches. The right side is used for students to take note (i.e., the speakers ideas). And
part three, the bottom quarter of the page is used to summarize the notes on that page.
See author created diagram below:
Table 1.1 Cornell Notes
Cue column
Note-taking column
2 ½ inches
6 inches
Questions student
may have
Cue words
here
“Note taking is one of the most
important study skills teachers can
1. Record
Information
2. Review and
formulate
questions
3. Recite
4. Reflect
5. Review
notes (10
minutes)
emphasize because students must
know how to synthesize information
and organize their thoughts in
written form” (Smith, Teske, &
Gossmeyer, 2000, p. 24). If the
student is not able to find a suitable
style of note taking, then various
Use this space to summarize notes
taken
students are left wallowing in the
category of poor note-taking skills
(Smith, Teske, & Gossmeyer. 2000). This fundamental skill requires the student
understand the difference between general principles and subordinate details (Bakunas &
Holley, 2004). Choosing what to ignore is as important as figuring out what is important
to remember (McCoy, 1997). Distinguishing between important bits of information and
non-important proves difficult as the brain is trying to take in new information and
categorize it. In Eric Jensen’s book, Teaching With the Brain in Mind, he stresses the
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importance of having students pair up after teaching and let them re-teach so that students
are able to fill in their notes where they have missed some key elements (2005).
Other key strategies instructors can use to aid the student in note-taking process are
to write down important information the students can see. In essence, they must model
the important information. Second, avoid overloading information that must be written
down. And third, provide handouts to be utilized by the student with some written
prompts to guide students in their note taking (Bausch & Becker 2001). While this is not
a formal note-taking style, these techniques can greatly aid the student in staying
organized in their classroom work.
In addition to note-taking skills such as Cornell, another note-taking strategy that is
helpful for the student is the use of graphic organizers. During prewriting these help the
student in ascertaining what the student knows, what they want to know, and what they
have learned (Monahan, Ogneibene, and Torrisi, 2000). Graphic organizers enable
students to make connections, see patterns, access previously stored or related memories
and expands upon existing memory circuitry (Willis, 2006). The concept of keeping
track of notes and being a proficient note taker aid the student in their quest to stay
organized. This organization turns into more efficient learning.
Organizational Skills
Part of the researcher’s dilemma in designing her action research project was
organizing requisite organizational skills and placing them in subsets. When most of the
research was complete it was obvious that an entire subgroup was missing, an
organizational skills subset. The category stands by itself just by the sheer bits of
information she gathered on the topic. The topic is broad and encompasses the goal the
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researcher has of transference into the students’ adult life. “It is a general assumption
that organizational skills provide a sense of consistency to individuals so that they
become lifelong learners, productive members of society and successful in the business
community” (Monahan, Ognibene, & Torrisi, 2000 p.4).
Scores of researchers stated that organizational skills are so lacking in adolescents
because they are ignored. Where once they were taught in traditional curriculum, they
have been squeezed out by the amount of curricula required to be taught in each area
every year. There simply is no time to touch on the topic (Bausch & Becker, 2001). The
lack of emphasis on organizational skills creates confusion for the student who
desperately needs this within the daily routine. 67% of high school teachers view
organization as crucial for student success (Bakunas & Holley, 2004). Students, in turn,
display a need to be organized. According to research conducted by Copeland, et al.,
students have a difficult time being motivated if they are not organized and as the student
becomes disorganized they lose their desire to learn (2001).
Organization of materials is also added into the confusion of the middle school
student.
As students progress through the educational system, the challenge of
staying organized becomes greater each year. Initially, students remain in
one location and are required to do very little to organize. Although the
paperwork aspect of schooling becomes more daunting during the upper
elementary school; students continue to be homeroom centered. That is to
say, that they have a desk in one classroom where their belongings remain
throughout the day. Upon entering the middle school setting, students
experience a fundamental shift in the necessity of organization. They are
now expected to change classes and teachers and no longer have a homeroombased desk. They must shift from class to class and use a locker, often for
the first time. This is a difficult transition for many.
(Bausch & Becker, 2001, p.25)
However, as each year passes, students need to organize. They need to organize their
materials so that they have the right supplies and need to organize what is due for the day
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as their buddy may have a different teacher or a different course. No longer does the
buddy system catch all of those hidden nuisances of note taking, assignment tracking and
so on. So, as the students’ need for organization increases they are left stranded without
the structure they grew accustom to in the earlier grades. Students must now track
deadlines and assignments on their own with no one to catch their errors (Nelson, 2007).
Hatcher and Pond suggest that organizational skills are an important component in
critical thinking. These researchers link organizational skills to remembering
information, which becomes easier to access because it is organized (1998). “In the
classroom many students exhibit inadequate organizational skills that contribute to poor
study habits which in turn lowers achievement” (Monahan, Ognibene, & Torrisi, 2000).
The research by Johnson-Leslie indicates that teachers must model organizational skills if
students are to see a benefit to them. The flip side of this is that one sign of an ineffective
teacher is the lack of organization or clarity in his or her teaching (2007). The strength of
being organized is measured in various ways, but when it is not present, it is apparent.
Organizational skills need to be acquired and used for the student to realize success. If
they are not then late/missing assignments begin to appear, as does a lack understanding
subject matter being taught.
Academic Achievement
The researcher became fascinated with the effect of basic time management tools
and the effects it had on student achievement. Research indicates that student
achievement is less about the ability of the student to perform a task, as it is to complete
the task on time and turn it in for credit. The ability of the teacher to make instructions
for the task as clear as possible also impacts the academic achievement. Students are
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more likely to complete an assignment if there is acceptance and interest in the subject
(Weimer 2005). Another indicator that enabled students to have a higher success rate is
when the teacher was able to provide an adult advisor to help students reach their set
deadlines. These people did little more than provide assistance with organizing the
assignment (Wright 2007). Student achievement has also been shown to increase when
schools have consistently used the academic planner.
According to Smith, Teske, and Gossmeyer, children are born with a will to want to
learn; when that desire is missing parents need to understand that it is not natural (2000).
This is an important piece of the puzzle, because it reinforces the idea that students do not
succeed because of ability. As indicated, however, it usually is subsumed by a lack of
organization and structure.
Jensen’s advice is to organize the student by creating rituals within your class that
can instantly engage learners. The use of enduring pathways is crucial. In order to
develop the pathways use rituals often. Repetition is good for learning (2005). Another
way to present repetition is to disguise it by having the students who have a concept
mastered paired with students who have a lesser knowledge base in that area. This
strategy not only deepens the knowledge for the mentor student it enhances it for the
student who is being taught as well (Nelson, 2007).
Action Research Proposal
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Chapter Three - The Goal of the Action Research Project
The goal of this action research is to investigate the question, “Does the consistent
use of an academic planner improve student outcomes?” The researcher hopes that
through research efforts students will become skilled in knowing how to organize their
materials and be informed about the tools available to them to help them succeed in their
quest for organization. It is hoped that individuals will see the benefit of organization
and realize that it may make a difference in the classroom as well as in their daily lives.
In this study, the researcher also hopes to discover which techniques can be used to
increase organization for the adolescent student.
The benefit of this action research project will assist students, parents, and teachers.
The students will gain knowledge that will help them cope with staying organized
throughout high school, and hopefully develop skills that will aid them in life-long
applications where they are able to remain organized and time managed. Within the
middle school level, students will have less confusion over what they need to keep and
what they can throw away. They will also gain an important life-skill that will help them
feel confident in moving on to high school. Parents will benefit due to the successes the
student will achieve, which will lead to less energy spent managing their child’s time and
being focused on child’s goal of turning in quality work on time. Ideally, parents and
students will enjoy more time together focused on the family unit, not last minute
projects. Teachers will benefit from improved student success rate. Success breeds
success, therefore the impact this project has on future success is limitless. Keeping all
this in mind, the outcome of this action research will be to answer the question: does
teaching organizational and time management skills using the school provided academic
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planner, improve student outcomes?
Several instruments will be used to gather data including surveys, notebook checks,
charts, and an at-task check. The researcher will begin by sending out surveys to the
teaching staff, to the students in the eighth grade, and to the parents of her students at the
beginning of the research and at the end of the research. The student survey will focus on
how students believe organization affects their success in school. It will be given at the
beginning and end of the research. The parental survey will be centered on daily routines
and support for organization at home. The teacher survey will center on teacher
observations of student organizational habits in classrooms and whether academic
planners are used and how they are used.
The researcher will track the use of organization and time management skills by
charting interruptions to teaching time based on the amount of hall passes needed to
gather forgotten work from student lockers. This particular piece of data will highlight
organizational skills.
At the start of the academic year, the researcher will meet with the principal to
receive permission to conduct the action research project and then proceed with in-class
instruction to guide students to be active in their organizational strategies, specifically
academic planner use. The researcher is hoping to model effective organizational
methods and offering other ideas to help all students find at least one tool or method that
will work for them.
After the teacher survey is presented and given, the researcher is hoping to gather
other teachers interested in sharing ideas about organizational tools used in classrooms.
The researcher is planning on being the leader of this cohort by sharing strategies
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currently implemented in her classroom. She hopes the group of interested teachers will
meet bimonthly to share and discuss organizational strategies.
Over the course of the study, the researcher will complete an at-task organizational/
academic planner check once per week throughout the study. She will complete this by
creating a “ticket out” of the classroom at the end of class to verify the use of the
academic planner and to note extent of its use. She will create distinct notations if they
are using it only for her class, all classes, all classes plus outside school or not at all. At
the end of the research period the researcher will compare grades between those who
used their planners and those who used it sporadically to not at all, to see if there is a
correlation between usage and student success. She will do this by comparing the grades
the students earned as seventh graders with those earned as eighth, the research year.
Another data instrument will be assessing student notes. The researcher will collect
notebooks used for note taking from the students to witness their use and function within
the classroom. The researcher will also note the use of title, date, and organizational
items included in the notebooks. This collection will measure the scale and accuracy of
note-taking and study skills.
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Action Research Proposal
Chapter Four -- Action Plan
The issue to be explored in this action research project is whether the consistent use
of an academic planner improves student outcomes. The review of the literature
suggested many factors hinder the organizational fortitude of the adolescent. In this
chapter, the researcher will explore several strategies for implementing a student
organizational procedure within the classroom.
Possible Solutions
One possible solution to improving the adolescent’s organizational skills is to
involve parents more in the organizational effort. According to the Center for Effective
Parenting, parents can greatly aid their child first by looking for some warning signs
indicating their child is poorly organized. The list includes such things as failing to bring
home homework assignments, not turning in homework, no regular study space, and
procrastination (Edwards, 2001).
Then the parent is given some ideas to aid their student. The advice from the
Center for Effective Parenting includes specific techniques for parents to do with their
child. For example, color coding the folders within their three-ringed binder, providing a
nightly planning time, mapping out a daily and weekly schedule, insuring a quiet study
place, and identifying a nightly spot in which to put their work so that in the morning it’s
easy to pick up and walk out the door (Edwards, 2001). Advice from another article,
Parenting Perspectives…ideas to help your child succeed, suggests using homework to
teach organizational skills. Their list includes an academic planner, setting performance
goals, planning ahead, circling verbs in directions, and reviewing class notes (Smith-
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Harvey, 2002).
Another study focusing on parent involvement concerning organizational skills was
not as influential as one might expect and was conducted by Molenhouse, et al. This
study dealt more with time management skills. The study states that parents may not
have a realistic idea of the time management issues that adolescents encounter (2000, p.
12). They also noted without parent support students tend to sense that education is
devalued. During this study, the researchers chose to target only 15 of the 68 parents
who responded to the survey. Within that targeted group there was no substantial change
in any of the areas measured that would indicate that parental involvement was effective
in helping students organize (2000, p. 28).
While the researcher believes parental influence and support to be a solid plan, she
also recognizes the fact that training parents is a hard task to accomplish and one that
involves an entire staff including administrators. At the same time, the researcher senses
her entire staff supports the crucial involvement parents’ have and maintains that it is an
important component to student success, the researcher is certain that the staff is currently
overwhelmed with the amount of information each teacher is expected to relay and that
this would be too much to ask. This is especially true with the knowledge of the study,
which includes a targeted group of parents who showed no change in any academic area.
In fact in the Molenhouse, et al. research, the first note in the finding and
recommendations for future studies section concerns parental support. “Although parents
were contacted on a weekly basis with updates of their child’s performance, they did not
carry through with any program of continuing organizational skills at home. Questions
on the parent survey exhibit that the parents were not actively involved” (Molenhouse, et
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al., 2000. p. 30).
Another possible solution to improving organizational skills for the middle schooler
is using the AVID method. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
emphasizes methodologies that empower the student to take responsibility for their own
learning (Swanson, 2000). A major part of AVID’s work is focused on the organization
the student must have in place and the structured use of an academic planner and a threeringed binder. The AVID method focuses on a team or entire staff to make the program a
success.
With the researcher’s school in the midst of losing teachers and Title I funds, it is
unlikely that the administration would allocate funds and resources for this endeavor or
that our current schedule would have enough manpower to allow for a period of AVID to
be taught. Although the researcher is most interested in this approach, she rejects it due
to the resources and commitment required from a staff that is not able to participate or be
interested in participation at this time.
A third possible solution the researcher considered is staff cohesion considering
student organization. The results from the study conducted by Dincher and McGuire
stated that staff consistency was imperative to the success of their study. The results state
that “although the students felt overwhelmed with the workload increase from year to
year, they did feel capable completing the required work” due to the emphasis on
organization. Dincher and McGuire’s research project included the standardized use of
three-ringed binder, use of calendars and a weekly-counseled checklist. In Dincher and
Mcguire’s study the teachers modeled how to identify and separate notes and handouts in
their three-ringed binders inserting them by subject areas. Once that was demonstrated
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the student was then displaying their use of the skill when they had their counseling
session with the teacher (1994).
The researcher knows the limitations of teachers and understands that conducting a
research project that involves her implementing new techniques and demands on other
staff members could prove to be a challenge.
The solutions presented so far have included school wide approval, funds and
resources that are not available, as well as and/or involvement from other groups of
people. They have been rejected on the basis of costs, lack of training, or because of
other groups needing to support.
Another possible solution to the issue of low organizational skills is to check daily
use of the school provided academic planner. Ramona Williamson’s article, she presents
tips on how teachers help students become organized through the use of the academic
planner. She states that the teachers themselves need to demonstrate the use of the
academic planner. Another point she makes is that teachers need to send home letters to
parents describing the correct format to be used when completing the academic planner.
Her advice is to frequently check to see that assignments are written correctly and to
monitor its use. To summarize her plan, have periodic checks on completion, encourage
all staff use within classrooms, use the designated hall pass slot as well as slot for
dialogue between teacher and parents. She also advises teachers to use the academic
planner to divide large projects into smaller chunks and mark those dates off in the
academic planner (1997).
In reviewing this plan the researcher believes this can be achieved at her location
and within the framework of the current budget. Currently the school does purchase an
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academic planner for every student; however, teachers on the staff are not consistent with
its use.
This plan solidly encompasses the tools portion of the researcher’s quest regarding
organizational skills. By focusing on a tool that is in place, within the school already, the
researcher plans to use this by tracking students who turn in their homework. She hopes
to make a correlation between those students filling in their student planners and those
turning in assignments on time.
The researcher does have confidence in the chosen model because of the role she
can play. She is familiar with the layout of the academic planner being used and knows
that it is an underused component in her classroom. She is very interested in discovering
if it is the missing link especially if used the way adults use a day timer or some other
daily organizer.
Action Plan
The researcher plans to implement her action research project in the fall beginning
the second week of school and finishing at the end of the second quarter, 18 weeks later.
Week One: Check with administrator concerning approval for the project. Send home and
have signed the letter of approval from the parents. Prepare surveys for students, staff
and parents. Administer them to staff at a staff meeting. Ask for volunteers to be part of
the study. Administer the student surveys within the first week of school.
Week Two: Begin daily checks of the academic planner and goal setting within the
planner. Structure 10 minutes daily to assist with organizational strategies concentrating
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on the academic planner. List the assignments within the researchers academic planner
modeling correct use. Then, using the data camera to display, show how to fill in the
correct boxes on their academic planner. The student’s academic planner becomes the
ticket out before lunch and at the end of the day when the researcher’s classes are
normally dismissed.
Week Three: Continue with daily checks and calling home if students have three separate
dates with no academic planner. Make the ticket out a completed academic planner;
students who do not have the academic planner are the last to leave to enable the
researcher to tally. At the school’s Back to School Night, the researcher plans to hand
out parent surveys and letters of consent.
Week Four through Nine: Continue with checking planner but randomize the checking to
two or three times per week instead of daily. Use Acheson and Gall strategies of At-Task
Technique (Acheson, 2003) noting agenda book completion. Continue to consistently
model the completion of filling out the academic planner.
The researcher also hopes to create a cohort of teachers interested in the study of
academic planners and organizational strategies. This idea will be introduced shortly
after the teachers have been surveyed and the intent of the study has been introduced.
Week Ten: Continue with random checks and consistent modeling of the planner.
Comparison of grades prior to implementation can now occur. Check for improvement in
two areas. First, the percentage of completed assignments from the same time last year to
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the current year. Even though the students will be different, the amount of work turned in
can be compared. Also compare grades of current students with those of last year, when
they were seventh graders.
The researcher hopes to meet with the teacher cohort bi-monthly to establish
techniques that have positive results in each class and allow teachers to share those ideas.
Week Sixteen and Seventeen: Reduce checks on academic planner to once a week,
Thursdays. The researcher plans to continue to model the filing out of the planner.
Prior to the start of the school year the researcher intends to complete all surveys,
and approval appropriate for the project. As the school year progresses she intends to
adapt the specific organizational curriculum to fit the needs of her current class. The
researcher intends to maintain consistent parental contact via email. Within the last week
of the project the researcher plans to administer the student survey. The researcher plans
to administer the parent survey at the school’s Eighth Grade Portfolio Night, which
occurs in the spring, as that is the best time to reconnect with parents. At this event
typically 80% of the parents attend.
Action Research Proposal
Chapter Five – Results and Next Steps
A common goal in middle level education is preparing the student for high school
and beyond. Part of that preparation is giving the students the tools to succeed. The
academic planner has been a vital tool in middle schools for over a dozen years. The
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researcher has worked at schools that have used the academic planner since the mid
1990s. The planner provides a plethora of information to the student, if they so choose to
use it.
The first section of the academic planner is often the school’s student handbook.
Currently the researcher’s school uses a planner that incorporates the student handbook, a
goal setting section, and a procrastination-beating guide into the front section. The back
section includes general information and helpful life tools. For Social Studies and
English, it has a map of the world and of the United States, a reference citation guide, and
grammar hints sheet. For Math and Science, the academic planner has a basic math terms
page, a geometry terms and formulas page, and a third page that provides science
knowledge with the Periodic table. For general life skills, it gives the students a healthy
eating guide, a studying guide, and a place to record their grades throughout the year. It
truly supplies the students with a wealth of information.
As mentioned, the academic planner was underutilized in the school. The school
counselor, also doing action research, tracked students who were at risk of dropping out
of high school due to indicators present while they were in middle school. She was very
interested in any tool that the students could use as a springboard to retention in high
school. She gave an informal student survey to at-risk students now in high school
hoping to gain perspective. She discovered the academic planner was most often used as
a bathroom pass. She was appalled. When the researcher showed this counselor the
intent of her study, the counselor was supportive, gracious, and encouraging.
Because of the common use of the academic planner as a bathroom pass and not
as a tool to support learning, the researcher realized that she must first teach the students
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how to fill out the academic planner. This meant modeling how to fill out the planner
(i.e., showing which box to use and where to place the assignments for the day).
Interestingly, over 60 percent of the students did not have prior experience with recording
assignments properly or in an organized manner. Without this knowledge the academic
planner could not be used as a tool when they arrived at home that evening. Many
students only wanted to record the due dates. They had no interest in breaking down the
assignment and few understood the importance in doing so. Initially, they did not know
that when an assignment was given, that that day was the day on which it needed to be
recorded. Many students only wanted to write the due date which was a hard habit for
most to break.
Letting parents know about the action research was a refreshing effort. Many
parents were ecstatic to know that their child would be having a small, structured period
of time to learn some basics of organization. At Back to School Night parents thanked
the researcher for addressing this issue. It also served as a chance to let parents know to
check the academic planner often. The researcher asked parents to check the planner two
to three times per week. Many parents nodded their heads in agreement as the researcher
explained the purpose and intent of the academic planner. This led to the researcher
framing the action research project question, “Does the consistent use of an academic
planner improve student outcomes?”
As a member of site council, the researcher was cognizant of the community
niche the school filled, aiming to attract more families interested in the middle school
model versus the district’s current push for the k-8 elementary model. Site council then
formed a catch phrase, determined to capture the interests of families. The phrase
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“Preparing the student for high school” was used in every piece of literature the school
published. The researcher realized that her research complemented that concept.
Fortunately, the researcher had continual engagement from her administrative
team. Often structure and support came in the form of interested questions and
encouraging comments. During the study the writer’s administrator asked her how she
would phase out the crutch of modeling the academic planner. The administrator wanted
to ensure that the students benefited from the organizational strategy and the skills gained
would not become latent or were not simply lost when the research project ended. The
researcher had intended to end the academic planner checks in early February. She ended
daily checks, but let the students know they would now have their planner checked once a
week. On Thursdays, she would look at the entire week and any student missing entries
would be able to access the teacher’s modeled planner. After the study was complete,
another way the writer phased out the teacher’s modeling of the academic planner was to
verbally state the assignments for each day. This was a major leap for students at the
start, but they adjusted quickly and completely. At the time of print the researcher checks
planners every other week and students are regularly filling out their academic planners.
Assignments are now given verbally on most days. When the researcher is absent, the
substitute teacher places the academic planner under the document camera to ensure
students have the correct information in theirs.
Project Implementation
The researcher began the action research by writing the assignments on the board
as she had over the last seven years. Knowing that it was an important aspect to the
research, the researcher would hold up the academic planner and show it to the students
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during the last five to ten minutes of class. A mild haze of confusion clouded over the
classroom. When it was time to be dismissed the class filed through the door and the
researcher checked each planner to see if it was filled out properly. Knowing that some
parents were interested in seeing the planner, she wanted the students to have it
completed correctly. Over the first week or two, student interest in filling it out correctly
was tepid. The researcher had them return to the instructor’s academic planner so the
students could copy it down correctly in their planner. Then, one a day within the first
two weeks of the study, the researcher was short on time. She decided to fill out the
academic planner while running the document camera. The students watched on the
screen as she filled out the academic planner. It was a mild breakthrough. The students
requested that the academic planner be filled out like this in the future. It was an easy
and productive switch. No longer was the side blackboard reserved for assignments
given and pending; instead the information was written down in the teacher’s academic
planner and the students were given an exact example of the best way to fill out their own
planner.
The researcher tracked the use of the planner by using it as a “ticket out” of the
classroom each day at the start of the study. Later in the study, the researcher checked the
students’ academic planner in a random fashion. Finally, toward the end of the study,
the researcher returned to checking planners daily. The consequences for the student who
did not have his or her academic planner varied from being the last one to leave class to
having to call home. The writer only tracked students when they forgot their academic
planner or didn’t fill it out correctly. The easiest fix was for the student to correct the
planner him or herself. The student simply stepped out of line and wrote it down
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correctly from the teacher’s planner. It is important to know that the researcher tracked
and documented academic planner usage by gender; it is also important to know that the
researcher has a higher ratio of boys in her classes (see line graph Figure 5.1 below).
The results seem to be predictable. Many more adjustments were made at the
beginning of the action research than in the middle or at the end. Keep in mind that the
researcher returned to daily checks toward the end of research. The spike in the data
represents a child who had temporarily lost his planner. The researcher is pleased that
many students continued to fill out their academic planner even when there was not a
“ticket out” being used that day.
Figure 5.1: Missing Planner: Totals per Month
Missing Planner
12
10
8
boys
girls
6
4
2
0
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
An area in which the researcher noticed a significant improvement was the
increase in instructional time. Fewer students needed to leave class to obtain materials,
therefore the interruption to learning decreased. The use of the academic planner
provided some basic organizational components. Below is the graph showing the number
of students, per month, who left class to go to their lockers. The jump in February is due
to a change in the textbook needed by students for class. The researcher must highlight
that this is the amount of hall passes needed by students for an entire month. Generally,
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the students are with the researcher for the entire morning or afternoon; class size
averages 27 students per period.
Figure 5.2: Visits to locker by month
Visits to locker
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec
Jan.
Feb
The researcher’s data for this area is not what she expected. September is an
adjustment month when the research was not completely implemented and students were
not yet organized. However, as the action research project continued, fewer and fewer
students needed to go to lockers to obtain materials for class. The researcher may see up
to 162 students a day over six periods, and in a month only five students needed hall
passes. That is phenomenal! Usage of the planner created an expectation for students to
be prepared for class with assignments in hand which had not been explicitly stated
earlier. This side benefit, while unexpected, more than made up for the time the
researcher spent teaching academic planner use.
Another comprehensive benefit to modeling the academic planner was the written
record of daily assignments it created. When a student was absent it provided an easy
support for them to access the teacher’s academic planner when they returned to school.
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Students copied down the teacher’s modeled planner and were able to ask for handouts
by name. They caught up their missed assignments more quickly. This is a positive
benefit the researcher had not predicted would come from this action research. It was
extremely convenient when a student came to the classroom midday and wanted to obtain
the homework for the day’s lesson. The researcher did not have to interrupt her teaching
to assist that student; she simply provided him or her with the teacher’s academic
planner. The student wrote it down and went on his or her merry way!
At the beginning of the research, surveys were distributed to the teachers,
students, and parents. The parental results are shown below. Parents noted improvement
in student use of the academic planner. On the post action research survey, parents
showed an increase in student use of the academic planner. By the end of the study, all
the parents surveyed saw at least some use of the planner. None of the parents surveyed
stated that their student’s planner was never used. The parents showed interest in the
project with the surveyed increased in parental checking of the academic planner.
Another area where the parents noted student improvement was the student’s perception
of the planner’s importance. More parents noted the value of the planner by the end of
the study. The question was asked, “How often does the student planner seem
necessary?” The increase from 39% to 57% in the “almost always” category indicates the
value the family now places on the academic planner. One parent responded on the
survey, “Her planner was lost last week and replaced a few days later. It was a difficult
few days—she really depends on it to keep track of school!”
As stated earlier, students are regularly bringing completed assignments to class.
This is shown on the graph by the small number of locker visits to obtain materials.
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Missing assignments went down to two percent from a high of ten percent in the “almost
always” category for the question, “Are missing assignments an issue for your student?”
on the parental survey. By coming to class prepared and by leaving class with
assignments written in their academic planner, students had fewer problems with missing
assignments.
Figure 5.3: Parental Survey Results
Parent Survey Results
post missing assign.
pre missing assign.
post necessity
almost always
often
seldom
never
pre necessity
post parental check
pre parental check
post student use
pre student use
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100
%
In the student survey results (see figure 5.4), shown below, the researcher is most
pleased with the decrease in the “rarely” category under planner use. Interestingly,
according to students, the parental checks went backward in most categories when
comparing from pre to post surveys. The “seldom” category grew over ten percent and
much of it moved from the “rarely” category. The researcher would like to note that this
is the students’ view of their parents’ involvement.
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The researcher was disheartened by the small increase in students using the
planner as an organizational tool. This would provide communication between school
and home for the student to indicate what work still needed to be completed. Many
students noted that they did not check their academic planner; therefore they were not
using it as an organizational tool. Most students remained constant in their accessing the
academic planner once they arrived at home. If they had checked it prior to the action
research, they continued. Only the “rarely” category changed in this regard from roughly
seventeen percent prior to the study to ten percent post action research. This does
demonstrate change, but the researcher was hoping for more.
Once again the researcher is pleased students recognized a decrease in their
misplaced papers. Students mirror what parents noted as well as what the researcher
concluded regarding visits to lockers and missing assignments.
Figure 5.4 Student survey results
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Student Survey Results
post misplaced papers
pre misplaced paper
post student check @ home
almost always
pre student check @ home
often
seldom
post parental check
rarely
pre parental check
post planner use
pre planner use
0%
20
%
40
%
60
%
80
%
100
%
The researcher hoped to determine an improvement in student grades in the
process of this action research. But, the researcher struggled with gathering evidence,
due to the fact the students all had different teachers the year before. From the evidence
the researcher gathered, the students’ grades were not as strong in eighth grade as they
were in seventh. However the dip was not severe. There were fewer As and Bs in eighth
grade than there were in seventh, but there was not a large increase in failing students.
The eighth grade year typically requires more rigor and expectation for students being
prepared for high school. The researcher has noticed that this rigor and these
expectations usually manifest as a substantial dip in academic scores from seventh grade
to eighth grade. This trend is not seen in the current group of students involved in the
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action research. The slight drop in academic grades, however, does not support the idea
that the use of an academic planner provided successful outcomes, grades being the most
common indicator, especially for parents. However the researcher is confident that the
students maintained their GPAs with more success due to the action research project.
The chart below (Figure 5.5) displays the amount of As, Bs, Cs and D/Fs given in the
fourth quarter of seventh grade versus second quarter of eighth grade, when the action
research was completed.
Figure 5.5 Grade comparisons
Grade Comparison
35
30
25
20
7th
8th
15
10
5
Re
ad
in
g
Re
A
ad
in
g
Re
B
ad
in
Re
g
ad
C
in
g
D
/F
W
rit
in
g
A
W
rit
in
g
B
W
rit
in
g
W
C
rit
in
gD
/F
So
ci
al
A
So
ci
al
B
So
ci
al
So
C
ci
al
D
/F
0
The teachers did not receive two surveys since the researcher only did the action
research within her classroom; therefore there was no need for a post teacher survey. A
large majority of the teachers stressed the importance of planners and believed that the
students need to use them. Fewer teachers had the students use the planner within their
coursework. The teachers neglected the basic component of having an organizational
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tool, and encouraging students to use it. Few teachers modeled how to fill out the
academic planner. This supports the researcher’s belief that many teachers assume
students know how to use the academic planner and teachers do not need to spend time
modeling use of the academic planner. Interestingly, while over 80% of the teachers
believe the academic planner is important less than half that amount direct students to use
them and still fewer model the academic planner use.
Figure 5.6 Teacher Survey
Teacher Survey
100%
90%
80%
70%
rarely
seldom
often
almost always
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
believe
ask students
students
to use
need planner
planner
model
completion
Through the teacher survey, five teachers expressed interest in being part of a
symposium concentrating on academic planner use. At our first meeting we agreed to
meet bimonthly and share how academic planner use was going. The five teachers
received copies of student and parent surveys. By the second meeting only four teachers
attended. We discussed modeling the academic planner use. All liked the idea and began
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to implement it. The teachers asked questions about using the academic planner as a
ticket out of the room. As the research continued, the four teachers admitted they were
not very focused on the academic planners and did not structure time to implement it.
The researcher began checking in with the four as opposed to meeting formally due to the
tempo of the school year. Another note: The research site had a traumatic experience -the death of a staff member -- and everyone’s attention was diverted from the action
research for three weeks, while teachers helped students cope and as they coped as well.
By the time the holidays arrived the academic planner group had stopped meeting.
Results
The results are not as significant as the researcher imagined they would be. She
thought that the comparative grades from the previous years would have been a positive
indicator and supported the substance and scope of the research question. Since this is
not the case, the researcher is reminded of other ways the action research benefited her
and her students.
The researcher believes that the students were more consistent with turning in
their homework and there was less of an end of the quarter rush to turn in work for credit
to improve their grade. Although there is no data from previous year the writer is
positive that the visits to lockers were significantly reduced. The students were also more
aware of expectations for having work that needed to be turned in.
The most advantageous aspect to this study is the ability for the student to catch
up on the work once they return from an absence or if they are going to be out for the
afternoon or morning. To have a tool in place that the students could rely on was an
unanticipated benefit.
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Reflections
After completing the research, the writer believes that this action research project
provided her students with an excellent edge in being more prepared to meet the demands
of middle school and ultimately, of high school. The students now demonstrate how to
keep a personal calendar, an important life skill that many of them will use as they
become adults. For the future, the researcher will model filling in the academic planner
from the very first day of the school year. She will continue to use the academic planner
as a ticket out at the end of the class. Even if students do not check it at home they are
looking it at one last time before leaving the classroom.
The researcher believes it is important to empower the students in the use of the
academic planner. By slowly easing off on modeling and using the planner as a ticket
out, the instructor would allow the students to have more responsibility in its use.
Another way the instructor can give more responsibility to the student, empowering the
student to have more confidence the upcoming academic year would be by giving
assignments verbally. Also she could transition from checking the academic planner
daily to weekly to randomly to encourage students’ continual use. Self-empowerment of
students in using the academic planner optimally facilitates internalization of this
important life skill.
Suggestions for Further Study
Based on the data collected and analyzed, student outcomes did improve in three
notable areas. The students had a fewer missing assignments as noted in both the student
and parental surveys. The visits to lockers became a rare interruption in instructional
time. And finally, the ability to use a planner was internalized in the student. For further
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study the researcher believes more parental involvement might be facilitated by offering
extra credit for parent signatures in their planner twice a week to show parental checks
were occurring.
Teachers’ role in the use of the academic planner is another area that could be
researched. If teachers model the use of the academic planner by direct teaching the way
to fill it out, students’ use would be more consistent. This research would need to be
done on a building wide level, possibly when the building is implementing the academic
planner.
To completely change the academic planner into an organizational tool, the
researcher believes that the students need to, as self-directed learners, check their
academic planners at home regularly. The current action research did not address this
issue and would have benefited from stressing the academic planner as an organizational
tool, which would eventually turn into the digital calendars adults currently use to
organize their lives. It would be interesting to note the positive changes in grades,
assignments in on time, and amount of locker visits during instructional time.
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References
Adamason, B., Covic, T., Lincoln, M. (2004). Teaching time and organizational
management skills to first year health science students: does training make a
difference? Journal of Further & Higher Education, Vol. 28 Issue 3, 261-276.
Acheson, K.A. & Gall, M.D. (2003). Clinical Supervision and Teacher Development:
Preservice and Inservice Applications. New York City: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Bakunas, B., Holley, W. (2004). Teaching Organizational Skills. Clearing House, Vol.
77 issue 3, 92-95.
Bausch, A., Becker, K. (2001). A Study of Students’ Lack of Study and Organizational
Skills with Middle School and High School Students. Retrieved October 7, 2007 from
Ebsco.
Bower, B., Lobdell, J., Owens, S. (2005). Bring Learning Alive! The TCI Approach for
Middle and High School Social Studies. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum
Institute.
Copeland, T., Davis, K., Foley, B., Morley, B., Nyman, K. (2001). Improving Middle
School Students’ Academic Success through Motivational Strategies. Retrieved
November 27, 2007 from Ebsco.
Dincher, D., McGuire, L. (1994). Improving Student Academic Success and Self-esteem
through the Use of Organizational Skills. Retrieved November 28, 2007 from Ebsco.
Edwards, M. (2001). Improving Your Child’s School Organizational Skills. Center for
Effective Parenting. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
Fertig, C. (2006). Organizational Skills and Gifted Students. Prufrock Press Inc.
Retrieved September 30, 2007.
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FileMaker, Inc. (2006, November 15). High Schools Get Failing Grades from Students on
Providing Organizational Skills to Succeed in College. Message posted to
http://www.filemaker.com
Hatcher, R., Pond, B., (1998). Standardizing organizational skills for student success. Phi
Delta Kappa, vol. 79, 715-716.
Hunker, P. (1999). Parents’ role in helping, setting goals. The Washington Post. 1-2.
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Johnson, J., Parish, T., (2007). Ten Recommendations Regarding How to Become a
Better Student. College Student Journal, Vol. 41 Issue 1, 5-6.
Johnson-Leslie, N. (2007). Effective vs. Ineffective Teachers Educating our Children.
International Journal of Learning, Vol. 13 Issue 9. 133-142.
Kiester, E. And Kiester, S. (1992). Secrets of Straight A Students. The Readers Digest,
Vol. 22 141-144.
McCoy, J. (1997). Learning skills: Tips tricks and habits help students wade through
large volumes of facts and figures. The Dallas Morning News. 1-4.
Molenhouse, C., Petsas, A., Somers, D., Spiller J., Thomas, G., (2000). Lack of
Organizational Skills Interfere with Academic Success. Retrieved November 29,
2007, form Ebsco.
Monahan, S., Ognibene, B., Torrisi, A. (2000). Effects of Teaching Organizational
Strategies. Retrieved October 7, 2007, from Ebsco.
Nelson, J. (2007). AVIDly Seeking Success. Educational Leadership. Vol. 64 Issue 7,
72-74.
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Scott, V.G., Compton, L. (2007). A New Trick for the Trade: A Strategy for Keeping an
Agenda Book for Secondary Students. Intervention in School and Clinic, Vol. 42
Issue 5, 280-284.
Smith, M, Teske, R., Gossmeyer, M. (2000). Improving Student Achievement through the
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Swanson, M. (2000). Rigor with support: LESSONS FROM AVID. Leadership, Vol. 30
Issue 2, 26.
Williamson, R. (1997). Help Me Organize. Intervention in School & Clinic, Vol. 33 issue
1, 36.
Willis, J. (2006). Research-based Strategies to IGNITE Student Learning. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Weimer, M. (Ed.) (2005). Doing it the Night Before: Preventing Procrastination.
Teaching Professor, Vol. 19 Issue 5. 2-4.
Wright, J. (2007). School-Wide Strategies for Managing... Study Skills/Organization.
www.interventioncentral.org . Retrieved on September 30, 2007.
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Appendixes
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September 5, 2008
Dear Parents,
I am in the midst of completing my Masters of Education in School Administration
through Concordia University. The final piece of my degree is a research project
that I am completing the first semester of this school year.
The area that I am researching ties in with a school focus of raising life long
learners. My main area of focus is the effect of organization on academic
success. The study does not change any content normally taught through
CORE, but I will focus in on the use of the student planner and other
organizational tools used throughout the student’s day. Beaumont, as a whole, is
looking at being more proactive with student planner use. In this way, my action
research dovetails perfectly.
I am writing this letter to you to inform you of the study and to receive your
permission to include your child in the reporting the results of my study.
Complete confidentiality will be maintained. Your child’s name or identity will not
be used in any place during the reporting of this study and there are no potential
risks to the student involved. Mrs. Knutsen and Ms. Vaugh-Edmonds are aware
of the action research project and are interested in the positive impact this
research may have.
Please indicate your consent by completing and signing the form below. If you
have any questions for me about this study, please do not hesitate to ask. You
can reach me at 503-916-5610 or by email at jbennet1@pps.k12.or.us.
Thank you,
Jennifer Bennett
*******************************************************************************************
I give permission for my child __________________________________ to
participate in this research project from September 2008 to January 2009. I
understand that the study involves observation of the effects organization on
academic success. I understand that there are no potential risks to my child. I
understand that at no time during the study will my child’s name be used in
connection with the results. All personal data and results will be kept
confidential. I understand that my child’s participation is voluntary.
X___________________________________
Parent’s signature
54
______________________
Date
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Teacher Survey
Teacher’s Name (optional):
Researcher’s Name: Jennifer Bennett
Organizational Skills
Student Planner
Almost Always
Often
How often do you have your students use the student planner
Can students locate due dates within their planners
Tracking important assignments through planner helps grade
Do you check planners weekly
Do you check planners monthly
Do you check planners only in the first quarter
Do you believe students should carry a planner
Do you model how to fill out the student planner
Material Management
Students use a binder
Students have dividers within their binders that are used
Are misplaced assignments a challenge in classroom
Missing assignments affect your teaching
Students are prepared to hand in assignment when asked
Student papers and other materials are left behind when students leave
Overall students locate materials needed in timely fashion
Organizational Skills / Time Management
How often do students ask for a second copy of a handout
Overall students possess organizational skills
Organizational skills are important to success in school
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Seldom
Rarely
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Consistent school-wide organizational skills are important
Poor organizational skills are directly related to lower grades
Are you able to devote instructional time to teaching organizational
skills
Time management skills are a key reason why work isn’t complete/adequate
Do you break up big assignments with various due dates
If you are interested in changing your organizational strategies and would like to
participate in the action research please let me know by September 15th. Thank
you for your time!
Jennifer Bennett: jbennet1@pps.k12.or.us
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Student Survey
Student’s Name:
Teacher’s Name: Jennifer Bennett
Organizational skills
Student Planner
Almost Always
Often
Seldom
Rarely
Almost Always
Often
Seldom
Rarely
Almost Always
Often
Seldom
Rarely
How often do you use your student planner without teacher direction
How often do you use your student planner
Can you locate the due dates within your planner
How often do you check your planner at home
How often do your parents ask to see your planner
How often does your teacher model how to fill it out
How often do you need to use your planner
Material Management
How often do you use your binder
How often do you use dividers in your binder
How often are misplaced papers a challenge for you
How often do you have missing assignments
Are you prepared to hand in assignments when asked
How often do you leave papers behind
Overall do you locate materials you need in a timely fashion
Organizational Skills / Time Management
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How often do you ask for a second copy of a handout
How often are you organized
Does organization affect your time in school
Does it feel like teachers have the same goals for organization
Does your organizational skill effect your grade
How often do your teachers teach you how to organize
How often do you run out of time when trying to complete an assignment
How often would your grade improve if you used your time better
How often would your grade improve if you were given more time
How often do you break down your big projects within your calendar
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Parent Survey
Parent Name (optional):
Teacher’s Name: Jennifer Bennett
Organizational Skills
Student Planner
Almost Always
Often
Seldom
Never
Often
Seldom
Never
How often do you see the Beaumont student planner
How often does your student use his/her planner
Can you read their planner in a way that would offer assistance
How often do you check his/her planner
How often does the student planner seem necessary
Material Management
How often do you see your student’s binder
How often does the binder appear organized
How often do you notice random papers out of place
How often are missing assignments an issue for your student
How often does your student forget papers at school to complete at home
How often does your student forget papers at home to turn in at school
Overall does your student locate materials in a timely fashion
Organizational Skills/Time Management
Almost Always
How often does your student state they don’t have the assignment
How often do you ask if he/she has homework
How often do you assist with homework
Does organization have a negative impact on your student
Do you talk about the benefits of organization at home
How often would your student’s grade improve if he/she used time better
How often do you support a night time routine that includes studying time
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How often does your student run out of time when trying to complete an assign
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