Section 1: Academic Achievement - National Center for School ...

Recommendations/Process for WBPD
1. Create a solid team. Get to know your teammates if you don’t already. Do your readings
and work and then create meetings to chat about the assigned tasks and work. It really
helped us to build a solid foundation within our team so we could easily help each other
out.
2. Gain a better understanding of the homeless/ transient population in your area. Try to
gain knowledge about how to help this group of people. Go out into the community; visit
the shelters or housing complexes where they live. Meet with counselors and people that
aid in this kind of work. Talk to the transient families if they are willing to chat with you.
Attend seminars and informational gathering classes. Just become informed about his
subject of homelessness and education.
3. Find a specific issue that you want to focus on. Don’t try to take on too much but instead
choose one important factor that you notice is affecting your school or community that
involve these highly mobile families.
4. Try to collect as much honest information and feedback as possible from this group of
people. Send out questionnaires, surveys or hold focus groups. Make sure that the
surveys or questionnaires are easy to follow and translate any paperwork if needed. I
found that during my study, surveys and questionnaires were the easiest way to get honest
feedback. Don’t discount anyone’s ideas or thoughts. Take it all in, make sure to keep an
open mind and open frame of thought. Try not to cloud your work with our own values
and background. If you just get out there, open your mind, and be willing to change, than
the success will come to your students as well as your community.
5. Make sure to keep notes on what you are studying. Create a notebook and write down as
much information possible. During my lunch bunch I would take notes or afterwards I
would jot down a few ideas because they were fresh on my mind. Take notes during your
meetings with your team. Just write down everything so you can refer to it later.
6. When it comes to writing the end paper. Just start writing. Refer to your notes, surveys,
etc. Use examples from previous papers. Talk to your group and have them help you
mold your ideas.
Action Research to Study Homelessness and High Mobility in School Communities 46