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

are worthy of other teachers using or improving on their own. Many schools nationwide
suffer from the same issue on homework.
Recommendations
At the start of an action research project you must do a lot of research and studying on your
own. It is my suggestion to learn as much as you can about the homeless and highly mobile
population and the laws. A wonderful book to read is Ruby Paine’s Framework for
Understanding Poverty. It may not be your position at your school, but this information
should be shared with all the staff as well. If possible, get the support from your
administration to have knowledgeable people come in and discuss the homeless and highly
mobile. Don’t assume you know who is labeled under this category. It is important to know
who falls under this group in your classroom as well as in the school.
Get out into your community. Drive around and see first hand where these children and their
families are living. Visit the motels, the shelters, and if you can visit transitional housing units
so you can better understand the struggles of everyday life that these families experience. Do
a home visit. If you can build a connection with an at risk family, then they might begin to
step out of their comfort zone and trust the school environment. You have to be able to set
aside your judgments and just be there.
Build a relationship with the people who work with the homeless and highly mobile
population. Make an effort to meet the case workers or the liaisons who work with these
families. They can help answer questions, show you around the housing complexes, and can
assist you before, during, and after your action research project. Their amount of resources
and information and knowledge is invaluable.
Take a really close look at your school. Ask yourself, “What are we doing right”? and “what
are we doing wrong”? Ask these same questions to other people on the staff, parents, and to
the students. From here you can get an idea for your action research plan. Make sure you
choose an idea that is important to you and something that you have control over making a
difference. Make sure that can implement, measure, and reflect on this project. This could be
some of the most significant work you do during your school year.
Action Research to Study Homelessness and High Mobility in School Communities 64