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

involvement of the student in decisions making within the school can increase the health,
behavior, and academics areas that Hart- Shegos, (1999) noted were areas of concern for
H&HM students. She goes onto suggest that when schools and classrooms work hard to
foster a welcoming community and value relationships between peers and staff, that students
will have the opportunity to develop resiliency. Putnam, (2001) agrees with Bernard in that
H&HM children lack the sense of community that would allow them to experience the 10
factors that lead to resiliency. It is up to them to piece their various relationships and role
models together to try and develop their own community.
After reviewing some of the literature on resiliency, I can conclude that a key component of
success for H&HM students is community support; whether it be the school community or the
larger community. Bernard suggests that schools that focus on the social well being of their
students can come out ahead academically. This area of research intrigued me and was the
starting point for my action research project. How can my school and my classroom
community provide my students with as many of the factors as possible that are proven to
increase resiliency?
Cycle 1
Cycle 1 consisted of finding a focus for my research question, identifying the H&HM students
in the school and my classroom, and determining the risk factors my H&HM students faced.
The first task was to determine the focus of my research question. I had decided I needed to
develop a classroom community that would foster academic success, high expectations, solid
peer and staff relationships, a sense of helpfulness, meaningful participation, and the ability
for students to make connections, especially with the curriculum. I determined that the
purpose of this study would be to facilitate a welcoming classroom through the use of flexible
instructional strategies to promote connections between the teacher, student, and curriculum
to increase academic performance in reading. I was really hoping to get my students not only
involved, but also engaged in their learning.
I next identified the H&HM students in first through fourth grades that I had contact with
throughout the day. That number varied from six to nine students throughout the 2005-2006
Action Research to Study Homelessness and High Mobility in School Communities 81