Educator's Guide to Action Research

Mary E. Little is professor and program coordinator in Exceptional Student Education at the University of Central Florida. She also serves as project director of multiple research and personnel preparation grant projects focused on school and teacher leaders’ use of data-driven decision-making within university and inclusive, urban school settings.Dena D. Slanda, senior technical assistance consultant at the American Institutes for Research, leads large-scale projects delivering tools, training, and services to state agencies, districts, and schools. She co-leads technical assistance for Lead IDEA and manages special projects for the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and the Comprehensive State Literacy Development National Literacy Center.Elizabeth D. Cramer is Distinguished University Professor of Special Education and graduate program director of Teaching and Learning at Florida International University. Her research is focused on the education of high-need children in inclusive urban settings, and her work explores opportunity and achievement gaps and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

• IntroductionChapter 1: Practical Application of Action Research Chapter 2: Data-Driven Decision MakingChapter 3: Classroom-Based Action Research using Data-Driven Decision MakingChapter 4: Opportunities for Instructional Problem-Solving in Classrooms and SchoolsChapter 5: Culturally Relevant Action Research Chapter 6: Connections with Interventions and Educational ServicesChapter 7: Opportunities to Use and Share Action Research Within Educational SettingsReferences IndexAbout the Authors

With current levels of proficiency in math and reading, the need for a cohesive and efficient MTSS process is paramount. Little, Slanda, and Cramer do a masterful job explaining how to improve student performance through four phases of data driven decision-making within an MTSS. Using the brilliance of teacher problem solving as action researchers can help all students achieve in school.