Action Research Plan - Description of the Problem

What effect do substitute teachers have on student achievement and what are the ways schools can better utilize substitutes to minimize student impact?

I will start by examining quantitative data by comparing TAKs data with teacher absences by teacher at one of the local ISD's to determine if students performed better in classes where teachers had fewer absences.

I also plan to use focus groups and Survey Monkey to discuss with teachers and substitutes the ways substitutes are currently trained and utilized and what changes could be made to better prepare substitutes or plan better for teacher absences to ensure students are still learning when the substitutes are in charge.

The motivation for this study comes from my own work and personal experiences as a substitute. I often find that teachers have left no lesson plan or have planned for students to complete "busy work" while they are absent. I define "busy work" as work which will likely not be graded and which has little to do with the subject matter students are currently learning. This could include "fun" movies, repetitious writing, word searches, crossword puzzles, mazes, or coloring sheets. I have often felt I was being utilized more as a babysitter or a police warden than as a teacher. 

My concerns have been increased by the initial research I have conducted, which indicates that students spend on average the equivalent of a complete school year studying with a substitute during their K-12 education. These studies indicate that a direct correlation exists between lower student achievement and teacher absence (Elizabeth, 2007; Glatfelter, 2006; Damle, 2009; Granowicz, 2010).

I realize that many substitutes do not have the teacher training which I have. However, I feel confident that with some basic training on the part of the substitute and some better planning on the part of the teacher, substitutes can better carry out their assigned tasks.  This should ensure that the impact on learning is minimized under their care. My literature research also demonstrated that in school districts where substitutes are trained and teachers are taught how to prepare for them, the impact is minimized (O’Connor, 2009, Deay & Bontempo, 1986; Cardon, Tippetts, & Smith, 2003; Elizabeth, 2007).

References:

Cardon, Peter W.; Tippetts, Zachary; Smith, Geoffrey G. (2003). “The Effectiveness of Substitute Teacher Training: The Results of a Utah Study.”

Damle, Ranjana (2009). “Investigating The Impact Of Substitute Teachers On Student Achievement: A Review Of Literature.”

Deay, Ardeth & Bontempo, Barbara (1986). “Helping Substitute Teachers Contribute to School Effectiveness,” The Clearing House.

Elizabeth, Jane (2001). “A Substitute for Education: Classroom-crippling shortage leads to unusual solutions,” Pittsburg Post-Gazette.

Elizabeth, Jane (2001). “Institute helps teacher replacements learn to teach,” Pittsburg Post-Gazette.

Glatfelter, Andrew Gary (2006). “Substitute Teachers as Effective Classroom Instructors,” A Doctoral Dissertation, UCLA.

Granowicz , Stephanie (2010). “Impact of Substitute Teachers on Student Achievement,” Knight Life.

O’Connor, Kevin (2009). “No Substitute Left Behind,” Principal.