Action Research Strategy Tips

• Basics of Conducting Focus Groups
• General Guidelines for Conducting Interviews
• Survey Design Checklist
• Universal Design for Evaluation Checklist

Assessment Tools

• Building Level Assessment
• Environmental Scan
• The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition has a myriad of resources to support your AREP. The Evaluation Toolkit has many assessment tools that would be useful for identifying root causes.  Here are a few examples:

• • Assessment of Student Involvement in Transition Planning
  • Framework for Analyzing Transition-Related Policy Instrument
  • Parent Focus Group Script
  • Predictor Implementation School/District Self-Assessment
• The Center on School Turnaround at WestEd – Assessing and Improving Special Education – A program review tool for schools and districts engaged in rapid school improvement. This program evaluation rubric includes sixteen features essential to a high-quality special education program. Available at https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/sites/default/files/files/field_publication_attachment/cst-assessing-improving-special-education.pdf
• Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment at the University of Oklahoma – Self-Determination Assessment Tools. These three assessments measure student’s self-determination skills, opportunities to use their knowledge and skills, strengths and weaknesses. Available at http://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/zarrow/self-determination-assessment-tools
• Middle School Students Math Self-Efficacy Quantitative Survey
  Usher, E. L., & Pajares, F. (2009). Sources of self-efficacy in mathematics: A validation study. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34(1), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2008.09.002
• Middle School Students Math Qualitative Interview Protocol
  Usher, E. L. (2009). Sources of Middle School Students’ Self-Efficacy in Mathematics: A Qualitative Investigation. American Educational Research Journal, 46(1), 275–314. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/27667179