Which research topic would be most beneficial to my campus?

After giving it much thought, I narrowed my action research topics down to three options:

1) Year-Round Calendar VS Traditional Calendar

(Would students retain more knowledge and perform better in school if the amount of days off were broken up throughout the year instead of in one, big chunk during the summer?)

2) Is “looping” educationally beneficial for the students?

(Do students perform better if they have the same teacher for two years in a row, or do students benefit from change each year?)

3) Standards-Based Report Cards VS Traditional 100-Point Grading Scale

(Do standards-based report cards provide students, parents, and teachers with helpful data to drive student learning?)

All three topics are very relevant to my campus. I chose the first topic because there is a “buzz” regarding the possibility of a year-round calendar at the end of each school year, but it is never implemented. Teachers and students seem to support the idea but parents push back. I wish we had some evidence so we could make a final decision.

The second research option was in regards to “looping” with students (a teacher keeps the same group of students for two years). A few elementary campuses in our district loop K-1, 2-3, 4-5. In fact, there is a teacher on my campus that will be “looping” with her students from third to fourth this year, and it has sparked a curiosity among our faculty regarding the educational benefits.

Last, I chose a personal wondering… the grading scale. I’m curious to find out whether or not standards-based report cards provide student, parents, and teachers with helpful data to drive student learning. This question arose when I started reflecting on our current grading method, the 100-point grading scale. I’m not sure that it accurately reflects student learning. I’m also not convinced that it drives student learning. Could there be a better grading method? If so, are standards-based report cards the answer?

These topics have been in question over this past year in our district, and I hope to research them all at some point. However, I have decided that it would be beneficial for our campus if I researched my third topic regarding standards-based report cards for my action research. I have had some experience using both grading scales, so I am very interested to see which, in fact, is the best method of gauging student progress and success.