Christy Kozlowski
“Data Analysis and Instructional Decisions”
.
Data Analysis
1. Describe how well your class met the three school goals for student performance,
which are that:
Each student will achieve a score of 7 out of 10 on each assessment of a targeted
objective from the Voluntary State Curriculum.
There is room for improvement on each of the three objectives assessed.
The classroom average scores are below the required 7 out of 10. The first
objective, to demonstrate proficiency with addition and subtraction basic
facts using a variety of strategies, scored an average of 6.004. The second
objective, to solve word problems based on addition or subtraction
situations, scored an average of 5.456. The third and final objective, add and
subtract money amounts up to $1, scored the lowest average of 4.912.
Each student will achieve a score of at least 4 out of 5 for homework completion
and accuracy on a scale of 1 – 5, where 5 indicates that homework is always complete
and accurate.
On average, the students should also set a goal to improve their
performance on homework assignments. The goal is for students to rate a 4
on a scale ranging from one to five. This class scores an average of 3.24.
This is not far from the target so with a little more focus a score of four can
be achieved.
Each student will have at least a 95% school attendance rate.
Students will need to increase their attendance rate in order to achieve the
ideal 95%. Currently the average attendance rate of the students ranks at
87.72. The gap is within an attainable range of the desired percentage.
2. Describe patterns you see when you look at attendance and/or homework data and
each student’s average performance on Goal/Objective 3.
The typical middle section of students ranking in between 3.4 to 3.8
average for objective three seem to have very poor completion of homework as well as
fair attendance at best. The higher ranking section of students between 5.8-8.8 average on
objective have 4’s or 5’s on homework and good to excellent attendance records. This is
what I would have expected to see in the data. The surprise was with the bottom ranking
group of students, the last three in particular. These students average on objective three
range from 0.4-2.2 however their attendance is excellent and their homework is typically
complete and accurate. The additional class data signifies that each of these students
have an individual education plan which is useful information to have as a teacher. The
effort is obviously being made by these students to learn. Different teaching strategies
may be more effective in molding educational lessons and materials to their specific
needs.
3. Describe patterns you see when you look at the “Additional Data” worksheet (LEP,
MSA scores, and IEP) and each student’s average performance on
Goal/Objective 3.
The limited English proficiency students average on objective three range
from 3-8.8. The students with individual educational plans for their special needs
have a range of .04-3.4 for the same criteria. It seems that there is a greater
challenge for students with an IEP over the LEP classification. It was also
interesting to discover that there is not a huge difference between the students
who tested as proficient or basic in the MSA. The 5.8-8 are the range of averages
for the advanced level and there were two students that stood out. The top score
of 8.8 was from a student considered proficient. One other proficient student
scored a 7.2 which was above the 7 score that was the goal. It would be useful to
find out what happened on the test and if these scores remain consistent.
Instructional Decisions
1. Select one of the patterns you described above in Step 2 or 3 related to
Goal/Objective 3. Identify and explain specific strategies you would implement
to improve student performance based on that pattern.
I would pay special attention to the bottom three students. It is note worthy
that they are doing the homework and consistently in class however still have the
lowest average scores for objective three in the class. The first thing that needs to
be done is an assessment to find out what level they are currently working on. It is
useful to know what skills they have in order to start at this level to build new
concepts. The use of manipulatives may help them discover concepts that they did
not previously understand. Working in class with hands on mathematics
techniques often creates a new perspective. Providing real life problems may also
help them connect mathematics to real life and see the usefulness of the
information.
2. Look at all the performance data, including the “Additional Data” worksheet, and
identify other adjustments in instructional strategies that need to be made for the
class or group of students. Support your decision based on the data findings.
The class is a interesting mix of students from the advanced to basic levels
on MSA testing. The majority of the class is on either end of ability level. Eleven
basic skills students make up the largest group. This will require assessing what
level these students are currently working on. Lesson plans will have to start here
and slowly progress to address covering foundation material. The challenge in this
classroom is to also keep the nine advanced students continually stimulated. Well
thought out extensions to lesson plan can encourage these students to elaborate on
ideas. It is also equally important to provide accommodations for the six limited
English language learners and seven students with individual education plans.
Ideally resources such as translators and teacher aides will be available to assist
the teacher with these special requirements.
3. In an actual classroom, you would generally have more information on your students
than provided here. With this in mind, describe what additional student
information would be useful to make further instructional decisions and explain
why that information would be useful.
The information provided such as limited English learners, individual
education plan, and levels of MSA skills for math and reading help teachers start
to know their students. This is just a snap shot however, and more information can
help to understand what teaching strategies will be most effective. Previous years
grades can be an indication of future achievement. A significant decrease in
performance can be a red flag for a problem the student needs help with. An
increase in grades may mean that a strategy used in the classroom finally
resonates with the students learning style. Back to school night and parent teacher
conferences can also provide the opportunity to meet with parents or family
members. This provides an insight into what life is like for the student at home.
They may receive additional support with school activities, family may speak a
different language, and unfortunately some family may not offer any support at
all. This could be a reason why homework may or may not be done at home. A
student’s interests and hobbies can also help teachers to find a level to connect on
and provide relevant learning experiences for each student.