Assessment Application and Analysis Report

Mikayla Mackert

Dixie State University

April

15, 2014

Contextual Factors

'i fourth grade class, at

The data from this paper is taken from

,1.

The classroom consists of 29 students. There are 14 boys, 15 girls. The

entire class is Caucasian, with no English Language Learners (ELL) students. There are four

gifted students who read above an eleventh grade level. There are seven high achieving students
who also read at a high level, and perform well in other areas. There are four students on an

Individual Education Plan (IEP) for Mathematics and Language Arts, and one student who has
interventions for speech therapy. One student is currently being tosted, and may soon be on an
IEP.

Chart

r Girls
r Boys

L*-..,-,---*..=*-*--j

*Chart 1 shows the percentage of boys and girls in the classroom. The classroom is 51.7% girls, and 48.3% boys.
The classroom is almost exactly split in half.

Chart 2
r Gifted
r High Achieving
r IEP
r Speech Therapy
r Regular Ed

l lPage

*Chart 2 shows the percentage of students who are GATE, high achieving, in speech therapy, and regular education
students. 13.8% of the students are GATE students. 24.lyo of the students are considered high achieving. 3.5%o of
the classroom attends speech therapy. 443% of the class is considered average, receiving regular education. The
classroom is fairly diverse when it comes to special needs.

Chart 3

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@,tk'yf,xt.2.

'a't'[-cu (i''rQ-'

*Chart 3 represents classroom ethnicity. The class is 100% Caucasian, with no ELL

Assessment

All the information is this paper was given to me by -y mentor

teacher Mrs. Olson. I was

not given the actual assessments, and they will not be included in an appendix. The first
assessment data is from a math proficiency report. I did not administer the assessment myself
because

it began on a Monday when I was not present. My mentor teacher administered the test,

and taught the students test taking strategies. The assessment did take the students multiple days

to finish, so I did have the chance to observe the day I was present.
Purpose of Assessment

The students had been learning about many different basic math concepts. For example:
place value, comparisons, multi-digit subtraction, multi-digit multiplication, multi-digit division,

word problems, finding factors, and pattems. They have been studying all of these concepts
throughout the year, using the My Math program. This assessment was given to see which
students had met the benchmarks for math.

2lPage

Classroom Environment for Assessment

The classroom is usually full of noise and conversations. On a typical day, it takes quite a

bit of effort from my mentor teacher to keep the students calm and quiet. All the students in the
classroom get along very well, and they love to chat with each other. There are no huge behavior
problems. A few students have a hard time keeping focused on their assignments.
The classroom environment on the day I observed was calm and focused. Each student
seemed determined to do their very best. Some students did seem very nervous and stressed. The
test was given in the classroom. Each student had their own laptop for taking the assessment.

My

mentor teacher had soft music playing in the background to help the students stay calm and
focused. The students worked on their own time to finish a section of the test. When students
finished, they were to read their library books or finish other assignments while other students
finished.

During the assessment many students raised their hands to ask for help. My mentor
teacher, my dyad partner, and I were allowed to reread the questions to students who have an

IEP. We could not give any further support. The students seemed very eager to do their very best
on this assessment.
The three students I am focusing on were suggested to me by my mentor teacher. She
suggested these students because one is a GATE student, one is an average student, and one is a

low scoring student. Dan Havens is the GATE student. He reads above a I2th grade level. He
does very well in all areas. He often seems bored in class because he is not challenged. Kyron
Jackson is the average scoring student. He does fairly well in all areas, but needs some support.

Ava Horrocks is the low scoring student. She struggles in many areas, and recently graduated
from speech therapy. Each student took their time on the assessment. Dan never asked questions

3lPLr5:e

or raised his hand. Ava and Kyron raised their hands multiple times to ask for clarification

of

questions. Ava seemed the most stressed out of the three. Ava and Kyron often seemed distracted

or frustrated. Each of them would take occasional breaks. Kyron would often put his pencil down
and look around the room. He would do this for a few minutes before getting back to his test.

was not present when the students completed the assessment, so I am not sure who finished first
or how long it took each student.

Analysis of Assessment

For this assessment, I did not receive the actual test. I only received the final scores and
whether or not the student was proficient on each standard. To be proficient on a standard, a
student must answer 70 percent of the questions for that standard correctly. Dan was proficient in

all areas, for each standard. Kyron was not proficient with fluently adding and subtracting multidigit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.73.6% of the class was proficient on this
standard. He was not proficient with finding whole-number quotients and remainders with up to

four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties
of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division.68.7Yo of the class was
proficient on this standard. He was not proficient with solving multi step word problems with
whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations, including problems
in which remainders must be interpreted. Representing these problems using equations with a
letter standing for the unknown quantity, and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental
computation and estimation strategies, including rounding. 60.8% of the class was proficient on
this standard. He was also not proficient in finding factor pairs for a whole number in the range
1-100, recognizing that a whole number is a multiple of each of its factors, determining whether
a given whole number

in the range 1-100 is a multiple of a given one-digit number, and

411'age

determining whether a given whole number in the range 1-100 is prime or composite. Only
21.4% of the class was proficient on this standard.

Ava was not proficient in using place value to round multi-digit numbers to any place.
76.5% of the class was proficient on this standard. She was not proficient in fluently adding and
subtracting multi-digit whole numbers, using the standard algorithm. She was also not proficient

in finding factor pairs for

whole number in the range 1-100, recognizing that a whole number is

multiple of each of its factors, determining whether

multiple of

a given

whole number in the range 1-100 is

given one-digit number, and determining whether a given whole number in the

range 1-100 is prime or composite.

Chart 4
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*Chart 4 shows each standard, and the percentage of students who mastered that standard.

Table I

Ava

4.NBT.L
4.NBT.2
4.NBT.5

4.NBT.3
4.NBT.4

4.OA.4

4.NBT.6

4.OA.1

5lPage

4.OA.2
4.OA.3
4.OA.5
Kyron

4.NBT.1
4.NBT.2
4.NBT.3
4.NBT.5

4.NBT.5

4.NBT.6
4.OA.3
4.OA.4

4.OA.1
4.O4.2
4.OA.5
Dan

4.NBT.1
4.NBT.2
4.NBT.3
4.NBT.4
4.NBT.5
4.NBT.6

4.OA.1
4.O4.2
4.OA.3
4.O4.4
4.OA.5

*Table 3 shows which standards Ava, Kyron, and Dan are proficient. It also shows which standards they are not
proficient in.

Synthesis of Assessment

1,

Overall the students did very well. I found it interesting that Ava was proficient in more
areas than

Kyron, although she is generally

lower scorer than him. I feel this is because she

asked for help more often than Kyron. She made sure she was clear on each question. It did not

surprise me at all that Dan was proficient in all areas. His test scores are always outstanding.

It is clear from the assessment datathat factoring, and prime and composite numbers
need to be reviewed. However,

I am not sure that

these concepts were taught in depth prior to

this assessment. I feel the students need more explicit teaching with prime and composite
numbers. They need more in depth teaching instead of strictly following the My Math program.

don't feel it is an accurate measure of what the class understands. If more time was spent on
teaching these concepts, the students would have done much better with these standards.

6lP*ge

tt{ti(-t c- '.-dJ
I feel the classroom environment greatly impacts

-rD

a student's performance on an

assessment. I would help the students to reduce their stress by allowing them plenty of time.

also agree with Mrs. Olsen's choice to play music. The children seemed to focus well, and work
hard. I feel the environment was beneficial for the students. Dan stayed focused and on task the
entire time. The environment was beneficial for his success. I feel Ava and Kyron would benefit

from sitting away from the rest of the class. This would help to reduce the amount of time they
were distracted. If they were distracted less, they more focus more on the assessment and receive
better scores.
Assessment 2
The second assessment given was an end of unit science test. The test is compromised

with27 multiple choice questions, and 3 short essay questions. My mentor teacher administered
the test, and had reminded the students about making the best possible choice. The students were

allowed to write right on the test, and circled the correct answer.
Purpose of Assessment 2
The students had just finished learning about the rock cycle. They had learned about
minerals, crystals, fossils, soil, the different rock types, and how they are formed. The students
also briefly leamed the different parts of a text book such as the index, glossary, title page, and

table of contents. The test was a summative assessment to see if the students had learned

everything they were supposed to leam in the unit.

Classroom Environment for Assessment 2
The test was given in the morning after bell work and grammar. The students seemed
ready and prepared for the test. No one seemed very nervous. Each student was asked to grab an

office to hide their work from other students. Offices are manila folders taped together that the

TlPage

students place upright on their desks to keep others from looking at their work. One student was
absent for this day.

Ava was very calm, quiet, and focused when she received her test. She began working

right away. Kyron was also very calm, and seemed prepared to take the test. Dan came in tardy,
and began the test about

five minutes later than the rest of the class. He did get right to work, and

also seemed calm and focused when beginning the test. After about ten minutes into the test,

Kyron became distracted. His eyes were wandering around the room, and he was not focused
anymore. He seemed to be frustrated and needed a little break. Dan continued to work hard on
his test. Other students in the class were starting to finish after about 20 minutes. After 25
minutes into the test, Ava became distracted. She left her seat and asked Mrs. Olson

if

she could

use the restroom. When she returned she regained focus and continued to finish her test' Ava was

the first of the three to finish her test. It took her 32 minutes to complete the assessment. Kyron

finished next at 38 minutes. Dan was last to finish after 43 minutes.

Analysis of Assessment 2
The questions on the science assessment are described in Table 2.

Table2
Question 1Which one of the
following is not the
characteristic of a
mineral?

a.
b.

c.

d.

Inorganic
Made of crystals
Sedimentary
Homogeneous

Characteristics of a
mineral

Question 2A fourth grade student

was sorting rocks. She
put sedimentary rocks in
Pile 1, igneous rocks in
Plle2, and metamorphic
rocks in Pile 3. Which of
the following rocks
would be in Pile 2?

a.
b.

Marble, gneiss,
and schist
Basalt, obsidian,
and numice

Question 3Sandstone, shale,

limestone, and
conglomerate are
common rocks in Utah.
They form colorful
rock formations and
canyons. What type of
rock are they?

^.
b.
c.
d.

Sedimentary
Fossils
Igneous
Metamorphic

Question 4-

A student wanted to
read about the
differences between
rocks and minerals.
Which part of a
science textbook
would best help the
student locate the page
numbers of these
topics?

a.
b.

The index
The title page

8lPi:ige

c.

Sandstone,

conglomerate,
and shale
d.

Types of sedimentary
rock

Granite, slate, and

mudstone

c.
d.

The glossary
The copyright
page

Parts of a textbook

Twes of Isneous Rock

Question 5Chapter 1 - Igneous
Rock
Chapter 2 Sedimentary Rock
Chapter 3 Metamorphic Rock
Chapter 4 - Minerals
and Crystals

Which chapter would

probably have the most
information about the
type of rock where
most fossils are usually
formed?
a. Chapter

b.
c.
d.

Chapter

Question 6A rock sample has been

changed by heat and
pressure. It has wavy
folds. Which type of rock
is it?

a. Sedimentary
b. Obsidian
c. Igneous
d. Metamorphic

Question 7-

Which one of the

following samples is
not crystalline?

a.
b.

Quartz
Sandstone
c. Diamond
d. Obsidian
Types of crystals

Question 8Which one of the

following is NOT
characteristic ofa
rock?

a.

b.
c.
d.

Characteristics of
metamorphic rock

Layered
Observable
crystals
Made of
crystals
Homogeneous

Characteristics of a
rock

Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Which type of rock are

fossils usually found in
Question 9Tracy found a sample
of a solid material that
was gray, shiny, and
made of all the same
material. What category
does this sample best
fit?
a.

b,
c.

Sedimentary
rock
Igneous rock
Metamorphic
rock

d. Mineral

Question 10Which part of a science

textbook would a student
use to compare the
definitions of the words
"rock" and "mineral"?

a.
b.

c.

d.

The index
The glossary
The title page
The table of
contents

Parts of a textbook

Question 11A fourth grade class

observes rocks. One
sample feels rough and
grainy. Ithas aplant
fossil. Which type of
rock is it?

Question 12Which of the

following best
describes the
relationship between a
rock and a mineral?
Rocks are pure
substances;
minerals are
not.
b. Rocks are
made from
a.

^.
b.
c.
d.

Sedimentary
Igneous
Granite
Metamorphic

Characteristics of a
sedimentary rock

c.

minerals.
Minerals are

9lPage

made from

Characteristics of a
mineral

d.

rocks.
Rocks and
minerals are
the same thing.

Relationship of rocks
and minerals
Question 13Obsidian, granite, and
basalt are rocks found
in Utah that were
formed from cooled
molten rock. What kind
ofrocks are they?

a.
b.

c.
d.

Metamorphic
Igneous
Fossils
Sedimentary

Question 14What is the movement

weathered materials
called?

a.
b.
c.
d.

of

Ice wedging

Erosion

Weathering
Evaporation
What is erosion

Types ofigneous rock,

and how they are
formed

Question 15What direction does

erosion move Earth
materials?
Toward the
mountains
b. Into cities
a.

c.
d.

Question 16Which correctly

matches the rock type
with the process
involved in forming
the rock?
Igneous;
pressure and
heat

Downward
Upward

What direction does

b. Sedimentary;
erosion and

erosion move Earth

materials

c.

weathering
Fossils; molten

rocks and
magma
d. Metamorphic;
heating and
cooling

How are different rock

types formed
Question 17Which of the following
shows that soil erosion
is happening?

a. The soil is deep

and grows grass

b.

c.
d.

on top.
The soil has
deep gullies.
Pavement is
placed on the
soil for a road.
Cracks are

Question 18A home has a sloping

backyard. The family
puts in retaining walls
made of large boulders
part way down the hill.

whv?

a.
b.

c.
d.

They look nice.

They keep soil in
place.
They improve the
view.
They keep the

Question 19Sally dug up some soil,

put in a cup and
weighed it. She put it in
a warrn place with no
cover. Two weeks later
she weighed it again. It
weighed less than
before. Why?

The water had

evaporated.
b. The soil was
warTner.

Question 20If plants are not

growing well in a soil,
what is one way to fix
it?

a.
b.

Take away air.

Take away
mineral
particles.

c. Add nutrients.
d.

Add subsoil.

What do plants need to

l0

lf

age

What are the signs

soil erosion

of

Question 21What is the main reason

plants need soil?

For food
b. To hold them
in place
c. To make water
d. To keep them
alive
a.

Why do plants need soil

c. There were

house from

forming in the
rocks.

rolling.
How do boulders help
keep a yard from sloping

d.

fewer living
things.
The cup had
changed shape.

What is evaporation
Question 23Rock Pieces - 50%
Air - 30%
Water - 5%
Living Things - 15%
If the percentage of
water went up, which
other part would most
likely go down?

Question 22Rock Pieces - 50%

Air - 30o/o
Water - 5Yo
Living Things - 15%
What is this soil mostly
compose of.7

Rock pieces

^. Air
b.
c. Water
d. Living things
Reading data

grow in soil

a.

None would

b.

Air

c.

Water

d.

Living things

Question 24Which soil layer

would you expect to
find the largest rocks
in?

a.

b.
c.

Topsoil
Subsoil
Bedrock

Types of rock in
different layers of soil

Reading data and logical

thinkins

Question 25What gives the topsoil

its dark color?

a.

b.
c.
d.

Special types of
rock particles
More water
Larger rock
pieces
Decaying living

things
Characteristics of top
soil

Question 26Which of the following

NOT a way rock is
broken down and
weathered?

a.
b.

c.

d.

1S

Question 27When are soils most

likely to erode?
a.

When they are

moist
When they are

Freezing and
thawing
Plant roots
Heat expansion
Carried away by

b.

c.

When the
plant cover is

wind

d.

At night or on a
cloudy day

Question 28Explain the difference

between a rock and a
mineral?

Relationship of rocks
and minerals

deep

gone

What is weathering
When are soils most
likelv to erode

Question 29What is the difference

between erosion and
weathering?

Question 30Name 2 living things and

2 nonliving things that
are found in soil.

What is the difference

between erosion and

Difference between
livins and nonlivins

ll lFage

weatherins

I thines

The assessment was scored out of 35 points. Each multiple choice question was one

point, two of the written response questions were worth two points, and one written response
question was worth 4 points. One student was absent, and did not take the test. Another student
was present, but did not finish her test. Her scores are not accounted for in the data. The average
score of the class was 23.Danreceived the highest score, only missing two points, scoring a 33.

'1

-\

Ava missed l9 points, scoring a 16. Kyron missed l1 points, scoring a 24.

Chart 5

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*Chart 5 shows each question, and how many students answered that question correctly.

------\
and\.

The most commonly missed questions were numb o(7,21,

\-J

Question 17 asked

about soil erosion. Question 21 asked why plants need soil. Question 28 asked about the

relationship of rocks and minerals. Other questions that20 or more students answered correctly
were numb er 3,6,7,12,13,14,15,16,19,22,24,25,

and 30. The boys in the class scored

slightly better than the girls. The boys' average score was 25.The girls' average score was 21.

12

lPage

Chart 6

Boys'Average

Girls'Average

25

2L

Seriesl

*Chart 6 shows the boys' average scores compared to the girls' average Scores.

Dan missed points on question

Ava missed questions

f)t@He

received partial credit for his answors.

1,2,3,4,5,10, tl,, n,18, 19, 20,21,22,26,29, and30.

Three students

received lower scores than Ava. Two of those three students are on an IEP. Kyron missed
questions

4,I0,14, 16,17,20,2I,23,25,26, and28.14 students

scored a lower score than

Kyron. Two students received a24 other than Kyron. Ten students received higher scores than
Kyron. The class as a whole had an average score of

23 ,

or 660/o. The school accepts 70o/o as

being proficient.

Chart 7
Ava

Kyron
Dan
Class Average
10

15

20

25

30

35

*Chart 7 shows Ava, Kyron, and Dan's scores compared to the classroom average.

The data clearly shows that Dan's scores are far above the class average. Kyron is

13

lParge

of

slightly below the average. Ava is far below the class average. These scores are very typical
these three students in all areas. This data also contributes to the fact that the boys in the

classroom generally score higher than the girls. The boys usually tend to score higher or at
at an average

score.

Synthesis of Assessment

least ,.
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The data analysis from this assessment shows me that the students did not leam what

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level by
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needed to learn from the unit. The class average is below the proficiency

usually does very well on their assessments, and they really struggled with this science test.
However, they were proficient with some concepts such as: rock types, relationship of rocks and
minerals, erosion, formation of different rock types, evaporation, reading data, soil layers, and

living and nonliving things. These are the things I observed my mentor teacher reviewing most
often. It does not surprise me that the students did well in these areas.

If I were to reteach this unit I would

use a variety of strategies.

I feel the students would

have benefited from more hands on activities. They mainly watched movies, and listened to

lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations. I would have used more real life examples in

my classroom. I also would have used my time more efficiently to review each concept. There
were certain concepts that I never saw reviewed or talked about. The students may have been
seeing some of the material for the first time when they received their test.

I would also teach more test taking strategies. The questions on this

assessment were

often wordy or confusing. I would teach my students to underline or circle the most important

information in the question. This would help them to eliminate the extra words that are not
necessary. They could focus more on what the questions were actually asking them. I believe
these strategies would have really helped my lower level students that struggle with reading and

14

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Language

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Overall I feel the classroom environment was calm and focused. It was d.t upptollihi"

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environment for an assessment. I do feel Mrs. Olson could have played calming music like she
has for other assessments. This could have helped the students even more to stay on task and to
stay focused.

I especially feel music would help Ava and Kyron to stay focused. Ava and Kyron

were having a hard time keeping on task towards the end of the assessment, and I feel music
could have soothed them and kept them focused on the test.

Purpose of Assessment 3
The third assessment given was an end of chapter math test. The assessment covers
chapter 7 of the My Math program. The chapter covers standards 4.OA.3 and 4.OA.5. The first
standard is to solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-

number answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must be
interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown

quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation
strategies including rounding. The second standard is to generate a number or shape pattern that

follows

a given

rule. Identify apparent features of the pattern that were not explicit in the rule

itself. For example, given the rule "Add 3" and the starting number

i,

generate terms in the

resulting sequence and observe that the terms appear to alternate between odd and even numbers.
Explain informally why the numbers will continue to alternate in this way. The chapter test was
given to make sure each student was proficient in these standards.

a--

The test was given with pencil and paper. There were tbrmultiple choice qypstions,lT:9

-.\___

word problems, anfl three_filEthe blank questions. The students were not given much
instruction on taking the test because it was taken on the same day of the science assessment.

15

lPage

,1

They were briefly reminded to take their time and to do their best work.

Classroom Environment for Assessment 3

The environment during this assessment was very different from the other assessments.
Since the class had just taken the science test, they were not very excited to take the math test in

the aftemoon. The students seemed frustrated and tired before beginning the test. Mrs. Olson
made the decision to split the class into different groups. Students in one group were allowed to

find

a place

in the room to work. They worked at their own pace, and they worked

independently. This group consisted of ten students. Dan and Kyron were two of the students in
this group. The rest of the class was asked to move up to the front of the room. Mrs. Olson then
read each question to the students, and answered any questions they had. This made
a

it

seem

like

review of the chapter, rather than an assessment.

The students overall were very loud and talkative. I saw many students helping each

other. Many students also received a lot of help from Mrs. Olson. The students were allowed
much more support than they normally are for assessments. This may have been because the
students did so poorly on the science test, that Mrs. Olson wanted them to do well on the math
test.

Dan and Kyron worked independently with no help from other students or Mrs. Olson.

Ava was sitting next to all of her friends. At first she was calm and focused, but began to talk

with her friends when she became frustrated with her test. She asked some of her friends for
help. After a few minutes had passed, Kyron seemed to be distracted. He stopped working on his
test for a few minutes, and then later regained his focus. Ava was sent away from her friends,
and asked to sit back at her desk to work independently. She began working on her test

immediately after returning to her seat. Dan was calm and focused until he became distracted by

16

ll?i:ge

the plastic, decorative covering on his pencil. He began to peel off the plastic covering until

it

was completely removed, and then he began working on his assessment again. Dan remained
focused, and worked independently for the rest of the test. He sat next to Mrs. Payne and I during
the entire test. Ava and Kyron frequently got distracted by the noise in the room.

After about 30 minutes, some of the students in the class started to finish the test. Dan
was the first to finish out of the three students. He finished after 40 minutes. Kyron finished next,
after 47 minutes. Ava did not finish in the time given, and was asked to finish the test later in the
day.

Analysis of Assessment 3
The questions on the math assessment are described in Table 3.
Table

Question 1Extend the pattern.

Question 2Extend the pattern.

coo###cco
ooo

2,6,3,9,6,18,15,_,

a. 18, 15
b. 25,22
c. 30,27
d. 45,42

a. ###
b. #####
c. ######
d. ######
###

Question 3-

8*12+2:
a.

b.

10

c.

l4

d.

20

Use order of
operations to
evaluate the
expression

Question 7-

Question 8Find the value

b, when a:4
(ax6)+3:b

I8+2+4:

a.3
b.6

c.9
d.

13

Use order of
operations to
evaluate the

it
Question 6(12+31+5:

a.8
b. 10
c. 12
d. 16

Use order of operations to

evaluate the expression

Find the pattern and extend

Find the pattem
and extend it
Question 5-

Question 4-

4*4x2:

6+(4:2)x3:
15

a.

15

a.

b.

10

b. t2

c.

c.

a.

d. 3

d.

b. 24

Use order of operations to

evaluate the expression

Use order of operations to

evaluate the expression

c.
d.

Order

2l
'r1
28

of

,r;r',.,

-u

"

of

operations and
algebraic thinking

expressron

Question 9Find the value

b, when a:4

of

I2-(24:a):b

Question i0Find the value of b, when

^- /l
d-+

ls+(a+5):b

a. 12
b.9
c.8
d.6
Order of
operations and
alsebraic thinkine
Question 13Cody earns $8 for
each dog he walks.
He also earns $10
each week for
doing chores at
home. What will
Cody eam if he
walks I,2, or 3
dogs?
Solve word
problems with

multiple steps

a.

Question 11A movie ticket costs $7

and a drink costs $2. How
much does it cost to buy 5
tickets and 4 drinks?

b. 4

Solve word problems with

c.

multiple steps

d.

14

Find the pattern

and extend it

Order of operations and

algebraic thinking
on 5In
Out

Write an equation that

describes the pattern. Then
use the equation to find the

next two numbers in the

table.

Find the pattem and extend

it

Question 12David caught 4

fish, Brad caught
8 fish, and Chris
caught 12 fish.
Following the
pattern, how
many fish did
Mike catch?

54

42

30

t8

Question 16Complete the

function table.

Write an equation that

describes the pattern. Then

find the
next two numbers in the
use the equation to

7+(3xc):d
Input

Outpu

table.

10

13

Find the pattem and extend

it

Order of
operations and
alsebraic thinkine

The assessment was scored out of 20 points. Each question was worth one point for each
answer. If there were multiple answers for one question, then the question was worth more

points. Most of the students scored very well. The most frequently missed question was number

l3,wlich was amultistep wordproblem. Questions 1, 2,3,4,5,7,I0,II,12,14,15,

i'-*-_/

and

18

i6

lFage

,^rr56l,

were answered correctly by twenty or more of the students.

*'ffirv\

Chart 8

*Chart 8 shows each question, and the number of students who answered that question correctly.

Overall the boys did better than the girls on this assessment. The boys' average score was
77o/o.The

girls' average score was

74oh. The boys often do better than the girls in math as

as science. This may be due to the fact

well

that alarge percentage of the gifted students in the class

are boys.
I

Chart 9

*Chart 9 shows the boys' average scores compared to the girls' average scores.

Dan received a90Yo on the test. He only missed two points. Two other students scored
the same, or higher than Dan. Kyron also missed only two points, and received a90Yo on his test.
He has only received such a high score one other time, on the chapter 4 test. Ava missed six

19

lPage

points, and received a70%.11 students scored the same, or lower than Ava. The class average
was 7 5Yo, or a score

of 15 out of 20. Since 70Yo Is considered proficient, the class did fairly well.

Chart 10
Class Average

Dan

Kyron
Ava

10

15

20

*Chart 10 shows Ava, Kyron, and Dan's scores compared to the class average.

Dan and Kyron both scored far above the class average. They are proficient in all
concepts on the chapter 7 test. Ava scored slightly lower than the class average. However, she is

still proficient in all areas. The students did well on this assessment compared to previous
assessments.

t')
Gt 13

Although the students did well on the assessment, I do believe there are things that

could

help the students bring their scores up even higher. I believe the students need more hands on
experience with their math assignments. Every time I have observed the students leaming math,
they strictly follow the My Math program. There are no additional experiments or projects to
help the students enhance their learning. I believe the students will do even better on their
assessments

if they

have more real

will especially help students with

life experience with the information. Using manipulatives

an IEP. They can use them to help them see the problem

concretely, and visually. I also would give the students more practice with multistep word
problems. This is the area that the students struggled most with. I would help them by teaching

20

lPiige

-\ \

them to underline or circle the most important information. This would help them to see what

information is relevant, and which information they can ignore.

I do not agree with the way the classroom was set up for this assessment. I do not believe
the students should be able to talk with each other or with the teacher during an assessment. This
makes the test data less accurate. It does not show what each student can do individually because

they are helping each other with questions. I feel that a review should be set up the way this test
was taken.

If I were to give this assessment, I would

have the students each working independently

at their desks. I would play calming music in the background to help the students to stay calm
and focused. The students would be allowed to ask for clarification, but

I would not go through

each question with them. I want to know what they can do on their own so that

I can help them to

progress or review on what needs to be retaught.

Dan and Kyron worked well despite the environment because they were asked to work
independently. However they did get distracted more often than usual. Ava did not do well in the
hectic environment. She scored fairly well, but was often distracted and talking with friends. She
was even asked to get back in her seat so she could get back on task. I feel Ava does better when
she is

in a calm and quiet environment. Her scores may have been different if she was in

different environment.
Tracking all three of these students during these three assessments was very beneficial. It
is clear to me that Dan needs to be challenged. He scores far above average in every assessment
he is given. He needs to be pushed in order to reach his

full potential. Kyron may need more

support in some areas. He does fairly well, but could do better is he had some more suppdrt. Ava

21

lPage

..*.'Q\P-ST
,' *ilN '/

\pV

definitely needs more support. She often struggles in many areas. I would love to see all of these
students get what they need to move forward in their acadernics.

22lP a ge

Mikayla Mackert
ELED 42OO
Self-Reflection
April 15,2014
Teachers must use data and information to make appropriate decisions for their students.
Assessments are a way that teachers can collect data to make these decisions. Collecting
information for these three assessments, and following these three students has given me an idea

of how to interpret data to make informed decisions. Teachers must be informed on how to do
this in order to be a successful teacher.
One of the most important things I learned from this assignment is how crucial it is to
have explicit lessons for the information you plan to assess. If the students are not correctly
leaming the information, there is no way they will receive high scores on their assessments. It is
the teacher's responsibility to teach great lessons. These lessons should include hands on
experiences. The students need to be active in their leaming. When students are active in their
learning they will retain the information much better than they would without it. When most of
the class does poorly on a certain concept it is apparent that the teacher did not teach the concept

well enough and it needs to be retaught.

The second thing I learned is how crucial the classroom environment is when students are
taking an assessment. When the environment is quiet, calm, and peaceful the students stay
focused and on task. When the environment is hectic and noisy then the students have a hard
time staying on task. They are tempted to talk with each other, and to work together. It is
important for the students to work independently in order to truly assess what they have leamed.
The last thing I leamed is how important it is to have a differentiated classroom. Many
gifted students such as Dan are not challenged enough. They excel in all assessments and
assignments, but are unmotivated to go beyond that. They have such potential to be great, but are
fine with being the same as everyone else. It is easy for teachers to ignore the needs of a gifted
student because they always do so well. It is not fair for these students to be ignored because
they have the potential to go even further. It is also just as important that the struggling students
get what they need. They need additional time, visuals, and hands on experiences.
This assignment was a challenge, but it really taught me how to look at assessments in
the classroom in an informational way. I do feel that assessments are taking over the classroom.
Every week I have observed in practicum, the students are either taking a test or preparing to
take the end of year assessments. I feel that learning is not as fun as it used to be. Students are
more stressed out than they should be because much of the day is spent talking about tests. When
I become a teacher I want to bring fun and excitement back to my classroom. I want to
incorporate many hands on activities that get my students involved in their learning. When
students are active and engaged in their leaming the will not only achieve great things, but they

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