Emma Steward

April 27, 2014

The data set I have analyzed is from sixth through eighth graders at Turner
Middle School in Berthoud, CO. This small school prides itself on the math and
reading programs, other academic and extracurricular opportunities for all
students, and the high level of parent involvement within the school (About Our
School). The school provides IEPs and GT qualifications for students. A whopping
86% of the student body is Caucasian, 11% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 1% Native
Indian/Alaska Native, and 1% belong to two or more races, and 22% of students
qualify for free and reduced lunch (Turner Middle School). While state mandated
testing data from popular school review websites show 76% in math and 86% in
English in 2013, there is more to consider than these plain and simple numbers
(Turner Middle School). There are many calculated categories that represent the
data of student performance. In the data I have studied, growth rates for individual
students are calculated by comparing their [CSAP] test scores and [TCAP] test
scores in reading, writing, and mathematics from the years 2011-2013 (data sheet).
Since English Language Arts is my area of focus, I will be specifically looking at the
growth rates for the reading and writing portions.

When looking back to my own experience with high stakes tests (which,
admittedly, is a very outdated form of testing compared to TCAP and PARCC) I see
two areas of possible focus when looking at data and trying to improve testing
scores in English Language Arts classes. These areas, easily defined by eighth the
grade Common Core State Standards (similar throughout sixth and seventh grades
as well), are:

RI 8.4 Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other texts.

W 8.9 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Draw evidence from literary
or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Not only did I choose these two standards as predicted problem areas on state
exams, but also to evaluate relevancy of instruction as well as differences between
classified groups of students. More specifically, I plan to analyze the disparities
between minority and non-minority students shown in the schools data. Figure 1
(below) displays that data.

As seen in years 2011 and 2013, minority students performed better in
Median Growth than their non-minority peers, and even showed growth in the
year 2011 at a rate faster than the state of Colorado. Unfortunately the data from
2012 and 2013 was significantly, more than 10 points at times, lower than in 2011.
It seems that the percentage of Moving Up in general was just about matched in
2011 with non-minority peers, but continued to fluctuate in the years following.
Interestingly, the non-minority peers data also fluctuated, but always in a higher
number than minority students. Even more surprising is the jump in numbers in the
writing portion of Moving Up. Minority students scored a 13.3 in 2011 but a 2.9 in
2012. What could be the reason for such an extreme drop? In 2013 minority
students attained about half the percentage that their non-minority peers scored,
whereas the opposite occurred in 2011. It is quite curious that these scores vary so
drastically. Perhaps there were changes made in the general staffing or ELL
resource areas of the school, or maybe new students transferred in and ongoing
students transferred out during this three-year period. Whatever the reason,
changes can be made to keep scores improving at a steady rate for all students.



Figure 1

Minority/non
2011 2012 2013

Median Growth 55*/46 40/43 44/40


Percentage
Moving Up
(General)
12.1/14.2 6.7/11.7 8.2/13.5
Percentage
Moving Up
(Writing)
13.3/7.8 2.9/7.2 6.3/13.1
*Growth shown


Looking at this data, teachers should aim to keep general classroom literacy
skills, in all of its forms, up to par no matter the age or race of their students. To do
this, teachers can review standards RI 8.4 and W 8.9 to ensure that they are
equipping students with the proper knowledge and application abilities of certain
skills needed to show growth on state tests. Since literacy is to be taught to all grade
levels in all content areas, I would imagine that all teachers would create a goal for
improving these scores together. Perhaps it is not unreasonable to ascribe a certain
goal percentage increase to this area of testing; say a .2 or .3 rise across the board.
Ideally, this goal would seek to improve minority students scores as well as non-
minority students scores but it is also as important to raise scores of minority
students to match those of non-minority students. I speculate that it would come
down to the overall consensus of which goal is a more feasible and which would
help the most students. Either way the faculty may choose, improvement can occur
when certain teaching and learning strategies take place in the classroom.

First, integration of test taking skills into daily instruction would help
students become familiar with the testing format for reading and writing sections.
Since it would be boring and unrealistic to give, for example, PARCC prompts for a
daily journal, teachers would have to create similar prompts that students might
experience on tests. This could be answering prompts in an
explanatory/informational manner or by argumentation. Here the emphasis would
be on reading and following instructions efficiently and becoming familiar with
writing written responses in a timed environment. In my English teaching courses
we have called this sneaky teaching. To ease into this possibly intimidating
activity, start with fun prompts that students will feel comfortable answering from
their own knowledge and experience, then move onto more text-based or
controversial topics that push students toward higher thinking and writing abilities.
This repeated activity would solidify skills in students mind as well as lessening
their fear of seeing such similar prompts on the state tests. Of course, this is just one
example of test taking skills integration. Students who are familiar with the format
and purpose of the prompt will be equipped to replicate these skills on a higher
stakes test. Practice makes progress, in this case especially.

In accordance with standard W 8.9, emphasis on text analysis can be key in
helping all students to write in a convincing, efficient, fulfilling manner. In my own
interpretation of the standard, this means analyzing phrases, wording and
vocabulary, meaning, themes and patterns that are not often immediately clear (or
emphasized) when reading class texts. I too am a perpetrator for dumbing down
texts that middle school students read and assignments based on those texts. It
seems that the underlying characteristics of literature or informative writing are too
far fetched for the pre-teen intellect. However, I would challenge that middle school
students can grasp far more than teachers expect. If teachers are willing to
introduce the more conceptual ideas their students, I bet that they would not only
understand it, but be able to replicate certain literary elements into their writing,
ultimately leading to higher percentages on standardized tests.
Relevancy of daily instruction (often seen by engagement) is one of the most
important ways that minority students can demonstrate a growth in knowledge. In
an English classroom this can be established in a multitude of ways. Student choice
of class text, analysis of characters in society/backgrounds in relation to others in a
class text, freedom of text based projects are just a few ways that minority students
can feel that their ethnicity is included in their predominantly non-minority
classrooms. It is easy to imagine how disengaged a learner might feel if class
material is centered on one race, one country, and the portrayal of characters and
events from that society. Out of the box thinking and creativity might be required on
the teachers part, but with all of the resources readily available it should be
meaningful and somewhat simple to include socially just and ethnically inclusive
material into the classroom repeatedly. Unfortunately there is no way to record
engagement, other than the promise of putting forth a worthy effort in a classroom
that is enjoyable and relevant. Though there might not be a calculated
representation of this teaching and learning strategy I believe that it would improve
minority students scores greatly.

In Figures 2, 3, and 4 I have created a graphic representation of these
suggestions for improvement listed above. At the bottom of the triangle are
seemingly standard ways of going about a typical, low scoring classroom. At the top
are more innovative ways to construct a classroom so to improve state testing
scores. Below are ideas that I would implement in my own classroom.




Figure 2
Fostering a diverse classroom setting
To improve data
















Magazine subscriptions from authors of different countries and
backgrounds, the chance to have a class skype with international
authors that students are interested in, inclusion of foreign language
and music, freedom to create one's own ideas for a class project
A culturally inclusive classroom library, no
discussion of international writings during class
time.
High focus on the American Canon of
literatue, little acknowledgement of
international writing.





Figure 3
Expecting more out of students when reading
To improve data


















Annotating texts for new words,
phrases, interesting plot sequencing,
big ideas, patterns, themes, and a space
to display all of the student findings.
Teacher directed minilessons on
interesting features of the text.
Reading a text, asking for a summary of
the plot.






Figure 4
Using sneaky teaching
To improve data


















Practicing requirements of certain
styles of writng along with answering
promts about literature and
informational texts read in class.
Reviewing conventions of a typical test
format and reviewing grammar.
Pretending that teachers do not have
enough of a clue of the state exams to
effectively prepare them.
Sources

"About Our School." / About TMS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

"Turner Middle School." GreatSchools. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.