Student+Success+Levels

__** Discussion of Students' Level of Success as Evidence of Your Assessment **__

While we taught our lesson, the students were learning about mail. The first lesson we did was on the mail carrier. Before we read our book, we did a KWL chart. We used the KWL chart to link what they //already// know about the mail carrier and what they //will// know after they read the book. The KWL chart was very successful. In the beginning, the students said the little they knew about the mail carrier. We then thought about questions that we would like to know. After the book was read, we answered those questions. The connections made during our lesson were text-to-self. The students had to pull on their background knowledge when thinking about the mail carrier. Had they ever seen one? What did they do?

For our next lesson, we talked about the post office. We read them a book about the post office. After the book was done, we introduced them to a venn-diagram. We explained that we wanted to make connections from the book we read yesterday to the book we read today. They would list a couple things from the first book, and a couple of things from the second book. They did a great job pulling information from the books, but not linking them together. Many were not able to make the text-to-text connections at first, but over time--through repeated teacher exposure during interactive read-alouds, think-alouds, and taking advantage of teachable moments--students started to understand the "making connections" strategy.

At a teacher-guided small group workshop/center, students practiced "making connections" between community helper jobs they did at home and at school. Though there were no texts involved--as our students are unable to read--they still practiced the mental processes involved in using the strategy. They had to think of jobs that were the same and different relative to the two locations (home and school). While students could readily discuss jobs they were expected to do at both locations (i.e., "Hey Miss Nesser, I have a connection! I get the mail at home AND at school!), and they were able to stay focused and on-task, they had a hard time "making the connection" independently. Some students mastered the strategy easily, but many needed step-by-step guidance and teacher modeling in order to execute it. Therefore, student work artifacts are not completely representative of their learning.

Students needed to be guided through questions such as, "What do you do at home? Do you do that job at both home and school? Does what you do at one place remind you of something you do an another place? If yes, what do we call that? How do we show a connection on the venn diagram?" Students could answer questions and "make connections" verbally, but many had difficulty transferring that skill onto paper. The venn diagram was very challenging for them to use, and they grew distracted by "filling in the circles" instead of "making connections." Students were able to make self-to-self connections. Even if there were no texts, they still "made connections" and linked their schema together.

__** Student Assessment: **__

Venn Diagram worksheets at a teacher-led small group workshop. Assessed on effort (engagement with activity based on observation, number of different and original ideas) and accuracy (realistic jobs, organizing information). Teacher field notes and oral student interviews taken during workshop/center activity. Informal, formative assessment based on student participation during interactive read-alouds and workshop activities.


 * __Examples of Students Level__**

High Achievement:

Shelbie was very engaged during the workshop. She had a plethora of ideas, and she made more connections than many of her peers. She also relied on her emergent writing skills, so she took risks (instead of safely relying on drawings). Many of her ideas were broad, such as "chores," and she would not elaborate on what //kinds// of chores--but she still wrote and organized many ideas. She also did not need much guided practice; she could think of community helper jobs and also think through her connections aloud just fine by herself. She was simply excited to share all the ways she could help her family and friends. Due to her high-effort, many realistic and original ideas, and the ability to "make connections" almost independently, Shelbie is a good representative of a student who understood the "making connections" strategy.

Home: work and chores, be neat, help family move Both: jobs, mat (for naptime), celebrate other people, be nice School: play, do workshops, celebrate birthdays

Middle Achievement:

Brooke was very enthusiastic during the workshop. She was engaged, and she did not grow bored. She was excited to "share her connections" with me and her peers. She utilized both drawing and writing, thereby making the best of both her options; she also wrote more than she drew, so she still practiced her emergent writing skills. Based on field notes and oral student interviews conducted during the workshop activity, the following information is displayed in Brooke's work:

Home: Take care of baby sister, pick up phone when her mom not there Both: Cook School: Pick up lunchbox off shelf

Though she did not have many connections, she was actively involved in thinking throughout the whole lesson. There were many ideas she considered writing down, but decided against for the sake of time and space. Some of her ideas for the connections aspect included: cleaning, being nice to people, following directions, and writing. However, since she did not offer a wide range of ideas--including connections--then her work is reflective of medium success.

Low Achievement:

Macy colored her venn diagram worksheet. Even when scaffolded through guiding questions and teacher support, she ignored what was going on around her and did not make any connections. There was no substance in home, both, or school; she did not respond to oral interview questions or come up with any ideas to share.