What Does Assessment Data Tell Us?

Hypothesis: Data provided by the WKCE and WAA suggests that math and science proficiency amongst Limited English Proficient is significant to the point of lowering the scores for all students.

Data and Analysis

Science
Though enrollment from 4th to 8th to 10th grade stayed somewhat constant, data from the WKCE and WAA Science Test suggests that there is significant loss in proficiency from 8th to 10th grade. All Students Data Proficient + Advanced 22.6 77 19.5 80 26.9 71.5 * November 2009 Wisconsin Data Min Perf + Basic Change from year before --------3.1 +3.0 +7.4 -8.5

4th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade

With the single biggest hit existing between English Proficient and Limited English Proficient (LEP) across the board; student s with LEP constitute 41.2% of the Min Perf and Basic levels at the 4th grade level, 50.7% at the 8th grade level, and 65.1% at the 10th grade level. I believe that as a system that is educating a vastly more diverse clientele, it is our responsibility to adjust our methods and delivery to better improve this important demographic. Through improving this demographic and reducing its min perf and basic percentages, the overall averages in Table 1 can better represent an inverse relationship whereby a decrease in the Min Perf + Basic column (focusing on LEP students) can lead to a continued increase in the Proficient + Advanced column.

Math
Data for the Math portion of the WKCE and WAA also suggests a more startling trend as the Science Data. As opposed to an increase from 4th to 8th grade, the students in this category gradually got worse. All Students Data Proficient + Advanced 19.3 80.6 21.7 77.9 29.4 69.9 * November 2009 Wisconsin Data Min Perf + Basic Change from year before -----+2.4 -2.7 +7.7 -8.0

4th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade

Similarly, the LEP students, identified above as our target group, constitute 33.9% of the Min Perf and Basic levels at the grade level, 43.8% at the 8th grade level, and 63.8% at the 10th grade level. This data is almost more alarming than science data, suggesting that LEP students constitute the majority of limited proficient students by the midpoints of their high school careers. It should be the focus of educators to coral this trend. Since these students comprise 63.8% of the struggling students by 10th grade, and 29% of total 10th graders fall in this category, improving the LEP performance will have a direct effect on the overall percentage and thus increase Wisconsins proficient and advanced numbers.

Math and Science Combination

Based on the data provided above, the common thread between math and science through my eyes is the LEP population. Having worked at Roberto Clemente High School in Chicago, IL, 94% of students are low income and 72.3% of students are Hispanic and 12% are LEP1, I recognize the importance of improving these two key demographics. Interestingly enough, according to the data provided by WKCE and WAA, 48% of students are considered Economically Challenged (Grade 10 Report Average for Math and Science) 4% of students are LEP. The ratios are similar such that those LEP students constitute a significant portion of the students who are not performing at or above proficiency. Therefore, it is my professional opinion that this is the key demographic educators and administrators should focus on to improve overall score percentages.

http://www.cps.edu/Schools/Pages/school.aspx?id=609759

Summary, Conclusion & Suggestions

To summarize, in the table below is the % of student population that scored Basic or below as measured by the WKCE and WAA. % LEP Students scoring below Basic Math 4th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 43.8 33.9 63.8 Science 41.2 50.7 65.1 Total # Students Math 1956 1077 1692 Total # Students Science 1839 1611 1727

The above data suggests that: Of a population that was 4,465 in 4th grade, 3,178 in 8th grade, and 2,653 in 10th grade the general percentage of LEP students who did not meet standards increased. The increase in percentage of LEP students not meeting standards is troubling considering enrollment of LEP students decreased from 4th to 8th grade. The number of LEP students not meeting Proficient Standards constitutes: % LEP Student by TOTAL Population Math 3.1% 1.7% 2.5% % LEP Student by TOTAL Population Science 3.0% 2.6% 2.5%

4th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade

On average, 2.6% of the total tested population in Wisconsin was LEP students who did not meet Proficient in Math and Science. This does not even take into account how many of these students were repeat offenders, that is students who were less than Proficient in BOTH math and science. Ultimately, there exists a tremendous connection between the skills in math and science. Skills that stem from data analysis to manipulation are beneficial in finding relationships between variables, utilizing percents, and identifying trends. It is no secret that proficiency in one subject can yield success in the other. According to an article On the Relationship Between Mathematics and Science Achievement in the United States the authors discovered that of the National Science and Math Rasch Scores, as discovered in the Trends in international Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), students who performed well in science tended to perform well in math, as shown in the figure below2.

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/SEAL/Reports_Papers/On%20the%20Relationship%20Between%20Mathema tics%20and%20Science%20Achieve.pdf

Relationship between students mathematics and science achievement test scores on TIMSS

In this analysis, I have shown that there is a significant cause for concern in Wisconsins LEP student population as they progress from 4th through 10th grades in both math and science. The key component being that the total number of LEP students scoring less than Proficient remains somewhat constant when compared to overall size of the total students tested. The figure above marks a direct relationship between math and science and ultimately, we are left wondering, what can we do as educators and administrators to improve the performance of this key demographic? According to a 2007 study in Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education3, the question of integrating both math and science is answered. The Mathematics and Science Integration Argument: A Stand for Teacher Education discusses the importance of integrating math and science curriculum allowing students to (a) receive a cross-curricular emphasis on both subject matters, and (b) understand how skills in each subject can be beneficial in the other subject: Research indicates that using an interdisciplinary or integrated curriculum provides opportunities for more relevant, less fragmented, and more stimulating experiences for learners (Furner, P. 186). Furthermore, added interdisciplinary practice between math and science can be relevant in increasing both test scores. Therefore, as presented in the above data, the significant gap between LEP students and the general population of students regarding math and science knowledge can be addressed by applying a simple strategy of math and science integration. If teachers can identify a central theme of content, then they can shy away from the simple one-dimensional subject approach to education. Rather, they can employ a multi-dimensional approach that can ultimately bridge the gap between LEP and EP students.
3

http://www.ejmste.com/v3n3/EJMSTE_v3n3_Furner&Kumar.pdf

In conclusion, there exists a direct correlation between math and science performance and there also exists a direct correlation between student performance in math and science and an interdisciplinary approach to teaching these two core subjects. With more research and efforts we as educators can employ a number of possible approaches to reduce the disconnect in both math and science in our LEP population.

Based on your analysis, what does this indicate for curriculum planning?
Based upon this analysis and research, my suggestion for curriculum planning is to target the LEP demographic with a more diversified approach. Through interdisciplinary practice and application, students in this demographic can have the opportunity to make more connections between the two subject curricula and therefore be exposed to the skill sets that promote learning and understanding in both. Albeit, interdisciplinary teaching is not the end all, I am merely suggesting this as a starting point simply because of the potential it has for both crosscurricular reinforcement and practice and the actual amount of time allotted for practice and application. Overall, this is a very important subject matter to me, and in my experience, it is not that these kids cannot learn or do not learn, it is simply a language barrier that exists between material and student. Though the issue is somewhat straightforward, the road to fixing this tremendous gap is not so, it will take research and preparation on account of skilled educators before we can get to the application.

References
Araceli, M., Kupermintz, H., Li, M., & Shavelson, R. (2002). On the Relationship Between Mathematics and Science Achievement in The United States. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/SEAL/Reports_Papers/On%20the%20Relationship%20 Between%20Mathematics%20and%20Science%20Achieve.pdf

Furner, M. & Kumar, D. (2007). The Mathematics and Science Integration Argument: A Stand for Teacher Education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology. 3(3), 185-189. WSAS: WKCE and WAA. (2009). Grade 4 Math. WSAS: WKCE and WAA. (2009). Grade 8 Math. WSAS: WKCE and WAA. (2009). Grade 10 Math. WSAS: WKCE and WAA. (2009). Grade 4 Science.

WSAS: WKCE and WAA. (2009). Grade 8 Science. WSAS: WKCE and WAA. (2009). Grade 10 Science.