Phase I Data Driven Decision Making Project - (10%) Due Week 3

TEMPLATE
Name: Jessica Pauselius Date: February 14, 2012

PART ONE - GRADEBOOK PREPARATION

1) Please list the Curriculum Area for Gradebook Analysis:

Grade 6
World Studies

2) Please list the Standards for Gradebook Analysis:

History 5.B.1.a. Describe the characteristics of civilization, such as social hierarchy, government,
writing system, specialization in an area of trade and establishment of cities (Maryland State
Department of Education, 2006)
Social Studies Skills and Processes 6.A.1.a - Acquire and apply new vocabulary through investigating,
listening, independent reading and discussing a variety of print and non-print sources (Maryland State
Department of Education, 2006)
Social Studies Skills and Processes 6.E.1.d - Display information on various types of graphic
organizers, maps, and charts (Maryland State Department of Education, 2006)

3) Please list three learning objectives that are associated with the Standards and grades you are using for your
Gradebook Analysis:

Students will be able to define the five features of a civilization using a graphic organizer
Students will be able to identify examples of a civilization in Mesopotamia using online resources
Students will be able to create a graphic organizer of ways in which Mesopotamia was a civilization
using Inspiration

4) After analyzing the gradebook numbers, what patterns did you see? (Describe at least 3 patterns
completely and be sure to include patterns from the additional data tab on the excel gradesheet).
1. Student Scores Have a Low Range Among Individual Students - The first pattern I see is that
students range of scores on assessments was not wide. Meaning, if a student performed poorly on
one assessment, they scored poorly on the next. Or, if they scored well on an assessment, their
next score was also high. Students ranged no more than 3 points between assessments. The range
of scores average 1.52, above or below their previous score.
2. Students Score on Class Assessments Similar to How they Scored on Maryland State
Reading Assessment - The second pattern I see is students scored similar on the class assessment
to what they did on the Maryland State Reading Assessment. Students who performed Advanced,
have higher average scores than students who performed Proficient or Basic.
3. Students who Attend Class and Complete Homework Perform Well on Class Assessments
Students who average between 7 and 10 on class assessments were more likely to have a high rate
of attendance and completion of homework. Students who scored a 6 or below, were less likely to
have a favorable attendance and homework completion rate.
 5) Now that youve described the patterns in words, display the most important patterns by creating a table of
that data and turning the table into a graph or chart that is most appropriate for discussion. Copy/paste
the table, graphs and/or charts below.

(See Below)Pattern 1: Student Scores Have a Low Range Among Individual Students

Student Scores for Learning

Objective #1

Student: 1 2 3 4 5 Score
Range

1 8 8 6 7 7 2

2 4 5 5 5 4 1

3 3 2 4 4 5 3

4 7 7 8 9 10 3 Random Sample of Students' Score

5 8 9 9 9 10 2
Range
10
6 5 5 6 7 7 2
8
7 3 3 2 3 2 1 Student 7
Assessment Score

6 Student 8
8 7 7 7 8 7 1
Student 9
9 9 10 8 9 10 2 4 Student 10
10 5 4 6 5 4 2 Student 11
2
11 6 7 7 7 7 1
0
12 7 8 8 7 8 1

13 5 6 6 7 5 2

14 6 5 7 5 6 2

15 5 6 7 7 7 2

16 9 9 10 9 10 1

17 8 9 9 8 8 1

18 8 8 8 9 9 1

19 9 10 10 9 10 1

20 7 7 8 8 8 1
21 2 2 3 3 3 1

22 3 4 4 5 4 2

23 0 1 0 1 0 1

24 0 1 0 0 1 1

25 4 4 5 5 5 1

Average Score Range: 1.52

Pattern 2: Students Score on Class Assessments Similar to How they Scored on Maryland
State Reading Assessment

Proficiency Level on Maryland Average Score Among Students

State Reading Assessment In Proficiency Level
Advanced 8.6
Proficient 6.3
Basic 3.5

Student Scores by MSA Reading

Proficency Level
10.0
9.0
Average Student Scores

8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Advanced Proficient Basic
MSA Reading Proficency
Pattern 3: Students who Attend Class and Complete Homework Perform Well on Class
Assessments

Average Score Across 5 Rate of Attendance Homework Completion

Assessments 5 Highest
0 - Lowest
7 to 10 93.7% 4.4
5 to 6 85.1% 2.8
4 or Below 85.7% 2.8

Student Scores Compared to Attendance and

Homework
100.00

80.00
Percentage

60.00
Rate of Attendance
40.00
Homework Completion
20.00 (Converted to Percentage)

0.00
7 to 10 5 to 6 4 or below
Average Score Across 5 Assessments

6) Relevant to the type of graph or chart: Why do you choose this visual to display the data to others?

For Pattern 1, Score have a low range among individual students, I chose to include a table with the score range of
every student, with assessment scores, for teachers to see that there was not a wide variable of range of scores
among individual students. By including a line graph, it clearly shows that the students are not scoring in extremes
between assessments. I did not feel it necessary to include a graph with all of the student data, so I chose 5 students
at random. The lines do not high and low peaks, to illustrate student scores remain consistent.

For Pattern 2, Students score on class assessment similar to how they scored on the Maryland State Reading
Assessment, I chose to include a table with the proficiency level of the students and the average score among
students in that level to provide raw numbers. A graph of each proficiency level along with the average score
among students in that level was also included. I chose this visual to display the data to others as the color blocks,
matching the colors used in reporting by Maryland, show that student scores were leveled similar to how those
students scored on the Maryland State Reading Assessment.

For Pattern 3, Students who Attend Class and Complete Homework Perform Well on Class Assessments, I included a
table which divided students into 3 groups based on average score range, and then the average attendance rate and
homework completion grades for each group. I chose the ranges based on how we define failing students in my
school. We consider students failing if they have a letter grade of D or below. We also are required by the county
to assign a student a grade of at least half (or 50%) if they make an attempt on something. Therefore, I chose the
ranges of 7-10, 5-6, and 4 or below. A graph of the each groups average attendance rate and homework completion
is then shown. I changed the homework completion scores in the graph to percentages so it could be analyzed
alongside attendance rates.

PART TWO - GRADEBOOK ANALYSIS Questions to be answered

1) What patterns seem most evident, most important and why?

The pattern that seems most evident and most important is that students are consistent in their performance. If a
student is scoring proficient or completing one assessment, they are most likely going to score similar the next time.
This includes the classroom assessments, homework completion, and the Maryland State Assessment. The range
between classroom assessments was not more than 3 for any one student, and as a class, averaged 1.5. If students
understood content on one assessment, they showed comprehension on the next. The same goes for if they were not
learning. Students who performed poorly on a classroom assessment did similarly on the next assessment.
Secondly, students who completed homework consistently performed well on classroom assessments. Of students
who scored an average of 7 to 10 points on the assessments, the average homework completion for those students
was 88.6%, or 4.4 out of 5 points. Students who scored below a 6, completed 55.6% of their homework. Finally,
student scores on classroom assessments remained consistent with scores on the Maryland State Reading
Assessment. Students who scored Advanced averaged 8.6 on classroom assessments, Proficient students 6.3, and
Basic students 3.5. It is a concern that there does not appear to be large areas of improvement.

2) What groups of students are affected by each of the patterns that you see?

All students are affected by the patterns I see, however the patterns affect Students with Individualized Education
Plans (IEPs) and students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Students with an IEP account for the two lowest
scores in the class, and no IEP students averaged above a 6 on the classroom assessments. In my school, this would
be considered failing. Out of 7 IEP students, 5 had a range of only 1 between all assessment scores, meaning they
consistently did not understand concepts/content. All IEP students scored Basic on at least one of the two Maryland
State Assessments, with 5 scoring Basic on both. The average attendance rate for IEP students was 88.6%, below
the 93.7% for students scoring an above an average of 7 points on classroom assessments. When average, IEP
students scored 3.1 points on homework completion. Again, below the average of 4.4 points for high performing
students. Students with an IEP consistently performed below their peers.

LEP Students were similarly affected by the patterns. One student was an exception to this, scoring advanced on
both Maryland State Assessments, and completing the classroom assessments with an average of 9.6 points. In my
following description of the affect on LEP students, I have omitted this student from my calculations to have a
clearer picture of how they are performing as a group and not to have the data skewed from the performance of one
student.

All LEP students scored an average below 7 points on the classroom assessments. Again, this is considered failing.
In reference to the range of scores, LEP students scores ranged between 3 and 1 point differentials, with only one
student having a difference of 3 points between assessments. Four out of the five LEP students performed Basic on
at least one of the Maryland State Assessments, and three out of five performed Basic on both. The average
attendance rate for LEP students was 88%, and the average points awarded for homework was 2.6 points, well
below their peers.

3) Why do think that that these particular students in EACH pattern are affected?

In Pattern 1, all students had a low range of scores, however, the majority of IEP students did not differ more than 1
point between assessments. It appears that the instructional practices in the classroom are not conducive to student
learning for students with special needs. In additional, as this seems to be affecting all student scores, I would
assume there is not a lot of variety in the way the teacher presents information; i.e., students do not understand one
piece of content more than another because it was presented in an alternative format. This could also reflect an
overall low comprehension of vocabulary. If students do not have a grasp on the content vocabulary of a course,
they are more likely to perform lower.

In Pattern 2, I found that students scored similar in classroom assessments to how they performed on the Maryland
State Assessment (MSA). The majority of IEP and LEP students performed basic on one or both of the MSAs. IEP
and LEP students are provided accommodations for testing, and I can only assume these assessment scores reflect
that these same accommodations were provided. However, if they were not, this could be a possible reason these
students are not earning passing grades. Again, this could also be a reflection of proficiency with content
vocabulary, especially among LEP students. Depending on the type of assessment, these groups of students may
also need additional support. LEP students would be limited by vocabulary and IEP student would benefit from
using alternative technology to complete the assessment.

In Pattern 3, both the attendance rate and homework completion averages were lower for IEP and LEP students
compared to their peers. If students are not attending class, they cannot (1) be aware of the assigned homework, and
(2) understand the homework assigned. IEP students may not have the tools at home to help them complete
assignments. Many classrooms provide text to speech software to aid in reading, but this may not be an option
outside of the school day. Students who also benefit from organization support may often lose their assignments.
Homework scores may also be low for LEP students depending on their home environment. Many students parents
have jobs that require them to work outside of the normal workday, and they may not be home at night to assist
students with homework. LEP parents are also language learners. They may not be able to provide support as they
themselves are learning to understand a new language.

Also, in regards to Pattern 3 and attendance, anxiety or low motivation caused by repeated failure may be keeping
children away from school. As mentioned above, some parents may not be home at night, but some may also be
leaving early in the morning; therefore not there to ensure their children are making it to school.

4) What other student information or student data could help with an even more thorough analysis of each
pattern?

For Pattern 1, Score have a low range among individual students, data from other classrooms and data over a longer
period of time would help with an even more thorough analysis. Data from other classrooms would provide insight
into the instructional practices between teachers. Data over a longer period of time would make it evident if
students understand new concepts. Some students may be consistently performing well because they already have
the background knowledge to help them.

For Pattern 2, Students score on class assessment similar to how they scored on the Maryland State Reading
Assessment, scores from other assessments, such as the MAP-R (Measures of Academic Progress-Reading, NWEA,
2012), and the date this student data was taken would help to provide a more thorough analysis. While used to
determine many decisions, the Maryland State Assessment is a test that students take on one occasion. While the
pattern I identified seemed to match the results of the assessment, we still have to question the reliability. If scores
from other assessments can be considered, then we would be better able to confirm the relationship between scores
on this test and scores in the classroom as the measurement would be the same each time (Reliability as defined by
Price and Koretz, 2010, p. 33).

In addition, the date this classroom data was taken would also help with a more thorough analysis of Pattern 2. If
this data was taken in September, it would be likely that student scores on the state assessments would match
classroom assessments. However, if these scores are from March, I would be concerned that students are not
showing much improvement over the year.

For Pattern 3, Students who Attend Class and Complete Homework Perform Well on Class Assessments, data on
students school-wide attendance rate, data from other classrooms, and a score only if they completed the homework
 not how well they completed the homework would make for better analysis. It is unclear what time of day the
data from this class was taken. For example, if this class is in the morning, is the student absent because they are
late to school every day? If this class is in the afternoon, is the student absent because they are often sick and need
to leave early? Data from other classrooms would also help to understand their attendance and homework
performance. If a student has a better attendance rate in another classroom, are they performing better? Do they
seem to understand and complete their homework more carefully in another class? Why? I would also want to know
if students completed homework alone, outside of how well it was completed. It would be helpful for me to know if
students were at making an attempt to complete, not only how well it was done.

Outside of the patterns, there is some information about LEP and IEP students that would also be helpful to know.
If would be beneficial to know how long LEP students had been in the country and their native language. For IEP
students, it would be helpful to know how long they have had an IEP and if any changes have been made to it in the
past year; i.e., is there an accommodation they previously received but are now not receiving.

PART THREE STUDENT IMPROVEMENT PLANS Questions to be answered

1) Pattern 1: Based on your analysis and the students that are portraying that pattern, what plans can you
provide to improve their learning? (Please be sure to include technology tools in this plan).

Pattern 1 did not affect one group of students, as all students consistently scored the same range for each assessment.
As this pattern affects all students, I am going to answer this with plans that can improve learning, but also extend
learning. These would include:
Request an informal observation from department chair and staff development teacher to
suggest additional instructional practices and area for differentiation
Create anchor activities for students who are exceeding standards
Provide alternate graphic organizers and let students choose which one they want to use to
understand the vocabulary
Create a game on Scratch (MIT Media Lab, 2012) to provide students an opportunity to
practice content vocabulary in the classroom and at home. Game should include new
vocabulary for students to extend learning.
Differentiate assessments. i.e. provide word banks for some students

Who will be involved in helping the student or student group toward more success? (Teacher, Groups of
Students, Parents, Administration, Other classroom teachers, specialists etc)
Teacher (World Studies)
Co-Teacher/Para-Educator
Staff Development Teacher
World Studies Department Head
Parents

How will they be involved to help the student(s) be successful?

The teacher will be responsible for creating anchor activities, modeling alternate graphic organizers, and
creating the Scratch game. The teacher will also be responsible for communicating to parents that the online
resource is available. With the World Studies department head and Staff Development teacher, the teacher will
introduce new instructional approaches and differentiate assessments.

How will you assess if this plan has helped?

 The teacher will request a follow up observation from the Staff Development and World Studies
department head. The teacher will monitor the gradebook for improvement on classroom assessments and
completion of anchor activities. Students will complete an informal survey of how they found the use of different
graphic organizers to be helpful/not helpful.

2) Pattern 2: Based on your analysis and the students that are portraying that pattern, what plans can you
provide to improve their learning? (Please be sure to include technology tools in this plan).

For students who scored Basic on the Maryland State Reading Assessment and continue to score below standard on
classroom assessments, I would include plans to support reading comprehension and vocabulary development.
These would include:
Using Kurweil or other text-to-speech software in the classroom
Creating and maintaining a vocabulary journal, with definitions and pictures
The use of graphic organizers, such as the frayer-model or concept maps, when introducing
new vocabulary
Creating and maintaining an online glossary of content vocabulary for students to refer to at
home
If available, provide students with alternate texts that communicate the same information on a
lower readability level

Who will be involved in helping the student or student group toward more success? (Teacher, Groups of
Students, Parents, Administration, Other classroom teachers, specialists etc)
Teacher (World Studies)
Co-Teacher/Para-Educator
Reading Specialist
World Studies Department Head
Parents
Media Specialist

How will they be involved to help the student(s) be successful?

The teacher will be responsible for ensuring all interventions in the above plan are carried out and available
for students. She will monitor the use of the vocabulary journal. The teacher will also be responsible for creating
and monitoring the online glossary, with technical support from the Media Specialist. The Co-Teacher will be
instrumental in having texts available online or scanned for students to use with Kurzweil. The reading specialist
will provide support to the teacher in how to best use graphic organizers when introducing new vocabulary. Parents
will be encouraged to use the online glossary with students at home. Finally, the World Studies Department head
will help in finding resources for alternate texts by contacting other schools or using department money to purchase
them.

How will you assess if this plan has helped?

Student assessment scores will continue to be monitored, specifically vocabulary tests. Students will complete
an informal survey of how helpful they found the use of vocabulary journals, graphic organizers, and Kurzweil.
The teacher will ask for the Reading Specialist to complete an informal observation at a time when a graphic
organizer is being used. The teacher will use input from the Reading Specialist to monitor how well they are being
implemented and improve instruction. The online glossary will be monitored to determine how many times it was
visited.

3) Pattern 3: Based on your analysis and the students that are portraying that pattern, what plans can you
provide to improve their learning? (Please be sure to include technology tools in this plan).
For students who are having attendance and homework completion concerns, I would include plans to determine the
cause of poor attendance, motivate students to attend class and complete homework assignments more often and
correctly. These would include:
Communicate with Counselor and Attendance secretary regarding reasons for absences
Schedule team conference with student, teachers, parent(s), counselor, and administrator
Create contract with student that requires they attend homework club, with rewards built in
for attendance and behavior
Require students if absent to monitor classroom website for homework assignments
Upload homework assignments and other useful documents to classroom website
Initial student planner with correct homework assignment nightly

Who will be involved in helping the student or student group toward more success? (Teacher, Groups of
Students, Parents, Administration, Other classroom teachers, specialists etc)
Teacher (World Studies)
Co-Teacher/Para-Educator
6th Grade Counselor
Attendance Secretary
6th Grade Administrator
6th Grade Team Leader
6th Grade Teachers
Parents
Pupil Personnel Worker
Homework club sponsor
Media Specialist

How will they be involved to help the student(s) be successful?

The teacher will be responsible for communicating with the counselor and attendance secretary about the
causes for student absences. After this communication, the teacher will request a conference with parents, other
teachers, an administrator, the students counselor, and the 6 th grade team leader to discuss concerns and create
interventions and contracts for the students. Pupil Personnel Workers may need to be present in the conferences
depending on the situation. The teacher will also be responsible for maintaining and updating the classroom
website, with help from the Media Specialist, so it is available to students and parents who are not in the school
building. Initialing the planner will also be the responsibility of the teacher or co-teacher. The Homework club
sponsor will support the use of the contract, and assign appropriate rewards as earned. The team leader will monitor
this contract.

How will you assess if this plan has helped?

Student attendance and performance at homework club will be monitored through the contract, and the
team leader will keep data week to week. A follow up conference with the parents and other members will be
scheduled for 2 months from the date of the initial conference, at which time the interventions created will be
revisited. Performance on homework and classroom assessments will continue to be monitored, as well as rate of
attendance. Teacher will monitor visits to the classroom website, and collect data on how many students completed
homework when they were absent the previous day.

Additional Comments (Optional):

Not a pattern, but one item I did notice is that the class average of all assessment scores was a low number. The
total class average was 4.9. I know there are a lot of other patterns happening within this data outside of the 3 I
chose to analyze here.
References

Kurzweil. http://kurzweiledu.com

Maryland State Department of Education. (2006). Using the state curriculum: Social studies, grade 6. Retrieved
February 4, 2012 from: http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/social_studies/standard3/grade6.html

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab. (2012). Scratch. Retrieved on February 14, 2012 from:
http://scratch.mit.edu/

Northwest Evaluation Association. (2012). Measures of academic progress. Retrieved on February 13, 2012 from:
http://www.nwea.org/products-services/computer-based-adaptive-assessments/map

Price, J. and Koretz, D. (2005). Building assessment literacy. In K. Boudett, E. City, & R. Murname (Eds), Data Wise
(pp. 29-55). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
Team member names: Lauren Grover, Donna North, Jessica Pauselius

Goal of team: To create 3 classroom initiatives to improve student achievement

Curriculum level of students and field of study: Middle School/High School Social Studies

Roles of team members:

Leader - Jessica
o Remind of due dates, update timeframe with completions and comments weekly
Editor - Donna
o Review documents before final submission
Reporter - Lauren
o Communicate with Dr. Kaur and class any questions/concerns the group has, responsible
for posting anything required from group to class conference

Timeframe of team interactions and plans:

Course Action Plans Completions Comments

Week

Week 4 Posted individual interest on

Week 5 Determine individual roles
Discuss and come to
consensus on Timeframe
Complete final timeframe
in Collaborative Docs
Upload individual Phase I
projects to Collaborative
Docs
class conference
Formed group
Created name
Communicated with Dr. Kaur
to create study group
Determined Individual Roles
and Responsibilities: Leader,
Jessica; Editor, Donna;
Reporter, Lauren
Decided on Timeframe
Updated and Recorded final
Timeframe to Collaborative
Docs
All members uploaded Phase I
projects to Collaborative Docs
All members began to review
peers' Phase I projects
Opened brainstorming
learning improvement thread
for next week

Week 6 Review group members' Reviewed group members'

Phase I projects
Brainstorm learning
improvement ideas
Decide on 3 initiatives for
the classroom or level of
student
Phase I projects
Brainstormed learning
improvement ideas
Decided on data to consider
Decided on 3 initiatives for
classrooms
Titled each of the 3 initiatives
 Title each of the 3
initiatives
Each member writes one
paragraph summary of
each initiative
Week 7 Review peers' summaries
of classroom initiatives
Complete final copy of
template to be submitted
for grading
Week 8 Editor reviews final copy
and makes
recommendations
Group members make
changes to template as
necessary
Group members work on
individual summaries,
requesting input as needed
from group
Submit final copy of Phase
II for grading
Student learning considerations for team planning:
All student learning styles were considered, including mainstream, LEP, and IEP learners
Accommodations for IEP and LEP learners
Support for disabilities for IEP learners
Support for language acquisition for LEP learners
Student reading levels and vocabulary knowledge
Access to internet at school and outside of the school day
Parent and Special Ed teacher involvement in regards to homework
Student data considered during team planning:
Divided task for writing
summary of initiatives
Each member wrote a draft of
one initiative
Clarified/discussed questions
regarding standards and
objectives
Reviewed peer summaries of
initiatives - asked questions,
offered suggestions
Completed final copies of
initiatives and posted to
collaborative docs
Posted related graphs/tables
to collaborative docs
Agreed on timeline for next
week's work: Leader will
combine all initiatives by
Wednesday, and Editor will
then review
Editor reviewed final copy and
suggested changes.
All group members reviewed
edited final copy and
commented/agreed on
changes.
Group members completed
individual summaries,
requesting input as needed
from group
Final copy of Phase II
submitted for grading.
Reporter posted final copy to
class conference for peer
review
 Grade patterns over 15 assessments - little to no improvement
MSA Data students scores on classroom assessments align with scores on MSA. Little to no
improvement from testing in the previous school year.
LEP and IEP students consistently scoring below peers on same assessments
Homework completion poor among students scoring below standard on classroom assessments

Initiative I (Title): Increased focus on reading comprehension and proficiency in order to increase
concept mastery and overall grades.

Initiative I (Goal):

This initiative will meet the following objectives:

World Studies, Grade 6: Students will be able to identify examples of a civilization in

Mesopotamia using online resources.
American History, Grade 8: Compare three different forms of governments (.i.e.: confederate,
unitary, and federal) and determine how each assists and impedes the functioning of government.
Government, Grade 10: Use thematic maps to locate places and describe these human and
physical characteristics, such as settlement patterns migration, population density, and
transportation and communication networks.

This initiative will meet the following standards from the Maryland State Department of Education (2006)
for Social Studies:

World Studies, Grade 6:

o Social Studies Skills and Processes 6.A.1.a - Acquire and apply new vocabulary through
investigating, listening, independent reading and discussing a variety of print and non-
print sources.
American History, Grade 8:
o Geography 3.0 - Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the
role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human
activities and spatial connections throughout time.
Government, Grade 10:
o Peoples of the Nation and World, 2.0 - Students will understand the diversity and
commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland,
the United States and the World through both a multicultural and historic perspective.

Initiative I

Looking at the standards and objectives, we realize the content is very vocabulary heavy. Also,

being in the Social Studies content area, we are concerned more with reading proficiency than certain

subjects such as math and sciences. We could tie the little improved classroom assessment, MSA, and

subgroup data back to this initiative.

Based on the data we found that in the overall grade patterns, there was no improvement or

decline in classroom assessments as well as no improvement in MSA performance. Students who

scored low on the classroom assessments consistency scored low throughout all the objectives and

students who scored high did so throughout all the objectives. This is important because it shows that the

students who scored poorly did not understand the content, or were having a difficult time with it;

therefore, not doing well on the assignments. This was the same with the MSA assessment scores.

Students receiving lower class assignment scores consistently had lower assessment scores and

students scoring high class assignment scores consistently scored high classroom assessment scores.

We figured that the students were scoring poorly due to the fact that they were having a hard time

with reading comprehension; therefore, they could not gather the needed information to make sense of

the content and different vocabulary words.

As a group we decided if we can find a way to help raise the level of reading comprehension then

the students who were not doing well in both assignments and the MSA would have a better chance at

succeeding since they would understand both the material and the vocabulary words better.

The teacher would spend extra time on activities that helped with reading comprehension and

also activities that had the students working with the vocabulary words. The teacher could provide the

students who were receiving low grades on their assignments with extra readings throughout the week,

and also extra activities to increase their concept mastery.

To meet the objectives and standards for this initiative we could use the following activities:

World Studies, Grade 6: Students will be asked to sign on to the computers and use the

program quizlet.com to form their own crossword puzzle based on the vocabulary words and definitions

based on the unit Early Civilizations in Mesopotamia. After the students have created their own they will

switch computers and complete another students crossword puzzle. This will be helpful since it uses

both the content of the lesson and technology to improve the students vocabulary skills and reading

comprehension.

American History, Grade 8: Students will use the program called Kurzweil to do their

reading assignment on Government before completing the worksheet that goes with the reading. The

students will be able to read along with the computer and will be able to click on any words to get the

definition if needed. Students who need more assistance will benefit from this program. The students
should have no problem completing the compare/ contrast worksheet after the reading if the program is

successful and allows help with reading comprehension and vocabulary words.

Government, Grade 10: Students will use quizlet.com to create 20 vocabulary note cards

that will be used to teach other students in the class about diversity and commonality, human

interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the United States and the World.

After the students create these 20 notecards they will pair up and share the words and definitions with a

partner and together they will use both sets of words to create a game of their choice for another partner

group.

Technology can also be very helpful for teachers with students who are having a hard time with

reading comprehension and vocabulary words. There is an amazing website www.quizlet.com (Quizlet,

LLC, 2012) that students can get on and play games, create puzzles, get notecards, create their own

notecards, etc. which is very beneficial at raising their vocabulary levels and help with reading

comprehension. Like I stated before, as a group we agree that poor reading comprehension goes hand

in hand with a poor knowledge of vocabulary words; therefore, if the students work on vocabulary words

that are consistent with the content then their reading comprehension is bound to improve.

There is also a program called Kurzweil (Kurzweil Educational Systems, 2012) that I think would

be extremely beneficial to students with poor reading comprehension. Like mentioned above, we feel that

the students who are scoring poorly throughout both the in-class assessment and MSA need to work on

their reading comprehension in order to improve their scores. Kurzweil is a program that includes a

dictionary in the software in which students can stop on a word and look it up in English or in another

language (which would be good for LEP students). Kurzweil also highlights words as the student reads

them and it also has potential to enlarge the text so they can see it better.

As you can see from both charts presented, the data validates our concern for low assessment

and MSA scores. We were able to see that students who score low will continue to score low until we, as

teachers, can improve their reading comprehension and improve their knowledge of vocabulary words.
 Student Scores by MSA Reading
Proficency Level
10.0
9.0
Average Student Scores

8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Advanced Proficient Basic
MSA Reading Proficency

Comparison of Individual Grades for Each Student for Objective One

12

10

8
Series1
6 Series2
Grade out of 10

Series3

4 Series4
Series5

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Student
Initiative II (Title): Staff Development focus on differentiated instruction using Web 2.0 tools.

Initiative II (Goal):

This initiative will meet the following objectives:

World Studies, Grade 6: Create a graphic organizer of ways in which Mesopotamia was a
civilization using Inspiration
American History, Grade 8: Analyze thematic maps to determine demographic and economic
information about the area
Government, Grade 10: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of limited vs. unlimited
political systems

This initiative will meet the following standards from the Maryland State Department of Education (2006)
for Social Studies:

World Studies, Grade 6:

o Social Studies Skills and Processes, 6.E.1.d - Display information on various types of
graphic organizers, maps, and charts
American History, Grade 8:
o Geography, 3.A.1.c - Analyze thematic maps to determine demographic and economic
information about a region
Government, Grade 10:
o Peoples of the Nation and World, 2.A.1.e - Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages
of limited and unlimited political systems

Initiative II

The data considered in this initiative revolved around the performance of Individualized Education

Plan (IEP) and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students. It was clear to the group that students were

not performing well on assessments because they did not understand the content presented in daily

lessons. In addition, students should be offered culturally responsive instruction. To support the learning

needs and styles of IEP and LEP students, training and support in differentiated instruction using

technology tools will be implemented. While the need for differentiated instruction arose from the data

with these subgroups, staff development in how to differentiate instruction to meet needs will benefit all

students as the average score for mainstream students on assessments is 69%.

IEP and LEP students consistently performed lower on classroom assessments compared to

students without accommodations. Across 15 assessments, all on a 10 point scale, IEP students scored

an average of 3.2, and LEP students 5.4. Students outside of these subgroups averaged 6.9. When the

assessments are extracted by objective, the data remains the same. For example, evaluating the
assessments in Objective 1, mainstream students average scores were 4 points above IEP students, and

2 points above LEP students.

Average Student Grades for All Learning

Objectives
10
9
8
7
6 6.9 IEP
5
5.4 LEP
4
3 Mainstream
3.2
2
1
0
IEP LEP Mainstream

Student Grade Averages Per Learning Objective

5
LEP
4
Mainstream
3 IEP
2

0
Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

Suggestions for how to improve student learning include staff development in differentiation and

implementation of differentiated instruction. Staff development sessions are offered to teachers during

the duty day once a week, for 90 minutes. All classroom teaching faculty members will be involved in the
sessions, including Special Education teachers. Teachers will receive training on ways to differentiate

instruction for the IEP and LEP learner using technology tools. Following training, teachers will have time

to work in cohorts and grade level teams to create lessons which implement these tools. Reflection and

observations within the learning community will also be included in evaluating implementation of what is

learned in the training sessions.

To meet the objectives of American History, Grade 8, and Government, Grade 10, teachers will

be provided training in a variety of Web 2.0 tools. In grade 8, students are expected to analyze thematic

maps to determine demographic and economic information about the area. Teachers will be introduced

to web tools to aid students in analyzing maps, such as MapMaker (National Geographic Society, 2012).

MapMaker allows students to create maps that display population density and manipulate many kinds of

geographic information. MapMaker will also provide visual and graphic representation for the IEP and

LEP learner. IEP students with low functioning motor skills will benefit from the use of a mouse and

coloring tools on a computer, as opposed to using pencil and paper to create a map. LEP students can

practice analyzing data from their home countries and then apply to the United States. Using this

interactive tool will allow students to make better decisions on how geography affects human interaction.

To meet the objective in Government, Grade 10 of evaluating the advantages and disadvantages

of limited vs. unlimited political systems, teachers will be provided time to explore web tools that will aid

students in organizing ideas, such as the Student Interactives on ReadWriteThink.org (International

Reading Association, 2012). Using tools such as the ReadWriteThink Notetaker and Compare/Contrast

Map will provide students with a means to organize their thoughts and new information in a structured

manner. IEP students with low functioning motor skills will benefit from the ability to type text as opposed

to write it, and both LEP and IEP students will find the already created structures for organizing

information helpful. Teachers will be encouraged to include group work as students outline their thoughts

to give LEP students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate in a more relaxed setting.

To meet the objective in World Studies, Grade 6, of using Inspiration to create a graphic

organizer proving Mesopotamia was a civilization, teachers will be introduced to a variety of vocabulary

development tools that will support student understanding and lead to better understanding of the

features of a civilization. For example, teachers will have time to explore sites such as Quizlet (Quizlet
LLC, 2012) in which teachers or students can create flashcards to practice vocabulary. This would also

reinforce the above initiative for reading. LEP students will benefit from repetition and visual practice to

further vocabulary attainment. Flashcards can also be considered a manipulative, which will support the

IEP student in vocabulary development. Use of the tool Webspiration (Inspiration Software, LLC, 2012) in

the homework initiative (see below) will also support this objective as students have the opportunity to

practice and build upon skills which will lead them to master the final objective of creating their individual

graphic organizer. This example would also be culturally responsive as LEP students will have the

opportunity to practice at home, where they may be more comfortable.

Part of time spent in professional development will also involve teacher observation of peer

classrooms and reflection and discussion on how differentiation is working in their classroom. Teachers

will spend time informally observing differentiation in the classrooms of subject and grade alike teachers.

Encouraging a learning community will help this initiative to be a success. Teachers will learn best

practices from one another and help each other with problem solving (University of Maryland University

College, Department of Education, 2011, p.31). Through this process of professional development,

teachers will gain knowledge of how to implement Web 2.0 tools effectively.

The degree of success of this initiative will be evaluated by teacher survey of professional

development sessions/observations, student surveys of their use of Web 2.0 tools, and student

performance as measured in the gradebook. Following each professional development session, teachers

will be surveyed on how effective they found the session to be and how they would like to dedicate their

time in the next sessions to implementing technology tools. The Staff Development teacher along with

team leaders will analyze the surveys and decide on how to continually improve sessions so teachers find

them valuable. Secondly, students will be surveyed on how well they believe the Web 2.0 tools helped

them to understand and learn content. Teachers can then use best practices learned through peer

observation to try different methods or tools if students are not finding the new tools helpful. Finally,

student performance on objectives and standards will be measured through the gradebook. Teachers will

compare scores of current year students and past years students (if the data is available) to evaluate the

success of the differentiation initiative.

Initiative III (Title): Effectively improve homework completeness and accuracy to proficient levels in
order to promote increased student understanding of the curriculum.

Initiative III (Goal):

This initiative will meet the following objectives:

World Studies, Grade 6: Define five features of a civilization using a graphic organizer
American History, Grade 8: Explain interrelationships among physical and human characteristics
that shaped a nation
Government, Grade 10: Describe advantages and disadvantages of direct and representative
democracy

This initiative will meet the following standards from the Maryland State Department of Education (2006)
for Social Studies:

World Studies, Grade 6:

o History 5.B.1.a. Describe the characteristics of civilization, such as social hierarchy,
government, writing system, specialization in an area of trade and establishment of cities
American History, Grade 8:
o Geography, 3.A.1 - Use geographic tools to analyze geographic issues and problems
prior to 1877
o Geography, 3.A.1.b - Explain interrelationships among physical and human
characteristics that shaped the nation
Government, Grade 10:
o Peoples of the Nation and World, 2.A.1.a Describe the advantages and disadvantages
of a direct and representative democracy

Initiative III

Although, data results were somewhat mixed, most students showed evidence that graded

assessments and homework accuracy/completeness were consistent with one another. Students with

the lowest homework scores tended to have lower assessment scores. The exception being some

IEP/LEP students scored high in homework completeness and accuracy, but low in graded classroom

assessments. For the most part, those students with high attendance rates had better homework scores.

Students who had been performing at levels at or below seventy percent (3) for homework completeness

and accuracy had lower scores in assessment. Since homework directly relates and reinforces

classroom concepts and curriculum, it is imperative that students use prior knowledge from previous

lessons, develop proficiency in the current classroom topics and enhance independent study skills

through homework. Additionally, homework serves as a formative assessment to student understanding

of the classwork.
 Student Scores Compared to Attendance
and Homework
100.00

80.00
Percentage

60.00
Rate of Attendance
40.00
Homework Completion
20.00 (Converted to Percentage)

0.00
7 to 10 5 to 6 4 or below
Average Score Across 5 Assessments

Average Score Across 5 Rate of Attendance Homework Completion

Assessments 5 Highest
0 - Lowest
7 to 10 93.7% 4.4
5 to 6 85.1% 2.8
4 or Below 85.7% 2.8

*Homework grades were converted from a 100pt. scale to a 10pt. scale for data purposes.
 The homework assignments will vary in each class, but the following specific required objectives will

be addressed through homework completion:

To meet the World Studies, Grade 6 objective of defining five features of a civilization, students

will be assigned homework to create a graphic organizer using a pre-assigned template from the

website Webspiration (Inspiration Software, LLC, 2012).

To meet the Government, Grade 10 objective of describing advantages and disadvantages of

direct and representative democracy, students will complete a written assignment, oral

presentation or multi-media project.

To meet the American History, Grade 8 objective of explaining interrelationships among physical

and human characteristics that shaped a nation, students will work in assigned collaborative

groups twice during the school year and develop an individual project based on which

culture/subgroup their group has chosen or been assigned. Students will be expected to

research and complete one aspect of the project(s) using MapMaker (National Geographic

Society, 2012) as part of the homework assignment. Collaborative groups are effective in helping

struggling students stay on task by providing peer feedback and encouragement for success.

In order to improve upon homework completion for all students, reasons for the lack of

proficiency in completeness need to be determined. If all students submit homework that is less than

90% complete and accurate it will be returned to them with an attached form in which they need to give a

reason for why they did not complete the homework. If it is found that a student is not completing

homework due to lack of understanding, reinforcement in the concept will be given and the student will

have an opportunity to resubmit the completed homework for full credit. Reinforcement for individuals will

be offered before and after school and during office hours. If a large number of students within the class

need further instruction, class time will be used to reinforce the content. Students with other

explanations, to be taken into account on an individual basis, will also be given the opportunity to submit

the overdue homework, but with a deduction of one point for every day it is late. Students will have up to

two additional class periods to complete the homework.

 In addition to any extra classroom help, teachers will establish a section on the class webpage where

students can list questions concerning the homework to be answered by the teacher or by peer

discussion. Additionally, uploaded class notes and assignment descriptions will be placed on the

webpage. For collaborative projects, each group will exchange information for any questions during the

research process. After school teacher assistance will be listed on the class webpage and within the

classroom. Students with excused absences may take advantage of both the website resource and

extended classroom assistance. Both verbal and written reminders will be given to students who

continue to fall behind in homework completeness. For those IEP/LEP students with high homework

accuracy and completeness, it will be determined if they are receiving extra assistance on homework from

special educators or outside assistance. With the use of more peer collaboration in homework

assignments students will be held responsible for completing assignments by both the classroom teacher

and peers.

Assessment of success in this initiative will be initially measured by the response of students

completing their homework assignments on time and accurately. Additionally, students will be

periodically surveyed concerning the level and frequency of use of the class website to determine if this is

a useful tool in relaying information and providing feedback for homework assignments or objectives.

Long term success in initiating better homework practices will be determined by overall student

improvement in unit objective assessments.

Summary of Group Effort

Through this team experience, I have become more aware of and skilled in data driven decision

making team processes in my future school setting as working with team members supported the

identification of trends in data and the ability to plan school wide improvement initiatives that incorporate a

wider range of beliefs and values. Reviewing and discussing Phase I findings reinforced that patterns I

had found in the data had also been identified by others analyzing the same data. This allowed for us to

unmistakably present initiatives that clearly matched trends found in the data. Creating and reviewing the

initiatives together allowed for a wide range of beliefs and values to emerge, as we shared ideas and

supports that would best match students needs.

References:

Inspiration Software, LLC. (2012). Webspiration. http://www.mywebspiration.com/

International Reading Association/National Council of English Teachers. (2012). Student interactives.:

http://www.readwritethink.org/search/index.html?page=2&resource_type=16

Kurzweil Educational Systems. (2012) http://www.kurzweiledu.com

Maryland State Department of Education. (2006). Teaching and learning: Social studies. Retrieved
March 12, 2012 from: http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/social_studies/index.html

National Geographic Society. (2012). MapMaker page maps National Geographic education. Retrieved
on March 7, 2012 from: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/outline-map/

Quizlet, LLC. (2012). Quizlet.com

University of Maryland University College, Department of Education. (January, 2011). Conceptual

framework: working draft.
 1. Why did I choose this initiative and what learning will it support?

The initiative I have chosen to elaborate on in Phase III is Initiative III: Effectively

improve homework completeness and accuracy to proficient levels in order to promote

increased student understanding of the curriculum. Based on feedback, I have changed

the title of the initiative to Jaguars Roaring to Success. I chose this initiative because I

believe it is something every student will be able to participate in and be a part of. The

initiative will encourage lifelong skills students will need to be successful in the future,

such as taking responsibility for ones learning and being organized. By creating a

competition among grade levels, it will promote a sense of community among students

and teachers. The initiative will also increase collaboration between teachers and

parents, as well as providing resources for students and parents outside of the school

day.

Successful and accurate homework completion is tied to better achievement in the

classroom. Students often struggle to complete and accurately complete homework for

several reasons. In middle school especially, some are still maturing academically and

need support with time management and organization. Some students do not have

assistance at home; parents work at nights or have not learned or forgotten content

being covered in classrooms. Some students do not have available resources to help

them, such as the internet or books to support learning. Through this initiative, students

will be provided with support to meet all of these inhibitors to successful completion of

homework, be able to carry what they have learned about good homework practices

into their future schooling, and ultimately find more success in the classroom as they

practice skills and build background knowledge through homework.

 1. What data was used to substantiate my choice of this initiative?

The data used to substantiate my choice of this initiative was student based data on

classroom assessments, homework completion, and rate of attendance. All three data

sets were also reviewed among subgroups, including IEP and LEP learners.

The first two sets of data considered in developing this initiative was student

performance on classroom assessments and homework completion. When classroom

assessment data is not meeting standard, teachers reflect on the cause(s) for poor

performance. One cause identified was that students who were below standard were

not completing homework or not completing homework proficiently (see Figure 1). For

our purposes, standard is defined as a C average (7) or above. Any score 6 or below

would be considered not meeting standard. On a 10 point scale, students not meeting

standard averaged 3.4 points on homework completion below their peers. Homework is

assigned for the purpose of students practicing skills and building background

knowledge. The idea behind this initiative it that as students progress in homework

completion, their success on classroom assessments will also increase.

 Figure 1: Student Classroom Assessments Compared to
Homework Completion

10
8.3 8.4
8
Average Scores

6 Across 5 Clasroom
5
4.2 Assessments
4
Homework Completion*
2

0
Students Meeting Standard** Students Below Standard

*Homework Completion has been changed to a 10 point scale for comparison to assessment scores
**Standard is defined as performing with a C (70%) average or above.

The third set of data considered in developing this initiative was student rate of

attendance. Students scoring below standard on classroom assessments were

absent, on average, 7% more frequently than students who were proficient (see

Figure 2). In a school year, this averages to 13 days, or over 90 hours of

instructional time. Commonly, students who are absent are unable to have the

homework communicated to them and are not able to submit homework

assignments due on the day of their absence. If a student is not present in class,

they are not engaged in the process of learning during the school day or learning

that is an extension of the school day. Students who have frequent absences will be
 supported through this initiative as homework, an extension of learning during the

day, will be easier to access and understand during the times they are not in the

classroom.

Figure 2: Student Classroom Assessments Compared to

Attendance Rate
10
9.2
8.3 8.5

8
Average Scores

Across 5 Classroom
4.2
Assessments
4

Rate of Attendance*
2

0
Students Meeting Standard** Students Below Standard

*Rate of Attendance has been changed to a 10 point scale for comparison to assessment scores
**Standard is defined as performing with a C (70%) average or above.

Finally, IEP and LEP subgroup data was compared to all three data sets:

classroom assessments, homework completion, and attendance. IEP and LEP

students consistently showed lower scores on classroom assessments, homework

completion, and rate of attendance (see Figure 3). While the homework initiative will

support all students, there will be steps taken to ensure the unique needs of IEP and

LEP learners are met.

 Figure 3

*Homework Completion has been changed to a 10 point scale for comparison to assessment scores

2. What group of students will this initiative best serve? In what curriculum area?

As this initiative is a school-wide program for homework completion, all students will

be best served by this initiative. All curriculum areas will be positively affected as well.

All students will have the same access to feedback from the teacher, use of the

classroom website, and availability of support and internet resources afterschool.

There has been consideration of the IEP and LEP learner in planning this initiative.

For the IEP learner, it has been included that para-educators are available for support

during Jagtime and afterschool. Teachers will also initial or stamp planners to aid the

IEP learner in organization and capturing homework assignments in their planners.

Technology will also be available afterschool should students chose to take advantage
of programs the school has to aid them with homework, such as Kurzweil and word

processing software. For the LEP learner, engaging in a classroom blog will help with

acquisition to the classroom and peer interaction. Being invited to stay afterschool will

also help build community and encourage students new to the country to feel safe in the

school environment. This support afterschool will also help LEP learners receive help

on their assignments at school as their parents may not be able to read the language

the assignments have been written in and offer help. The same technology resources

available to the IEP student will also help LEP learners, especially text to speech

software.

In addition, any student without internet and computer access will have opportunities

to access these resources 3 days a week after school. Free snacks will also be

provided from Food Services as our school is over 70% Free and Reduced Meals.

3. What are the learning objectives for this initiative?

The learning objectives for this initiative are:

Students will be able to:

Record all assigned homework into student planners on a daily basis by

copying from whiteboards in the classroom
Monitor homework performance using teacher feedback and Edline
Identify reasons for not completing homework and ways to improve using a
feedback form
Discuss homework assignments and questions about homework using a
classroom blog
Locate homework assignments if they are absent using classroom web
pages and Edline
 Identify time in the day to best complete homework by making use of Jagtime
and after-school support
Explore resources available in the school to help with homework using after-
school support
4. What are the detailed steps for initiative implementation?

Background Information:
Pinnacle is the grade book software used by teachers. This is an electronic
grade book that can be accessed online by students with minimal lag time
between when a teacher enters an assignment or grade and the student/parent
can see it.
Edline is a comprehensive software program that houses Pinnacle and teacher
web pages. We tell students to check Edline instead of check Pinnacle.
Jagtime is 20 minutes during every school day in which students are provided
time for study hall. Student are assigned a classroom to report to daily. This is
time already built into the school day and would not be a major change to the
schedule because of this initiative. This initiative encourages students to make
better use of this time in the school day.
A Homework Team comprised of staff and members of the Instructional
Leadership Team will have been formed at the end of the school year. Any
participating members would be doing so voluntarily and committed to meeting or
contributing in some form over the summer. Where the action plan calls for the
Homework Team to complete a step, it could be the entire team or select
members depending on the action required. These details would be worked out
amongst the team.
 PHASE 1: Introduction of Initiative (Summer to 2nd Week of School)

Who What By When

Homework Team Introduce Jaguars Roaring to Success at Instructional Summer Leadership
Leadership Team meeting Week
Homework Team Create feedback form for teachers to attach to student Prior to Pre-Service
homework where student describes why homework was Week
not completed correctly
Homework Team Create PowerPoint for teachers to use when introducing Prior to Pre-Service
initiative to students and parents. Include etiquette for blog Week
use.
After School Activities Determine availability of stipends to teachers who volunteer Prior to Pre-Service
Coordinator and
to support students after school through initiative Week
Assistant Principal

Homework Team Decide on reward for grade level with greatest homework Prior to Pre-Service
and Administration completion. Solicit funds from PTSA, community Week
resources, and others as necessary
Team Leaders Review following information with teams: Pre-Service Week
1. Data that drove decision to create initiative
2. Objectives of program
3. Introduction of initiative to students during Jagtime
(already built into schedule, 20 minutes daily)
4. Steps for competition among grade levels
Bulletin board in cafeteria, updated bi-
weekly, with grade level homework
performance
Monthly rewards for grade level with best
homework performance
5. How initiative will be communicated to parents
6. Members of Homework Team who to speak with
about questions/concerns
7. Evaluation plan at end of first quarter
Who What By When
Department Chars Review the following information with departments: Pre-Service Week
1. Write all homework in the left corner of the
whiteboard daily
2. Initial or stamp student planners with written
homework
3. Enter homework assignments in Pinnacle on the
day they are assigned
4. Update homework grades at a minimum every 2
weeks
5. Return homework to students that are less that
90% accurate.
6. Attach form to homework for student to complete
describing why homework was not completed
correctly
7. Upload class notes and other relevant documents
to Edline a minimum of every two weeks
8. The IT Specialist will create a blog on Edline page
for students to ask questions about assignments

Homework Team Solicit staff members to volunteer for after school support Final staff meeting of
Need 4 staff members per day; Tuesday, Wednesday, pre-service week
Thursday
Homework Team Survey teachers for understanding of initiative at final staff First week of school
meeting. Post any clarifications on staff listserv.
Admin Secretary and Compose and Create Connect Ed phone call to student Second week of school
Homework Team
home phone numbers about initiative. Record in English
and Spanish.
Homework Team Introduce Jaguars Roaring to Success at PTSA Meeting First meeting of the year
Homework Team and Introduce Jaguars Roaring to Success at Spanish First meeting of the year
Parent Outreach
Speaking Parent Night
Coordinator

Jagtime Teachers Introduce Jaguars Roaring to Success in second week of Second week of school
school during Jagtime (already built into schedule, 20
minutes daily). Use PowerPoint created by homework
team.
Who What By When
IT Systems Create blog within each teachers Edline page for students Second week of school
Specialist to ask questions about assignments
IT Systems Include description of initiative, PowerPoint presentation, Second week of school
Specialist and student form on school website
Homework Team Distribute description of initiative with link to school website Second week of school
created by IT Specialist to PTSA listserv
Homework Team Reserve classroom spaces and computer labs Tuesday- First week of school
Thursday afterschool
Special Education Create schedule of para-educators working 8 hour days to Second week of school
Resource Teacher support students staying afterschool
Special Education Create schedule of para-educators for Jagtime. Ensure Second week of school
Resource Teacher para-educators are placed in locations with students
needing support.
Homework Team and Complete all forms from Food Services for the After School First week of school
After School Activities
Snack Program
Coordinator

Homework Team Develop parent and teacher survey of understanding and First week of school
introduction of initiative. Administer following PTSA and
Spanish Speaking Parent meetings.
Team Leaders Administer teacher survey of how the introduction of First meeting following
initiative went with students introduction in Jagtime

PHASE 2: Implementation of Initiative (Remainder of 1st Quarter)

Who What How Often

All Teachers Enter homework assignments in Pinnacle on day assigned Daily
All Teachers Initial or stamp student planners with written homework Daily
All Teachers Write all homework in the left corner of the whiteboard Daily
All Teachers Update Edline with class notes and relevant documents Bi-Weekly
All Teachers Update homework grades in Pinnacle Bi-Weekly
All Teachers Return homework completed less than 90% correct. Attach As Needed
feedback form for students to complete reflection.
Who What How Often
All Teachers Monitor classroom blog and communicate with students As Needed
asking questions/commenting
Department Chairs Allow time during department meetings for teachers to During department
analyze homework data meetings focused on
data (every 3rd meeting)
All Teachers Determine which content needs to be re-taught based on During department
homework grades meetings focused on
data (every 3rd meeting)
Jagtime Teachers Support student re-assessment of homework from all Daily
classes. Maintain environment for students to complete
incomplete and missing assignments.
Department Chairs Monitor teacher input of homework grades. Discuss with Bi-Weekly
teachers who are not meeting timeline and support as
needed.
Team Leaders Monitor classroom website of teachers and uploading of Bi-Weekly
class documents. Discuss with teachers who are not
meeting timeline and support as needed.
Instructional Data Collect and analyze homework data from Pinnacle. Bi-Weekly
Assistant (IDA) Communicate grade level averages to homework team.
Homework Team Create and update bulletin board in cafeteria with grade Bi-Weekly
level performances in graphic way. Use data collected
from IDA.
Homework Team Compose announcement to include on morning Bi-Weekly
announcements about grade level progress
Admin Secretary Compose announcement about grade level progress to Bi-Weekly
and Homework include in Connect Ed phone call to student homes.
Team Record in English and Spanish.
IT Systems Support teacher technology needs in relation to classroom As Needed
Specialist websites
IT Systems Update school webpage with results from each grade level Bi-Weekly
Specialist
Who What How Often
Homework Club Support and monitor students afterschool. Students should Tuesdays-Thursdays
Sponsor and be in the following locations based on need: afterschool
teacher volunteers 6th Grade Room 303A
7th Grade Room 210
8th Grade Room 133
Lab 128 students needing computers
Media Center students needing library
resources
Homework Team Ensure afterschool sponsors have bus passes to provide Tuesdays-Thursdays
students and snacks are distributed afterschool
Admin Secretary Complete stipend payroll stipend forms for teachers Bi-Weekly
providing after school support
Homework Team Make and distribute extra copies of homework feedback Bi-Weekly
form to teachers
Homework Team Create survey for students, teachers, and parents to To be completed prior to
administer at the end of the 1st quarter last week of October
Homework Team Compile data from Team Leader survey of teachers Prior to the last week in
regarding introduction to students. Save in file on shared October
drive for next year.
Homework Team Follow up on donations for rewards to grade level with Mid-October
greatest homework completion.

PHASE 3: Evaluation of Initiative (Following 1st Quarter)

Who What By When

Homework Team Ensure distribution of decided upon reward to First week of November
appropriate grade level
Instructional Data Compile data of student homework Second week of November
Assistant performance over 1st quarter. Categorize by
content, grade level, students meeting
standard, and students not meeting standard.
Include attendance data. Compare to data
from same time last year.
Jagtime Teachers Administer student survey during Jagtime Second week of November
 Who What By When
IT Systems Create link on school webpage to parent First week of November
Specialist survey
Homework Team Distribute link to parent survey to PTSA listserv First week of November
Homework Team Compose announcement about parent survey First week of November
and Admin online in Connect Ed phone call to student
Secretary homes. Record in English and Spanish.
Team Leaders Engage in Plus/Delta evaluation of homework Second week of November
initiative during team meeting.
Homework Team Administer parent survey at Spanish Speaking First meeting in November
and Parent Parent Meeting
Outreach
Coordinator
Homework Team Gather and compile data from student, Third week of November
teacher, and parent surveys
Homework Team Present data from 1st quarter, findings of Prior to Thanksgiving break
survey, and recommendations for upgrades to
Instructional Leadership Team
Department Chairs Present data from 1st quarter and findings of First meeting after Thanksgiving
break
survey and final decisions of Instructional
Leadership Team about initiative

6. What is the timeframe for initiative implementation?

Summer Break Pre-Service to 2nd Week 3rd Week of School to End of 1st Quarter End of 1st Quarter to
of School Phase 2 Thanksgiving Break
Homework Team Phase 1 Implementation of Initiative Phase 3
Planning Introduction of initiative to Evaluation of Initiative
staff, student, and parents

7. Who will be involved and be responsible for the successful implementation of this
initiative? (Members of the team).

(Please see above descriptions in Action Plan)

8. What role will each member play in the implementation process and when?

(Please see above descriptions in Action Plan)

 9. What will be the assessment(s) of different parts of the implementation? How will
the assessments take place? By whom? When?

The following assessments of the initiative will take place:

Assessment Purpose Facilitator When

Staff Exit Survey Check for Homework Team Final Staff meeting
understanding of before school begins
initiative
Staff Survey in Teams Feedback on Team Leaders Following introduction in
introduction of initiative Jagtime
to students
Parent Exit Survey Check for Homework Team and First PTSA and Spanish
understanding of Parent Outreach Speaking Parent
initiative Coordinator meetings of the year
Grade Level Homework Compare and see Instructional Data Bi-Weekly during 1st
Completion Data improvements among Assistant and quarter after
grade levels Homework Team implementation
Classroom Homework For teachers to analyze Department chairs and Every 3rd department
Completion data classroom homework content teachers meeting
completion
Student Survey Feedback on how Jagtime Teachers Second Week of
initiative impacted November
student homework
habits
Parent Survey Feedback on how Homework Team and Second Week of
initiative impacted Parent Outreach November
student homework Coordinator
habits
Teacher Plus/Detla Feedback on how parts Team Leaders Second week of
Evaluation of the initiative (website, November
classroom blog, etc)
support teachers in
empowering students to
complete homework
Compilation of Analyze effect of Homework Team and Second week of
homework data initiative on homework Instructional Data November
including all subgroups, completion Assistant
by content, and by
grade level. Compare
to data from same time
last year.
 10. Overall how will I know whether or not this initiative will be a success? What data,
assessment processes and/or indicators will give me this information? What are
the expectations or 'criteria' for the assessment measures?

We will know if this initiative has been a success by comparing current data on

homework completion to previous years data and feedback from all stakeholders

involved. Engaging in a longitudinal analysis of the homework data between 2 years,

we will be able to determine the degree to which the initiative has been a motivator and

support for students to give more time and attention to their homework. While all

variables do not remain the same (teachers, students, curriculum), it would still benefit

us to view data regarding homework completion from last year compared to this year

while the initiative was implemented. Homework data from last year was clearly not

meeting standard, which is what started the creation of this initiative. While any

improvement in the data would be considered a success, we would hope for a minimum

of 20% increase in homework completion among students not meeting standard, which

would bring their homework completion rate to 7 out of 10, meeting our criteria for

passing.

Additionally, feedback from all stakeholders (students, teachers, parents) will be

collected to provide qualitative data on the initiative. Students will be asked to provide

feedback on how the initiative helped them or did not help them to form better

homework practices. Parents will be asked to provide input on how the initiative

motivated or did not motivate their students to succeed, as well as any new habits they

observed their students undertaking in regards to homework. Teachers will provide

feedback on how successful the initiative was in encouraging homework completion

among their students and if they were able to complete all parts of the initiative in the
contract day (i.e, analyzing data, updating grades/website, monitoring classroom blog).

Teachers will be asked to provide recommendations for how these processes could

occur within the contract day if they were not able to achieve them.

Summary:

Successful completion of homework leads to better performance on classroom

assessments. Students have the opportunity to practice skills and build background

knowledge as they continue the learning process outside of the school day. The

creation of a school wide initiative to support homework completion and accuracy has

been created based on classroom assessment, homework completion, attendance, and

sub group data. Students will be able to practice and modify homework practices as

they find success in their grades by engaging in classroom blogs, reflecting on poor

practices, monitoring grades, and practicing time management including staying after

school for help. Parents will have more methods of support their students as they

engage with classroom websites and learn ways in which they can support their

students at home. Teachers will find student achievement to increase as students use

the resources teachers have worked hard to provide them to more effectively complete

homework.

Conclusion:

While this initiative has only been describe for the 1st quarter and evaluation, it is

the hope of the team that the initiative would continue into the school year following the

same process of implementation and evaluation. Teacher time dedicated to grading,

updating websites, monitoring blogs, and analyzing data will need to be continually
evaluated over this first year and there may need to be more time dedicated during the

day for teachers to do this as the initiative finds success. Something to explore further

would be rewards for students who dedicate time to homework in the school building

after school. Team Leaders and the Homework Team look forward to collaborating on

this in the future.

Multimedia Presentation is available here:

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13250096/jessicas-data-decision-team-process-
reflection

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