Samantha Rerick

Student Teaching Evaluation of Performance (STEP)

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Table of Contents
Standard 1- Contextual Factors - Knowing Your School and Community
Standard 2 - Writing Standards-Based Objectives and the Learning Goal
Standard 3 - Assessment and Data Literacy
Standard 4 - Unit and Lesson Planning
Standard 5 - Implementation of Instructional Unit
Standard 6 - Analysis of Student Learning
Standard 7 - Reflecting on Instruction to Improve Student Progress

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 STEP Standard 1 - Contextual Factors: Knowing Your School and
Community

Part I: Community, District, School, and Classroom Factors

A. Geographic Location
The geographic location of Kyrene de las Manitas is a suburban area in Tempe, Arizona. The
population of Tempe is approximately 166,975 (AreaVibes, 2018). Tempe is considered to be the
highest ranked U.S growth city. The community around Manitas vastly supports education.
There are 26 different schools within the Kyrene School District that offer a variety of diverse
programs dedicated to help all students learn.

Using the community as an aide when teaching is a great way to maintain a supportive
community who continues to value education. Donations are frequently encouraged to provide
materials to the classroom.

AreaVibes. Tempe Demographic Profile. Areavibes.com. (2018). Retrieved from:

http://www.areavibes.com/tempe-az/demographics/

B. District Demographics
The Kyrene School District is almost even with their percentages of male and female students.
The school district is made up of predominantly Caucasian and Hispanic students with a smaller
percentage of Asian and African American students. There are 26 schools within this district. A
large percentage of students are eligible for free or reduced school lunches. (Proximity, 2018)

When creating lesson plans, it is important to remember to be culturally aware and to include
examples of all different ethnicities in my teaching to assure all students feel welcome.
Remembering the demographics of the families in the classroom will allow lessons and at home
activities to be practical for all students within the classroom.

Proximity. Artizona School Distrtict Demographic Profiles. 2018. Retrieved from:

http://proximityone.com/az_sdc.htm

C. School Demographics

Kyrene de las Manitas is a preschool through fifth grade elementary school. This is a fairly large
school with 597 students currently enrolled. Approximately four out of every ten students are
eligible for free lunch, which is around 36% of the school population. The school is an A++

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district and received a relatively high passing rate on math standardized tests. However, Kyrene
has a relatively low performing school on the English Language Arts exam with only a 35%
passing rate (Startclass, 2018).

While teaching it is important to focus on the students English Language learning and assure
they are comprehending and understanding material taught relating to this subject to attempt to
raise or maintain the passing rate of the English Language Arts exam. However, because many
students test well on math standardized tests, this may be beneficial when teaching student's new
math material.

Startclass. Kyrene De Las Manitas School in Tempe, AZ. (2018). Retrieved

fromhttp://public.schools.startclass.com/l/3315/Kyrene-De-Las-Manitas-School-in-Tempe-
Arizona

STEP Standard 1 - Contextual Factors: Knowing Your School and

Community

Part II: Demographic, Environment, and Academic Factors

A. Student Demographic Factors
All of the students in my classroom are preschool students. In the morning session, there are 14
students total. 10 of these students are boys while four are girls. The students are ages 3-5. The
morning sessions has Hispanic, Caucasian, Arabic, and African American students. Half of these
students are eligible for free tuition while the other half pays preschool tuition. The afternoon
session has 12 children. 7 of these students are female while 5 of these students are male. These
students are ages 3-5. Caucasian, Asian, Chinese, Arabic and Hispanic students are the
ethnicities present in this session. Half of these students pay tuition, while the other half qualify
for free tuition.

Remaining culturally aware during my student teaching is crucial to maintain acceptance and
respect of all of the parents and guardians of the students. Understanding the ethnicities and
backgrounds of all students will allow for better communication between the parents and myself
when updating them on their child’s progress.

B. Environmental Factors
The room is an exceptionally large atmosphere that is set up in a way that provides plenty of
space and room for learn and play. The room has a centers station, circle time station, science
exploration station, table station, dress up play station, small group learning station, computer
station, as well as an arts and crafts station. Plenty of resources including educational games,
independent play opportunity, and student led play is available within this classroom. Students
are able to reach all objects within the room. Because many of the special needs students are still
learning life skills such as toilet training, a bathroom is present inside the classroom. Parent
involvement is limited within the classroom. Parents communicate daily using communication

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folders as well as face to face conversations during pick up and drop off time. A smart board and
computer is available for students to use. When needed, individual tablets are made available for
ELL students to practice games that will assist with their English learning.

Taking advantage of all the different environmental factors present in the classroom is beneficial
to teach students many different required skills. Creating lesson plans that incorporate a few
different stations throughout the day is ideal.

C. Student Academic Factors

Behavior or
Student ELL IEP Section Gifted Other Cognitive Needs
Subgroup 504 Services Receiving No
(Explai Services
n)
Boys 2 8 0 0 0 0
Girls 0 4 0 0 1 3
Instructional Students Each IEP Text Text One Severe social
Accommodatio work closely requires different student anxiety, severe
ns and with speech modifications receives need for
Modifications pathologists and foster attention and
(Describe any to improve accommodations care feelings of
instructional specific depending on the services, belonging
accommodations sounds and assistance
and speech skills. needed for each Child is given
modifications Parents are to child. Some space when
regularly used to work with students receive needed,
meet the needs student extra help instructors are to
of students in outside of completing tasks provide a fair
each subgroup.) classroom for while others amount of
more receive attention to all
opportunity assistance students in
of growth. walking, sitting, classroom based
painting, etc on needs.

In the space below, discuss the possible affect these characteristics could have on the planning,
delivery, and assessment of your unit. Refrain from using student names.

Working in a special needs class requires many different modifications and accommodations to
be made when planning lessons. This is something I will need to have prepared ahead of time.
Going down the list of students needing supports while planning the lesson, and finding a
reasonable accommodation for each child will prepare myself for each lesson to run smoothly
during instruction. Getting to know each child’s IEP and further understanding what each student
will need to learn appropriately is key to a successful lesson.

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STEP Standard 2 - Writing Standards-Based Objectives and the
Learning Goal

Unit Topic: Shapes

Unit Title: Geometric Shapes

National or State Academic Content Standards

S1: C3: A
Strand 1: Language
Concept 3: Vocabulary
C: With modeling and support, uses age appropriate vocabulary across many topic areas and
demonstrates a wide variety of words and their meanings with each area

S1:C3: B
Strand 1: Counting and Cardinality
Concept 3: Counts to tell number of objects
B: Counts a collection of up to 10 items using the last counting word to tell “How many?”

S4:C2: A
Strand 4: Geometry
Concept 2: Shapes
A: Recognizes basic two-dimensional shapes

S4:C2: C
Strand 4: Geometry
Concept 2: Shapes
C: Creates two- and three- dimensional shapes during play

S3:C1: A
Strand 3: Measurement and Data
Concept 1: Sorts and Classifies
A: Sorts and classifies objects by one or more attributes

S3:C1: B
Strand 3: Measurement and Data
Concept 1: Sorts and Classifies
B: Explains how items were sorted into groups

Learning Goal

The students will be able to identify and categorize different shapes into matching categories.

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Measurable Objectives

The students will be able to state the name of the shape when given a picture of the shape 8 out
of 10 times.

The students will be able to recognize and point to the correct shape when provided pictures 8
out of 10 ten times.

The students will be able to sort each shape into the correct category with 90 percent accuracy.

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STEP Standard 3 - Assessment and Data Literacy
Pre-Assessment - Copy and paste the pre-assessment you plan to use to assess the students’
knowledge of the topic prior to implementing the unit lessons. Include the scoring criteria used to
determine whether the student Exceeds, Meets, Approaches, or Falls Far Below the learning goal
and measurable objectives.

To assess the students’ knowledge of the topic prior to implementing unit lessons, I plan to
display shape flashcards with a picture and name of the shape. If the student is able to name the
shape correctly, I will place a plus sign in the shape category in the student’s section. This
checklist will help understand the students’ current knowledge of the shapes and will identify
growth during the post assessment.

Scoring Criteria:
Exceeds: Students are able to correctly identify all shapes with no assistance from the teacher.

Meets: Students are able to correctly identify 5-7 shapes with no assistance from the teacher.

Approaches: Students are able to correctly identify 3-4 shapes with no assistance from the
teacher.

Falls Far Below: Students are able to correctly identify 1-2 shapes with no assistance from the
teacher or are unable to identify any shapes without assistance from the teacher.

Students who exceed or meet the learning goal in the pre-assessment will then receive another
pre-assessment to assess their ability of matching the shapes with other like shapes. This
assessment will involve “feeding” shapes to a similar shaped shape monster.

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 Pre-Assessment Data: Whole Class - Once you have assessed your students’ knowledge on the topic,
collect and analyze the pre-assessment data to determine if you will need to modify the standards,
learning goal, or measurable objectives that will be addressed during instruction.

Number of Students

Exceeds 2

Meets 2

Approaches 6

Falls Far Below 3

Pre-Assessment Analysis: Whole Class

Based on this data, I plan to create extensions for the students who are exceeding in the content
according to the pre assessment. These students will focus on matching the shape to the word,
and I will introduce new shapes such as trapezoid, rhombus, heptagon, octagon, etc. For the
students who are falling far below, I will create individualized lessons that focus more deeply on
learning the names of the shapes. The students who are approaching and meeting the knowledge
of this topic should be able to participate in the activities planned.

The results of my pre-assessment could affect the delivery of my lessons in many ways. Two of
the students have already shown extensive knowledge of the content. These students will require
extensions and more challenging activities to help them continue to grow their shape vocabulary
and knowledge. Three students have shown they know very little about shapes and these students
may require individualized supports and assistance to help identify the shapes and their names.
These students may need even more time to practice this skill. The students who fall in the meets
and approaches category will likely learn anywhere from 2-5 new shapes during this unit. These
students will begin to understand matching the shapes with other like shapes and will be
introduced to drawing these shapes on their own.

It is important to plan ahead for all students in the classroom and have extension and support
activities on hand to give to the students as they need them. Keeping a detailed documentation of
the students’ growth in this unit will be beneficial to identify not only the child’s knowledge, but
if a learning delay may be present.

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 Post-Assessment – Copy and paste the post-assessment you plan to use to assess the students’ knowledge of the
topic after implementing the unit lessons. The post-assessment can be the same as the pre-assessment, a
modified version, or something comparable that measures the same concepts. Include the scoring criteria used to
determine whether the student Exceeds, Meets, Approaches, or Falls Far Below the learning goal and
measurable objectives.

The post-assessment will be the same as the pre-assessment to show the growth and understanding of
each individual student and their knowledge of the shapes. In addition, all students will receive an
assessment that requires students to match like shapes together.

The post-assessment to identify the student’s ability to match shapes is an activity that requires
students to “feed” each shape to the matching shape monster.

Scoring Criteria:
Exceeds: Students are able to correctly identify and match all shapes with no assistance from the
teacher.

Meets: Students are able to correctly identify and match 5-7 shapes with no assistance from the
teacher.

Approaches: Students are able to correctly identify and match 3-4 shapes with no assistance from the
teacher.

Falls Far Below: Students are able to correctly identify and match 1-2 shapes with no assistance from
the teacher or are unable to identify any shapes without assistance from the teacher.

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STEP Standard 4 - Unit and Lesson Planning
Note: When implementing the unit of study, you will be choosing one of these activities to video record, review, and reflect on your teaching later
in the STEP process,

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Title of Lesson or Shape Scavenger Shape Pictures Shape Pizzas Patterns and Shapes Shape Monster
Activity Hunt Sorting

Standards and S4:C2:A S4:C1:A S4:C2:B S2:C2:C S3:C1:A

Objectives Strand 4: Geometry Strand 4: Creativity Strand 4: Geometry Strand 2: Strand 3:
Concept 2: Shapes Concept 1: Concept 2: Shapes Operations and Measurement and
A: Recognizes Creativity B: Uses the names algebraic thinking data
basic 2- A: Uses of geometric shapes Concept 2: Concept 1: Sorts
dimensional shapes imagination to when describing Patterning and classifies
generate new ideas objects found in the C: Extends simple A: Sorts and
S1:C3:A environment patterns classifies objects by
Strand 1: Language S1:C1:D one or more
Concept 3: Strand 1: Visual S1: C1:A S1: C2:A attributes
Vocabulary Arts Strand 1: Visual Strand 1: Physical
A: With modeling Concept 1: Creates Arts and motor S4:C2:A
and support, uses and understands Concept 1: Creates development Strand 4: Geometry
age-appropriate visual arts and understands Concept 2: Fine Concept 2: Shapes
vocabulary across D: Seeks an visual arts motor development A: Recognizes
many topic areas understanding of A: Uses a variety of A: Uses fingers, basic 2-dimensional
and demonstrates a artwork by self or materials, tools and hands and wrists to shapes
wide variety of others by techniques to create manipulate a
words and their commenting on or original works of variety of tools and Objective:
meanings with each questioning the art materials The student will
area artwork match objects by
Objective: Objective: shape.
Objective: The The student will be The student will
student will be able able to list the create an ABAB

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 to recognize an Objective: names of three out pattern using
object that is the The student will of four shapes on shapes.
same shape as the use their their pizza.
shape shown. imagination to
create a picture
using shapes.
Academic Circle Create Shape Pattern Match
Language and Triangle Imagination Hexagon Repeats Same
Vocabulary Rectangle Pretend Heart Next Different
Oval Make-Believe Triangle Predict
Diamond Circle
Square Rectangle

Summary of Center Time: Circle Time: Circle Time: Circle Time: Circle Time:
Instruction and During center time, Students will view Students will be Students will be Students will take
Activities for the the teacher will call examples of objects introduced to the introduced to turns choosing food
Lesson over each created from shapes they will be patterns. The (pre-cut shapes) to
individual student shapes. The class using on their teacher will provide feed the shape
and ask the student will brainstorm pizzas. An example visual examples of monsters. They will
to name the shape other ideas that can of a pizza will be patterns to the choose the food,
on a shape be made using the shown to the class. students. The say the name of the
flashcard. The shapes and the The teacher will students will be food, and feed the
teacher will note student’s present the pizza, asked to predict food to the
the shapes each imagination. naming each shape what will come matching shape
student is able to used on the pizza. next in the pattern. monster. Each
list correctly as a Table Time: student will have a
pre-assessment to Students will begin Table Time: Table Time: turn.
the shapes unit. creating their Students will be Students will create
pictures receiving given the materials their own patterns Table Time:
Circle Time: assistance and and time necessary using different Students will create
Students will be guidance from to create their pizza. their own shape

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 introduced to teachers when Students will build colored paint and monsters in the
different shapes. needed. The teacher their pizzas with shape sponges. shape of their
Students will count will observe assistance when choosing.
the number of sides students and view needed. Closing Circle:
on each of the who is able to be Students will Closing Circle: The
shapes. Students creative with the Closing Circle: present their students will
will be sent on a placement of their Students will take patterns to the class. present their shape
“scavenger hunt” to shapes. turns presenting The class will monsters to the
go find an object their pizza naming predict which shape class, describing
that matches the Closing Circle: each shape they comes next in the the shape of their
picture of the shape Students will used on their pizza. pattern, and the monster and some
on the board. present their student will respond of the monster’s
pictures to the class stating if the class is characteristics.
Table Time: and describe their correct or not.
Students will picture.
complete an “I
know my shapes”
activity book.
Students will be
instructed to color
pictures of objects
that are the same as
the shape listed on
each page.

Closing Circle: The

teacher will read
“The Shape of
Things Book” to
the class. The
teacher will ask the
students to name
shapes they see on

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 each page in the
story.

Differentiation Support: The Support: Students Support: Students Support: The Support: The class
teacher will provide will have assistance will receive teacher will assist will help the
assistance to creating their assistance with the student with student name the
complete the picture. Guidance building, naming, creating their shape shape and find the
activity. The will be given to and presenting their pattern. The teacher correct shape
teacher will remind help the students pizzas to the class. will provide hints monster.
students of objects find shapes that can as to what will
that represent a give the Enrichment: come next in the Enrichment: The
shape on each page. resemblance to an Students will be pattern and provide students will be
Ex: Oranges, object. introduced to new opportunity for the provided more
Donuts, and shapes such as student to come up challenging shape
buttons are circles Enrichment: rhombus, trapezoid, with the answer. monsters they can
Students will title decagon, etc. and feed.
Enrichment: their picture and will use these Enrichment:
Students will trace write the title on shapes on their Students can make
each shapes word their paper. pizza. repeating ABC,
and attempt to AABB, AAB, ABB
write the name of patterns with
the shape below the shapes.
tracing.

Required “I Know My Paper Brown Paper Plates Paper Shape Monsters

Materials, Shapes” reader Pre-Cut out shapes Pre-cut hexagons Different colored Pre-Cut out shapes
Handouts, Text, Crayons Glue (yellow, 1 each) paint Shape templates
Slides, and “The Shape of Marker Pre-cut rectangles, Shape Sponges Scissors
Technology Things” book by circles, triangles, Marker Glue
Dayle Ann Dodds and hearts (3-4 of Glitter
each shape per Googly Eyes
student) Pipe Cleaners

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 Glue Decorations
Marker

Instructional and Interactive Hands-on learning Hands-on learning Integration of Interactive

Engagement Learning- content areas Learning-
Strategies Movement Academic Conferencing Movement
vocabulary Generating
Read-Aloud Academic predictions Academic
Conferencing Vocabulary Vocabulary
Academic Academic
vocabulary Integration of Vocabulary
content areas
Formative The teacher will Students will Students will The teacher will The teacher will
Assessments review the “I Know present their present their pizzas, note which students observe as each
My Shapes pictures to the naming each shape are correctly child takes their
Workbook” to view class. While they used on their predicting what turn to note which
which students explaining their pizza. The teacher comes next in the students are able to
were able to pictures, the teacher will track which pattern during correctly name and
correctly complete will note which students are able to presentations. The match the shape.
the workbook. students were able correctly name each teacher will also
to manipulate the shape. note if the student is
shapes to create an able to tell the class
object and explain whether their
their process and prediction is correct
thinking behind or not.
their creation.

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 Summative, Post- Students will participate in a “Shape Monster” activity. Students will be required to “feed” the monster’s
Assessment food that is in the matching shape of the monster. (Ex: Square monster = square food, Circle Monster =
What post- Circle food, etc.) Students will choose the shape (food) they wish to feed the monster, name the shape, and
assessment will feed the monster the matching shape. The activity will be repeated during closing circle and left up for
measure the students throughout the day.
learning progress?
Note: This can be The teacher will call each student over individually and display the same shape flashcards used for the pre-
the same as the pre- assessment. The teacher will note the shapes each student names correctly filling out the chart below.
assessment or a
modified version of
it.

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STEP Standard 5 - Implementation of Instructional Unit
Implement the unit you have designed including the pre-assessment, all lesson activities,
correlating formative assessments, and summative post-assessment. Choose one of the activities
to video record, review, and reflect on your teaching. Have your cooperating teacher/mentor
review the recording and provide feedback, if possible.

Video Recording Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s1yir31t8lbs8xw/Video Feb 06, 1 36 42

PM.mov?dl=0

Summary of Unit Implementation:

Before beginning any activities, I designed a pre-assessment to test the students’ knowledge of shapes/ I
showed students flashcards of ten different shapes and asked them to name each shape to me. I then
marked which shapes they were able to identify and which they were not. The first activity of the unit
was a shape scavenger hunt. Students were instructed to search the classroom for an object that was
the same as the shape listed. Before beginning this activity, the shapes were introduced to the students.
I found that about half of the students were able to complete this activity without needing any help or
assistance. When the student came back with the incorrect shape, we reviewed the shape as a class and
helped the student find an object that was the correct shape. I assessed and noted the students who
brought back the incorrect shapes. The next activity encouraged students to use their imagination and
create a picture using shapes. This activity was difficult for many of the special needs and three-year-old
students. For those students who struggled imagining an object, teachers assisted them with finding an
object they wanted to create and asked questions such as “what shape could be used to create a body of a
butterfly?” to complete the activity. The students presented their pictures at the end of the day and were
required to list 2-3 different shapes they used in the picture. I documented which students were able to
complete this as a formative assessment. The next activity was a favorite of many of the students. The
students understood the objective of creating shape pizzas and enjoyed being able to create their pizza
how they wanted. This lesson allowed for students to explain the different shapes they used in the pizza
and reinforced shape recognition. This provided another opportunity for me to note the progress of
learning the names of the different shapes. The next activity implemented two different standards, shapes
and patterns. This activity was a bit challenging for some of the students, however assistance was
provided for those who needed it during this activity. Modifications were necessary for the special needs
students. Hand over hand assistance was used to help these students create their patterns. The last activity
was a shape monster activity that required students to match shapes with the shape monster. This activity
went well and as expected. Only one student needed assistance during the activity. I used the results of
this activity as a basis for which students were making progress on this unit. When this activity was done
again on a one on one basis to test the individual student’s knowledge on all shapes, the results were
wonderful. Many students who were unable to name and match the shapes at the beginning of the unit,
were now able to do so for more than half of the shapes. The post assessment, which was the same as the
pre-assessment, also displayed positive results. All of the students, including the nonverbal students, were
able to name more shapes than they could at the beginning of this unit.

Summary of Student Learning:

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The results from my observations left me pleased! All of the students were able to identify one shape,
name the shape, and find the matching shape monster. This included special needs students who are
nonverbal. One of the special needs students had just begun class that day, and was unable to initially
name the shape that she had in her hand. This caused me to rethink my plans, because I was unsure if
she had prior knowledge in shapes. However, with a little bit of help from me, she was quickly able to
correctly identify the shape and find the matching shape monster. This improved her progress, because
she had to name the shape herself. I simply stated only the first sound of the shape, giving her a hint of
the shape she was holding. The student felt confident after correctly naming the shape and matching it
correctly. When we completed the activity again at the end of the day, she was able to choose her shape
and correctly match it without any help from me.

Reflection of Video Recording:

As I watched the video recording of my completing my lesson, I was able to view my teaching from a
different perspective. I noticed that many of the students were engaged and were listening as I gave
instructions and described the activity. I felt that I did well on keeping the students engaged and excited
for the activity and will continue to do this in my many lessons to come. One thing I felt I could do better
on as I watched the video, was assuring students understood the objective of the activity before
allowing the students to begin. For example, I could have asked the students questions such as “So can I
feed the square monster circle food?”, “Can I feed the star monster rectangle food?”, or “What about
the heart monster heart food?” This would allow me to be sure the students understood the concept
before beginning the activity.

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STEP Standard 6 - Analysis of Student Learning- Samantha Rerick

Post-Test Data: Whole Class - Once you have assessed your students’ learning on the topic, collect and
analyze the post-test data to determine the effectiveness of your instruction and assessment.
Number of Students Number of Students
Pre-Test Post-Test

Exceeds 2 3

Meets 2 7

Approaches 6 1

Falls Far Below 3 2

Post-Test Analysis: Whole Class

Based on my analysis of the whole class post-data test, my interpretation is that all students
improved in their ability to identify and match shapes. Although two students were still testing in
the falls far below category, both of these students were able to match the shape with a similar
shape. The students did not test into the approaches category because they were unable to identify
the name of the shape, however, matching the shape was still improvement from the pre-test.

Based on the post-assessment data, I believe my instruction was effective for the students. Each
student in the classroom was provided a unique way of learning this unit that I felt would best
allow the student to learn. For example, the traditional learners in the classroom did not receive
much support or assistance while completing all of the activities within the unit, because they did
not appear to need support. However, many of the students on IEP's required a bit more assistance
during activities. For these students, I was sure to repeatedly ask the names of the shapes the
students were using during each activity. I continued this method while at recess, during center
time, and at snack. The students began stating "my cookie is a circle" as well as "my sandwich is
a square", this allowed me to understand the growth that was occurring.

Post-Assessment Analysis: Subgroup Selection

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 I chose to focus on the subgroup of students who are on Individual Education Plans because this
includes majority of the classroom. I believe the post assessment information for these students is
important for their upcoming IEP meetings, as many of these students had goals that included
identifying shapes.

Post-Assessment Data: Subgroup (Gender, ELL population, Gifted, students on IEPs or 504s, etc.)

Number of Students Number of Students

Pre-Test Post-Test

Exceeds 0 0

Meets 1 4

Approaches 4 2

Falls Far Below 3 2

Post-Assessment Analysis: Subgroup

After analyzing the post-data it was clear to me that many of the students in this subgroup were
able to learn and identify more shapes than they could prior to the unit. One of the students in this
subgroup was in the falls far below category during the pre-assessment. This student was able to
identify and match a circle, square, triangle, and heart during the post-assessment. In addition to
this student, a number of students who were in the meets category during the pre-assessment were
able to identify and match at least 5 shapes if not more during the post-assessment. This showed
that many of the students obtained growth in their ability to identify and match shapes during this
unit.

I found my instruction and assessments to be effective due to the amount of growth I saw during
the post-assessment. Almost all students in this category were able to improve their knowledge of
shapes and many of these students were able to meet their individualized goals relating to shapes
on their IEP’s. There are two students in this subgroup who are nonverbal and have a more severe
disability such as down syndrome. This would be the next subgroup I would work closely with.
To aid with this group of students understanding of objectives, I would use repetition of activities
to allow the students to feel comfortable with the activities they are participating in. During
centers and free time, I would work closely with these students to practice identifying the shapes.
During activities such as my post assessment, I will use hand over hand instruction to help the
student match the shapes until they are able to do so on their own.

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 Post-Assessment Data: Remainder of Class

Number of Students Number of Students

Pre-Test Post-Test
Exceeds 2 3

Meets 1 2

Approaches 2 0

Falls Far Below 0 0

Post-Assessment Analysis: Subgroup and Remainder of Class

I found this data to be similar to the analysis of the subgroups data. The rest of the class showed
growth in their ability to identify and match shapes. One student was able to identify and match 7
shapes during the pre-assessment and during the post-assessment the student was able to identify
and match all ten of the shapes. The two students in the approaches category during the pre-
assessment were able to identify and match 5-7 of the shapes in the post-assessment, when they
were only able to identify 3-4 at the beginning of the unit. All students in the remainder of the
class were able to reach the next category.

Because many of the students were able to identify at least half of the shapes and match the
shapes with similar shapes, I feel that it is time to introduce a new objective into the shapes unit. I
would begin introducing counting the sides of shapes as well as categorizing the shapes into
categories based on the number of sides on each shape. The new objectives would be, the student
is able to count the number of sides on each shape and the student is able to categorize different
shapes by the number of sides on each shape.

STEP Standard 7 – Reflecting on Instruction to Improve Student

Progress
Improved Practice Based on the Unit of Study
Based on the experience of developing and delivering your instructional unit, list three short-
term goals to improve specific areas of your teaching practice based on the unit of instruction
and describe your plan to reach each short-term goal.

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Short-Term Goal
1. I plan to gain a better understanding of I plan to interview my cooperating teacher
how to make accommodations for
students with special needs that allow
the students to work independently.
2. Incorporate more active learning
activities into my daily lesson plans.
3. Encourage communication skills
between the students.
© 2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
Plan to Reach the Goal (i.e., professional
development, research on the Internet,
observation of a veteran teacher, etc.)
and ask her how she finds so many different
ways to meet this goal in her classroom. In
addition, I am sure I could learn different
accommodation methods by searching on the
internet and reaching out to other special
needs teachers.
Researching the internet for different active
learning activities is a great way to find
creative lesson plans that allow for
movement. I have found many preschool
forums that include the links to different
movement songs that are linked to
curriculum and hope to continue to find
more.
I have quickly learned the importance of
encouraging students to communicate and
solve problems on their own. My
cooperating teacher is very good at
facilitating this and encouraging students to
talk to one another to solve their problems.
Listening and observing the different
methods she uses to make this happen in her
classroom would be beneficial for me.
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