Whole Group Analysis

Figure 2.1 displays the percentage scores that the students in Miss Ws class received on
my units pre assessment and post assessment. A copy of the pre assessment and post assessment
can be found in Appendix B of this teacher work sample.
The pre assessment requires the students to read a short letter from a student to a teacher
detailing the differences and similarities between middle school and elementary school. The
students are then required to complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the two topics.
This pre assessment is worth a total of 10 points. The students receive 4 points for being able to
list at least 4 items that are unique to middle school, and another 4 points for being able to
identify at least 4 items unique to elementary school. The students receive an additional 2 points
for listing at least 2 similarities between middle school and elementary school. If any student has
less than the required amount of items in any sections of the Venn diagram, then that student
receives 1 point for each item that they list. In order to receive a passing score, the students
must receive a score of 7 or above.
The post assessment asks the students to read various passages, and then answer a series
of comprehension, vocabulary, and revision questions. In order to answer questions 1-8 students
must read a short passage about coral reefs. These questions test the students reading
comprehension. Question 9 requires students to explain how the two types of people who visit
coral reefs are different. This question is worth 3 points. Students who are able to thoroughly
compare and contrast the two types of people who visit coral reefs, as well as support it with
details from the article receive a score of 3. Questions 10-14 are answered by reading a passage.
These questions test students ability to revise. The post assessment is worth a total of 16 points.
The students needed to receive a score of 12 or higher to pass the post assessment.

Figure 2.1:
*Green cells represent a passing score. *Red cells represent a failing score.*White: N/A
Student

Pre Assessment

Post Assessment

#
1
2
3
4
5

Score/10
5
4
5
5
7

Score/16
14
15
15
12
13

6
7
8
9
10
11
24
25
27
28

7
6
3
10
5
9
4
4
10
5

15
15
15
14
12
15
15

29

Student

Pre Assessment Score

Post Assessment Score

5
10
6
5
STUDENT MOVED

13
16
13
15
STUDENT MOVED

#
12
14
13
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

0
5
5
10
4
3
4
ABSENT
14
16

14
15
ABSENT
16
ABSENT
15
15

16

The results of my post assessment indicate that all students were able to pass the post
assessment. This suggests that all students were able to improve or strengthen their abilities to
compare and contrast.

Subgroup Analysis
Figure 2.2 displays the girls scores on the pretest. Out of the 7 girls in Miss Ws class, 3
of the girls were able to pass the pretest by receiving a score of 7 or above. 4 of the girls were
not able to pass the pretest. The girls average score on the pretest was 6/10 or 60%.

Girls' Pre Test Scores

S tude nt 4
S tude nt 22
S tude nt 15
S tude nt 11
S tude nt 9
S tude nt 6
S tude nts 2

Figure 2.3 displays the scores that the boys in Miss Ws class received on the pretest. 4
boys were able to pass the pretest by receiving a score of 7 (70%) or above. 17 boys were not
able to pass the pretest. The boys average score on the test was a 5/10, or 50%.

Boy's Pretest Scores

Student 29
Student 28
Student 27
Student 26
Student 25
Student 23
Student 21
Student 20
Student 19
Student 18
Student 17
Student 15
Student 14
Student 13
Student 11
Student 8
Student 6
Student 5
Student 3
Student 1
0

10

Girl's post test scores

S tude nt 4
S tu d e n t 2 2
S tu d e n t 1 5
S tu d e n t 1 1
S tude nt 9
S tude nt 6
S tu d e n ts 2

Figure 2.4
displays the girls scores on the post test. All of the girls were able to pass the post test.

The girls average score on the post test was 14/16, or 87.5%. This would be a passing score on
the test. This data comparison suggests that the girls were all able to increase their ability to
compare and contrast.

Boy's Post Test Scores

Student 29
Student 28
Student 27
Student 26
Student 25
Student 23
Student 21
Student 20
Student 19
Student 18
Student 17
Student 15
Student 14
Student 13
Student 11
Student 8
Student 6
Student 5
Student 3
Student 1
0

10

12

14

Figure 2.5 displays the boys scores on the post test. Student 25, 21, and 19 were absent when
the post test was administered. As with the girls, all of the boys that were present to take the post
test were able to pass it. The boys average score on the post test was 13/16, or 81.5%. This
would be a passing score. This data suggests that the boys were all also able to improve their
abilities to compare and contrast.

16

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Student 10
Pre Test

Student 17
Post Test

Student 21

Class Average Pre Test

Student 26

Class Average Post Test

Figure 2.6 compares the 4 IEP students scores with the classroom average. Student 21 was
absent on the day that the post test was administered. This graph shows that most of the IEP
students were able to meet, if not exceed, the classroom averages for the post test. This graph
also displays the significant gain that these students have made from their pretest to their
posttest. The two behavior students, 26 and 10, were able to receive a score higher than the class
average on the posttest. Student 17 made the most significant gain. This student received a score
of 0/10 on the pretest, and a score of 14/16 on the post test. This student has an IEP for
Aspergers, and he is very high-functioning.
Figure 2.7 compares a high ability learner (HAL) students scores to the class average. This
student, Student 14, was able to exceed the classs average score on both the pretest and the post
test. This student scored 10/10 on the pretest and 16/16 on the post test. This student is the only
student in the class that was able to receive a score of 100% on both the pre assessment and post

assessment.

Chart Title
Pre Test

Post Test
16

10.75

10

4.9

C l a s s Av e r a g e

S tude nt 24

How evidence from the assessments supports or contradicts pre assessment findings
From the pre assessment, I was able to determine that most students were not fluent in their
abilities to compare and contrast. Most of the students were unfamiliar about how to use a Venn
diagram to compare 2 subjects. Many students also had a difficult time identifying which
characteristics of a subject could be compared and contrasted.

The post assessment data suggests that all of my students were able to effectively compare and
contrast by the end of the week. All of my students were able to receive a passing score on the
post assessment. My students were presented with various opportunities to compare and contrast
different topics throughout the week, and I believe that this skill was achieved through much
practice.

Assessment Instruments
Throughout the week, I introduced my students to various formative assessments that required
them to compare and contrast between 2 subjects.
The first day of my unit, I had students read the main selection story in the Treasures reading
program titled At Home in the Coral Reef. While we read, we had to compare and contrast
different elements that can be found inside of a coral reef. The students had to record the
similarities and differences on a Venn diagram. During this first activity, I modeled various
compare and contrast strategies to my students. I also allowed the students to work together with
their tables to complete this assignment. This formative assessment was valid because it directly
relates to my lessons content objective, which is comparing and contrasting.
The next formative assessment that I used required students to complete a Venn diagram
comparing and contrasting a coral reef to a desert. For this activity, students were responsible for
not only filling out the Venn diagram on their worksheet, but also for contributing information to
the giant Venn diagram at the front of the room. The giant Venn diagram provided me with an
easy way to formally assess my students by reading what they wrote. I also provided each table
of students with a specific colored marker. This allowed to determine if one group of students
was contributing more than another group. This assessment was valid because is also related to
my content objective. This assessment also served as a link to background knowledge. In a
previous week, my students had researched a desert climate. Having the opportunity to compare

and contrast a desert climate to that of a coral reef provided my students with an ability to access
the information that they had previously learned about desert climates. Students were also able
to apply their first-hand experiences and knowledge because they live in a desert climate. This
activity also required students to access information from text. It is important for my students to
be able to read informational text and access information from it.
Towards the middle of the week, I had students compare and contrast Utahs present environment
to its past environment. This formative assessment provided my students with another
opportunity to become familiar with using a Venn diagram. As with the previous activity, the
students were responsible for completing both the Venn diagram on their personal handout, and
also contributing to the giant Venn diagram at the front of the room. Comparing Utahs present
environment to its past environment is also relevant and significant to my students because it
relates to their personal lives. All of these assessments assisted my students in becoming
prepared for the summative assessment at the end of the week.
Analysis of Student Learning
After teaching my unit, and analyzing the pre and post assessments, I can determine that
all of the students in Miss Ws class were able to significantly improve on their abilities to
compare and contrast (pre and post assessments can be found in Appendix B). For this analysis,
I have chosen to examine student 14, student 18 and student 24.
Student 14 is a high ability learner (HAL). He has been tested and identified as HAL,
and receives additional instruction from a HAL specialist every day. Student 14 was able to
correctly compare and contrast using a Venn diagram on the pre-assessment (Student work can
be found in Appendix C). The student was given a score of 10 points, or 100% on the preassessment. The student was able to read the passage on the pre-assessment, and identify 4
contrasting characteristics about middle school and elementary school, 2 common characteristics,
and complete the Venn diagram using that information.

Student 14 received a score of 15/16 on the post assessment. The student was able to
read the first passage (about visiting the coral reef) at the beginning of the assessment, highlight
important information, and answer the accompanying questions. The student was also able write
a comparing and contrasting piece on how the two types of people who visit the coral reef are
different. The only question on the post assessment that this student missed was question 10.
This question required reading a short passage, and making correct revisions. The student was
not able to identify that chedder was misspelled. Although this student did miss a question on
the post assessment, this data still suggests that Student 14 was able to achieve the learning
objective, and he was able to compare and contrast effectively.
The second student that I have chosen to analyze is Student 18. Student 18 is a struggling
learner. This student has difficulties with reading, writing, and with solving complex
mathematical computations, such as long division. This student comes from a home where
English is not the primary language that is spoken. This students primary language is Spanish,
but he has been tested out of the ESL program by demonstrating that he is adequately proficient
in English. This student has been referred to the special education department, and is currently
undergoing testing. The results of this testing will determine if this student is a good candidate
for receiving support from the special education department.
On the pre assessment, Student 18 received a score of 5/10. The student was able to read
the passage on the pre assessment, and identify some similarities between middle school and
elementary school. However, the student was not able to complete the Venn diagram correctly.
Rather than labelling each opposing section middle school and elementary school, the
student labeled each part same and different. The middle section of the Venn diagram was
also left blank. This students performance on the pre assessment suggests that he may have

been exposed to comparing and contrasting topics using a Venn diagram, but he definitely was
not confident in this process.
Student 18 scored 15/16 on the post assessment. The student was able to read the passage
about the coral reef, highlight important information, and correctly answer the 8 accompanying
questions. The student was also able to write and compare and contrast the different visitors of a
coral reef. The only question that the student missed on the post assessment was question 13.
This question required the student to read a short passage, and then determine the best way to
combine the 4th and 5th sentence. The data from Student 18s pre and post assessments greatly
suggest that this student was able to improve on their abilities to compare and contrast.
The last student that I have chosen to analyze is Student 25. This student is a struggling
learner. Student 25 has difficulties with comprehension and writing throughout various subjects.
This student has been referred to receive additional assistance from the special education
department, but his parents have chosen to opt this student out from receiving this assistance.
Student 25 received 3/10 on the pre assessment. The student was only able to identify 1
unique characteristic about middle school, 1 unique characteristic about elementary school, and 1
characteristic that both schools shared in common. Although this student was able to complete
the sections of the Venn diagram correctly, he was not able to provide an appropriate amount of
examples for each section.
Student 25 was absent on the date that the class completed the post assessment, so no
data is available for this section. However, on assignments that the students completed as part of
my unit, this student was able to appropriately complete a Venn diagram comparing and
contrasting various topics (e.g., Utahs present climate vs. Utahs past climate, Deserts vs. Coral
reefs). These formative assessments suggest that this student was able to improve his ability to
compare and contrast.