Category 5: Education Research

Entry 11 Data Analysis of a Unit

The candidate seeks, analyzes, and uses research and data to make wise judgments about
curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

This entry will analyze the data from one specific unit taught during the student internship. The
candidate will complete data tables and subsequent questions in response to prompt 11. There
is no reflective essay for this entry, but reflective questions regarding data analysis at the end of
the data tables.

Examples of data that can be collected and examined prior to and after instruction include:
relevant standardized assessment data, student performance on previous tasks and units of
study, student self-assessment, teacher assessment of student readiness, student grasp of
essential concepts to be taught during the unit.

The goal of the analysis of this data is not to measure student understanding of low-level
identification items prior to instruction, but rather to anticipate and plan for student growth in
learning, comprehension, and higher-order thinking from instruction during the unit. Thus, pre-
and post- measurement should not be an automatic given, but rather a true measurement of
growth from the teaching of the student intern. The tables and presentation of data can be
modified from what is given below. The candidate should consult with the cooperating teacher,
university supervisor, and clinical instructor to identify relevant sources of useful information
for analysis.

Entry 11: Data Analysis Template

Pre-Assessment Data
Student Scores by Objective on the Pre Assessment
Student Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4
Pre- Students Students Students
assessment identify identify identify a
song has quarter eighth notes “Mystery
steady beat notes note”
1 3 3 3 2
2 3 3 3 2
3 3 3 3 2
4 3 3 2 1
5 2 3 2 2
 6 3 3 3 2
7 2 3 3 2
8 3 2 2 2
9 3 3 3 1
10 3 2 3 2
11 3 3 3 3
12 3 3 3 1
13 2 3 3 1
14 2 2 3 2
15 1 2 2 2
16 2 3 3 3
17 3 3 3 2
18 3 3 2 2
19 3 3 2 1
20 3 3 3 2
Focus A 3 3 3 1
Focus B 2 3 3 2

What do these data mean for instruction during the unit?

Some students will need continual reminders of keeping the steady beat and identifying quarter
and eighth notes as they continue on. All will need help identifying the “Mystery note” which is
the 16th note.

What do these data mean for instruction for the Focus Students
during the unit?
It proves the same point as above. Focus B will need reminders of what a quarter and an eighth
notes are to become successful at identifying and performing the 16th note correctly. Focus A
will need help performing the 16th note correctly.
Formative Assessment Data
Student Scores of Two Selected Formative Assessments
Student Formative 1 Formative 2
Students identify the 16th Students identify the 16th
note aurally note visually
1 3 3
2 2 3
3 2 2
4 2 3
5 3 2
6 2 3
7 1 3
8 2 2
9 2 2
10 3 3
11 2 3
12 3 3
13 2 1
14 3 1
15 2 3
16 2 2
17 1 2
18 3 3
19 3 2
20 3 2
Focus A 3 3
Focus B 1 3

How did the data from these formative assessments impact learning
during the unit?
The data from the first formative assessment showed me that most of the class was ready to
know what they 16th note looked like and not just what it sounded like. The first thing I needed
to know was “can they hear that there are four sounds in this beat.” And once they could it was
time to move on.
How did the data from these formative assessments impact Focus
Student Learning during the unit?
Although most of the class was ready to move on to formative assessment 2 Focus B wasn’t
which caused me to spend a little bit more time with that student 1 on 1 making sure they
understood how to hear the 16th note before seeing it. Focus A, on the other hand, represents
the masses, which was ready to move on to the Assessment 2 because they understood how a
16th note sounded.

Post-Assessment Data
Student Scores by Objective on the Post Assessment
Student Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4
Pre- Students Students Students
assessment identify identify identify 16th
song has quarter eighth notes notes
steady beat notes
1 3 3 3 3
2 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 2
4 3 3 2 2
5 2 3 2 3
6 3 3 3 3
7 3 3 3 3
8 3 3 2 3
9 3 3 3 2
10 3 2 3 3
11 3 3 3 3
12 3 3 3 3
13 2 3 3 3
14 3 3 3 2
15 3 2 2 3
16 2 3 3 3
17 3 3 3 2
 18 3 3 2 3
19 3 3 2 3
20 3 3 3 2
Focus A 3 3 3 3
Focus B 3 3 3 3

What does these data mean for learning during the unit?

It means that students were ready and prepared learn about the 16 th note. Although a few
struggled, the 5 lesson unit was enough to have most all students to grasp what a 16 th note
looked like and sounded like to be able to perform it consistently.

What does these data mean for learning for the Focus Students during
the unit?

It means that Focus B needed a little bit more 1 on 1 focus to understand the concepts taught.
Without the data, I would not have been able to identify the problem and just wondered what,
precisely, the student struggled with. Focus A one again represented what most of the class
was able to succeed in.

For future instruction, what have you learned about how students
learn and the efficacy of your instructional style? What would you
change, if anything?
I have learned that with the right pacing and instructional space I can teach almost anything to
anyone. I was helped greatly by my cooperating teacher to develop the pacing, especially to
teach this unit on 16th notes, that was effective, efficient, and enjoyable to work through. If
there was anything I would change about my teaching it would be how I collected data. I tried
writing everything down which just ended up taking up time and not helping me keep the
students attention on learning about music and not goofing around with friends. As the data
showed, almost all of the students understood the concept and performed it well by the end of
the unit. The ones who didn’t succeed, were given 1 on 1 attention and later succeeded with
the concept.