Raybuck JNT2 Needs Analysis 1

JNT2 Needs Analysis

Rachel Raybuck

Student ID: 01156191

Program Mentor: Janet Loy

Assessment Code: JNT2

April 25, 2019

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JNT2 Needs Analysis

Discussion of Instructional Problem

6th grade students in English Language Arts and Social Studies classes are consistently

performing below grade level when assessed on a 0-4 rubric scale for argumentative writing skills

as outlined by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). When students are given a variety of

thesis statements and asked to identify the strongest, they consistently have difficulting not only

identifying the strongest thesis, but also articulating what about each thesis statement makes it a

strong argument. When students are given an opportunity to write an argumentative thesis, they

consistently score below grade level standard (2 and below) at the 6th grade level. Additionally,

students are unable to use the TLQC (transition, lead, quote, citation) method when embedding

quotes and citations. Students struggle to provide the transition or lead portion of the quote

embedding process, and will have a quote in their argumentative papers that does not follow the

flow of the writing process as outlined by CCSS.

With instruction, changes in the desired state will include students being able to correctly

identify properly structured thesis statements as well as students having the ability to craft their

own properly structured thesis statements given an argumentative writing prompt. Additionally,

students will be able to use the TLQC (transition + lead + quote + citation) model to embed

quotes into their essays, and students will be able to provide commentary using sentence stems

that promote elaboration on the quotes they have embedded.

Contributing Factors to the Instructional Problem

Factors in the instructional setting that could contribute to this instructional problem

include not enough exposure to argumentative writing opportunities as well as incomplete

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assessment of student performance surrounding argumentative writing in order to tailor further

instruction to meet student needs and reach desired performance. When students encounter

argumentative writing, they may not be given enough time to process and engage with the

information and requirements, so their retention of the information may suffer. Additionally,

when students are assessed on argumentative writing, they are often not given enough feedback in

a timely manner to ensure that they understand their mistakes or misconceptions.

Comparison of Conditions

Currently students struggle to correctly identify effective thesis statements in an

instructional and performance setting. Ideally, students would be able to move from correctly

identifying a strong thesis statement 2/4 times to 4/4 times in an instructional and performance

setting. Students also are currently unable to format a thesis effectively without using personal

pronouns. They also are unable to identify important themes/main ideas and include them in their

thesis statements. By the end of the unit students should be able to write an effective thesis

statement that not only answers the argumentative prompt but also does not use personal

pronouns and correctly uses main ideas to backup their claim/thesis. When students use quotes as

evidence in their writing they currently just put a quote in their essays without any transitioning.

By the end of the instructional unit students should still be inserting a quote, but they will be able

to use the TLQC method (transition + lead + quote + citation) method for embedding the quote

correctly.

Current Conditions. ​ When students work on correctly identifying effective thesis

statements from a list of examples, they struggle to pick the strongest thesis statement. When

students do correctly identify the strongest thesis statement from a list, they are unable to

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articulate why the chosen thesis statement is stronger than the others. When students are working

on writing a thesis statement, they currently struggle with how to format the thesis as well as how

to include main ideas in the thesis statement. Students understand that a thesis statement is the

“road map” of their essay, and should show the reader what the arguments main points will be,

but they are unable to write a thesis that correctly includes a restatement of the question and the

main ideas of the argumentative essay as outlined in CCSS for the middle school level. Finally,

students are unable to correctly cite quotes in their argumentative essay using the TLQC method.

Instead of using this method, students will insert a quote into their essays randomly without any

transitioning between sentences or ideas.

Desired Condition. ​The desired condition includes students being able to identify a

strong thesis statement from a list 4/4 times in the instructional setting. Additionally, when given

an argumentative writing prompt students should be able to write an appropriate thesis statement

4/4 times in the instructional setting. The desired conditions also included students using the

TLQC method for embedding quotes into their writing 4/4 times in the instructional setting.

Data Collection Process

Discussion of Data Collection Instruments Used

Two types of data collection instruments were used in the needs analysis process. The first

type of data is quantitative data stemming from a previous argumentative writing assessment

(Table 1). This instrument was chosen because it will give clear evidence of student skills in

argumentative writing. Since they are assessed on standards from the CCSS in their writing

assignments, these results will show if students are or are not at standard for argumentative

writing, which would indicate whether or not instruction will be a solution to the problem. The

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goal of using this instrument is to answer questions about whether students are performing at

standard (and at grade level) in components of argumentative writing. While the standards

themselves came from the CCSS, the actual rubric used to assess student performance was

designed by me and can be viewed in Appendix A. This data when compared with the data in the

staff survey will provide a clear picture of whether instruction is a solution to this problem.

The second type of data came from a staff survey in which colleagues were asked

questions regarding student argumentative writing skills and areas for improvement (Table 2).

This data collection instrument was chosen because content experts (teachers) will be able to

provide feedback on factors influencing student performance The survey questions are designed

so my colleagues will be able to indicate the most important skills student need to write

successful argumentative thesis statements and essays. The questions and options for answering

will be included in Appendix B. This data when combined with student scores from our standards

based argumentative writing assessment will be used to determine if a lack of skills and

knowledge can be attributed to a need for further instruction.

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Table 1

Argumentative Writing Assessment Results Semester 2, 2019

Number of Students Scoring at each Rubric Level (sample size: 15)

Standard Assessed 0 1 2 3 4
Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue,
acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s)
from alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence
logically

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning

and relevant, accurate data and evidence

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create

cohesion and clarify the relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons,
and evidence

Cite specific textual evidence to support

analysis of primary and secondary
sources

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Table 2

Factors Influencing Student Performance

Respondent Number
Survey Question 1 2 3 4 5
Which components do you
believe are beneficial for
improving student
argumentative thesis
statement writing?

What do you think is the

biggest barrier to student
argumentative thesis
statement writing?

What skills do students

need to acquire in order to
increase their
argumentative writing
skills?

As an educator, what would

increase your ability to
improve students'
argumentative writing
skills?

Discussion of Sources of Data

The sources of my data are fellow social studies and english language arts teachers who

teach 6th grade. I asked them a variety of questions to see if their perception of student

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performance aligned with a need for instructional changes as well as their perception of the skills

students need to be successful in argumentative writing. Two of the people who completed the

survey teach 6th grade social studies, two teach english language arts, and one is our instructional

coach who also teaches 6th grade english language arts.

Data Gathered Through Other Sources

Student scores on a recent argumentative essay were also used. Students were assessed

using CCSS requirements for middle school argumentative writing on a 0-4 standards based

grading scale. They were assessed on four of the main CCSS requirements for argumentative

writing, which are further outlined in Table 1. The standards assessed were pulled directly from

CCSS, but the specific scoring was created by me when used with my students (Appendix A).

Process of Data Analysis

Data Analysis Techniques Used

Data from previous student argumentative essays was compiled from completed student

essays when scored based on CCSS requirements for middle school argumentative writing on the

0-4 standards based grading scale. Students were assessed in four areas of the CCSS that relate to

argumentative writing. Scores were input into an Excel document to calculate the number of

students who received each score and then were compiled into Table 1 represented below. Instead

of looking at each students responses individually, trends of scoring were compiled to gain insight

into the big picture of student performance across my classes. The amount of students who

received each score on the 0-4 scale is presented below to show overall trends of student

performance in argumentative writing.

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The data from the survey of my colleagues was analyzed through inputting results from

the Google Forms into Google Sheets. The amount of colleagues who selected a response to each

question were tallied and totalled at the end of the analysis to give insight into what factors

students believe influence student ability to write effective argumentative essays. When

comparing colleague responses, data was input into a table to give a clear view of which factors

my colleagues believe are most influential in student performance and to display overall trends in

the responses. Instead of showing each person’s responses to each question, percentages of each

option selected were included in the table to give a view of the overall trends of their feedback.

All options for responses are listed in Appendix B to show choices, but overall trends in

percentages were in the table for an easily accessible overview of the results.

Results of Analysis

The data collected in Table 1 gives a clear view of the current level of student

performance in regards to state standards. The first standard that was assessed in their previous

argumentative writing assignment was CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A (English

Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 6-8, 2019). This assesses whether students are able to

introduce claims (a thesis) about an argument and provide a logical progression of reasoning. The

data shows us that 80% of students (sample size 15) are below standard in this skillset, with 20%

of those students performing at a level one on the 0-4 standards based grading scale.

The second standard that was assessed is CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B in

which students are evaluated on their ability to support their thesis statements/claims with

evidence that is accurate and relevant (English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 6-8,

2019). The data for this evaluation criteria shows that 66% of students are at a 2 (approaching

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standard) for this skill, while 33% of students are at standard. This shows that students are able to

find main ideas from different texts to support their thesis/claims but are struggling with the

format of the thesis statement itself.

The third standard that was assessed is CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.C where

students are expected to create cohesion among their arguments with appropriate transitioning and

phrasing (English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 6-8, 2019) . The evidence collected

here further proves my claim that students struggle to use the TLQC method to present their

evidence when writing argumentative essays. In Table 1 we can see that only 20% of students are

at standard with this skill, and the remaining 80% are either approaching or below standard.

The final standard that was assessed in this writing assignment was

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1. This standard assesses student ability to cite textual evidence

to support their claims (​English Language Arts Standards » History/Social Studies Grade 6-8).

As we can see in Table 1, 60% of students are approaching standard on this skill. While students

are able to find textual evidence or quotes that can support their main ideas, they struggle to

correctly cite the evidence within their papers using the TLQC method to create cohesive and

clear statements.

The data collected from my colleagues serves to corroborate that further instruction is

needed to increase student performance. My colleagues were surveyed on factors influencing

student performance on the same skill sets that were assessed in their previous argumentative

writing assignment. Of all my colleagues that responded to the survey (n=5), 100% agreed that

increased instructional time and increased feedback to students were key to increasing

performance and skills in argumentative writing. This shows that educators see a benefit in

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increasing instructional time as well as increasing the amount of feedback given to students in

order to refine their skills in argumentative writing.

The data also shows that 80% of my colleagues who were surveyed indicated that the

biggest barrier to student success in argumentative writing was lack of instructional time. This

data also serves to show that a lack of instructional time is seen by educators as a problem in

being able to implement effective instruction, which further indicates that increased instruction

and skill development may be necessary to solve this instructional problem.

Another point of interest from the analysis of my colleagues responses was that 100%

responded that an important skill for students to acquire in order to be successful argumentative

writers was the ability to support their claims with logical reasoning. As we can see in the data

analyzed in Table 1, students are currently only doing that successfully at a rate of 33%. If we

take those two ideas and compare them with our educators belief that instruction time is key to

student success, it can naturally follow that increased instructional time may in fact solve this

problem.

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Table 1

Argumentative Writing Assessment Results Semester 2, 2019

Number of Students Scoring at each Rubric Level (sample size: 15)

Standard Assessed 0 1 2 3 4
Introduce claim(s) about a topic 0 3 9 3 0
or issue, acknowledge and
distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims,
and organize the reasons and
evidence logically

Support claim(s) with logical 0 0 10 5 0

reasoning and relevant, accurate
data and evidence

Use words, phrases, and clauses 0 4 8 3 0

to create cohesion and clarify
the relationships among
claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence

Cite specific textual evidence to 0 2 9 4 0

support analysis of primary and
secondary sources

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Table 2

Factors Influencing Student Performance

Trends in the Data
Survey Question
Which components do you believe 100% of respondents cited increased
are beneficial for improving student instructional time and feedback to
students as important components
argumentative thesis statement
writing?

What do you think is the biggest
barrier to student argumentative
thesis statement writing?
80% stated lack of instructional time as
the biggest barrier
20% said lack of student practice time

What skills do students need to
acquire in order to increase their
argumentative writing skills?
100% said support claims with logical
reasoning
80% said acknowledge and distinguish
the claim(s) from alternate or opposing
claims

As an educator, what would increase 100% said increased instructional time

your ability to improve students'
argumentative writing skills?
and increased practice time for students
40% said more training in
argumentative writing instruction and
more materials geared toward
argumentative writing instructional
strategies

Needs Analysis Evaluation and Need for Instruction

In order to determine if further instruction is needed to support student development of

argumentative essay skills, a needs analysis was completed in which student scores in CCSS

argumentative writing standards were assessed and 6th grade teachers were surveyed to determine

what factors may be influencing student performance in argumentative writing. This needs

analysis was completed after it was noted that student argumentative skills, specifically in thesis

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identification, thesis writing, and embedding evidence were below standard on a 0-4 standards

based scale.

After analyzing the data above, we can see that the best next step to support students in

argumentative writing is more instruction and practice time. The data collected table one was

taken from one of my 6th grade social studies classes. These students recently completed an

argumentative writing assignment, and were assessed on the skills outlined in Table 1 using

standards directly from CCSS and using a 0-4 standards based rubric as the assessment tool. The

data from Table 1 shows that 80% of students are below or approaching standard in their ability to

introduce their thesis/claim in a way that shows logical progression and reasoning. This data also

shows that students struggle to provide evidence to back up a claim, and that 60% of students are

below or approaching standard on this skill. Another important trend in student skills is that 80%

of students are below or approaching standard at the ability to cite specific text evidence using

primary and secondary sources. Not only are students having difficulty finding evidence in the

text to support their ideas, but they also struggle to connect their thoughts to evidence from text

when it is present. As instructors we use the TLQC method to support proper embedding of text

evidence, and students were assessed on their ability to use this in these categories.

This data when combined with the results from the educator survey shows that the best

ways to improve student performance includes increased instructional time and practice time

within the instructional setting. We can see from the data gathered in Table 2 from educators that

the biggest factor that influences student performance is increased instruction time (100% of

respondents selected this option). Educators also echoed that increased student practice time and

providing feedback to students were important components of developing argumentative writing

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skills among students. With 80% of the responses citing lack of instructional time as the key

reason for current levels of student performance, we can see that educators believe the most

important factor in increasing student performance is to have increased instruction time.

When looking at current levels of student performance, we can see that over 50% of the

students assessed are consistently performing below or approaching standard on all categories

assessed. At this point in the year, it is expected that a higher percentage are at standard than the

numbers presented here. Combining these results with the opinions of fellow educators helps us

understand why student performance is not where it is expected at this time of year. Since 100%

of educators selected increased instructional time as the most important factor for increasing

student performance in argumentative writing, we can see there is a need for increased instruction

in the classroom setting to resolve the issues as outlined in the instructional problem.

Instructional Goal Statement

6th grade students in social studies and english language arts class will be able to correctly

identify a strong thesis, correctly write a thesis or claim of their own, and use the TLQC approach

to embedding evidence when given an argumentative writing prompt and appropriate texts to

support their claims and evidence.

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References

English Language Arts Standards » History/Social Studies » Grade 6-8. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/6-8/

English Language Arts Standards » Writing » Grade 6-8. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/WHST/6-8/

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Appendix A

Rubric for Student Performance in Argumentative Writing Assignment

Standard 0 1 2 3 4
Assessed

Introduce Insufficient Thesis is either Thesis is Thesis claim is Thesis/claim is

claim(s) about a evidence not present or somewhat clear, and follows clear and decisive.
topic or issue, does not unclear, 2 out of the 3 It follows the
acknowledge and introduce a question may ideas outlined in format of restating
distinguish the claim not be restated the requirements the question,
claim(s) from or position may for a score of a 4 taking a position,
alternate or not be taken. and then
opposing claims, Main ideas are providing the
and organize the either not main ideas of the
reasons and included or not essay
evidence logically relevent

Support claim(s) Insufficient Claim is Claims are Claims are Claims are
with logical evidence supported supported with supported with supported with
reasoning and illogically or ideas, but they main ideas, but strong main ideas
relevant, accurate not at all are unclear or may not connect that directly
data and evidence do not connect directly to the connect to the
to the text texts sources that were
used

Use words, Insufficient Essay lacks Essay has parts Response has an Response has
phrases, and evidence transition that lack organization that clear
clauses to create words and transitions or is easy to follow organizational
cohesion and phrases and is have awkward and uses language structure and
clarify the difficult to phrasing, some to create a precise language
relationships follow. lines of thought cohesive essay to create a
among claim(s), Relationship are difficult to cohesive essay
counterclaims, among ideas is follow
reasons, and not evident or
evidence does not exist

Cite specific Insufficient Essay does not Essay cites text Essay cites text Essay cites
textual evidence evidence cite text evidence, but evidence using specific text
to support evidence, or may not always TLQC method to evidence using
analysis of does not use use the TLQC embed quotes that TLQC method to
primary and the TLQC method. Quotes show a embed quotes that
secondary sources method to cite do not always connection show a clear
support main between evidence connection
ideas and commentary between evidence
and main ideas

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Appendix B

Survey Questions and Response Options for Educators

Which components do you believe are beneficial for improving student argumentative thesis
statement writing? (select all that apply)
feedback to students
increased instructional time
increased student practice time
more relevant materials for students to use

What do you think is the biggest barrier to student argumentative thesis statement writing?
lack of feedback to students
lack of instructional time
lack of student practice time

What skills do students need to acquire in order to increase their argumentative writing
skills? (check all that apply)
Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue
Acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion
Organize reasons and evidence logically

As an educator, what would increase your ability to improve students' argumentative

writing skills? (check all that apply)
increased instructional time
increased student practice time
more training in argumentative writing instruction
more materials geared toward argumentative writing instructional strategies

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