Summative Year Long assessment
Diagnostic Reading Assessment
My school uses the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to assess student literacy growth. The DRA includes text level, letter identification, sight word, dictation, and emergent behaviors. At the start of the year, students are expected to be reading at a DRA level 6. By the end of the year, students are expected to be reading a level 16 text and know at least 50 of the 60 first grade sight words. I administer the DRA assessment three times a year, in October, January, and May. These formal assessments allow me to track student growth and identify students who are not making sufficient progress towards our end of the year goal. I track this data in a data tracker throughout the year. This allows me to calculate growth and class averages. I make this data accessible to students through my reading growth wall. At the three assessment times, we move their popsicle stick to the pot that matches their reading level. This inspires students as they are able to see a physical representation of their growth, and excites them as they strive towards the 16 pot, indicating they are reading on grade-level.
Tracking student text level allows me to assess common core standard RF.1.4, "Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension." Tracking student emergent behaviors allows me to assess student mastery of common core standard RF.1.1, "Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print." Testing three times a year monitors student growth throughout the year and identifies students who are or are not making adequate growth. This data informs the lessons I create and teach in the classroom. The DRA indicates what score are considered on grade-level. This helps me compare my students scores with what is average and expected of all first-grade students. The information I gather through the DRA is helpful when creating guided reading groups, selecting reading materials, an determining what instructional strategies to use to target areas of growth.
The data shown here is from the 2018-2019 academic year. It shows student growth in sight word knowledge and text level throughout the three assessment periods. My students made an average growth of 31 sight words, and an average increase of 8 text levels. This assessment allowed me to track which of my students were below, on, and above grade level with their reading scores. At the start of the year, 39% of my students were on or above grade level for the beginning of the year. By the end of the year, 89% of my students were on or above grade level for the end of the year.
The data shown here is from the 2019-2020 academic year. It shows that as of the October testing period, all 21 of my students were reading below grade level. It also shows that of the 54 lowercase and capital letters, my students were, on average, able to successfully identify 36. It also shows that students know on average 5 first grade sight words. This beginning of the year data is important to understand where my students are coming from. It also shows that my class this year has a drastically different starting point than my studnets last year and as such will need drastically different supports.
I use the diagnostic data gathered at the beginning of the year to create small groups for guided reading instruction. My goal is to have no more than six students in each group to ensure each student is able to have the attention and support they need. At the start of this year, I had six students test at a DRA level zero, three students test at a level one, seven students test at a level two, five students test at a level three, and one student test at a level four. I created my reading groups based on this. The six students that tested at DRA zero are in the yellow group. The three students who tested level one are in the red group along with the three students that tested a level two but knew less than 50 letters. The remaining four students who tested level two are in the green group along with one student who tested a level three but only successfully identified 49 letters and three sight words. The remaining four students who tested level three are in the blue group with the one student who tested at a DRA level four. Organizing the reading groups in this way ensures I am able to target skills that are appropriate and relevant for all students in the group.
The chart shown here shows how students rotate through centers during the guided reading portion of the day.
The picture here shows a student moving her popsicle stick from the level three bucket to the level four bucket. As she makes growth, she will continue to move her stick to help her see and conceptualize how much she has grown. When we set text level goals during guided reading, I am also able to show students which bucket they want their popsicle stick to get to. This helps make the goal seem more concrete and achieveable.
Year Long Goal Setting
I use goal setting to engage students in their learning and inspire them to work towards something tangible. I set goals with my students based on what they are currently able to do and what they are capable of achieving. The lowest of my reading groups has goals based on knowing letter names and sounds, the higher three groups have goals based on sight word knowledge. I work with my students to discuss academic and socio-emotional goals they want to set for themselves for the year. I then ask students what action steps they will take to achieve these goals. This helps them not only take responsibility for their own goals, but also helps the goals seem more achievable. I keep these goals in a binder that I can reference with students to remind them of their goals and the action steps they decided for themselves
Taking time to think about our goals for the year helps my students get even more excited for all they are going to learn in first grade. Usher and Kober argue that setting goals helps consciously articulate subconscious desires (2012). My students’ goals helped me better understand their expectations for themselves, as well get to know them better as individuals. I asked three questions in my student interview: how do you want your brain to grow? How do you want your heart to grow? What can you do to help your brain and heart grow in those ways? These questions were simple enough that my students were able to fully understand what was being asked of them, but still allowed for thoughtful and honest reflection. Elias discusses the importance of framing goals as “virtues” to ensure they are positive and focused on personal traits. I want my students to consider their academic growth as well as personal virtues. By asking for two goals, one for the brain, one for the heart, I am able to extend Elias’ idea to be applicable and age-appropriate for my students (Elias, 2013). Too often, schools exclude the emotional growth of students when tracking progress. I want my students to be aware, not only how their academic capabilities are growing, but also how they have become more thoughtful and empathetic members of our community during the year. I can then assess their growth in both areas and use their goals as the basis of our discussion on progress.
This student came to my class reading above grade-level, and has a strong understanding of foundational math skills. This students was aware of his scores, and as such has an increased sense of competence and motivation. This is in alignment with Usher and Kober’s reflection on assessment, as the two traits are closely related (2012). His academic goal was focused on improving a skill he had already made progress towards mastering. HIs socio-emotional goal is also based on skills he already has a foundation of. He selected action steps that he found practical and effective.
This student began the year reading below grade-level and lacking many of the foundational skills we build on in first grade. His goals reflect this in that he was striving to master the foundational skills of knowing his letters and number from 1 -120. His socio-emotional goal was to "be brave." in order to achieve this he set his action steps making mistakes as well as being kind. These action steps helped him work towards developing a responsible risk-taking habit of mind that can lead to a growth mindset and greater acadmeic growth.
Year Long Celebrations
I work with my students to create DRA text level goals. I track student reading growth with an engaging data tracker wall. Students are able to physically move their popsicle stick to indicate their knowledge growth. This gives students a physical representation of their learning and growth. Throughout the year, we celebrate growth by moving the students popsicle stick to the next leveled bucket on our reading growth wall. Students move their own stick so they are able to take ownership over all of their hard work. I create a certificate for students to take home with them, as well as take a picture of them with their certificate. I send this picture home as a souvenir of all the growth they have made in first grade. This helps include their families on the celebration as they are able to display the picture and the certificate to continue to celebrate students' hard work at home. We also celebrate growth students have demonstrated through the formative assessments I administer during whole group and small group each quarter with an awards ceremony.
The picture shown here is of a student holding her reading certificate at the end of the year. The certificate states that she grew from reading a text level 10 to a text level 40. This significant growth, worthy of celebration, was shown on the certificate that was sent home. This growth was also displayed on the reading growth wall seen behind her. I use this time as an opportunity to also reflect on the action steps students set for themselves at the beginning of the year. We review which action steps they practiced throughout the year and connect that to the growth they now see they have made.
Throughout the year, I celebrate the progress students continue to make with an awards ceremony in my classroom. Each quarter, the twelve students who have shown the most persistence or growth in a certain area of learning receives an award. I invite these students' families to come to our class and celebrate their child's hard work. This ceremony allows students to celebrate their learning as well as include families to share in the joy of learning. The presentation shown here is projected at the front of the room. The whole class offers a collective cheer after each student recieves their award. This creates a supportive learning environment.
References
Elias, M. (2013). Back to School: Goal setting with you students. Retrieve from www.edutopia.org.
Usher, A. & Kober, N. (2012). Student motivation – an overlooked piece of school reform. Retrieved from www.cep-dc.org.