Slice of Life: Analyzing Student Writing Data

 

I’ve been trying to use more data in my analysis of my classroom instruction. I’m not obsessed with the numbers, but I have been convinced that the use of data can help me think about how to bring my students along. I suppose this idea has its roots in the vast amounts of numbers now being provided by our state from our standardized testing. That information has been helpful in identifying overall weaknesses of our school and that has helped me make some shifts towards open response, non-fiction reading and more.

This year, our principal asked our team of teachers (our Community of Practice) to set an ELA goal early in the year. We decided that our goal would be around open response writing to reading, which is something I have been doing yeoman’s work around this year and last year with my students. I see the difference in the quality of their writing. Anyway, our goal was that 80 percent of our sixth graders would be “meeting the standard” of our open response rubric by January. (The “meeting the standard” is connected to our standards-based reporting.) I’ve been keeping charts of how all of my students have been doing as a way to document their growth.

 
Literature Open Response Sept11
In September, after administering an open response question to some literature, this is what the numbers looked like.  You can see that only 7 percent of my sixth graders were where we needed them to be. Many were in the “progressing” stage, which is what one would expect at the start of the year. What the numbers don’t show is that the writing across the board was pretty weak. They had trouble with using evidence to support their answers, with showing connections in the text, and with using critical thinking skills for analysis.

 
Japanese Paper Houses dec11
In December, that gap began to close. Notice in this next diagram how the shift began to move from various sections, upward. That was a good trend. But we were still far away from our January goal.

 
China Warrior Open Response march12
Two weeks ago, they were given another open response assessment. On one hand, we’re nowhere near our goal of 80 percent in the Meeting category, and I am wonder if that was even a realistic goal for us. On the other hand, notice how few students there are now in the lower bracket — the Beginning to Understand category — which is where our struggling writers have often found themselves. We’ve worked hard on graphic organizing and structure, and that is paying off for a lot of kids. And there is a slight shift from Progressing into Meeting, just not nearly enough.

So yesterday, I began to ponder my own roles. Am I being consistent with my scoring from September through the present? (I think so). What does it mean if not everyone “meets” the sixth grade standard around writing? What else can I be doing to support the development of my students as writers and thinkers? I think, as teachers, this kind of internal inquiry never ends. I feel like I am in a constant state of trying to make my approach more effective and more engaging for my students.

Peace (in the sharing of the data),
Kevin

11 Comments
  1. Writing is so hard to evaluate…

    I do find that my standards increase over the year, so that I often frustrate myself. When I think of “meeting my expectations” (I’m an accelerated teacher, so my students generally are at the grade level benchmark already, I’m just trying to move them on)… what do I mean?

    I sometimes have to go back and look at their writing from the beginning of the year, just to prove to myself that they have made excellent progress..

    I also worry sometimes – in elementary school – if our expectations are beyond realism. Writing is thinking, and so many kids in the early grades (even third-fifth) haven’t made the cognitive leaps they require to have “excellent” writing. Is this something we CAN teach? Or just nudge into the next level of development? At what point can we expect, justifiably, all students to have that depth of thought?

  2. I remember you writing about this before. I think it is worth noting that you have made incredible progress this year. Being aware of this specific goal and working at tweaking your instruction to improve outcomes this year will give you plenty to consider for laying out your instruction for next year. I haven’t done this before, but I like it and will attempt it next year.

    • yea — I keep thinking about it.
      In the end, though, my kids are more than numbers and data, and I know that.
      But I use the numbers as a sort of gauge.
      Kevin

  3. numbers, children, learning,
    caring, working, teaching,
    You teach,
    they absorb.
    I wonder if some brains are just not ready?
    What I do know.
    They have a teacher who really cares.
    Oh, I read some of your comics, and you don’t need to hire someone else to draw 🙂 Keep on drawing.

  4. Though I don’t love having to track data for just data-purposes I really like the goal your team has set, and how you’re tracking it. I know that my students are also weak in the areas of expanding answers and giving specific evidence to support those answers. This would be a good data point for me to tackle. Thanks so much for sharing.

  5. First congratulations! I think you and your kids have lots to be proud of. Your numbers show amazing growth. I think when you compare your numbers with other team members. You will all see growth. You will also be able to more objectively assess your goals as teachers.

    How do your your goals line up with your children’s development. I like your analogy of “moving target”. When I look at your data I see lots of learning going on. It will be interesting to see the end of the year results.

  6. They are all moving targets, but what helps me is thinking of individual students. Did that student improve from where they started the year? Sometimes they arrive in our room so far behind that we can’t make up the gap. I think you data shows you students are writing, learning, and progressing. That’s fabulous!

  7. I agree with Kristi. Look at the individuals. Some may have gone from point A to point B while others had a much wider gap to fill. Reflection is a good and wonderful thing, but I am personally getting tired of hearing about “data driven instruction.” Let’s try some kid’s needs driven instruction.

    • Of course, I do that (work on the individual level) but the wider lens allows me to see if the classes are moving in the right direction, Margaret and Kristi. To be honest, I am still trying to figure out what information is useful for this kind of analysis, so I appreciated your thoughts.
      Kevin

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