Lansing+Schools

=**Lansing School District--Group 2 Questions**= 1. In Grade 3, 42.3 % of students "did not meet Michigan standards", in writing. This is the highest percentage of "not met" for Grade 3, as it nearly tripled the results of 11.6 % in math and 15% in reading. What are the factors leading up to this high percentage of students not meeting the standards in writing? Are the expectations too high for Grade 3, should they even be tested in writing at this level?

2. In 2008, science is only tested twice for Grade 5 and Grade 8. In Grade 5, 23.7 % of students "did not meet Michigan standards", and in Grade 8 50.4% of students "did not meet Michigan standards". The number "not met" nearly doubled from Grade 5 to Grade 8. Why is there such a gap between the years when the students are tested in science? Why is this core subject not being tested in all grades?

3. Is there a different grading scale between Elementary/Middle School and High School for the writing pieces on standardized assessments? Why is it that almost HALF of the students in the lower grades are considered proficient, yet only a quarter of the high school students are? What changes in the student? In the teaching? In the expectations? In the attitude?

4. On the High School MME test, 327 out of 605 (54%) kids were considered "Level 4: Not Proficient." While looking at the MEAP scores Grades 3-8, we also noticed that the scores on math proficiency were as follows: Grade 3: 0.1% at Level 4, Grade 4: 2% at Level 4, Grade 5: 5.4% at Level 4, Grade 6: 6.6% at Level 4, Grade 7: 5.6% at Level 4, and Grade 8: 16.3% at Level 4. How is it that the children's proficiency can drop so drastically between the elementary grades and the high school grades? Are the concepts being tested at the lower level too easy? Or are the assessments at the high school level too extensive? Is it something else altogether? This is a huge discretion between math grades at the elementary level and high school level.

5. Looking at the MEAP scores for grades 3-8, the reading scores for Level 4: Not Proficient were as follows: Grade 3: 0.7%, Grade 4: 3.9%, Grade 5: 5.4%, Grade 6: 12.2%, Grade 7: 19.4%, Grade 8: 18%. On the High School MME test, 157 out of 610 (26%) scored at a Level 4. The Level 4 not proficiency scores increase from grade level to grade level with the largest percents being in grades 6 on. What steps can teachers take to improve the test scores? How can they use the data to guide their teaching? Why are the scores decreasing? Is reading not a high priority in the secondary grades?

6. Looking at the High School MME test, 172 out of 607 (28%) had NOT MET expectations in social studies, in comparison to 70% NOT MET in math, 57% NOT MET in reading, 67% NOT MET in science, 78% NOT MET in writing, and 67% NOT MET in ELA. Why are the scores better in social studies than any other subject? Is there a higher emphasis for success in social studies as opposed to other subjects? Are there differences in teaching styles? Do the children generally enjoy social studies more than other subjects?

7. On the High School MME test, 57% of students were partially proficient in writing and 46% of the students were partially proficient in English Language Arts. These scores may or may not represent a correlation between what the children are learning in their classes and then transferring over to their writing. How can we make sure that our children are grasping all of the important concepts in grammar and understanding what it means to be a good writer? How do we help our students realize that writing is one of the most important keys to their success?

=
8. Looking at the science MEAP scores, the scores for MET or EXCEEDED were as follows: Grade 5: 76.3%, and Grade 8: 49.6%. On the High School MME test, 33% of students MET or EXCEEDED in science. Why are the scores decreasing as students get older? Is the content material getting too extensive for students to grasp? Are there any programs that teachers could implement into their classrooms to increase proficiency levels?======

9. On the High School MME test, the scores for Level 1: Advanced were as follows: Math: 3%, Reading: 1%, Science: 2%, Social Studies: 24%, Writing: 1%, ELA: 0%. Why are students significantly higher in social studies than any other subject? Does the social studies test have less content? Is the social studies test easier than other subject area tests? With such high scores in social studies, does the district offer a gifted and talented program?

10. The High School MME test shows an increase in the number of students who are labeled "Advanced" in their proficiency in the subject area of science over the course of two years. In 2007, not even one percent of the students were considered Advanced in their knowledge. By 2009, over 3% of the students were considered Advanced. Although the numbers may not look like a huge jump, this is progress that the district should use to move forward. What caused this increase in understanding? Were the students more engaged? Is there something else that could have helped the scores increase over those two years, even while enrollment decreased?

=**Lansing School District--Group 2 Data Analysis**= 1. At a statewide glance, the number of students increasing their proficiency in writing is increasing. With regards to writing in the 3rd grade, 11% were not meeting Michigan standards, in 2007 6% were not meeting Michigan standards, and in 2008 4% were not meeting Michigan standards. With these statistics in mind, there is a upward movement of progress. In the Lansing school district in particular, these results are far from similar. Again, with regards to writing in 3rd grade, 48.8% were not meeting Michigan standards, in 2007 50.1% (increase in students) not meeting Michigan standards, and in 2008 42.% were not meeting Michigan standards. At a statewide glance compared to the Lansing school district, the number of students not meeting Michigan standards in Lansing is extremely high. In 2008, the number did decrease, but it is still three times higher than the states expectations.

2. There are four core subjects: ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science. ELA is broken up into three categories; reading, writing, and listening. The consistent tests students are required by the state of Michigan are: ELA, Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Although Science is a core subject, it is not tested annually. "Since Social Studies and Science are not tested annually, the PLC calculation cannot be used for these subjects and student test scores are simply proficient or not proficient. The totals of students in each category of proficient or not proficient are divided by the total number of students tested to arrive at the percentage of students proficient in each subject area." Therefore science is only tested in the 5th and 8th grade.

3. Of course there is a different grading scale. The high school exam grading scale is much more extensive than for the elementary level. We have to increase our expectations as children grow up, that is mandatory for child improvement. The grading rubric are similar in the points awarded and the expectations, but there are many more factors which the high schoolers must take into consideration. It is important that we share these rubrics with our students and allow for them to see what they are being graded against. If at all possible, we should implement the same type of scoring rubric into our own classrooms. I think that we must also look at what is going on in the mind of a teenager compared to a youngster when we are instructing them in the area of writing. High schoolers have many more concerns at their age than the little kids do. We need to try to work our instruction around their concerns and their interests so that they can learn the basic concepts. It is only after that that they will be able to apply what they have learned to more difficult topics. You cannot only introduce things they will enjoy, but that is a great place to start!

4. We cannot say that the information is too easy or too extensive at either level. However, we as teachers, need to make sure that we are covering everything on both sides of the spectrum. We need to make sure that we are pushing our children to further their understandings of all math concepts in hopes that they will then be able to understand any mathematics problem that is presented to them.

5. We can not state that reading is more important in elementary as opposed to secondary schools, however, children are constantly being pushed in the younger years to read as much as possible. The main subject of high emphasis in an elementary setting is always reading. There is usually a time during the day where students have “DEAR” time (Drop everything and read) in the elementary classroom. Teachers need to keep that same emphasis for secondary grades as well. We as teachers need to realize that reading is just as important in the secondary level. Perhaps secondary schools need to take the same approach as elementary schools and implement a set DEAR time during the day. We as teachers also need to take the test scores we receive and modify our teaching styles. Teachers need to experiment with different teaching approaches, and see what works in their classroom. Teachers need to do some research and find reading programs that could be utilized in the classroom. If the test data received back is negative, then teachers need to modify how they have been teaching the subject, because it apparently is not working.

6. We do not know whether children enjoy the concentration of social studies seemingly better than the other core subject areas. Teaching styles as well as content material would need to be examined to research the complexity of the subject knowledge being taught and processed in the classroom. Educators would need to research the emphasis on the teaching of social studies at the high school level. Observation of students and educators alike could be conducted in the classroom to determine the delivery and reception of the social studies content knowledge.

7. It appears that writing and language arts follow the same learning curve. The gap between writing and language arts seem to close at the high school level. It looks as if writing has been more concentrated on in the classroom learning environment. The school district would need to research how each of the content areas are being expressed and taught in the classroom. Research as to the correlation of teaching writing and language arts in the same class or separating the areas into different classroom instruction needs to be determined as to what the most effective delivery of teaching would be.

8. The Lansing School District needs to sit down across grade levels and make sure that their curriculum is being followed from the earliest of elementary years all the way through all four years of high school. They need to make sure that all of the major concepts of each area of science are not only being introduced and developed, but that they are being mastered by the children as well. They need to check and double check for student understanding in hopes of increasing their science scores across the board. Children tend to enjoy science in the early years, but as the concepts become more difficult, they tend to get frustrated. They need to make sure that the students are focused on the learning and enjoy what they are doing.

9. The school district needs to analyze the content and criteria for the concepts of social studies being taught. The school district also needs to investigate the classroom teaching instruction to see how and what areas of social studies are being taught in the classroom. An investigation into "teaching to the test" could be conducted to determine the high scores for students resulting in this subject area. The content as well as content instruction could be more readily related to the students in their everyday life This type of classroom connection could result in the student's want to learn in the area of social studies.

10. Prior knowledge has a large impact with regards to processing new information. It is easier to assess a student when they have a wealth of information. "Testing yearly gives students a broader understanding of their strengths and weaknesses". This is used in favor of students and teachers. For one, teachers can focus their attention where theses strengths and weakness lie. Teachers are working with both enabling the student to succeed. Students on the other hand recognize the format of the test throughout the years and can focus their attention on their strengths and weaknesses are well. The results of the MEAP are quite extensive and pinpoint each area of that test. Science scores are increasing as well as other core subjects - reading, writing, and mathematics. Teachers and students are facing the specific challenges of each test presents and conquering them subject at a time.

=**Lansing School District--Group 2 Recommendations**= 1. To improve students scores in writing, I propose two options. One, I think teachers should share with parents the rubric in which the writing portion in graded. As teachers we know what the students will be required to do on the test. Assuming all teachers are aware of these factors:

• The Writing from Knowledge and Experience prompt is scored holistically using a six-point writing rubric. • The Peer Response to the Student Writing Sample is scored based upon a four-point writing rubric. • The scores earned on the above two constructed response items are added together, contributing up to 10 of the 23 possible points of a student’s overall writing score. • The remaining third of the writing test is comprised of 13 multiple-choice writing items, each worth one point. • For writing, the four performance levels (e.g., Advanced, Proficient, etc.) are set on the total of 23 possible points.

I think that teachers should share this information with parents enabling them to assist their child in hopes for a higher test score. Another option worth considering is not testing 3rd grade in writing until 4th grade. With the maturity and knowledge of another grade level, students should score higher from their experiences. I suggest that 3rd grade students should be tested in science or social studies in place of writing.

2. I suggest testing students in all grade levels in science. With the increase of students not proficient in science in grade 5 and then in grade 8, I think more testing would increase their proficiency in science. There is a lack of time and focus on this core subject. Core subjects need to be tested in each grade. ELA should combine reading and writing to eliminate the testing in both subjects. One test should be adequate in assessing student knowledge. Again, with testing more frequently in this core subject, there should be a decrease in the number of students not proficient. There should be more time spent on the core subjects!

3. We can look at the scoring rubric for a persuasive essay the Michigan Department of Education website. This rubric is for the MME test. [] It shows what they look for when they are assessing student writing. We realize that there is a key word "Persuasive" in the rubric title. It helps us to know that we need to teach our children about persuasive writing. Not only must this happen at the high school level, but we can also begin learning this style of writing in the elementary grades. We can introduce it as a way in which to make someone want to buy something you are selling. The children have a great understanding of commercials and advertisements at that age. From there they will have a foundation on which to build their learning. As for the MEAP assessment, a scoring rubric can be found here: [] The teachers can begin to use this same rubric with their students' writing and share the rubric with parents at home as well so that they are familiar with the content and standards that are expected to be met on varying testing levels.

4. The school district should go to the Michigan Department of Education website and look at the information provided for the MME test. Not only should the high school teachers be looking at this information, but even the middle school teachers should know what these 11th graders are going to be tested on so that they can create the foundation for their students. In the same respect, even the elementary teachers should be aware of what is coming. They may not be able to teach the concepts, but maybe they can teach the format of the test and get children used to taking tests in which they need to fill in bubbles. []

5. The school district should reevaluate the decline in reading proficiency and launch reading incentives school wide. BookIt! programs could be established from grades Kindergarten through Sixth grade. This program offers a free pizza incentive to children that read a set amount of books for the months of March and April. The school district could also feature guest readers or special authors to read to the whole school district throughout the year. Focusing on the importance of reading in the classroom as well as in the home would help to increase reading proficiency at the high school level. Grade level reading challenges could be presented at the high school level to encourage school wide participation in result of student wants and awards. [] []

6. The school district could conduct a student survey to research and analyze the positive reception to the content of social studies being taught. The school district could also pull the list of students that did well in social studies and match it to the same list of students that did poor in math. The school district could then interview these students to see the direct reason to the difference in scores between the two assessment scores. []

7. At the high school level, educators must teach and focus on the foundations and the elements of successful writing and English language arts techniques in the classroom. Educators need to then tie the importance into the application of the worldly success of people in correlation to language arts and writing. Connecting the concept outside the classroom could help students to view grammar and writing as successful tools that enhance a person's repertoire. Educators could also connect grammar and writing to technology know how of report crafting and editing, PowerPoint presentations, email, etc.

8. At this point, it is important for the district to implement some type of curriculum mapping program where the teachers will be able to hold each other accountable for what is being learned in the classroom. It is only then that they can actually make sure that the children are learning what they are supposed to be learning each year. As they begin to map their curriculum, they may come across areas where they need to "beef up" their instruction so that some of the concepts that are being brushed by can be taught more thoroughly. Implementing some type of mapping program would help them see the struggles across all the areas of curriculum, not only science.

9. The school district could hire assessment consultants to view the questions and content areas being addressed on the standardized test. Making sure that school wide cheating and answer sharing was avoided in this type of high score student testing. Teacher observations and interviews could be conducted to see how content delivery and instruction are being presented in a social studies class. The school district should monitor these types of methods to ensure proper instruction of social studies at the high school level.

10. It is important for the school district to look at this increase in a positive light. They must use the progress they have seen as a motivator for the students and teachers alike. They need to look to see if some type of change was made in the curriculum over those two years where they saw the greatest improvement in science test scores. They may want to see if there was a change in the textbook. Maybe they changed their textbook and found one that was presenting the data in a more interesting or fundamental way that the students were able to grasp the concepts better. Something caused these scores to improve over the two years and it is something they need to investigate and try to implement in other subject areas as well.