Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Implementing Success Tracker
Hi All! I am curious to hear how everyone/anyone is implementing Success Tracker. I have given the beginning of year tests to a few students, then used the data to find common weaknesses. I am in the process now of creating problems from my list of common weaknesses to use as Do Nows when my Basic Skills students arrive. This way I can use a "spiral" approach to some of the trouble spots. In addition, some of the online interventions assigned to the students after they take the test, are valuable. However, as mentioned at yesterday's meeting, some are very rote and may not be useful. Please comment if you are using Success Tracker in a different way. I would love to hear other ideas!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Wow! I am very interested in your experience with the Success Tracker, Jan. This blog was a great idea! What a fast and easy way to share your experiences. Very helpful to me so that I know what its quirks are. I guess with any technology it has its little issues. Thanks for your thoughts. Keep posting!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Success Tracker Gd. 4 Beginning of the Year Test
What I've noticed so far....
The printed version is different from the online version in the following ways:
-the online version has a place value question for question #1; this question is not included in the pdf version,
-question 5 in the online version includes the problem question, "What is 254 rounded to the nearest ten?" This question does not appear in the pdf version,
-question 16 in the online version shows an array of 4 x 9 squares; in the pdf version the squares are in groups of 9 but not arranged in an array. Instead they are in a straight line,
-question 29 in the online test shows the fractions in a equivalency grid, in the pdf version the fractions are just listed in rows on a grid.
So I'm using the online version!
The printed version is different from the online version in the following ways:
-the online version has a place value question for question #1; this question is not included in the pdf version,
-question 5 in the online version includes the problem question, "What is 254 rounded to the nearest ten?" This question does not appear in the pdf version,
-question 16 in the online version shows an array of 4 x 9 squares; in the pdf version the squares are in groups of 9 but not arranged in an array. Instead they are in a straight line,
-question 29 in the online test shows the fractions in a equivalency grid, in the pdf version the fractions are just listed in rows on a grid.
So I'm using the online version!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Success Tracker Information-Gd. 3
I began to assess some of my third grade students using the ST Gd. 3 Beginning of Year Test. As I previously reported, if you print the test instead of allowing students to take it on the computer, the formatting is different. The online formatting is more advantageous to the students, i.e. it gives them some hints.
After completing two students and looking at the reports that ST generated, I found some errors in the generated report. For example, one question asks students to state the next shape in a pattern of plane shapes; if a student errs, the report states that the student needs more work in relating plane shapes to 3D shapes, even though the question has nothing to do with this skill. Another question asks students to determine the missing number in the number sentence 7 + ___+8=17; if a students errs, the report states that the student needs more work on using data from pictures. But there are no pictures in this problem! So don't take the report verbatim without comparing the questions with the skill that ST assigns.
On the plus side, the Gd. 3 Beginning of the Year test clearly separates the kids who understand base 10 and regrouping from those who do not. And even though some of the students I'm assessing won't work in small groups with me, I can give the assessment information to the classroom teacher as a "heads up."
In terms of procedure, I read the test to the student to try to separate reading issues from math issues. I also sometimes ask students how they arrived at an answer or watch what procedures they use. If my observations give me additional information, I add my comments to the report after the student has completed the assessment.
I'll let you know if I find other problems. I will also be giving some Gd. 4 students the Gd. 4 Beginning of the Year Assessment and will post anything errors or benefits that I find.
After completing two students and looking at the reports that ST generated, I found some errors in the generated report. For example, one question asks students to state the next shape in a pattern of plane shapes; if a student errs, the report states that the student needs more work in relating plane shapes to 3D shapes, even though the question has nothing to do with this skill. Another question asks students to determine the missing number in the number sentence 7 + ___+8=17; if a students errs, the report states that the student needs more work on using data from pictures. But there are no pictures in this problem! So don't take the report verbatim without comparing the questions with the skill that ST assigns.
On the plus side, the Gd. 3 Beginning of the Year test clearly separates the kids who understand base 10 and regrouping from those who do not. And even though some of the students I'm assessing won't work in small groups with me, I can give the assessment information to the classroom teacher as a "heads up."
In terms of procedure, I read the test to the student to try to separate reading issues from math issues. I also sometimes ask students how they arrived at an answer or watch what procedures they use. If my observations give me additional information, I add my comments to the report after the student has completed the assessment.
I'll let you know if I find other problems. I will also be giving some Gd. 4 students the Gd. 4 Beginning of the Year Assessment and will post anything errors or benefits that I find.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Welcome to this blog!
During Tech Week in August, I decided to initiate a blog that would allow us to communicate with each other about our basic skills work in math.
If you're not entirely familiar with blogging (and believe me, I'm a novice!), it may seem a bit daunting. But when I remember the procedures, it's fairly simple.
The bigger question might be, why blog? Blogging will allow any of us to post an entry. Entries could be commentary or questions about our instructional practice, the curriculum, success stories, useful handouts, articles, even Math for All Kinds of Minds! Once an entry is posted, anyone registered in the blog can respond. Each "topic" (ie. initial posting) is linked to the responses to that topic with the responses listed from the most recent to the earliest. For example, suppose I were to ask a question about vertex-edge graphs that Karen then responded to--my question would have a link to Karen's response. Allison might read what Karen and I have both written and then write her own response to either or both of us. Now my question would be linked to both responses and Allison's response would be listed first and Karen's second. So it's like having a written conversation involving everyone registered in the blog. Our conversation might be read by other people, but only the people invited to register (who accept the invitation) will has access to adding entries or responses. You can see the list of participants in the blog itself.
Since this is NOT a confidential document, any student identities must not be revealed in any way. We need to discuss how we will handle that at one of our face-to-face meetings. In addition, I am willing to share what I "know" about logging on, registering, posting, etc.
And to save you the need to access the blog every day to see if there have been any new postings or responses, you can do an RSS. Basically this is a subscription to the blog that notifies you whenever there have been any new entries.
So sign on! We have 185 days ahead of us in which to support each other as we attempt to meet the needs of our students and improve our instructional effectiveness!
If you're not entirely familiar with blogging (and believe me, I'm a novice!), it may seem a bit daunting. But when I remember the procedures, it's fairly simple.
The bigger question might be, why blog? Blogging will allow any of us to post an entry. Entries could be commentary or questions about our instructional practice, the curriculum, success stories, useful handouts, articles, even Math for All Kinds of Minds! Once an entry is posted, anyone registered in the blog can respond. Each "topic" (ie. initial posting) is linked to the responses to that topic with the responses listed from the most recent to the earliest. For example, suppose I were to ask a question about vertex-edge graphs that Karen then responded to--my question would have a link to Karen's response. Allison might read what Karen and I have both written and then write her own response to either or both of us. Now my question would be linked to both responses and Allison's response would be listed first and Karen's second. So it's like having a written conversation involving everyone registered in the blog. Our conversation might be read by other people, but only the people invited to register (who accept the invitation) will has access to adding entries or responses. You can see the list of participants in the blog itself.
Since this is NOT a confidential document, any student identities must not be revealed in any way. We need to discuss how we will handle that at one of our face-to-face meetings. In addition, I am willing to share what I "know" about logging on, registering, posting, etc.
And to save you the need to access the blog every day to see if there have been any new postings or responses, you can do an RSS. Basically this is a subscription to the blog that notifies you whenever there have been any new entries.
So sign on! We have 185 days ahead of us in which to support each other as we attempt to meet the needs of our students and improve our instructional effectiveness!
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