Edtpa Task 3

Early Childhood
Task 3: Assessment Commentary
TASK 3: ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 10 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within
the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. Attach the assessment you used to evaluate student performance (no more than 5 additional pages) to the end of this
file. If you submit evidence of learning, a student work sample, or feedback as a video or audio clip and you or your focus
students cannot be clearly heard, attach a transcription of the inaudible comments (no more than 2 additional pages) to the
end of this file. These pages do not count toward your page total.
1. Analyzing Children’s Learning

a. Identify the specific language and literacy learning objectives for the common
assessment you chose for analysis.
[RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative language such as metaphors, similes, and idioms.]
b. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes the class/group’s learning
for the common assessment.
c. Use the class/group summary you provided in prompt 1b to analyze the patterns of
language and literacy learning for the class/group.
[Every student demonstrated growth, as shown by the Pretest and Posttest columns on the
table above. Some students were absent and/or didn’t complete assignments, but every student
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Early Childhood
that took the posttest still showed growth regardless of the number of days missed or
assignments not turned in. There are 26 students total. There were 21 students who completed
all or all but one of the graded assessments in the table. There were 5 kids who missed 2 or
more assignments due to missing the class period or not turning in the assignment. Six of the
students go to Miss White, and these 6 students missed the first day of instruction due to this
pull out instructional time. The objective degree that was indicated in the lessons and in Task 1
were changed in lesson 3 to make them scorable. In Task 3, when I looked at what I would
change, I realized my objectives were not measurable, so I modified them to be measurable and
applicable to the amount of work students were capable of accomplishing in the time given. The
old and new objectives are below:
Lesson 2:
Original Objective: When an action is acted out, students will create at least 3 similes and 3
metaphors with 83% (5/6) accuracy. (ran out of time)
New Objective: When an action is acted out, students will create at least 2 similes and 2
metaphors with 75% (3/4) accuracy.
Lesson 3:
Original: When given the simile and metaphor practice page, students will complete the practice
page with 80% accuracy. (not measurable)
New Objective: When given the simile and metaphor practice page, students will complete the
practice page with 75% (6/8) accuracy.]
Pretest and Posttest

Pretest:
The pre and posttest are both out of 18 points and are the exact same test; the
questions have been mixed so they aren’t in the same order with the same answers. The first 8
points come from short answer. The student is given one sentence with a simile or metaphor in
the sentence. The student is then asked to underline the simile or metaphor and then write
whether the sentence contained a simile or metaphor. Each question in this section is worth 2
points. The next section consists of sentences where the student is asked the underline the
simile or metaphor and then circle the meaning of the simile or metaphor when given 3 choices.
This section is worth 8 points. The final section has the student create one simile and one
metaphor of their own. These were worth one point each. The highest grade from the pretest
was 15/18 and the lowest was a 0 for an average of 8.46. There was only one student who did
not take this pretest.
Posttest:
All students improved when comparing the pre and posttest, including the students who
missed instruction. The average score was 15.08. The highest score was 18/18 and the lowest
was 7/18 when looking at the people who took the summative assessment. One student did not
take the summative assessment, and I did not receive her makeup test. Six students didn’t
underline the simile or metaphor in the second section, automatically losing 4 points. There was
no correlation between students missing work and not underlining the simile or metaphor. Most
students forgot that was a part of the directions. Three more students began to underline and
then didn’t underline the rest of the similes and metaphors throughout the section.
Formatting Barriers
As I was grading the lessons, I realized that it was difficult to grade the short answers questions
in section one because I only gave them a sentence, and I expected them to underline just the
phrase that made it a simile or metaphor (“sweet as honey” or “is a beast”). Many students only
Early Childhood
underlined like or as, and many others underlined the entire sentence. I decided to count
students’ answers if they underlined the phrase or the phrase with more of the sentence. They
couldn’t underline each sentence completely, because that would show that they didn’t know
what they were doing, and that was not an affective grading method. This format and my lack of
directions to just underline the phrase created a barrier. I also realized how beneficial it would’ve
been to have questions similar to this in my lessons. We discussed examples like this and
verbally answered them, but in writing, they were never given an example of what I was looking
for. By providing more context for the students, this would’ve been easier to grade as well. My
questions did not provide enough text to ensure that students were demonstrating their
knowledge. I plan on learning from this experience and be conscious of this when I write my
next lesson.
Exit Ticket
The exit ticket was the first assessment given after my initial explicitly taught lesson. Only 3
people received 100%, and 7 students did not take it. As expected, students did not do well on
this assessment because the information was still new. Seven students only missed 1 point,
demonstrating that there was a small impact on their learning.
Small Group
The small group assessments were graded out of 4 points, 2 points for a correct simile, and 2
points for a correct metaphor. Many students wrote more than this, but only 2 were counted.
The students in Miss White’s group weren’t able to complete this assignment. Their group time
was shortened due to an assembly. Their scores are still out of 4; however, their scores have an
asterisk beside the score to indicate that they weren’t able to complete the assignment. One
hundred percent of the students who couldn’t complete the task were from Miss White’s group.
Interestingly, all students in this group had a grasp with similes. In fact, all students received
100% when writing similes in the small group. Compared to metaphors where only 12 people
received 100%, this group of students really understands similes. This is also interesting
because the students had been exposed to metaphors in 4th grade (last year), yet they were
stronger with similes (which they hadn’t seen before).
Practice Page
In lesson 3, students completed the Practice Page from the Wonder’s curriculum. Only 2
students did not complete the assignment, and 5 students didn’t meet the objective (due to 2
low scores and 3 missing assignments). The objective was to score at least a 6/8.
Overall
Overall, students got the gist of it, but they struggled to understand that a metaphor can’t have a
literal, or true statement. One student said the simile “C. is like an artist.” This simile works
because it nuances that C. is not a real artist, but he is like one. He changed this into a
metaphor and said, “C. is an artist.” I then had to explain that technically C. could be an artist,
and that his was technically not a metaphor. Students seemed to struggle to see when their
metaphors changed from being a comparison to an actual true statement.
I learned that the small groups really impacted their learning. Comparing their scores on the
pretest and exit ticket to their work in the small groups in lesson 2 and 3, and then looking at
their summative scores, there is major growth. Having that time with 5-6 students at a time and
giving them that attention really paid off.
By breaking down the analysis of student scores on the data table, I also learned that while
some students struggled with underlining the simile or metaphor present or identifying which it
Early Childhood
was, most were still able to define the meaning of the simile or metaphor present. They also did
exceedingly well at creating their own simile or metaphor, even if they struggled to identify and
underline the similes and metaphors in sentences. Format was a barrier for some questions,
and the grading was adjusted because of that. I have learned from that mistake.
d. Analyze the patterns of learning for the 2 focus children. Reference the 3 sources of
evidence you collected for each of the 2 focus children.
Consider children’s strengths (what children understand and do well), and areas of
learning that need attention (e.g., common errors, confusions, need for greater
challenge).
[Z. really improved over the course of the 3 days. In the pretest, he scored 8/18 and on the exit
ticket, he scored ¾. When in small group, he received 100% on all assignments. He was very
engaged, eager to volunteer and answer questions, and was trying to form an understanding as
to the rules of similes and metaphors, and I would say he was successful. He earned a 7/8 on
the practice page which was an independent assignment, and he earned a 13/18 on his
posttest. He even underlined the phrases in section one instead of one word or the entire
sentence, showing that he can find just the comparison in a singular sentence. Four of the
points he missed were due to not following the directions (underlining the simile or metaphor in
a sentence or paragraph in the second section). The last point he missed was due to his
inability to create an original metaphor. He stated, “He is a bee when he loose something.” This
comparison, first, didn’t make sense, and second, included “is a bee,” which was a question
from the test. It was clearly stated in the directions not to use examples from the test as your
own creations. If Z. had read the directions and made sure he followed each part of them, I
believe he would’ve scored 100%. His reason for missing questions on the posttest was due to
his lack of reading directions.
Z. could use more instruction in metaphors, just to be certain it was actually an error in not
reading directions and not an error in misunderstanding. He could also use strategies, self-
monitoring techniques, and practice at following directions. He is so eager to work through what
he knows that he misses parts of questions.
D. (who is from Guatemala and just completed his ELL program) was my second focus student.
He scored 14/18 on the pretest, 4/4 on his exit ticket, and 100% in all small group activities. He
also scored 100% on the independent work (practice pages) and 100% on his posttest. D. also
only underlined the phrase in section one, showing his ability to identify just the comparison. His
examples during our small group of similes and metaphors were hysterical: “H. S is scarded like
a little girl.” And “H. P. is a flower when he is happy.” He obviously likes to jest, and his
comparisons are very typical of a boy his age. When it came time to create his own simile and
metaphor on the posttest, his examples were interesting: “My stomach is as mad as a bull.” And
“When I was a baby I was a rat.” I discussed his thought process behind the metaphor, and he
said, very simply, that he looked like a rat as a baby. While his comparison wasn’t the most
natural, he formatted it correctly and it did make sense, even if it was kind of weird.]
e. If video or audio evidence of learning or a video or audio work sample occurs in a group
context (e.g., discussion), provide the name of the clip and clearly describe how the
scorer can identify the focus children (e.g., position, physical description) whose work is
portrayed.
[The video is entitled, “Feedback to Focus.mp4.” Each student is called back individually. Z. is
the first student I work with, and D. is the second.]
Early Childhood
2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning

Refer to specific evidence of submitted feedback to support your explanations.
a. Identify the format in which you submitted your evidence of feedback for the 2
focus children. (Delete choices that do not apply.)
b. Submit these both separately.
 Written directly on work samples or in separate documents that were provided to the
focus children (separate attachment)
 In video clip(s) from Instruction Task 2 (provide a time-stamp reference) or in
separate video clips (separate file)
If a video or audio clip of feedback occurs in a group context (e.g., discussion), clearly
describe how the scorer can identify the focus child (e.g., position, physical description)
who is being given feedback.
[I submitted evidence of feedback through notes on the students’ summative assessments and
through a video. In the submitted video, I call each student back individually and discuss their
perception of their understanding of similes and metaphors, and we go over their posttest. I
showed them their pretest score compared to their posttest score. I describe how they did, any
questions they missed and why, and leave them with an encouragement before they leave. I
also wrote on each of their tests. My notes included praises telling them how much I loved
certain examples of similes and metaphors and constructive criticism describing where they
went wrong on missed questions. I then went over my notes with them individually, as shown in
the video.
In the small group at the end of the Task 2 Video (“edTPA Fall 2019 export 3
compressed.mp4”), I also give students feedback by explaining how well they did with going
back into the text to find similes and metaphors and providing evidence as a part of lesson 3.
This is shown at 14:42-14:55. Z. is the blonde boy in the black shirt to the right of the screen. He
is hidden by the boy in the black with the dark hair and sits beside the girl with reddish hair. D. is
not a part of this particular small group.]
b. Explain how the feedback provided to the 2 focus children addresses their individual and
developmental strengths and needs relative to language and literacy development.
[ The feedback addresses Z.’s strengths and needs relative to language and literacy
development by explaining his errors with similes and metaphors, describing why he missed
points, and providing him with positive feedback about what he did well (using background
knowledge to create a simile on the posttest). By praising the small group for using evidence
from the text, Z. learns my expectations when providing examples and the importance of using
the text to support his answers.
The feedback addresses D.’s strengths and needs by indicating what he did well in both writing
and through face to face conversation. I also wrote positive notes addressing his original simile
and metaphor on the back of his posttest.
With both boys, I compared their pretest scores to their posttest scores to show just how much
they improved. I also read the notes aloud to them that I wrote next to any answers or
misconceptions.]
Early Childhood
c. Describe how you will support each focus child to understand and use this feedback to
further their learning related to learning objectives, either within the learning segment or
at a later time.
[At a later time, students will find similes and metaphors in a larger text (ex. Students are
reading The Sign of the Beaver, and during rotations in a future lesson, they will find the similes
and metaphors in the book and explain them). Both Z. and D. will have the opportunity to
participate in this activity. Especially for Z., I will practice reading through the directions with the
class and incorporate their active engagement in underlining specifically what I am looking for.
In a lesson I have taught since these lessons, I had students underline the 3 parts of a writing
prompt as a group as practice to determine what the directions are asking. I also will share that
we are always learning, even when we score 100% on assignments.]
3. Evidence of Vocabulary Understanding and Use

When responding to the prompt below, use concrete examples from the video clips and/or
children’s work samples as evidence. Evidence from the video clips may focus on one or
more children.
a. Explain how children were able to use the key vocabulary1 to support their learning of the
content.
For prompt 3a, refer to the evidence of children’s vocabulary use from ONE,
TWO, OR ALL THREE of the following sources:
1. Video clips from Instruction Task 2 and time-stamp references for evidence of
vocabulary use
2. Additional video file named “Vocabulary Use” of no more than 5 minutes in
length and cited vocabulary use (this can be footage of one or more children).
See Assessment Task 3 specifications in the Early Childhood Evidence Chart
for acceptable file types. Submit the video clip in Assessment Task 3, Part C.
3. Children’s work samples analyzed in Assessment Task 3 and cited
vocabulary use
[In my task 2 video “edTPA Fall 2019 export 3 compressed.mp4,” students have the opportunity
to apply the vocabulary simile, metaphor, and compare at 3:56-4:19 when I ask, “Is it a simile or
a metaphor?” or “Does it use like or as?”, “What two things are being compared?”, and “What is
the meaning of the comparison?”
Students also have the opportunity to use the vocabulary when they identify if the examples
given in section 1 of the posttest are similes or metaphors. (They write either “simile” or
“metaphor.”) They then are challenged to find the meaning of the similes and metaphors in
section 2 (challenging their ability to create meaning from the vocabulary), and practice creating
examples from the vocabulary in section 3 of the posttest. ]
1 This vocabulary was identified in Planning Task 1 and refers to developmentally appropriate sounds, words, phrases,
sentences, and paragraphs that children use or create to engage in the learning experience.
Early Childhood
4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction

a. Based on your analysis of children’s learning presented in prompts 1b–c, describe next
steps for instruction to impact children’s learning:
 For the class/group
 For the 2 focus children and other individuals/groups with specific needs
Consider the active and multimodal nature of children’s learning and the variety of
learners in your class/group who may require different strategies/supports (e.g., children
with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, children at different points in the
developmental continuum, struggling readers, and/or gifted children needing greater
support or challenge).
[ My next steps of instruction for Z. would be to practice identifying specific parts of the prompt
he must respond to in order to receive full credit. I would also teach him how to create
metaphors inspired by his surroundings so he can create an original metaphor instead of using
one from the test. Further, I would give him more practice identifying, explaining, and creating
similes and metaphors in relation to larger texts.
My next steps of instruction for D. would be to provide longer and more complex texts that
incorporate similes and metaphors to expand his understanding of figurative language in
relation to a story or novel. Since he scored 100% on his posttest, he is ready to build upon his
schema and create a deeper understanding of how similes and metaphors can be used.
As a whole group, I would continue practicing and identifying similes and metaphors in texts we
are reading as a class. I would also begin to show students examples of similes and metaphors
in poems and how they relate to the importance of the text. We would begin to analyze how they
impact the text and the reader’s understanding of it.
In the future, I will also be more careful with how I write my learning objectives. First, I ran out of
time to meet the objective in Lesson 2, so I modified it to suit the needs of the lesson and how to
score the students’ work appropriately. Second, I realized that my objective of receiving 80% in
lesson 3 was impossible given that there were 8 points. I modified this in order for the students
to be able to meet a measurable objective. By changing this, it also benefitted the students in
lesson 3. In the future, I will definitely be more aware of how measurable my objectives are.]
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of children’s learning. Support
your explanation with principles from research and/or developmental theory.
[By providing examples of similes and metaphors in larger text and poetry, students are building
upon their knowledge to form a deeper meaning (Bruner). As they begin to analyze poetry, they
practice their abstract thinking at a deeper level with scaffolding at first before working
independently (Piaget). As they practice and analyze with their peers, they also hear others’
answers and perceptions of the text and poem, forming new meaning from others’ points of
views through social learning (Vygotsky). This meets students’ individual needs of support and
instruction by building upon what they already know. Some students may need more support
and examples than others, but we are still building on the foundation of similes and metaphors
learned in these lessons. By connecting similes and metaphors to real life experiences as
presented in longer texts and poems, students can see the importance of figurative language,
identify any misconceptions that they may have had through this practice, and form a stronger
understanding of how they are used to convey a particular comparison and meaning.
Early Childhood
By making sure my objectives are measurable, I am providing students with an accurate and fair
standard of grading that proves their growth over time.]

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Early Childhood

Task 3: Assessment Commentary

TASK 3: ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

1. Analyzing Children’s Learning

Pretest and Posttest

2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning

3. Evidence of Vocabulary Understanding and Use

4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction

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