Walker Task3 Ac

Elementary Education - Literacy
Task 3: Literacy Assessment Commentary
TASK 3: LITERACY 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 feedback as a video or audio clip and your comments to focus students cannot be clearly heard, attach
transcriptions of your comments (no more than 2 additional pages) to the end of this file. These pages do not count toward your
page total.
1. Analyzing Student Learning

a. Identify the specific learning objectives measured by the assessment you chose for
analysis.
[The specific learning objectives measured by this assessment is student’s ability to read two
informational passages and compare/contrast and include a summary from the informational
text that determines the main idea and supporting details of a passage. To accomplish this,
students will have to apply the essential literacy strategy of compare/contrast by using Venn
diagrams to show students successfully compare/ contrast multiple informational text. They use
summarizing to show detailed understanding of comprehension of the text. Students will also be
able to have the opportunity to apply this in the post assessment by determining the main idea
as well as being able to compare/contrast.]
b. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes student learning for your
whole class. Be sure to summarize student learning for all evaluation criteria submitted
in Literacy Assessment Task 3, Part D.
[
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The students were assessed on their abilities to read for comprehension and summarize. When
summarizing students must determine the main idea of the passage or text, which is the related
skill. Students must compare/ contrast an informational passage or text, which is the essential
literacy. Students were provided an informational passage (journal entry) titled, World War Two
D-Day. Students had to be able to determine the main idea of the passage as a part of the
related skill and summarize the passage. Students also had to pick 2 journal entries and
compare/ contrast them to one another, which is the essential literacy skill of the learning
segment. After observing student work, the whole class struggled with comparing. Over fifty
percent of students wrote facts from the passages to loosely support their main idea, which was
also a struggle for students to successfully determine. Students would not compare the journal
entries, that tells me that the students do not possess ways to identify similarities and
differences when compare/ contrasting two or more ideas or event in informational text.
Students were able to make basic comparisons.]
c. Use evidence found in the 3 student work samples and the whole class summary to
analyze the patterns of learning for the whole class and differences for groups or
individual learners relative to
 the essential literacy strategy
 related skills
Consider what students understand and do well, and where they continue to struggle
(e.g., common errors, confusions, need for greater challenge).
[The evidence from the work samples show that focus student 1, was able to compare/ contrast.
As I focus on more on the 3 students chosen for my focus group, the common error was their
ability to make a comparison from events, which the pre assessment assessed students over. 2
out of 3 focus students scored a 2 in the comparison portion of the assessment, which means
they were able to compare but did not use text supported details to support their comparisons.
They used statements like “they both were in the battle” to compare war involvement. After
further analysis of the pre assessment, the focus students all need a greater challenge when it
comes to identifying the main idea of a passage and providing supporting details. All the focus
group students score a 3 on determining the main idea of a passage. Students were to use
related skills to able to determine the main idea and describe it in their writing by using details to
support it. Their abilities to determine the main idea and their struggle with comparing is also
evident in their work samples, throughout the learning segment, as student 1 and 2 successfully
determine and support the main idea. As far as Student 3 goes, this student represents the
average student within the class. This student made errors with compare/contrast or did not
compare/contrast, like most of the class. This lets me know that the students did not understand
what it meant to compare/contrast events or passages to one another. Students also struggled
with determining the main idea and determining details to support it. This is the related skill of
the lesson. Students did not understand the definition of main idea. Comparing this knowledge
from the preassessment to the post assessment, students all had growth. The growth is an
indicator that learning is taking place. Overall, the whole class is well on their way to mastery
that is related to the essential literacy strategy and the related skill for this learning segment.]
d. If 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 student(s)
(e.g., position, physical description) whose work is portrayed.
[Work samples for the three focus students are provided in text files.]
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 3 focus
students. (Delete choices that do not apply.)
 Written directly on work samples or in separate documents that were provided to the
focus students
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 student (e.g., position, physical
description) who is being given feedback.
[Work samples for the three focus students are provided in a text file.]
b. Explain how feedback provided to the 3 focus students addresses their individual
strengths and needs relative to the learning objectives measured.
[The feedback that was provided to the focus students address students’ individual needs and
will help them improve their knowledge in reference to the essential literacy strategy and the
related skills that supports this strategy. I used an evaluation criterion that is in the form of a
rubric to provide feedback on the assessments for the learning segment. I also used verbal
feedback throughout the learning segment to provide the focus students The assessment
assignments included students summarizing a passage, Pioneer Families, and identifying the
main idea and supporting key details during Lesson 1.During this lesson, students used things
like highlighters and pens to differentiate between main idea and supporting details. During
Lesson 2, students were tasked with reading two passages that covered the unit of study in
Social Studies. Students must focus on comprehending the passage to be able to summarize
and compare/contrast the passages. Students had to compare the main idea of each passage
and focus on the headings from this informational passage and provide details from each
heading. Students then had to use a Venn diagram and separate information in the passage by
similarities and differences from each passage. These passages were also given to the students
based off their Lexile scores. For lesson 3, students had to compare 2 two important events
during the war that was included in the unit of study.]
c. Describe how you will support each focus student to understand and use this feedback
to further their learning related to learning objectives, either within the learning segment
or at a later time.
[The feedback that is provided to the focus students will strengthen and support their individual
needs because I will follow a few steps. I will start with allowing them to see their feedback on
their work daily during the learning segment. Each day I will conference with my focus students
and we will discuss the feedback for specific days. After we have had a chance to discuss their
work, I will collect the work and repeat the process for each day during the learning segment. I
will compare their work to work they have done during previous days during the learning
segment so that the focus students are able to see their strengths within the central focus and
things that do not meet the guidelines of the central focus of the learning segment. During this
conference time, the students and I will create a plan that will help me support them and their
mastery of the central focus of the learning segment. We will also have a conference after the
learning segment to gage students understanding and discuss things that they think could be
done to better support their learning.]
3. Evidence of Language Understanding and Use
When responding to the prompt below, use concrete examples from the video clip(s) and/or
student work samples as evidence. Evidence from the clip(s) may focus on one or more
students.
You may provide evidence of students’ language use from ONE, TWO, OR ALL THREE of
the following sources:
1. Use video clips from Literacy Instruction Task 2 and provide time-stamp references for
language use.
2. Submit an additional video file named “Language Use” of no more than 5 minutes in
length and cite language use (this can be footage of one or more students’ language
use). Submit the clip in Literacy Assessment Task 3,
Part B.
3. Use the student work samples analyzed in Literacy Assessment Task 3 and cite
language use.
a. Explain and provide concrete examples for the extent to which your students were able
to use or struggled to use
 selected language function,
 vocabulary or key phrases, AND
 discourse or syntax
to develop content understandings.
[The language function for the learning segment was for students to summarize and
compare/contrast. In lesson 2, the focus was for students to compare/contrast passages. In this
lesson, the focus students were able to compare/contras successfully. Student 1 and 3 were
able to use details form the passage to compare/contrast. These students were able to
successfully use Venn diagrams. Much like the other students in the class, this student and
student 3 labeled the Venn diagram by the names of the passages as well as labeling it as
similar (both) and differences in the corresponding circles. Student 2 uses specifics with
comparisons. This student uses dates to describe their differences and similarities. In lesson 3,
student 1 and 2 were able to successfully compare/contrast two important events. In the student
work sample, student 1 was able to successfully use a Venn diagram to compare the facts from
both events. In the summary of the facts, the student did not support the reasoning for
comparing the two major events. The student said things like “I compared these events because
they were easy to do.” While the student used the language function, compare or
compare/contrast, the student lacked depth in academic reasoning.
Student 2 used key phrases from this learning segment, similar and different or similarities and
differences, to determine what events they would be comparing and why they would be
compare/contrast certain things in their summary. This student was also able to identify that the
events picked did not have any similarities that the student was able to contrast. For example,
the student said, “it seems they don’t have things in common, but a lot of differences from each
of these events.”. This student was not able to determine between identifying similarities and
differences. This student was able to compare their events based upon their differences but was
not able to determine the similarities between events. Noticing this in Student 1 and 2 work, I
was able to notice a pattern within the whole class. In lesson 3, where students had to
compare/contrast, as well as model for classmates what strategy was used to compare/contrast,
students work resembled student 1 work. Students all lacked depth in academic reasoning to
summarize comparisons. Using group work, where peers were able to aid classmates who
struggles, helped some of the struggling students. In the video clip of Lesson 3, in the small
group that I was assisting, one of the students struggled with identifying how to compare/
contrast and what the definition of it is. The student explained to the other what to look for when
you compare/contrast passages or stories to one another. Using classroom discourse to help
with understanding helped this student any many other with their ability to compare/contrast.
Student 3, in their Venn diagram, they were able to identify differences and something similar in
both events, much like student 1 they lacked academic depth. Student 3 was well on their way
to determining how to summarize facts from research. Most of the class as able to determine
the difference between events, which this lesson focuses on. The students all struggled with
determining similarities between events. To develop content understanding students used
classroom discourse during each learning segment. This group of students learn best when they
are talking to each other and talking about their thinking. Doing this helps support the language
function for the learning segment and key phrases.]
4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
a. Based on your analysis of student learning presented in prompts 1b–c, describe next
steps for instruction to impact student learning:
 For the whole class
 For the 3 focus students and other individuals/groups with specific needs
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students needing greater support or challenge).
[The next steps for instruction for my students, as a whole class, I would create a mini lesson
the focuses on comparing multiple passages to each other. This includes determining details
from passages that relevant for the compare/contrast process. Determining the main idea and
key supporting details would be beneficial to the compare/contrast process. For example,
Lesson 3 focuses completely on compare/contrast events and summarize the findings, relevant
information to use for compare/contrast would be specific dates of battles or wars, important
figures from battles and wars or turning points from wars or battles. That relevant information is
what I would stress to the whole class during my mini-lesson instruction. I would also stress the
importance of finding similarities and differences. With every difference the students should
have to find a similarity. The students all struggles with finding similarities within passages and
events, that would be something that I would pull students in For my focus students, as a re-
engagement lesson, I would challenge student 1 and 2. I would challenge students by giving my
students passages that provide challenges to them. Passages where they must search for the
similarities and differences. I would specifically challenge student 1, by setting guidelines for this
student to use specifics like dates and times. For student 2, I would support this student by
providing extra time because of their IEP to finish reading multiple passages and
compare/contrast. Student 3 is a struggling writer, for this student I would provide extra support
for this student with summarizing. For this student, I would have us one on one instruction and
we would read passages or informational text to identify the main idea so that this student is
able to understand how to summarize. I would also stress the importance of what needs to be
said in a summary. This student learns best through modeling and multiple chances for practice.
Through our one on one instruction this is something that I would do for this student.]
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of student learning. Support your
explanation with principles from research and/or theory.
[Fountas and Pinnell (2001) suggest that “visual diagrams and organizers, students retain
concepts for longer and understand the concepts with more clarity.” I believe the use of Venn
diagrams will support the students who struggled, like Student 3 who needed more practice on
correctly working on compare/contrast with information that is relevant and common information
that isn’t found within the passages. Students from both my focus group and the whole class
struggle with making connections to understand ways to separate two or more ideas, events, or
groups of people by qualities that they share and qualities that they have that differ. Venn
diagrams help students visualizes the qualities of text by traits they share and traits they do not
hare. This shows students have concrete understanding of the essential learning strategy.
Using the multiple intelligence assessment, also influences the decisions that were made to use
classroom. My students learn through a multitude of learning styles. Some students are hands-
on while others learn through strictly teacher modeling. Lastly some prefer classroom discourse
as a means for learning so that they can talk about their learning amongst their peers with the
teacher as a facilitator for learning. This is supported by Vygotsky (1978). He argues that peer
support can be a powerful teaching tool for students of all levels. To incorporate all students
learning through the learning segments, students were able to participate in classroom
discourse to further discuss the essential literacy strategy. Also, in lesson 1-4, to incorporate
hands on learning, students were able to separate the comparisons on anchor charts so that
they can take a hands-on approach to comparison.]

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Elementary Education - Literacy

Task 3: Literacy Assessment Commentary

TASK 3: LITERACY ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

1. Analyzing Student Learning

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