Formative Assessment #4

Name: Tanasia Lewis Date: 8/1/10

School: Bushwick Ascend Middle School Grade/ Subject: 5th Grade
Collaborator(s), if applicable1:
Please make sure to review the Collaboration Directions section of the Module Assessment to ensure you
understand how to apply the Relay GSE Collaboration Policy to this module.

A. Make a Hypothesis: On your whole learner map, you've collected inferences related to your
student’s abilities across each of the sub-domains. Based on trends in your data:
 State a hypothesis about one cognitive or social-emotional need that you think is
significantly impacting your student's learning. (1-2 sentences)
o Make sure your hypothesis speaks to a sub-domain (e.g. short-term memory is a
sub-domain of memory) within one of the following domains: social skills, learning
skills, memory, attention, language, or higher order thinking.
o Include relevant details about the specific context in which this need arises.

Trinity’s struggles with attention more specifically she struggles to maintain mental energy. Trinity
often is only one task when she thinks somebody is watching. Otherwise she can be easily distracted
on not able to focus on her work. Trinity is able to exhibit strong mental energy skills when she is
doing one on one work.

B. Support Your Hypothesis: Use data from your classroom observations, cognitive assessments,
student records, and student/teacher interviews to support your hypothesis.
 Provide a clear explanation of what each piece of data reveals about your student’s skills in
the relevant cognitive or social-emotional sub-domain (e.g. short-term memory is a sub-
domain of memory).
 Include at least two references to classroom observation data (you may use any of the
classroom observations you collected)
 Include at least one reference to cognitive assessment data (you may use any of the cognitive
assessment data you collected)
 Cite your data using the following conventions
 Classroom Observation: (Title of Observation, Time Stamp)
Ex: (Whole Group Writing, 03:45)
 Cognitive Assessment Data: (Subtest, item # if relevant)
Ex: (Verbal Attention, #14)

 Limit your analysis to 400 words

During Trinity’s science class, you can see her struggling with mental energy as she attempts to
complete her Do Now. In this observation, Trinity is looking around but shortly after begins writing on
1
All collaboration should be verbal in nature and each teacher should submit unique, individual written work for
each assessment. Any additional resources consulted should be listed at the end of the assessment. The primary
volume of your work should be yours and yours alone.
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 Formative Assessment #4
her handout. Throughout the ten minutes students are working on the do now Trinity is playing with
her pencil, clothes, or looking around the classroom. However, she is able to focus when her teacher
comes to work one on one with her. After Trinity is “finished” with her work she begins to read.
Shortly after, she is distracted from reading as well. The fact that Trinity is able to answer some of her
teacher’s questions and she knows that she is supposed to read when she’s done shows me that she
knows what to do, she just has a hard time doing it. (Science Do Now, 0:00- 7:30).

During the cognitive assignment, Trinity demonstrated a higher level of mental energy. During this
assessment, Trinity worked 1 on 1 with the instructor. Throughout this assessment Trinity took long
pauses occasionally when answering questions. She also did play with her hair or begin to fidget.
However, most of the time she was on task. This tells me that Trinity works better in smaller
environments because in whole class environments she would be off task 75% of the time, here she is
on task nearly 99% of the time. Despite her higher level of mental energy during the assessment when
can tell that Trinity has a weakness in higher level thinking. She’s more focused but still struggling to
answer the questions as they get harder. On this assessment Trinity performed nearly 4 ages lower
than her expected age level. (Concept Formation, #1-3, #13-19)

During guided reading, Trinity seems to display some strengths and some weaknesses with mental
energy. Throughout the activity, she seems to be following along; she even raises her hand to
participate. However, after a few seconds has gone by Trinity’s eyes begin to wonder and she begins
to lose focus. As a result, she’s not able to pick up when the teacher calls on her. Once she finds the
page she is willing to read and does so in a clear voice. This group is also smaller, it seems the smaller
the group the more Trinity focus’. (Guided reading , 0:00-3:39)

C. Provide Your Data: Please copy and paste the data you cite in your analysis at the end of this
document.
a. Classroom Observation Data
i. Please copy and paste the relevant section of the running record. You do not need
to insert your entire Classroom Observation Template.
ii. Your observation data must uses neutral language to record accurate
observations (e.g. observations, not inferences), of student actions and classroom
context with a sufficient amount of detail
b. Cognitive Assessment Data
i. Please insert a picture of your recording sheet from the relevant subtest.
ii. Your cognitive assessment data must record accurate and complete data on
student performance on formal assessments and include general observations
about student behavior

D. Impact on Learning: Based on your hypothesis, make a prediction about how this particular
student would experience your classroom:
a. What barriers to learning do expect this student to face?

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 Formative Assessment #4
i. Identify at least three instructional activities that you anticipate will be
challenging for this student.
ii. Why do you expect these activities to be a challenge for this student?
b. What is the potential long-term effect of these barriers on this student’s academic or
social-emotional success in your class?

In my classroom, Trinity would have a problem with writing projects, assignments that require
multiple steps, and Independent reading. I suspect that Trinity would have challenges with these tasks
because they require Trinity to do some work alone without frequent supervisions. Trinity seems to
work better in smaller environment and she’s needs frequent reminders. Trinity’s challenges with
mental energy can have long term effect because as a 24:1 teacher, it could be hard to provide Trinity
with the step by step or frequent reminders she needs. This can affect her ability to process
information, produce work, or perform higher level thinking. Based on Trinity’s assessments and
observations, she’s willing to participate and attempt the work. She is able to recall information and
even answer some questions right. She shows that she has great potential if she is able to improve her
mental energy.

PLEASE INSERT YOUR OBSERVATION DATA AND COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT DATA BELOW!

TEL-502: Assessing the Whole Learner© 2015 Relay Graduate School of Education. All rights reserved. 3
 Formative Assessment #4

00:13 Students are working silently and S: Takes a quick glance around the classroom
independently on their science Do while writing. She is reads the questions and
Now begins to write so more

They are seated at tables alone and

are writing on a paper.

00:23 Students are still working silently and S: Is reading a question on her Do Now
independently on their science Do S: She begins to tap her pencil on her arm then on
TEL-502: Assessing the Whole Learner© 2015 Relay Graduate School of Education. All rights reserved. 4
 Formative Assessment #4
now her face showing that she is thinking
S: She continues to tap her pencil on lips and
T: is checking in with individual move the paper around bringing it closer to her
students. He is kneeling down to
address students S: Is still playing with the pencil on her face but
when she observes the teach approaching she
T: Encourages a student not to rush begins to look at her paper.
through the assignment but utilize all
of his time. He is kneeling down to
talk to students

T: Checks in with another student,

encourages him to keep up the good
work. He is kneeling in order to speak
to him
00:55 T: approaches S to check in S: appears to be focused on her Do Now
Kneels next to S and begins to ask S S: Is unable to respond to the teacher but is
questions about her Do Now “Which paying attention to the question
one is that “, “What Variable “ S: Trinity whispers an answer and then answers
T: rephrases the question and again in a slightly more confident voice “The
elaborates in order to help her come dependent variable”
up with the answer “The one variable
that experience change is what? “If
you’re the person doing the
experiment and you change one thing
what is that called?

T: Corrects Trinity’s answer, “That’s S: S answers “The independent variable”

what you measure at the end” and
gives her another chance “ Which is
the one that you change in the
beginning ?

T: Tells S the next step “That one right

there, find the independent variable
“and leaves her to complete work

TEL-502: Assessing the Whole Learner© 2015 Relay Graduate School of Education. All rights reserved. 5