Zac Kaczanowski

Kate Bass
April 11, y

Student Learning Analysis Report

Introduction: Overview of the Lesson

In my morning American History classes, we have finally come upon the “Age of Jack-

son”. This is an interesting historical period for several reasons, especially the charismatic and

divisive figure of President Jackson. Throughout this lesson, I wanted the students to understand

the importance of the Jackson Era, its 5 key events of the presidency, and why historians have

named a time period after Jackson. In addition, I will be explaining how I tracked the student’s

understanding and their learning through pre-test, post-tests, a Digital notebook as well as a short

response. These tools were used with differentiated instruction to gauge student thinking from

the beginning of our lesson to the end. These assessments will guide my future instruction and

inform me of the effectiveness of my Digitial Notebook as an inquiry-based learning tool.

I began the lesson by asking students who is on the $20 dollar bill? This was a good

jumping-off point for the lesson by assessing their prior knowledge about Jackson and introduc-

ing the new unit. The class then evaluated the legacy of Jackson by defining what is the meaning

of the words “Famous and Infamous”. I created a comfortable and safe learning environment for

students to discuss what they already know by having them do a “Talk and Turn” to discuss the

meaning of the words and give examples of famous and infamous historical characters. This al-

lowed students to explore the meaning in a low-risk environment for their peers, scaffolding their

learning and allowing students with all kinds of learning abilities to discuss the concepts without

having to share in front of the class. After engaging the class and recording their historical ex-

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 1

amples of who is famous and Infamous in their minds; the class went on to watch a short video:

History vs. Andrew Jackson that introduced our 5 famous/infamous events from Jackson’s presi-

dency. As societies change and morals evolve, the way we view history is always changing, and

it's important to question controversial figures such as Andrew Jackson. This line of questioning

will then continue throughout our lesson as students determine if Jackson’s policies are famous

(positive) or infamous (negative) as they work through their Digitial Notebooks.

Overarching Learning Goals, Alignment with Specific Learning Goals:

Jackson was a very famous president, but he did many things that made him infamous.

My specific learning goal in my lesson consisted of 5 events during Jackson’s presidency. Stu-

dents also needed to be able to answer was Jackson famous or infamous using those 5 events as

evidence for their reasoning:

1) Rise of the Common Man: known for expanding voting rights and suffrage.

2) The Spoil System: Jackson gave his friends and supporters political positions, to those who

were not best qualified for the job.

3) Indian Removal Act: Cruelty against the Native Americans, in which he forced all Native

Americans to move west of the Mississippi, entitled the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which

he executed despite a ruling from the Supreme Court stating they had a right to stay in their

native lands. This led to them being forced to move in 1838-39, where 1/4 of the Native

Americans died on the Trail of Tears”

4) Tariff of Abominations: Division of North and South. North could produce fabric and clothes,

the south had to pay a tariff to purchase them which they called the “Tariff of Abomination”

because it unfairly had them pay more for imported goods.

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 2

5) Jackson vs. the National Bank: Causing financial collapse by vetoing the National Bank be-

cause Jackson believed the funds collected there would be used to thwart his reelection. This

resulted in the decentralization of the banking system, local banks printed more money, cre-

ating inflation and ultimately resulting in the depression of 1843.

The overarching learning goal was for students to be able to explain why historians named the

period, "The Age of Jackson.” Students who could articulate how these 5 specific learning goals

helped shaped this era and how these driving forces created the sectionalism that starts to divide

the country politically then could deepen their understanding of the distinction between the

North and South. The distinction between the North and South starts to divide the country during

the Jackson Era and sets the stage for the American Civil War in 1860.

To meet these 5 specific learning goals and 1 overarching goal, I would lead students

through an experience of a Digital Notebook. This Digital Notebook would be an inquiry-based

experience and would be designed for self-discovering and self-learning. Students would obtain

knowledge through investigating the digital notebook as I went around the classroom to guide

them through the experience.

Students will decide if Jackson’s legacy is one to be remembered as “famous or infa-

mous” in this independent learning experience, called the Digital Notebook. I developed the Dig-

ital Notebook as an independent inquiry-based lesson for students to engage in independently to

learn about the actions and outcomes of Jackson’s Presidency, which shaped his reputation and

created controversy surrounding his legacy. This will provide one measure of student learning

which will be turned in and graded, providing additional opportunities for students to lead their

inquiry-based learning and receive direct feedback on each student’s performance. The Digital

Notebook would fall into the “other assessment criteria: because it is an additional assessment

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 3

that I have incorporated for the learning. To obtain direct and immediate feedback on the effec-

tiveness of the learning and to help me redirect my teaching. I also provided students with a pre-

and post-test.

 State Standards Met:

I created this lesson and my assessment with guidance from my mentor teacher. This lesson

falls under the following state standards:

· 8 – U4.2 Regional and Economic Growth - Describe and analyze the nature and impact of
territorial, demographic, and economic growth in the first three decades of the new na-
tion, using maps, charts, and other evidence.
· 8 – U4.2.1 Comparing the Northeast and the South - compare and contrast the social and
economic systems of the Northeast, the south, and the Western Frontier (Kentucky, Ohio
Valley, etc.) with respect to geography, climate, and the development of:
· Agriculture, including changes in productivity, technology, supply and demand, and
price.
· Industry, including the entrepreneurial development of new industries, such as textiles.
· The labor force, including labor incentives and changes in labor.
· Transportation, including changes in transportation (steamboats and canal barges) and the
impact on economic markets and prices.
· Immigration and the growth of nativism.
· Race relations and class relations.

The Age of Jackson fits in with an example of the cause and effects of the westward

expansion in American history including the impact politically, socially, and economically on the

people during that historic era. The unit explores classism as it relates to the “Common Man,”

the enhancement of political power, and the rise of our current democratic political and voting

systems. The Age of Jackson unit also meets the standard from the CCS (Common Core of So-

cial Studies) to create informed and involved citizens due to its relevance to historic and political

systems and the office of the Presidency that we experience today in modern times. The unit

hopes to teach students how to be critical observers of political happenings and to critically eval-

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 4

uate the actions of current Presidents and world leaders against their own moral standards and

backgrounds, thereby creating more informed citizens.

Methodology: Conducting a Substantive Analysis of Student Understanding:

Before starting the Digital Notebook activity, I had students begin with a pre-test, assess-

ing their knowledge of the material prior to beginning the lesson. The pre-test was aligned with

the learning objectives for the unit which were aligned with Michigan Social Studies Standards.

The pre-test consisted of 5 multiple choice questions and 1 short answer response to elicit and

analyze student thinking at that time. The first 5 items were multiple-choice, which would deter-

mine their understanding of the main unit objectives.

1.) Which of the following are associated with Jacksonian democracy?

2.)The Bank of the United States became a political issue because?

3.) The spoils system refers to…

4.) In the Supreme Court decision about Cherokee lands, Chief Justice Marshall

determined that…

5.) In 1832 South Carolina state’s legislature passed the Nullification Act, declaring that

South Carolina would…

Short Answer Question: Why did historians name the time period, "The Age of

Jackson"?

These were the questions that I wanted my students to be able to successfully answer

when the unit was completed. In addition, I added an open-ended, short answer question, where

students could express freely what they had learned overall in the lesson. This open-ended ques-

tion also gave me insights into students’ thinking about their prior knowledge now about Andrew

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 5

Jackson before we started the unit and after we concluded. This short response is vital for ana-

lyzing student thinking and was needed for students to be able to summarize their understanding

of what knowledge they took away from this Digital Notebook and what areas of knowledge

were missing. After the pre-test, the results showed some students were able to guess correctly

the multiple choice but the majority of the answers were incorrect. When the multiple-choice

questions proved ineffective due to student inferencing I could view the short response to gauge

students’ understanding of what they have written. This again was vital to understanding students

thinking pre and post-test. After the post-test, the results showed improvement for all students

for all questions detailed data will be further discussed in the analysis of assessment data below.

Also, an accommodated pre and post-test were developed and given to the students with

various Individualized Education Programs. This allowed me to assess their learning as a sub-

group as well as individually. The pre-test and post-test results were also reported individually,

allowing me to follow up with individual students and make sure they had a clear understanding

of the learning goals.

The links to the Pre-test and Post-Test questions are here and the results and learning

outcomes are listed in the charts below along with descriptions. The accommodated links to the

Pre-Test and Post-Test are here.

High-Level Teaching Practices Incorporated:

In addition to the Digital Notebook, I used many high-level teaching practices to teach

the lesson. First of all, I chose the task to create an inquiry-based learning experience (TTLG)

for the students to learn about Jackson because he was such an important and pivotal figure in

American history, as illustrated above. Other high-level teaching practices included: eliciting and

interpreting individual student thinking (EIIST), explaining and modeling the content (EMC) and

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 6

the tasks needed to achieve the learning goal, and several formative assessments (FA), including

the 5-Fist technique, turn and talk, a pre-test, post-test as an Exit Ticket to track student under-

standings and gauge the effectiveness of my lesson plan. This helped to guide me in my honing

my teaching effort to meet students’ needs. I also adapted the assessments and altered my teach-

ing techniques to scaffold and adapt to different learners and I have different outcomes listed for

these learners as they took an accommodated version of the pre-and post-tests. This allowed me

to gauge individual understandings and follow up with students who needed additional scaffold-

ing and support to understand the materials.

Analysis of Assessment Data, Which Produced Insights into Student Thinking:

I created a pre-test and post-test that measured each of the 5 learning goals of the les-

son and 1 overarching question. I was able to see clearly what the students understood before

and after the learning assignment. I was encouraged to see the improvement in the student

scores (see graphs for each class below) as it was an affirmation that my teaching and the work I

had put into creating the independent learning assignment was successful. In addition, the post-

test told me what concepts needed to be reviewed again with the students. Therefore, the data

helped to guide my review and my future instructional goals. The line graphs below, illustrate

the pre and post-test scores for each assessment. In addition, the google form that I gave students

also preserved each individual response so I was able to see how each individual student learned

and understood each of the learning goals. This data was used in conjunction with my formative

assessment throughout the class to drive my teaching and influenced how I proceeded to teach

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 7

the lesson, spending more time reviewing some concepts and less on others. I will delve further

into this in the next section of this paper.

On the pretest, the results from the pre-test showed that some students were able to guess

successfully about the questions, but the majority of the answers were incorrect. I divided the re-

sults into 4 different groups, Classroom 1, Classroom 2, Classroom 3, and Accommodated As-

sessment. The results of the pretest are as follows:

Classroom 1 achieved a pre-test score of 3.88/5 point average and approximately a 3/6

median score. This score on the post-test rose to a 4.36/5 point average and approximately a 5/5

median with regards to the multiple-choice. Many students achieved a passing score on the short

answer, giving them a 6 out of 6, an average score of 80% with many students achieving 100%.

(See Graph below…).

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 8

 Classroom 2 achieved a pre-test score of 2.53/6 point average and approximately 50%,

median score. This score on the post-test rose to a 4.6/6 point average and 5/6 median score.

Many students achieved a passing score on the short answer, giving them a 6 out of 6, the aver-

age score was 5/6 or 80% with many students achieving 100%. (See Graph below…).

Classroom 3 achieved a pre-test score of a 3.28/6 point average and approximately a 4/6

median score. This score on the post-test rose to a 4.43/6 point average plus many students

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 9

achieved a passing score on the short answer, giving them a 6 out of 6. The average score was

5/6 for the median score with many students achieving 100%. (See Graph below…).

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 10

The Accommodated Assessment, only had a total group of 5 students. The accommodated group

achieved a 60% average understanding rate, meaning 2 of the 3 students achieved 100 or 90% on

the assessment! This version of the assessment went from 4 multiple choice options to 3. Also,

this version had vocabulary and definitions built into the questions that lowered the difficulty

level so students can perform well. The results of this assessment allowed me to follow up with

the one Special Needs student who did not meet the learning goal and help them to understand

the

points

that

were

not

learned. This technique is something that I would definitely use with my classes in the future, as

it allowed me to see which students required more scaffolding and what points in the lesson were

confusing to them. (See Graph below…).

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 11

Summation:

The data shows that most students learned approximately 84% of the learning goals.

The assessments along with the exit ticket, allowed me to follow up with these students through

feedback on their digital notebooks, individual conversations, and review of key concepts in the

classroom. The use of the formative assessments in the classroom, such as the talk and turn al-

lowed me to monitor student learning and re-direct conversations. The post-test showed me that

this percentage of students understood the learning goal. I was able to review missing material

during the second day of the lesson and constantly monitor student learning as they progressed

through the Digital Notebook in class, redirecting students and encouraging them to persist in

their learning goals.

Subsequent Instruction is Informed by the Analysis of Student Thinking:

Formative assessments can serve two main functions. First of all, they can inform and in-

fluence teaching practices, illustrating learning gaps that need to be addressed. The other impor-

tant quality of formative assessments is to provide feedback to the students, allowing them to see

what areas may be confusing to them and allowing them to address those gaps through questions

that further their understandings.

To begin with, the first portion of the class, where I asked students about who was on the

20 dollar bill, gave me a good understanding of their prior knowledge and allowed me to know

ahead of time where the class was and how to introduce the topic by building on this prior

knowledge and tapping into their current understandings. This is the first example of allowing

brief assessments with students throughout the lesson to inform my teaching practices. After

that, we discussed the terms Famous and Infamous. This important terminology also allowed me

to gauge their current understandings and scaffold the learning from there. These key concepts

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 12

allowed the students to then move on to evaluating if Jackson met the criteria for famous or infa-

mous and also required students to support their thinking with evidence from the text.

I allowed students to discuss these concepts in the safe and comfortable learning environ-

ment of the “Talk and Turn”, allowing students to explore their ideas in a low-risk setting with

their peers. This allowed me to reach many students who might otherwise be uncomfortable

sharing with the class. This was another method of obtaining authentic real-time student think-

ing and creating a safe environment for the meaning to be expressed in a low-risk environment

with their peers, scaffolding their learning and allowing students with all kinds of learning abili-

ties to discuss the concepts without having to share in front of the class. After clarifying the def-

inition and meaning of the terms “Famous and Infamous”, I then introduced the students to the

Digital Notebook activity.

This assignment requires students to investigate the answers to the various questions on

slides. This also serves as an in-depth formative assessment, gauging their learning as they learn

independently, while they report in the Digital Notebook their understandings of the lesson. The

Digital Notebook is a truly comprehensive gauge of student learning because it is there that they

summarize all of their findings using inquiry-based learning as an investigative tool. This assess-

ment gives me a truly comprehensive view of their learning and it is a good measure of what

they read and absorbed from the articles, videos, primary resources as well as political cartoons

that they observed. The students are used to reporting their understandings in this format, so it is

a good, comfortable formative assessment, which also contributes to the analysis of the insights

and thinking of the students. I was able to read each student’s response in 9 slides, asking them

to summarize their understandings based on specific prompts about each of the learning goals.

In my feedback to students on the graded response, I was able to give specific feedback and re-

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 13

sponses to each student. For some students, the feedback was very positive, as they truly ex-

pressed an understanding of the learning goal. For others, I might have them revisit a slide and

go back to the Digital Notebook to relearn something that was missed. This allows me to assess

and respond to each student’s understanding and redirect teaching and learning in order for them

to fully obtain a comprehensive understanding of the material.

In addition, to scaffold the lesson for accommodated learners, I created a specific pre and

post-test which was developed to suit their needs and learning requirements. This allowed me to

assess their learning as a sub-group as well as individually. The pre-test and post-test results

were also reported individually, allowing me to follow up with individual students and make sure

they had a clear understanding of the learning goals. Most of these students did very well, but

one did not have a handle on some of the learning goals. I was able to respond specifically to

that student and clarify the task while encouraging them to review the slide or a key article on

Andrew Jackson, this resulted in this student being able to correct their Digital Notebook slides

to reflect this advanced understanding and the student was very grateful for the assistance and re-

ported that they felt they understood the assignment now and the impact that Jackson had on that

historic era.

The pretest gave the students an anticipatory set to work with. They could see what

concepts they would be learning, which hopefully piqued their interest. I think the topic of the

$20 dollar bill was a good hook for them to get excited about the lesson and see what they were

going to learn. When the students revisited those same questions on the post-test, they could

then reflect on what they thought before and see if their guesses were correct! This allows them

to develop a deeper understanding of the material. The post-test showed clearly what areas

needed to be reviewed. I can go over the results of the post-test as a class discussion as well as

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 14

give more detailed and individualized feedback on the Digital Notebook response. My com-

ments on Google Classroom to students either affirmed and praised their understandings of their

Digital Notebook or asked them to review areas in the materials that needed further clarification.

Additional Assessments:

Just to review, there were several assessments given throughout the lesson for this unit on

the Age of Jackson. In addition to the pre and post-test, students were given numerous opportu-

nities to explore and expand their own thinking. This included the exploration of prior knowl-

edge in the discussion of the $20 dollar bill, giving me a good understanding of their prior

knowledge and allowing me to tap into their current understandings. Secondly, was the Talk and

Turn discussion on the terms Famous and Infamous, allowing me to see their understandings and

scaffold their learning. Students then had to complete the Venn diagram, where they listed the

evidence of their learning to support their arguments as to whether Jackson was infamous or fa-

mous. This was a way to obtain authentic real-time student thinking and understanding of the

concepts are made visible in the classroom. The Digital Notebook was the capstone outcome as-

sessment that gave the most comprehensive view of student learning, allowing students to inves-

tigate and report the answers to the various questions on slides. This assessment also allowed me

to give specific feedback within Google Classroom and respond to each student, asking some of

them to revisit a slide and go back to the Digital Notebook to relearn something that was missed.

This allowed me to assess and respond to each student’s understandings and redirect teaching

and learning in order for them to fully comprehend the material.

I also wanted to be mindful to make the lesson accessible to all kinds of learners, creating

a specifically accommodated Digital Notebook with fewer questions and materials to investigate

as well as a pre and post-test which was developed and given to the students with fewer answer

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 15

options and simpler terms making it easier for them to understand, allowing me to assess their

learning as a sub-group as well as individually. Finally, the pre-test and post-test results were

also reported individually, allowing me to follow up with individual students and make sure they

understood the lesson.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the results of the pre-test and post-test worked in conjunction with the

other formative assessments to give me a good comprehensive view of the student understand-

ings and led me to work from an informed perspective to redirect my teaching to clarify any mis-

conceptions. The pretest was particularly helpful in showing me what students understood with-

out any previous information given in class. Students were able to access their prior knowledge

and work through the questions to come to the correct answer (or they simply guessed correctly).

I was able to clarify the concepts that they answered correctly or ask them to revisit areas of the

Digital Notebook that were unclear. The pre and post-test were closely aligned with the Digital

Notebook, which was covering the same learning goals, so I was able to give specific feedback

to students to further their understandings. I also elicited student thinking by asking open-ended

questions, such as those on the tail end of the pre and post-test. These questions allow students to

express some of their understandings, unobstructed by specific formatted questions. Some of

these answers were the most telling. Overall, I felt the pre and post-test along with my other

high-level teaching practices and formative assessments gave me a good understanding of stu-

dents’ knowledge and learning gaps, allowing me to redirect my teaching to reach more students.

STUDENT LEARNING ANALYSIS 16