Assessing Student Learning Assignment: Final Project Outline

I. Sample of student work

A. Group selection
1. 4th and 6th grade students were already identified and placed in
groups using the Words Their Way spelling inventory
a. These students were identified as needing initial consonant, final
consonant, and middle short vowel (CVC words)
B. Strategy selection
1. Used Words Their Way spelling inventory results
2. Administered CVC pretest to determine exact holes in skills
a. Scored pretest on both letter sounds and whole word accuracy
II. Description of student-centered learning goal
A. By March 31, 90% of the students will be able to accurately blend sounds to read
CVC words using the successive blending strategy with 90% accuracy, 90% of
the time.
1. Students will be taught a strategy to work on increasing the
accuracy of both letter sounds and reading whole CVC words
III. Instructional decisions
A. Selected the successive blending strategy
1. Students begin by sounding out all letters in the word
2. Students blend beginning and middle sounds together, sound out
ending
3. Blend all 3 sounds together to read the word
B. Reasons for strategy selection
1. Successive blending has students sound out individual letter
sounds as well as sounding out whole words, fits student needs based on
pre-assessments
2. Primary teachers in the building were asked for strategy
suggestions and recommended the successive blending strategy
IV. Measurement tool
A. Same CVC assessment for formal checkpoints
1. Different CVC words were used on each assessment so students
were not just memorizing words
B. Formative assessment during explicit instruction
1. Allowed students to practice strategy independent of teacher voice
during lesson, listened to make sure students were pronounding sounds
and reading words accurately
a. Offered reteaching and additional guidance as needed
C. Independent practice
1. Students recorded themselves using the strategy on Seesaw
(learning management system)
 a. Offered reteaching and additional assistance the following day
after students had an opportunity to practice independently
V. Student work sample after intervention
A. Used CVC assessment form as formal measure of progress
1. Students once again scored on accuracy of letter sounds and
reading whole CVC words
B. Data interpretation
1. All students showed some level of improvement in either letter
sound accuracy or whole word accuracy, majority of students improved in
both areas
2. Not all students met the goal
a. Only 67% of students scored 90% or higher accuracy on letter
sounds
b. Only 33% of students scored 90% or higher on whole CVC word
accuracy
VI. Adjustments
A. Students are working on using the same successive blending strategy
B. Students are learning digraphs incorporated into CVC words
1. Upper elementary students need more exposure to phonics
patterns when the gaps are this large; more exposure equates to increased
levels of access to grade-level reading
C. Students will participate in one more formal check in before the goal deadline
(March 31st)
1. Strategy may be reconsidered based on assessment results
VII. What was learned
A. Setting a clear goal before teaching sets the tone for instruction
B. Assessment is ongoing; this should inform game-time teaching decisions versus
waiting for formal results before making adjustments
C. Clear daily objectives drive the pace of the lesson and set students up for daily
success (they know where they are going)
D. Repetition with the same strategy increases student confidence and helps improve
performance
E. Sharing goals and objectives with students give them something to celebrate as
they watch their own progress improve