Task 3 Part C - Commentary Edtpa

Elementary Education - Literacy with Mathematics Task 4
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 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 Student Learning

a. Identify the specific learning objectives measured by the assessment you chose for
analysis.
[The learning objective for this assessment is: I can use illustrations and other text features to
help me identify the key details in a story. For this assessment I was looking for students who
could compare/contrast two similar stories by identifying key details among them. I evaluated
students’ abilities to read two similar texts, identify key details (similarities/differences), letter
formation, spelling and erasures.]
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.
[ Whole class:
3 2 1 0
12
The criterion for this evaluation is as follows: 0 points (yellow) means that the students could not
identify or compare the stories. 1 point (purple) means that the student could not identify key
details using the text features to compare/contrast two similar stories. 2 points (orange) means
that the student could identify at least one key detail but could not compare/contrast the two
stories. 3 points (blue) means that the students could identify key details and could successfully
compare/contrast the two stories.
The pie chart shows that most of the students were able to confidently apply their knowledge of
the learning segment and apply it to the learning objective. The chart shows that twelve
students were able to demonstrate their understanding of the learning objective, six students
were able to identify some key details, four students were only able to identify one key detail,
and two students could not identify key words and or compare the stories. In reference to
scoring the evaluation criteria, this is a Proficiency Based scoring, 4= highly proficient, 3=
proficient, 2= approaching proficient, 1= below proficient. On the assessment students who
earned 5-6 points received a 3 , 3-4 points received a 2, and 1-2 points received a 1, and 0
received 0.
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Overall, the students did a great job during this learning segment but still need practice to focus
on essential key details, analyze what they are reading and make connections to real world
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 whole class did a great job during direct instruction. Many of the students were successful
at summarizing the stories but more than half the class struggled with finding details that would
help them compare the stories. My three student work samples are taken from a student below
grade-level, a student on grade-level, and a student who is above grade-level.
Student #1, below grade-level, is a struggling reader with poor penmanship. He struggled with
understanding the learning material. He struggled with using the text features and filling out the
Venn diagram even with a model. Student #2, on grade-level, struggles with writing. He seemed
to understand the learning objective but struggled with focusing on the key details and keeping
them organized on the Venn diagram. The illustrations and text features helped him retell the
story but became more of a distraction because he would make up his own version of the story
instead of locating key details. Student #3 had little to no problems using the text features and
illustration to locate key details and was able to properly find the similarities and differences
between the two stories.
Student #1 struggles with reading and writing. The student showed interest in listening to the
stories and discussing his ideas and opinions but struggled reading them himself. His writing
was hard to read, but only wrote one or two words during independent work. This showed me
that he understands and verbally can tell me details about each story but struggled with writing
the details. Because of what I noticed during direct instruction I encouraged the student to draw
pictures of the words he couldn’t write. On his Venn diagram for lesson 2 he demonstrated he
needs additional support with his writing and encouragement to use the text features to help
with letter formation.
Student #2 struggles with writing. He demonstrated understanding of the learning objective. This
student did very well during direct instruction and independent work. His writing was legible, but
I still encouraged him to use the text features to help him with spelling and writing. During
independent work I noticed the student rushed through the assignment causing him to make
mistakes with spelling and focusing on the key details. The Venn diagram from lesson 2 allowed
me to see that he needs more practice with the strategies I modelled for the class.
Student #3 excelled during this learning segment. She demonstrated full understanding of the
concept and learning objective. She was able to demonstrate her grasp on finding key details
using the text features and illustration to help her be successful while comparing two stories.
She was able to label the Venn diagram correctly and find the similarities and differences
among them.]
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.
[Not applicable.]
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.
[Not applicable.]
b. Explain how feedback provided to the 3 focus students addresses their individual
strengths and needs relative to the learning objectives measured.
[My feedback reflects my understanding of the learning levels of all the students in the
classroom. I try and tailor my feedback for each student, when correcting their Venn diagrams
from lesson 2, I corrected spelling errors, punctuation errors, and identifying the
similarities/differences between the two texts. I want my students to be successful and I feel it is
important to draw their attention to common errors because it allows them to reflect on their
errors and correct them through various forms of practice. My feedback is always positive to
help students feel more relaxed and comfortable hearing what I think they could improve on. I
have found that positivity tends to ease students’ fear of failure. I always try to encourage them
to push themselves to apply what they previously learned to what they already know to what
they are currently learning. The feedback I provided to student #1 was to encourage him to use
the text features to help identify similarities and differences as well as letter formation. Student
#2 showed that he understood the learning objective but struggled with writing but was able to
correctly label the titles of the two stories. I provided feedback to encourage him to take his time
and use the text features to help him write words correctly. Student #3 did an excellent job
labelling and finding the similarities and differences between the stories. The feedback I
provided was that she did a fantastic job labelling the diagram and finding key details that help
compare/contrast the stories. ]
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.
[I provided feedback on the students work so they can look it over and reflect. I try to give verbal
feedback in addition to written feedback to my students so that in that moment they can ask me
questions, or I can have them explain their work to me further. I like to provide time for students
to review my written feedback before I meet with each student to verbally discuss their
assignment (verbal feedback was not recorded). When providing feedback, I always try to start
with a positive praise such as: “Excellent job on _____” or “Great job on _____”. (verbal
feedback was not recorded). The feedback that I provided to my three focus students is written
on their Venn diagrams from lesson 2.
For student #1 the written feedback I provided this student was: Good Work! Remember to use
the illustrations to help you find each similarities and differences between the stories. I also
wrote on the bottom of his work sample Remember you can always draw pictures of the
similarities and differences. This student really struggles with writing so my feedback reminded
him that he could draw pictures instead of writing words directly. I also wanted this student to
remember the previous lesson when we worked as a class, and the strategies I modelled about
how the illustrations can help us when comparing things, what the text features are, and how
they can help us identify key details within a text.
For student #2 the written feedback I provided this student was: Nice Work! Remember to take
your time writing and to use the text features to help you and I pointed out Nice Job Labelling. I
noticed that this student didn’t write his similarities/differences in full sentences, he used one
maybe two words. Reminding him to use the text features was a way to get him to use them to
help with his writing/spelling. This student can use my feedback to further his comprehension
skills because the text features are another tool that he can use to help him compare/contrast
related objects, events, concepts outside of the learning segment.
For student #3 the written feedback I provided this student was: Great Job! You did a fantastic
job labelling the diagram and finding key details that helped you compare the stories. I think this
student was able to understand that they did well on the assignment because the feedback was
precise and pointed out what they did correctly.
One way that I can support my three focus students in understanding and using my feedback
would be to have centers that were all about the learning objective. I would like to have a group
for different genres of literature, different text features, compare/contrasting everyday items or
subjects, and possibly find a computer program that offers learning games to further their
comprehension skills. Centers are a creative way to get students thinking and practicing new
skills in a fun engaging way. I would start the centers with a quick review of each station (center)
so that students know what is expected of them. At each station there will be a worksheet to be
completed to allow students more time for practicing their new skills. Centers offer peer-to-peer
tutoring and a fun way to engage all learners. Another way I can further support my students is
by getting their feedback about the learning segment. I would like to know what they liked or did
not like. This would help me make changes to the lesson to better support the students. Getting
students involved in lesson planning is helpful for the teacher and gives students the sense that
they are in control of how they learn new skills. Centers will give me the opportunity to walk
around the room observing my focus students while they work, offering support to those who
are struggling with the learning material, and allowing students to work at their own pace.
Student feedback will help me further support my focus student by knowing what they did and
did not like about the learning segment. It will give me the opportunity to tailor my support to
each focus student so that they will be given the tools needed to be successful in not only
mastering the objective but also in other areas of their lives in or out of school.
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
evidence of 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.
[Every student was given the opportunity to use language function, key details, and
discourse/syntax to develop their understanding at three different learning levels. Student #1
showed problems with reading. He struggled to identify more than one similarity and difference
on the Venn diagram. Student #2 showed an understanding of the assignment but struggles
with writing and time management. Student #3 showed they completely understood the
objective and was able to identify all key details within the two stories to effectively
compare/contrast the stories.
Selected Language function students were using are as follows: both, alike, similar, the same,
just like, also, too, as well as, different, but, however, while, unlike, on the other hand, in
contrast, although. Students used the language functions during group discussions, during
independent and group work. Students really grasped onto the words alike, different, both, and
just like. Some of the lower-level learners struggled with using the correct language function
during group discussions but as I watched them work independently with peers they didn’t seem
to struggle as much. I also noticed my higher-level learners correcting other students when they
would forget to use these key words. Overall, my students didn’t take long to know when and
where to use the correct language functions.
Vocabulary or key phrases were used throughout the learning segment. At the beginning of
each lesson students reviewed and practiced their vocabulary words and definitions before each
lesson. This helps with improving their vocabulary and understanding of what we will be
learning. The vocabulary words for this learning segment are spend, cost, tools, jobs, check,
chores, choose, and rake. I like to ask students questions using vocabulary words and I
encourage them to use vocabulary words when answering my questions. This allows students
to see how they can use their new knowledge in real-world settings. Key phrases that I
modelled and encouraged students to use were illustrations, genre, how do they help?, text
features, what do they have in common? What is different? Students used these key phrases
throughout the learning process. Some students struggled to use the key phrases when asking
or answering questions but overall, the students did a great job with the vocabulary and key
phrases in the learning segment.
Syntax and Discourse were used throughout the learning segment. Students throughout Lesson
2 used syntax when we reviewed the vocabulary words at the beginning of the lesson. Students
grasped the sentence starters that were provided to them because the sentence starter
“families work together because ____” helps students use proper syntax during the lesson when
answering or asking questions about the story. Discourse took place during our class
discussions about the two texts and when students were independently working to compare
similar texts. ]
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).
[ For the whole class, I will continue to encourage and work with students to read books of
different genres, reading levels, or books they may not normally read so that they can practice
the compare/contrasting skills they have been learning. I will also challenge students to practice
their compare/contrast strategies in other areas and subjects during the school day. I will
continue to reteach compare/contrast strategies to develop a deeper understanding to
demonstrate proficiency within this learning segment. I will continue to teach students to use
the text features to help them understand or identify key details within the stories they read. I will
have students self-assess their work in addition to my assessment or feedback. I would like to
have students share with the whole class the stories they have compared. I would also like to
add peer reading to help develop their comparison skills even further. I think this will help
deepen their comprehension of what they are reading (comparing/contrasting) and the purpose
of the lesson or learning segment.
For my three focus students: Student #3 I will add more challenging above grade-level books for
the student to compare/contrast. I will challenge the student to write a story about the similarities
and differences found between the books and present it to the whole class. For student #2 I will
encourage them to dig deeper into the key details and find similarities/differences that have not
been discussed or found by other students. This will help the student elaborate in more detail
about what they learned from the books. This student demonstrated a decent grasp on the
learning objective but just needs a little push to dig deeper and take their findings a little further.
I will also work with this student in a small group with other students of the same learning level.
Student #1 struggled with the writing part of the lesson. The student demonstrated he could
verbally discuss and compare the texts but had trouble completing the Venn diagram. For this
student I will work one-on-one with and provide easier texts that they can scaffold what they
have learned and apply it in our one-on-one time. I will also be helping this student with their
writing by showing them how to use the text features to help them write unfamiliar words
correctly. I will also work with this student in a small group setting with other students of the
same learning level.
All of these steps or changes will hopefully allow all three different learning level students to
build off the knowledge they learned to further deepen their understanding and comprehension
skills. ]
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of student learning. Support your
explanation with principles from research and/or theory.
[These next steps will help students become more confident in their learning abilities when it
comes to using text features to help compare/contrast. Most of the students showed no signs of
confusion of how to compare a text verbally but many of them seemed to struggle when they
were tasked with locating and writing key details on a Venn diagram. I want to provide plenty of
practice throughout the day to build up their confidence with comparing/contrasting.
In 1954, Leon Festinger, a psychologist, introduced Comparison Theory in which he “proposed
that there is a primitive drive within individuals to compare themselves with others in order to
evaluate their own opinions and abilities” (Cherry, 2022). By comparing ourselves to others we
are basically comparing our thoughts, opinions, and characteristics to theirs. We are essentially
doing the same thing when we compare two similar stories. Comparison is a way for a person to
build their confidence and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others, but it could
become a barrier that we use to hold ourselves back.
Building off students’ prior knowledge of the lesson topic helps motivate students to want to
learn more which leads them to being an active learner wanting to deepen their understanding
of the lesson. I want my students to know that when we compare things it enables us to see the
pros/cons or similarities/differences that may not be immediately obvious. Students need to be
given tools that help them navigate the many useful ways compare/contrast could be used.
When comparing/contrasting is taught during instructional time it takes what students already
know and gives them tools to deepen their understanding and motivates students to want to
learn more about that subject or topic. By taking these steps from my analysis of student
learning I can provide the strategies and tools students need to become successful learners. ]
Evaluation Criteria for Lesson #2
Name:_________________ Possible Points: 6
Points Earned: ____ / 6
Points 3 2 1
Components Each section of the diagram Each section of the diagram Each section of the diagram
contains two or more key contains at least one key does not have key details that
details that are easily detail that is easily identified. are identified.
identified.
Student work is extremely Student work is messy but Student work is difficult to
legible, letters are formed legible. There are spelling read. There are many
Presentation
correctly, and words are errors, and some letters are spelling errors. Erasures are
spelled correctly. Erasures not formed correctly. visible.
are clean. Erasures are minimal.
* Assessment Rubric for Venn Diagram
Directions for Evaluation Criteria:

-Students must list at least two similarities and two differences.
-Students writing should be legible, proper letter formation, and correct spelling.
-Student work should be neat and clean with little to no erasures.

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Elementary Education - Literacy with Mathematics Task 4

Task 3: Literacy Assessment Commentary

TASK 3: LITERACY ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

1. Analyzing Student Learning

2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning

Evaluation Criteria for Lesson #2

Name:_________________ Possible Points: 6

Points Earned: ____ / 6

* Assessment Rubric for Venn Diagram

Directions for Evaluation Criteria:

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