SPublish Evaluation - Key Shifts in Student Learning

Summarise evidence about key shifts in the problem of student learning.

In my previous blog I summarized and showed  evidence of key changes in my teaching as a result of the intervention. Those changes were mainly in the areas of - extensive reading, intensive reading, and motivation and visioning. In this blog I will summarize and show evidence of key shifts in the reading comprehension ability as well as motivation and attitude of my inquiry learners toward English learning and reading. 

There will be both quantitative and qualitative evidence. 

Quanitative Data

Table 1 below shows a quantitative evaluation of shifts in student reading achievement among my inquiry group, norm, and a comparison group (which is the overall year 10 average).

Table 1: Evaluating shifts in student achievement (quantitative)
Pre-intervention data			Post-intervention data
My class/inquiry group	Norm	Comparison Group	My class	Norm	Comparison Group
59.1	76.5	66.3	62.6	76.5	68.5

At the beginning of the year my learners’ on average had a score of 59.1 which was well below the norm. At the end of the year my students’ on average had a score of 62.6 which was still well below. On average, my inquiry students gained 3.5 points whereas students in the norm made 9.5 points and students in the comparison group (yr10) made 2.2 points. Overall I conclude that my students made progress but was less than expected progress.

Table 2 below shows the pre-post intervention PAT results for all year 10 classes including the inquiry group.

Table 2: Yr10 Pre-Post Intervention PAT Mean Scores
Class	Pre-Intervention	Post-Intervention	Shifts
Class 1	64.7	67.4	2.7
Class 2	64.6	66.9	2.5
Class 3	66.5	68.5	2
Class 4	68.9	65.6	-3.3
Class 5	69.1	73.8	4.7
Class 6	67.4	69.8	2.4
Inquiry Group	59.1	62.6	3.5
Year 10 Level	66.3	68.5	2.2
Norm	76.5		9.5

When comparing my inquiry learners to all the other six year 10 classes on average they still had the lowest score at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year my inquiry students gained points which were second to the highest gains in all the year 10 cohorts (class 5). I therefore conclude that my inquiry learners still have the lowest score among all the year 10 cohorts, but they made more progress than 5 of those year 10 classes.

Table 3 below shows the pre-post intervention STAR results for all year 10 classes including my inquiry group.

Table 3: Year 10 Pre-Post Intervention STAR Results
Classes	Pre-Test	Post-Test	Growth	Pre-Test	Post-Test	Growth
Class 1	559	583	24	10:04	10:06	0:02
Class 2	607	664	57	10:08	11:02	0:06
Class 3	618	660	42	10:10	11:02	0:04
Class 4	653	636	-17	11:01	10:11	-0:02
Class 5	697	781	84	11:06	12:02	0:08
Class 6	613	641	28	10:09	11	0:03
Inquiry Group	240	304	64	07:07	08:02	0:07

The STAR reading results present a very similar picture to the ones presented by the PAT reading results. At the beginning of the year my inquiry learners on average had the lowest scaled score and reading ageamong all year 10 cohorts. At the end of the year they still had the lowest of the same but they made the second to the highest growth in their reading ability among the year 10 cohorts.

Table 4 below shows the pre-post intervention quantitative STAR results of learners in my inquiry group. 

Table 4: Inquiry Group Pre-Post Intervention STAR Results
	Scale Scores			Reading Ages
	Pre-Test	Post-Test	Growth	Pre-Test	Post-Test	Growth
Student 1	163	222	59	6:11	7:05	6 months
Student 2	230	182	-49	7:07	7:01	- 6 months
Student 3	252	344	92	7:08	8:06	10 months
Student 4	224	382	158	7:06	8:10	1 yr 6 months
Student 5	333	392	62	8:08	8:11	7 months

The results show increases in the scale scores and reading ages of 4 learners of my inquiry group at the end of the year. The highest was a growth by 1 year and 6 months and the lowest was 6 months. One learner (student 2) did not make a shift or progress but a drop by six months. 

Student 2 had the shortest time since migration to New Zealand so his exposure to English input in this English speaking background is shorter than the other 4 learners. Regarding practicing the 3 best practices of accelerated reader, student 2 was the least to adhere to those practices. He only read 12 books in six months, with an average of 1 minute engaged readng time per day, and the lowest and below the average percent correct (APC). That reflects hsi comprehension level.

Table 5 below shows the pre-post intervention quantitative scores on reading comprehension domains by STAR reading assessment. 

Table 5: Pre-Post Intervention Reading Comprehension Domain Scores
	Word Knowledge		Comprehension/Meaning		Literary Text		Author’s Craft		Argument
	Time 1	Time 2	Time 1	Time 2	Time 1	Time 2	Time 1	Time 2	Time 1	Time 2
Student 1	1	3	2	3	1	1	1	2	1	1
Student 2	3	2	3	2	1	1	3	2	1	1
Student 3	4	11	4	11	2	6	3	10	2	5
Student 4	3	12	3	12	1	6	2	10	1	5
Student 5	9	14	9	13	4	7	7	11	4	6
Note: Domain scores range from 1 - 100, estimate of each student percent of mastery of skills in each domain in Year 10.

At the beginning of the year my inquiry learners scored well below 100 in all their reading comprehension domains, particularly students 1 and 2. At the end of the year they progressed in three main domains - word knowledge, comprehension and meaning, and author's craft still but still well below 100. They scored the lowest in literary text and argument, both at the beginning and end of the year. Student 4 made the most progress across those domains, and student 2 dropped down further in those scores at the end of the year. 

Table 6 below shows the pre-post intervention assessment of 2000 frequency words of my inquiry group. 

Table 6: Pre-Post Intervention 2000 Frequency Test
Students	Pre Test	Post-Test
Student 1	-	-
Student 2	40%	63.3%
Student 3	37%	73.3%
Student 4	47%	73.3%
Student 5	57%	63.3%

I decided to do an assessment only on 2000 frequency words to show my inquiry learners'  progress or not on their vocabulary developemnt. Students 3, 4, and 5 scored from 70% - 100% in 1000 frequency test before the intervention.

The four learners who did the assessment made good progress in their learning of English vocabulary after the intervention. Student 3 made a progress of 36.3%, student 4 of 26.3%, student 2 of 23.3%, and student 5 the lowest of only 6.3%.

Table 7 below shows the pre-post intervention English Language Learning Progression (ELLP) reading assessment of my inquiry group. 

Table 7: English Language Learning Progression (ELLP) Reading Assessment
Pre-intervention data		Post-intervention data
Students	Stages	Stages
Student 1	1	2
Student 2	1	1
Student 3	1	2
Student 4	1	2
Student 5	1	2

At the beginning of the year, my inquiry learners were at ELLP stage one in reading. At the end of the year four learners progressed to stage 2 while one learner (student 2) remained at stage 2 reading.

ELLP stage 2 texts include the following aspects and features: 

Topic development - Topics are developed in more depth and assume more background knowledge; Text types are more varied: they may be reports, arguments, procedures, explanations, recounts or mixtures of these.

Language strucures - Texts contain simple, compound, and some complex

sentences. Sentences are sometimes expanded with prepositional phrases or

other structures.

Vocabulary - Texts use varied high-frequency words and some words that are

lower frequency and topic-specific or technical, and that should be clear from

the context.

Layout -   Texts have several sentences or short paragraphs per page and may

be supported by illustrations.

Qualitative Data

The table below presents qualitative data on 

attitudess, interests, and motivations of my inquiry 

learners toward reading. The learners were also to 

rate themselves as readers at the beginning and end 

of the year.

Qualitative Data on attitudes toward reading
1) How good a reader do you feel yourself to be?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Not very good		6 - 7 out of 10 better
Student 3	Good at reading sometime (decoding), but not fully understand		Much better in decoding and understanding new words
Student 4	Not really good		It’s good
Student 5	Not very well		I feel better than before because I can understand more words
At the beginning of the year rated themselves as not good readers or not reading well. After the intervention, there’s an obvious positive shift in learners rating them as better readers because they understand what they read better.
2) How do you feel when your teacher reads a story to the class?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Happy & excited		Its good when a teacher reads a story to me because i would understand better that I read by myself
Student 3	Understand more		Feels good and understand better
Student 4	Feeling good		I feel good when the teacher read a book.
Student 5	Feeling awesome		I feel good because i like how the reads so we can hear how to read probably the story with the sounds.
After the intervention, the learners’ attitudes toward teacher reading a story to them in class remained the same at the end of the intervention. They felt and learn better when the teacher reads to them.
3) How do you feel when it is your turn to read out loud to the teacher?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Feel scared		Better
Student 3	Sometimes scared (using wrong or different accent), but sometimes happy		A bit more confident but still a bit shy
Student 4	Shy if reading louder		I feel shy and feel uncomfortable when it's my turn to read books aloud to the teacher.
Student 5	Scared if asked to read		I feel excited because i like to read to let the teachers know what words I can't pronounce and don't know.
At the beginning of the year, learners were scared and shy to read aloud to the teacher. At the end of the year one still shy and uncomfortable but three felt better, more comfortable, and excited to read aloud to the teacher.
4)  How do you feel when you come to a new word while reading?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Will learn how to pronunce it		I will try to say it or look for the pronunce
Student 3	Worried & don’t know what to do		Struggle still but will try to say it
Student 4	Worried & don’t know what to do		I feel worried and scared when the new word come when I’m reading.
Student 5	Shy if say it wrong, others might laugh at me		Still a bit shy but will try to say it or look at the translate to hear the pronunciation
At the beginning of the year, 3 learners felt worried and shy and not sure what to do and one said he would try. At the end of the year all still felt uncomfortable and worried, but two said they would try and find out the pronunciations.
5) How do you feel about going to school?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Feel happy to learn more English		I like and feel happy to come to school because i need to learn while im young
Student 3	Feel happy to come to school when my favorite subjects are on, but not happy when they are not on		It's good because i need to learn while im young
Student 4	Feel really good but sometime unhappy		I feel happy to come to school everyday.
Student 5	Feel really good		Feel excited because I want to study hard for my future and and learn more english.
The learners felt good, happy, and excited to come to school, same at the beginning and end of the year. They felt good to come and learn English.
6) How do you feel about getting a book for a present?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	So happy		I don't know but I will accept the present because I need to read for more knowledge.
Student 3	Don’t really like it		I will accept it
Student 4	Feel excited		I don’t know.
Student 5	Feel happy		Feel good
Their attitudes to books were divided at the beginning of the year and the same at the end of the year. Is that a real reflection of their attitudes to reading?
7) Would you rather watch television or read?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Read a book to learn more English		Read
Student 3	Rather read		I’d rather read.
Student 4	Read but sometime watch TV		Television
Student 5	Watch TV		Watch television
At the beginning of the year, 3 rather read than watching television. At the end of the year, two rather read and two rather watching television.
8)  Would you rather play with your friends or read?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Read a book makes me happy		Play with friends and read
Student 3	Play with my friends		Play with friends.
Student 4	Play with my friends		Playing with my friends.
Student 5	Play with my friends		Play with friends
At the beginning of the year, 3 learners rather play with their friends than read, only 1 rather read. At the end of the year all four rather play with their friends.
9) Would you rather clean your room or read?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	After clean my room then read		read
Student 3	Read than clean my room		both
Student 4	Read then clean the room		both
Student 5	Both		read
Learners’ responses were doing both at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, 2 rather read and 2 wanted to do both.
10) How often do you read at home by yourself?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Once or twice a week		Once or twice a week
Student 3	Always read but once find new words not understand,  then give up		Everyday
Student 4	Feel good everyday but want someone to help me read		Sometimes I read my book but not every time.
Student 5	Once or twice a day		2 days a week
There is no shift in how often do learners read at home, and they did not read as often and as much.
11) How long do you read for at home after school is out and before you get to bed?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	15  - 20 minutes		20 minutes
Student 3	Sometimes half an hour if I understand what I read		I read 20 minutes or 1 hour sometimes (after school) but at night i read until  10 oclock if i don't have homework
Student 4	Read after doing HW or before going to bed		I read like 20 minutes sometime I read 1Hours before I go to bed.
Student 5	Like 5 minutes		15 mints
The learners’ responses at the beginning of the year and the end of the year remained almost the same. They all read at home before they go to bed, ranging from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
12)  Can you remember the name of a book you read recently?
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Fear in the Dark		Not sure
Student 3	A Girl		Dandelion and the witch
Student 4	Read one but forgot the title		No,
Student 5	The Dark Man		Yes, THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
At the beginning of the year, three remembers the titles, one forgot. At the end of the year, two remembered and two did not. That reflected their engagement.
13) Do you like to read
Students	Pre-Intervention		Post-Intervention
Student 2	Sometimes		sometimes
Student 3	Sometimes		sometimes
Student 4	Yes but not when I’m tired		Yes, I like reading when someone sitting next to me.
Student 5	Yes, sometimes		yes
No definite shift in the learners’ like and interest in reading at the end of the year. Attitude remained almost the same as the beginning of the year.

The table below presents qualitative data on the

movitation and attitude of inquiry learners toward 

their learning of English before and after the 

'Visioning My Future' workshop. 

Qualitative Data: Motivation and Visioning
1) How did you feel about not having good English before the workshop?
Student 2	I felt scared because I don't know more English and shy to speak English in front of people. My english before the workshop is so low
Student 3	I felt shy and shy to talk to other people and shy to talk in front of people because my English not good.
Student 4	I felt shy when i don't have enough english.
Student 5	I felt shy and shy to talk to other people and shy to talk in front of people because my English not good.
2) How did you feel about not having good English after the workshop?
Student 2	I don't care if students gonna making me because english is not my first language. But after the workshop i feel i got something to not shy to speak english.
Student 3	I felt not shy to speak up because English is not my first language and be proud of who I am and read more.
Student 4	After the workshop I don’t care if I speaking English to students or I’m not shy to speak English.
Student 5	I felt not shy to speak up because English is not my first language and be proud of who am I and read more.
3) What were your main takeaways from the workshoP
Student 2	Not shy to speak English in front of people. Feeling good know more words and better English. Feeling that my english is 100%
Student 3	To be proud of who u are (where I came from and my language). One way to improve your English by reading more if we can. Don't care what other people say about your learn or study ( don't care when other people say about your English skills). Don't be shy to speak up no matter what your English is bad or don't know how to speak English. Work and study  hard for what we want to be in the future/goal
Student 4	Be proud of who you are Thinking positive and not thinking negative. Hard Working
Student 5	To be proud of who u are (where I came from and my language). One way to improve your English by reading more if we can. Don't care what other people say about your learn or study ( don't care when other people say about your English skills). Don't be shy to speak up no matter what your English is bad or don't know how to speak English. Work and study  hard for what we want to be in the future/goal
4) What do you plan to do to improve your English?
Student 2	Keep reading and work hard to make your english better and try not shy to speak in front of people. Make sure all your assessment is done to pass your NCEA level 1 and also your level 2 and 3.
Student 3	Reading more books Don't be shy to speak up
Student 4	Keep reading and try to speak to anyone.
Student 5	To read more books Don't be shy to speak up and speak English more often