EDUC 797 Key_Assessment – SLOPE: Math

Overview

Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) are measures of student growth that are being used by many states as an alternative/supplement to standardized tests. SLOs are typically set by individual teachers, usually in consultation with their principals, and may be based on any of a wide range of student assessments, including state assessments, commercially available assessments, and teacher-developed (non-standardized) assessments. They are based on teachersÕ and principalsÕ knowledge of individual students and assumptions about studentsÕ expected growth during a school year. SLOs have become popular in Maryland as part of its newly-mandated teacher evaluation metrics.

Purpose

While the Effect on Student Mathematics Learning Key Assessment provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their ability to improve student learning over the course of a single unit, the SLO project is intended to allow interns to experience the process of gauging student growth over a longer time span (approximately two months). As such, the construct of interest should typically be broader than a particular concept or skill (e.g., solving equations). The SLO project is also intended to allow interns to experience the SLO process prior to becoming full time teachers.

Connections to NCTM (2012) Teacher Preparation Standards

3b) Analyze and consider research in planning for and leading students in rich mathematical learning experiences.

3f) Plan, select, implement, interpret, and use formative and summative assessments to inform instruction by reflecting on mathematical proficiencies essential for all students.

3g) Monitor studentsÕ progress, make instructional decisions, and measure studentsÕ mathematical understanding and ability using formative and summative assessments.

4d) Demonstrate equitable and ethical treatment of and high expectations for all students.

5a) Verify that secondary students demonstrate conceptual understanding; procedural fluency; the ability to formulate, represent, and solve problems; logical reasoning and continuous reflection on that reasoning; productive disposition toward mathematics; and the application of mathematics in a variety of contexts within major mathematical domains.

5c) Collect, organize, analyze, and reflect on diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment evidence and determine the extent to which studentsÕ mathematical proficiencies have increased as a result of their instruction.

6a) Take an active role in their professional growth by participating in professional development experiences that directly relate to the learning and teaching of mathematics.

6b) Engage in continuous and collaborative learning that draws upon research in mathematics education to inform practice; enhance learning opportunities for all studentsÕ mathematical knowledge development; involve colleagues, other school professionals, families, and various stakeholders; and advance their development as a reflective practitioner.

7a) Engage in a sequence of planned field experiences and clinical practice prior to a full-time student teaching/internship experience that include observing and participating in both middle and high school mathematics classrooms and working with a diverse range of students individually, in small groups, and in large class settings under the supervision of experienced and highly qualified mathematics teachers in varied settings that reflect cultural, ethnic, linguistic, gender, and learning differences.

7c) Develop knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors across both middle and high school settings; examine the nature of mathematics, how mathematics should be taught, and how students learn mathematics; and observe and analyze a range of approaches to mathematics teaching and learning, focusing on tasks, discourse, environment, and assessment.

Requirements

1. The SLO description must follow the Anatomy of a Student Learning Objective worksheet.

a. All statements should be tailored to the target class(es) and subject(s), as determined by the intern and mentor teacher.

b. Math SLOs must be written to target the first Common Core Standard of Mathematical Practice: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solution. They analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals. They make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt. They consider analogous problems, and try special cases and simpler forms of the original problem in order to gain insight into its solution. They monitor and evaluate their progress and change course if necessary. Older students might, depending on the context of the problem, transform algebraic expressions or change the viewing window on their graphing calculator to get the information they need. Mathematically proficient students can explain correspondences between equations, verbal descriptions, tables, and graphs or draw diagrams of important features and relationships, graph data, and search for regularity or trends. Younger students might rely on using concrete objects or pictures to help conceptualize and solve a problem. Mathematically proficient students check their answers to problems using a different method, and they continually ask themselves, ÒDoes this make sense?Ó They can understand the approaches of others to solving complex problems and identify correspondences between different approaches.

2. Baseline data collection must be collected by Seminar 2 (Friday, October 24, 2014). Mentor and intern should agree on the frequencies tallied for each day observed to ensure accuracy and reliability. A minimum grade of ÒProficientÓ is required for baseline data collection for advancement into Phase II.

3. The intern must develop an intervention plan in consultation with the mentor teacher. The essential question to address here is, ÒWhat teaching strategies will be used to increase student engagement during the intervention period?Ó The intervention plan, along with the SLO description, must be completed and turned in to the secondary mathematics program coordinator by Seminar 3 (Friday, November 14, 2014). A minimum grade of ÒProficientÓ is required for intervention plan and SLO description for advancement into Phase II.

4. Enactment of the intervention plan will take place during Phase II (at least 6 weeks in length). Mentor and intern should agree on the frequencies tallied for each day observed to ensure accuracy and reliability.

5. Interns must present their SLO to the designated administrator at their field placement.

6. Interns must present their SLO at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD).

Process

1. Collect baseline data.

2. Develop intervention plan (e.g., instructional strategies, timeline) with mentor.

3. Write SLO description.

4. Write abstract for URCAD.

5. Enact SLO plan and collect data.

6. Analyze data. During one or more of the three content-specific seminar sessions during Phase II, the interns will begin discussing findings.

7. Create a poster presentation for URCAD.

8. The secondary program requests that interns attend the End-of Phase II intern celebration and that the interns bring their URCAD posters to set up as an exhibit.

Rubric

Connections to other assessments

1. Contextual Analysis

2. Clinical Practice Performance Assessment

3. Effect on Student Learning

Grader(s)

Secondary Mathematics Program Coordinator

Additional Resources

1. Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practice: http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/

2. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Focus on Reasoning and Sense Making series: http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=23749

3. NCTM Process Standards (Part of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, freely accessible online with NCTM membership).

Problem Solving