TWS Standard Six 1

Standard 6: Analysis of Learning Results

I. Whole Class Analysis

For the purpose of standard 6, the analysis results will focus on the fifth period

class of freshman English students. There are 27 students in this class, after two female

students dropped the course and one female student came in as a new student. There are

14 male students and 13 female students. Throughout the course of this month-long unit

there were ten recorded tardies and seventeen recorded absences, many of those absences

affecting the graded results of the unit.

Students completed 22 assignments between October 29th and November 21st. The

total number of possible points from this unit is 215. Student point totals are converted

into percentages that correlate with a traditional grade system where an “A” equals 90 to

100 percent, a “B” equals 80 to 89 percent, a “C” equals 70 to 79 percent, a “D” equals

60 to 69 percent and an “F” equals 59 percent and below. Students averaged point totals

from 30 points at the low end, mostly due to absences, to 210 points at the high end.

Student achievement data was mostly consistent with their achievement levels during the

rest of the quarter. For example, the student who received the lowest score of 23 points

also had a letter grade of F for the mid-term and for the first-quarter final grade.

Conversely, the student who performed at the high end also earned an A for the mid-term

and first-quarter final grade. The student who performed at the low end is not identified

as a Special Education student, while the student at the high end of this grading cycle is,

in fact, identified as a Talented and Gifted (TAG) student.

 TWS Standard Six 2

When this unit began, 8 students earned the letter grade of “A”, three earned a

“B”, five earned a “C”, seven earned a “D”, and five earned an “F” in the class. However,

letter grades for this unit included eleven students earning the letter grade of “A”, four

earned a “B”, four earned a “C”, four earned a “D”, and four earned an “F”. The graphic

representation below shows this data:

12

10

8
Pre-Unit Grade
6
Romeo and Juliet
4 Unit Grade

0
A B C D F

There is a clear increase in the number of students who earned the letter grades of

“A” and “B”, while there is a decrease in students who earned the letter grades of “C”,

“D”, and “F”. This post-unit statistical information is encouraging, and shows a class-

wide improvement in point values.

Student achievement information may also be graphically displayed in showing

student point results per assignment, as each assignment relates to the following specific

learning goals and objectives:

 TWS Standard Six 3

1. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.LI.05

During this unit students will analyze interactions between characters in a literary

text, in this case “Romeo and Juliet”, (e.g., internal and external conflicts,

motivations, relationships, influences) and study how these interactions affect the

plot of the play.

2. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.LI.06

Students will identify themes found in “Romeo and Juliet” and provide support

for their interpretations from the text.

3. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.LI.09

Students will identify various literary devices, including Shakespeare’s use of

sonnets, figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism and how each

device functions within the play. Students will also evaluate the significance of

the devices and explain their appeal.

4. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.LI.14

Students will identify and describe the function of dialogue, soliloquies, asides,

character foils, and stage directions in this piece of dramatic literature.

5. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.LI.16

Students will analyze the way in which “Romeo and Juliet” is related to the

themes and issues of its historical period.

6. Learning Objective EL.CM.LI.02

Students will demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex literary text

through class interpretive discussions.

 TWS Standard Six 4

7. Learning Objective EL.CM.LI.19

Students will analyze a work of literature, showing how it reflects the heritage,

traditions, attitudes, and beliefs of its author.

8. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.SL.01

When analyzing “Romeo and Juliet”, students should present and support a clear

thesis statement in an essay and choose appropriate types of proof (e.g., statistics,

testimony, specific instances) that meet standard tests for evidence, including

credibility, validity, and relevance.

9. Learning Goal: Oregon Standard EL.CM.SL.07

Students will use props, visual aids, graphs, and/or electronic media to enhance

the appeal and accuracy of a rehearsed presentation.

10. Objective: Use of technology

11. Learning Goal:

Students should gain an understanding of why Shakespeare remains so prominent

in the context of modern society.

 TWS Standard Six 5

Students were pre-assessed for this unit based on four warm up activities and a

KWL chart. Each pre-assessment activity dealt directly with Learning Goals and

Objectives 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7. Pre-assessment assignment data for this unit is graphically

presented as follows, (based on student point values out of 5 points for each assignment):

4
WarmUp 4
3 WarmUp 3
WarmUp 2
2 WarmUp 1
1 KWLChart

0 10 20 30

As you can see, a majority of students earned 5 out of 5 points on each warm up

assignment. Between 5 and 11 students earned a zero on these assignments simply

because students were absent and did not complete make-up work as a result of their

absence. Students are allowed to turn in late work up until the end of the quarter, so it

may be assumed that some of those assignments may be turned in by the end of the

quarter, (in mid-January).

 TWS Standard Six 6

Students were post-assessed for this unit based on three act worksheets, (to be

completed while watching a film version of the play). These act worksheets were directly

related to Learning Goal 1, or that of being able to identify the plot and how interactions

between characters progress the movement of the play. Each act worksheet was worth

five points. Student achievement data for these worksheets is graphically represented by

the following charts:

5 PointsEarned 5 PointsEarned
0 PointsEarned 0 PointsEarned

5PointsEarned
0PointsEarned

The only students who earned zero points are those who were absent and did not

complete the make-up work. Each student who was present in class for these assignments

scored 5 out of 5 points, earning 100 percent across the board. Students completed these

assignments during their time watching the film as a way to ensure they understood what

was happening and which characters were involved in which plot developments.
 TWS Standard Six 7

Students were also post-assessed on 5 separate homework assignments. Each

homework assignment was worth 10 points.

Students completed the first homework assignment of creating ten new words,

identifying the part of speech for each word, and writing the definition for each word.

The second homework assignment asked students to write a modern dialogue translation

from part of a scene in Act I. The third homework assignment required students to apply

their knowledge of sonnets and iambic pentameter to a worksheet. The fourth homework

assignment asked students to write a description of how they would design a scene, as

well as draw a representation of their design. Finally, the fifth assignment asked students

to create a short story using ten vocabulary words from the play. These homework

assignments correspond to learning goals and objectives 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7.

The following chart represents the post-assessment results for these assignments:

25 New Words
Assignment
20 Dialogue
Translation
15
Sonnet
10 Analysis
Scene
5 Design
Vocabulary
0 Short Story
0 2 4 6 8 10
Points Points Points Points Points Points
 TWS Standard Six 8

As is evident in the prior chart, a much higher number of students earned zero

points than students who earned ten points on these homework assignments. This is not to

say students did not understand the homework. Those students who turned in the

homework received an average of eight to ten points on each assignment. No student who

turned in any assignment received a zero or even two points. Students who did receive

zero points on this assignment did not complete the assignment at all. Homework seems

to be a problem with freshman students in other subjects. The majority of students in

freshman English classes are capable of earning a B or better; however, many students

failed as a result of not doing homework. This chart proves that a majority of students are

simply not doing their assigned homework! It is a very frustrating sentiment known to

most of the freshman teachers at Benson. A freshman academy has been developed, as

well as sophomore through senior academies, as ways for teachers and administrators to

work together to identify problems in each class and to then provide solutions for those

problems.

Students in fifth period freshman English were also assessed through a pair of

assignments: the festival analysis worksheet, which served as more of a formative

assignment, and a correlating PowerPoint presentation, which served as more of a post-

assessment tool. The worksheet was worth ten points, and the PowerPoint presentation

was worth twenty points. For the festival analysis worksheet, students worked in the

computer lab to answer questions about a Shakespeare festival of their choice. Students

developed online research skills to first find a festival, and then find all the information

for that festival. Next, student took that gathered information and turned it into a
 TWS Standard Six 9

presentation using PowerPoint. These assignments were directly linked to learning goals

and objectives 9 and 10.

The following chart graphically displays student score information on these two

assignments (whereas the number of points possible is on the x-axis and the number of

students who performed at a given level is on the y-axis):

20
18
16
14
Worksheet
12
Student Scores
10
8 PowerPoint
Student Scores
6
4
2
0
0 5 10 15 20

As the graph shows, there were still a number of students who did not finish their

in-class assignments and get them turned in; however, this pair of assignments yielded a

much higher return and score rate for students, as compared to the homework assignment

return and score rate. Students are more motivated to get their work done in class, and a

hands-on assignment like this pair, further demonstrated student interest and motivation

when technology is involved.

 TWS Standard Six 10

Finally, students were post-assessed through the unit test. The test was worth 50

points, or nearly a quarter of the points from this unit. The unit test was directly linked to

learning goals and objectives 3, 4, and 7. Students had the opportunity to earn ten points

extra credit on their test by turning in a completed worksheet, used on multiple occasions

throughout the unit, or by turning in a completed study guide, handed out the period

before the test was given. Several students took advantage of at least one extra credit

option, and two students took advantage of both, thus increasing scores on this test. The

range of student scores is graphically represented as follows:

0 PointsScored

1-10 Points
Scored
11-20 Points
Scored
21-30 Points
Scored
31-40 Points
Scored
41-50 Points
Scored
51-60 Points
Scored

As this chart shows, the highest percentage groups of scores earned 41-50 points

and 31-40 points, or the letter grades of mostly “A’s” and “B’s” on this test. Five students

earned a score of zero, but four of those students were absent and will have an

opportunity to make up the test if their absences are excused. The score results on this test

appear to be a more accurate representation of overall student learning, as there are not

outside factors like the lack of turning in homework affecting the scores.
 TWS Standard Six 11

II. Subgroup Analysis

Much of the current focus at Benson Polytechnic High School is on raising the

achievement levels among Black students. Typically, Black students perform at lower

levels than their White and Asian peers, the other two races that, when combined, form

the majority of the demographic make-up of the school. It is important to understand the

learning of this particular subgroup in order to evaluate whether these Black students are

performing at a lower level, as is the case with the greater student population of the

school. Therefore, this is the subgroup that will be analyzed for the purpose of this

Teacher Work Sample.

There are eight Black students in fifth period freshman English, four boys and

four girls. Before students are analyzed based on particular learning goals, it is important

to relate results to first-quarter letter grades which were handed out before the end of this

unit. Two students earned an “A”, one student earned a “B”, three students earned a “C”,

one student earned a “D”, and one student earned an “F”.

One significant learning goal of this unit is to identify various literary devices,

including Shakespeare’s use of sonnets, figurative language, imagery, allegory, and

symbolism and how each device functions within the play (Learning Goal 3). The pre-

assessment and post-assessment assignments that correlate with this learning goal are the

couplet writing exercise and the sonnet translation activity. The first assignment was

worth five points, while the latter was worth ten points.
 TWS Standard Six 12

Scoring information for these two assignments in this subgroup is graphically

displayed as follows:

6
5
4
Couplet Writing
3
2 Sonnet
Translation
1
0
0 5 10
Points Points Points

There are a significant number of students in this subgroup who earned a zero

points on both assignments. This is directly linked to unexcused absences. One student

who earned zero on both assignments was absent from class on both days and earned a

letter grade of “F” for the quarter. The other student who earned zero points on both

assignments began the quarter with an “A”, and then had a month of unexcused absences.

When this student returned to class, she was asked where she had been and responded

simply that “school was boring” and that she “hadn’t felt like coming.” She earned a “D”

for the quarter.

While there are students whose unexcused absences drastically impacted the

overall scores in this unit, there are students who performed at high levels at this

subgroup. Six students earned five out of five points on the first assignment, and four

students earned eight to ten points on the latter assignment.

 TWS Standard Six 13

A second learning goal that may be analyzed based on pre and post-assessment

results from this subgroup is Learning Goal 1: During this unit students will analyze

interactions between characters in a literary text, in this case “Romeo and Juliet”, (e.g.,

internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and study how

these interactions affect the plot of the play.

This learning goal may be graphically represented through pre-assessment results

from a KWL Chart about Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet. Students completed the

chart on the first day of the unit, (an assignment worth 5 points):

Student 8
Student 7
Student 6
Student 5
Student 4
Student 3
Student 2
Student 1
0 1 2 3 4 5

Students who earned four or five points on this assignment were in class and filled

out their KWL chart appropriately. The reason four other students in this subgroup

received zero points on this assignment is simply because they were not in class, and they

did not do the make-up work. One student was actually in class but was so apathetic

about the work that he did not turn the assignment in.
 TWS Standard Six 14

This learning goal may also be graphically represented through post-assessment

results from the unit test. Student scores are represented as follows:

Student 8
Student 7
Student 6
Student 5
Student 4
Student 3
Student 2
Student 1
0 10 20 30 40 50

There is an increase is student scores based on the post-assessment unit test. On

the pre-assessment, more than half the students earned zero points, while on this post-

assessment only one student earned zero points. Part of the difference in scores may be

attributed to the fact that the first assignment was worth only five points, and the latter

was worth 50 points. Students knew about the point values, and many of them made it a

point to study and do well on the unit test. However, it is extremely frustrating to know

that students have the potential to earn full points on any given assignment in this unit.

Students simply do not come to class, and do not get their absences excused. What is

alarming about this is that Benson statistics show freshman had the highest attendance

rates in the school in years past. It appears a high percentage of students, even in the

freshman class and no matter what race category they fall under, are on a fast track to

dropping out of high school.

 TWS Standard Six 15

III. Individual Analysis

This individual analysis examines two students, a male and a female, who

performed at different levels throughout this unit. The first student, a White male who

will be further identified as Student 1, earned a letter grade of “D” for the first quarter of

school, while the second student, a Black female who will be further identified as Student

2, earned a letter grade of “A” for the first quarter. These students were chosen because

neither had an absence during the month-long unit, a factor that is obviously difficult to

find, especially in low-level students. It is important to understand the learning of these

particular students because more truthful conclusions may be drawn about student

learning levels, rather than conclusions about student absences.

The first learning goal to be analyzed is Learning Goal 11: Students should gain

an understanding of why Shakespeare remains so prominent in the context of modern

society. The assignment related to this learning goal is the festival analysis worksheet, an

assignment that requires students to conduct online research to answer specific questions

about the Shakespeare festival of their choice. Student 1 earned ten out of ten points on

the assignment (Appendix A), while Student 2 earned nine out of ten points on the

assignment (Appendix A). This assignment shows that even a low-level student can earn

a good grade when that student attends class and turns the work in.

The second learning goal to be analyzed is Learning Goal 9: Students will use

props, visual aids, graphs, and/or electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of

a rehearsed presentation. This learning goal goes hand-in-hand with learning objective

10: use of technology. The assignment related to these learning goals is the PowerPoint

presentation students created as a result of their Shakespeare festival analysis worksheet.

 TWS Standard Six 16

For this assignment, students take the information gathered from their worksheet and turn

it into a presentation, following a specific rubric. The PowerPoint presentations for both

students are included and may be viewed through PowerPoint (Appendix C). Completed

rubrics for Students 1 and 2 (Appendix B) show Student 1 earned 18 out of 20 points,

while Student 2 earned 19 out of 20 points. Again, this assignment proves that when low-

level students attend class, they can earn high scores for their work.
 TWS Standard Six 17

Appendix A

Student 1 Worksheet
 TWS Standard Six 18

Student 2 Worksheet
 TWS Standard Six 19

Appendix B

Student 1 PowerPoint Rubric

 TWS Standard Six 20

Student 2 PowerPoint Rubric