Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

1. Formative Assessments First Assessment Selected The first formative assessment I selected is A & D Statements. I will provide this assessment to students before learning the methods to solve systems of equations. Students will be given a worksheet that will look similar to the insert below. The worksheet will contain 5 questions. After students complete this activity I will facilitate a class discussion on the answers before diving into instruction. Statement 1. x = 3 and y = 4 is a solution of the following system of equations: How Can You Find Out?

_____ agree ______ not sure My thoughts:

_____ disagree _____ it depends on

2. x = -2 and y = 3 is a solution of the following system of equations:

_____ agree ______ not sure

_____ disagree _____ it depends on

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

My thoughts:

Benchmark MA.912.A.3.14 Solve systems of linear equations and inequalities in two and three variables using graphical, substitution, and elimination methods. Cognitive Complexity Level 2: Basic Application of Concepts and Skills. Rationale I will use this assessment for the following reasons This formative assessment promotes student learning in a couple ways. The activity encourages students to be metacognitive, or thinking about ones thinking. Metacognition is an important skill for students to use because it helps them identify areas that need improving and promotes independent learning. A & D Statements also give students the opportunity to practice group discussion. Hearing peers ideas will sometimes challenge ones own thoughts about the concept. Such situations will help students solidify their thinking and understanding.

A & D Statements also inform instruction by revealing students ideas and knowledge about a
particular mathematical concept. The teacher can reveal any misconceptions students have and can adapt the lesson wherever they deem necessary. This formative assessment can also be used to differentiate instruction. Second Assessment Selected

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

The second formative assessment I chose is Odd One Out. This task asks students to determine which of the group does not belong. I will structure this assessment in a group format. Students will be assigned to groups of two and will work on the worksheet together. After a predetermined time I will administer a class discussion, reviewing the questions and analyzing student thinking. The activity will be designed like the insert below. Odd One Out Instructions: For the groups of systems of equations in the boxes below, please determine which does not belong. Please explain mathematically why it does not belong to the group. 1. 2.

Rationale:

Rationale:

3.

4.

Rationale:

Rationale:

Benchmark MA.912.A.3.14 Solve systems of linear equations and inequalities in two and three variables using graphical, substitution, and elimination methods. Cognitive Complexity Level 2: Basic Application of Concepts and Skills.

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

Rationale I will use this assessment for the following reasons This strategy promotes learning by having students think about the similarities and differences in a group. They must analyze the relationships between the items and use their reasoning skills to determine the difference(s). Students should try this activity on their own and gather his/her own ideas and thoughts. Also, if used in small group discussion students are able to modify their thinking according to other students explanations.

Odd One Out informs instruction in two different ways. The first is at the beginning of
instruction. Teachers can use this assessment to reveal what students know about a particular topic. The other way to use this strategy is during instruction to examine students reasoning skills. It is a wonderful way to show the connections students make and challenge any misunderstandings. Third Assessment Selected The third strategy I chose is called Create the Problem. This is problem-solving in reverse. Rather than carrying out pure computations, students are given the answer and must figure out a real-world application. Create the Problem Instructions: For the predetermined solutions below, please create a real-world word problem. Each problem you create must be based on systems of equations. 1.

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

Problem Created:

Rationale:

2. Problem Created:

Rationale:

Benchmark MA.912.A.3.15 Solve real-world problems involving systems of linear equations and inequalities in two and three variables. Cognitive Complexity Level 3: Strategic Thinking and Complex Reasoning. Rationale

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

I will use this assessment for the following reasons

Create the Problem promotes student learning by reversing the roles of the student. In
mathematics class students normally perform rote computations. This activity moves students to a different classification because not only must students be able to perform such operations but they also must understand the concepts well enough to successfully create a problem with the given answers. This strategy also informs instruction by allowing teachers to assess whether or not students understand the intent of the computations. Many times students only know the specific procedures but not the reason behind them. Create the Problem also adds a real-world application to mathematical computations and procedures, which is important to build connections. Fourth Assessment Selected The fourth strategy I chose is called an Exit Ticket. This type of formative assessment is provided to students at the end of a lesson or class period. The ticket can contain a question or statement related to mathematics. Sometimes students solve a problem and other times they write about a mathematical process. Students hand their response to the teacher on their way out of the classroom.

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

Benchmark MA.912.A.3.14 Solve systems of linear equations and inequalities in two and three variables using graphical, substitution, and elimination methods. Cognitive Complexity Level 2: Basic Application of Concepts and Skills. Rationale I will use this assessment for the following reasons

Exit tickets are beneficial because it allows the teacher to test his or her students understanding
of a particular process or concept quickly at the end of a lesson. This type of assessment promotes student learning by asking students to perform a mathematical process or explain in writing a particular concept. If students do not understand the concept it will show in their solution and the teacher can adjust the following days lesson. This type of formative assessment informs instruction by providing the teacher with an overall level of student understanding. If a majority of students answer the problem incorrectly or show

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

similar mistakes, the teacher can adapt the next lesson to resolve an misunderstandings and fix any misconceptions students have about the mathematical concept. 2. Administering the Formative Assessments The classes I teach are called Math for College Readiness. All students in these classes are 12th graders. My three classes combined have about 60 students. When I chose the formative assessments I would be giving my students I tried to pick a variety to accommodate all types of students. Also, when I gave my students the assessments I always read the instructions aloud. This provides students with visual and audio representations, helping students who benefit from differing learning styles. 3. Content Rubric

The formative assessment I am basing my analysis on can be viewed to the right. This formative assessment was given to students at the end of the substitution lesson. Students were required to share their understanding of the concept by solving a system of equations using substitution and accompanying the mathematics by explaining, in words, the steps they took.

Levels

Explanation of the levels

Typical student responses at each level of reasoning on the best concert tour task

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

Step 1 is already done solve one of the equations for one of the variables. Step 2 is to substitute the result from step 1 into the other equation. This results in an equation in one variable.

Step 3 is to solve for the variable.

Extended abstract

Students generalize the structure to make it new and more abstract.

Now that one of the variables has been found, step 4 involves back-substituting that value into one of the original equations to find the remaining variable. ( )

The final step is to check the solution. This entails plugging both values into the two original equations. This step is important because it verifies that the solution is correct. ( ) ( )

(-22, -5) is the solution to the problem.

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

The first step is done; one equation is solved for a variable. Substitute one equation into the other.

Solve for the variable.

Students integrate the ideas Analytical to create a meaningful structure. Back-substitute to find the other variable. ( )

Check the solution by plugging the results into the original equations. ( ) ( )

Students can identify mathematical ideas in a Quantitative quantitative way but cannot integrate these mathematical ideas during the task.

Find y.

Find x. ( )

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

Check solution. ( ) ( )

Transitional

Students focus on only one aspect of the solution. ( )

This level is based on subjective reasoning with Idiosyncratic unrelated data and is affected by subjective beliefs and personal experiences. Im not sure if I am doing this correctly. I dont know.

4. Analysis of Student Work Student results varied greatly. Some students wrote nothing but their name and others completed the problem correctly and identified the steps they took. A majority of my students attempted the problem and solved for at least one of the two variables. 16 out of 45 students, or 35%, solved the system of equations correctly. Another 9 out of 45 students, or 20%, solved the system of equations for one of the two variables. The remaining 20 students, or 45%, either solved the system incorrectly or did not attempt to solve the problem.

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

The mistakes I witnessed stemmed from incorrect algebraic operations or lack of understanding of the substitution method as a whole. When some students combined like terms (variables and constants) in order to simplify and solve for a variable, many students added when they should have subtracted and visa versa. Of the 45 students who turned in exit tickets, 16 solved the problem correctly. Within this group however, some students forgot to check their solutions and neglected to write down the steps they performed. Above and to the right is the most thorough and accurate student response I received after the substitution lesson. While she didnt go into written detail of each step, she labeled the steps appropriately as she went and correctly solved the problem. Also, she was certain to double-check her work by plugging in the x and y value into the original equations. This response, along with a handful of other students responses, falls in the analytical rubric classification. None of my students scored within the extended abstract classification. Directly to the right is another example of student work I received at the end of my substitution lesson. I placed student answers of this caliber in the quantitative rubric classification. This student did not write anything describing the steps but solved the problem correctly mathematically. As you can see, this student made a mistake at first and corrected it and started over. If students do not understand the concepts or procedures, they will have a

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

difficult time realizing what they did wrong. It is commendable that this student realized the mistake and started over. About 6-7 students had responses similar to this: solved the problem mathematically and checked the solutions. Below and to the left is another example of student work I collected. These types of student responses are in the transitional rubric category. Students focused on only one aspect of the solution. In the specific response show below, the solution is correct, however, the student did not check the solution by plugging it in the original equations. Also, the student neglected to write down the steps to accompany the mathematical steps. About 9 students had responses similar to the one below and to the left. Directly below is another common type of response I received from my students. These responses fall into the idiosyncratic rubric

classification. My students base their work on subjective reasoning and unrelated data. The student displays the correct value for the y variable and makes a computational mistake when computing the x variable. Also, the student checked the solution and showed that it was not correct. This should have been an indicator to review the problem and search for a mistake. About 10 students showed a similar problem in their solution to the formative assessment.

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

The last type of student response I received can be found to the left. The student does not display procedural or conceptual understanding of the substitution method. These types of responses also fall in the idiosyncratic rubric classification. For this specific example, the coefficients, on the right hand side of one equation, are divided by two and from here the student attained a solution of x equals negative 8. About 10 students showed a lack of understanding altogether. Students displayed this by either writing they did not know how to solve the problem, writing nothing at all, or trying to solve the problem and giving up half way through while making multiple mistakes along the way. During classwork I need to assist these students with using the substitution method. 5. Reflection on Student Understanding I was not surprised to see how my students performed on this formative assessment. Often times my students do not read the instructions properly and complete the task-at-hand incorrectly. A few of my students misread the directions and just wrote the steps to solving the problem and did not solve it. Also, I have witnessed many students vocalize their indifference towards mathematics during lessons; adding that they will not even attempt to solve a problem or learn the material in class. I, unfortunately, can only do so much encouragement with students like this. Overall a majority, 55%, of my students solved at least one of the two variables. I would like to think that with a little more time to complete the exit ticket the percentage would increase. After reviewing my students responses on the formative assessment, I noticed that many made mistakes when they are adding and subtracting with negative numbers. For instance, one student set and after combining like terms wrote instead of . A simple mistake like that can cause the rest of the solution to be incorrect. Many of my students

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

solved for one of the variables but not the other. I imagine they either did not have enough time to complete the problem or they believed that was what was required of them. In the lesson I had discussed that a solution of a system of equations are the values of both variables. When reading the instructions to students next time I will be certain to clarify that I expect to see the value for both variables. A couple of other students divided terms when they need to subtract terms. For example, one student did the first step correctly, obtaining divided . Next she added 2 to either side . The correct step would be to subtract 6y from either side, however, she . I honestly do not understand this step because her next line stated . So instead of subtracting 6y she divided, but only divided the terms containing a y and then she added the ys on the left hand side and eliminated the ones on the right. This student does not have a good understanding of solving algebraic expressions. Overall, the majority of mistakes I witnessed were a result of adding or subtracting incorrectly. Most students showed a procedural understanding of the substitution method but neglected to write the steps they performed in the problem. 6. Future Instruction When I teach the substitution method for solving systems of linear equations again, I will be certain to identify and discuss any misconceptions students have. At the beginning of the lesson I will assess students knowledge and understanding of the substitution method using some type of diagnostic activity. Students often struggle with the idea of a variable, so when there are two variables in one equation and another two in a second equation it can be overwhelming for students. I will also hold a brief review of concepts students need to know prior to learning systems of equations. Such concepts include forms of linear equations and graphing. I honestly would not make any major revisions to my 2-day lesson. I scaffolded the material in the beginning of the lesson and enabled students to explore the substitution method rather than me purely telling them what to do. After the exploration activity we discussed the activity together as a class and then reviewed the formal process. I solved a couple systems with

Gemma Holdman 04/15/13 MAE5945 Formative Assessment Analysis

the class and then had students solve problems individually. The only change I would make is by providing the class with varying types of systems of equations. For instance, giving students equations with the variables and constants positioned in unusual places. An example is or . This really tests students conceptual understanding, rather than Common core practices are aimed at providing students with both procedural and conceptual understanding of a topic. I have learned that a majority of students acquire the procedural understanding of the substitution method but cannot explain in words what they are doing. If students had a strong conceptual understanding this would be a simple task. In the future I want to focus on the conceptual understanding by having students become acquainted with writing in mathematics. Having a sound procedural and conceptual knowledge of mathematical concepts is important. memorizing purely procedural instructions.