Low Performance in Test Scores

Low Performance in Test Scores

Introduction:

Problem of Focus:

Admitting any misunderstanding during whole group instruction takes a lot of courage. Students tend to keep quiet and shy away from asking questions that would clarify their thinking. There are many reasons for this. Some students feel embarrassed to admit their misunderstanding in front of others, some students give up as a result of feeling completely lost, and others want to give themselves more time to make sense of the problem at hand before seeking assistance. Unfortunately, those who find themselves in such situations, are usually the lower achieving students.

One of the best instructional strategies to implement is the peer tutoring strategy. Peer tutoring allows lower achieving students to be mentored by higher achieving students within a small group setting. As students work in partnership, they tend to feel more comfortable expressing any concerns or confusion that they may have to their peer(s). Teachers who facilitate peer tutoring, are essentially providing the opportunity to enhance higher order thinking.

Methods Used:

One of the instructional strategies I will implement is the peer teaching strategy, which involves one higher achieving student, tutoring a lower achieving student. I will be doing a case study on three students who have a learning disability within an integrated co-teaching classroom (ICT). These three students will collaborate with general education students who show great areas of growth. I will research and implement the proper protocols of peer tutoring and track the process of the lower achieving students to see how much of an impact peer tutoring has made on their literacy development. The research method I will be using will include pretest, posttest, checklists, interviews, self -reflection feedback and peer feedback.

Significant Findings:

Class Wide Peer Tutoring is an effective instructional strategy to use. There are significant findings which includes but is not limited to Class Wide Peer Tutoring leading students to doing better on standardized testing. In addition, Class Wide Peer Tutoring has led students to needing less special educational services. It helps to increase students’ academic and social skills and leads to fewer students dropping out of high school.

Tasks:

You and you group are part of a task forces to look into the problems that students have in regards to low test scores in reading. Your group must:

· Identify the amount of students with low test scores in reading.

· State what is currently being done about this problem

· Provide what strategies teachers are using to help students increase their test scores

· Identity the impact these strategies have on test scores.

Process:

Work will be done in groups of four (4) scholars. Please follow these steps.

1. Define and describe the problem

2. Gather your evidence such as statistics, articles or case studies by experts to support your thinking.

3. Provide what strategies teachers are using to help students increase their test scores

4. Identity the impact these strategies have on test scores.

After completing these steps you must do the following:

Write a 2 page paper that states the problem, the amount of students experiencing the problem, strategies that teachers use to increase their test scores, and the impact these strategies have on test scores.

Resources:

Effects of peer tutoring on at-risk students. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.ernweb.com/educational-research-articles/effects-of-peer-tutoring-on-at-risk-students/

Kansas Public Schools: The Effects of Class Wide Peer Tutoring on the Reading Achievement of Urban Middle School Students. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.peertutoringresource.org/research-on-peer-tutoring-impacts-and-outcomes-2/kansas-public-schools-the-effects-of-class-wide-peer-tutoring-on-the-reading-achievement-of-urban-middle-school-students

The Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring in Further and Higher ... (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=8166314906584AA8878BAC680F5F1058&CID=374BC437B3646D5B0B81CE10B2556C9D&rd=1&h=oh0JlBS_rKTRqRW0KgVjIzL9VF388XFUvD9UJ0Bt-RM&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fau.edu%2fCLASS%2fCRLA%2fLevel_Three%2fThe_effectiveness_of_peer_tutoring_in_further_and_higher_education-a_typology_and_review_of_the_literature.pdf&p=DevEx,5078.1

Rubrics:

https://www.heinemann.com/shared/productsupport/e01826/wrs_p47_rev.pdf

Standards:

Key Ideas and Details:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

Craft and Structure:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5
Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7
Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.8
(RL.5.8 not applicable to literature)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

Focus Questions:

What is the effect of peer tutoring on students’ literacy development?

How can peer tutoring be implemented within the classroom?

How can peer tutoring be implemented outside the classroom?

Rationale:

One question you may ask yourself about this research paper is “why does this even matter?” As educators, we are constantly searching for ways to help students improve academically. We are constantly seeking ways to improve our craft for the benefit of our students. Personally, one question that I constantly ask myself is “what is an effective strategy I can implement to help my students succeed?” Through my search, I stumbled upon the Class Wide Peer Tutoring strategy. The more I did research on this topic, the more I gravitated to learning more about it. The reason why I am fond of the Class Wide Peer Tutoring strategy is because it is effective, it is beneficial for all students involved, and it does not take much time to prepare for it.

The search for the Class Wide Peer Tutoring strategy began when I noticed my students were not understanding certain reading skills being taught to them, such as having to determine the theme of a text or the author’s purpose. These are skills that are not explicitly stated within the text. Instead students must first comprehend the text that they are reading and then infer the theme or the author’s purpose. As a result, of scholars having a difficult time with this skill, another strategy was implemented, however some students still struggled.

When I came across the Class Wide Peer Tutoring strategy, it was very helpful because it allowed me to strategically place higher achieving students with lower achieving students. Sometimes students have a way of explaining things to one another which can make all the difference. Instead of finding a third strategy to help struggling students determine the theme, I decided to implement the Class Wide Peer Tutoring strategy. This way, students would not be confused with a new approach, they would simply use the strategy already taught to them but would hear it in a different way. Lower achieving students would have a better chance of understanding their work, while the information taught to higher achieving students would be reinforced, which creates a solution where everyone benefits.

When I implemented the Class Wide Peer Tutoring strategy, I enjoyed seeing improvements. I was able to see lower achieving students become high achieving students through practice. They were able to get immediate feedback. They we also given the space and the time to comprehend the task, which allowed them to be open and honest about their misunderstandings. In other words, students were not put on the spot and didn’t have to worry about the whole class being made aware of their misinterpretations. Additionally, once lower achieving students understood the concept, they were given time to practice, strengthening their skills that much more.

Background and Context:

The elementary school serves 195 students from grades pre-kindergarten through five. In reference to the student demographics, two percent of the students are Asian, fifty-two percent of the students are Black, forty-three percent of the students are Hispanic, and three percent are White. In addition, nineteen percent of the students are English Language Learners and twenty-nine percent are Students with Special Needs. The student body consist of fifty-five percent boys and forty-five percent girls. Thirteen percent of the students live in temporary housing and ninety-eight percent of the students receive free lunch. The school’s vision is to help students graduate with an increased readiness for college. The school’s mission is to meet the need of every student through data-driven, small group instruction. For this reason, teachers are given action-oriented feedback, so that teachers engage in effective planning and questioning. Once this is done, students will be able to analyze the content, and explain their thinking, and reflect upon their learning experience. The teachers collaborate very well with one another to ensure the needs of all students are met. Teachers are given the opportunity to meet with their grade bands to not only review student work, but also to design coherent instruction. I work within a 4^th grade Integrated Co-teaching (ICT) classroom. In other words, all students have access to two teachers, a general education teacher and a special education teacher. Within an ICT setting, students who have special needs or a learning disability learn in conjunction with general education students who do not have any disabilities or special needs. There are 20 students in the classroom, six of which are classified as having a Learning Disability. Given the diverse needs of the students, I constantly work diligently to ensure I maximize the opportunity of the students to work within a small-group setting.

As a special education teacher, my role in students’ instructional program is to teach all academic subjects along with my co-teacher, who is the general education teacher. All academic subjects are taught using the parallel teaching method, with the exception of math centers and literacy centers. During literacy centers, the class is broken up into four groups, during the independent practice, according to their reading levels to work on different activities. Literacy centers is where I provide small group instruction to hone in on my students’ goals that are stated within their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

During literacy centers, I can use materials at my discretion. However, during whole group instruction, I use the reading and writing curriculum provided by the school. The lessons plan used during literacy centers are planned to provide the underlying support that my struggling students’ needs to be successful within whole group instruction.

In terms of the actual lesson, I am required to follow the workshop model of teaching. The workshop model of instruction is a strategy that is used to minimize lecture and increase learning as well as engagement by incorporating five components: warm up/hook, mini-lesson, guided practice, independent work, and share. The purpose of the warm up is to not only refresh the minds the of the students but also to get them engaged from the very beginning of the lesson. The mini-lesson is the part of the lesson where the teacher models a strategy or a skill that is being taught. The guided practice is where students are applying the strategy or skill they were taught with a partner, while still receiving minimal prompting from the teacher. During independent work, students work independently or collaboratively to complete an assignment that provides another opportunity to master that strategy or skill. Lastly, during the share segment of the lesson, exemplary work is shown and the teachers as well as the students engage in a class discussion to debrief. Our classroom uses the TAG protocol during the “share” segment of the lesson. “T” stands for tell something you liked. “A” stands for ask a question. “G” stands for give a suggestion. My co-teacher and I like to use the TAG protocol after students share their work because it creates a richer experience where students learn from each other.

Overall, most of the students in the class get along very well as a result of using the “Responsive Classroom” approach with our students. Responsive Classroom is a research-based approach that focuses on having a strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning. The “Responsive Classroom” approach is used to teach grades kindergarten through eighth grade. My co-teacher and I have worked very hard to build a pleasant, welcoming, and comfortable culture within the classroom and many of the ideas we use stem from the “Responsive Classroom” approach. For example, throughout the day, we take the time play games like “triple free tag” or “hula hoop race”, also known as “Team-Builders”.

Although we have a great system in place, there are times when the students have their moments of difficulty. Thus, we have an area in the classroom that students can go to when they feel frustrated, which is called the “cool down” area. The “cool down area” is a conformable private space in the classroom, where students have a list of options they can choose from to cool themselves down. The purpose of the “cool down” area is help the student get out of the “angry” stage and into the “thinking” stage. They can use this time to reflect upon what happened that caused them to be angry. This is also a time where they would be more open to discuss behaviors that are unacceptable as well as discuss the solution to the problem so that we can revert to the classwork.

Literature Review:

Class Wide Peer Tutoring is an instructional strategy teachers can use to increase academic performance. Class Wide Peer Tutoring is engaging for students and it is time and cost efficient for teachers. Through my research on Class Wide Peer Tutoring, I have found trends as well as gaps. For instance, one of the trends that I’ve noticed is that Class Wide Peer Tutoring has proven to increase student academic performance. In the book “Peer-assisted Learning”, Arreaga-Mayer et al., mentioned that Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) has “demonstrated that students are able to learn more in less time when compared to conventional forms of teacher-directed instruction”. This applies to students who are in regular classrooms or special education classrooms. It also applies for students who are in kindergarten through high school. One study showed that after the implementation of CWPT, students averaged 80% to 98% on their spelling and vocabulary test, their “reading fluency improved an average of 11 words per minute, errors dropped an average of 3 to 4 words, and comprehension percentage scored averaged 85% (an average increase of 35%).” The text went on to also discuss ways in which CWPT is an effective instructional strategy to use within other subject areas as well, such as math.

The article “What are the Effects of Peer Assisted Learning Strategies on Reading Achievement in Elementary Students in an Urban Area?” by Lauri Jean Patterson also highlight similar trends. The idea of Peer Assisted Learning Strategy or PALS, was derived from CWPT. They are both the same thing essentially. Both strategies strategically pair up a struggling student with a higher achievement student for tutoring purposes. CWPT can apply to any subject, whereas PALS is specifically for reading. When PALS was implemented within schools who have a history of failing reading rates, academic performance started to increase. According to the article the “reading achievement results improved regardless of student’s achievement status”. In other words, all students could benefit from this. The only gap noticed was that students with disabilities consistently did not show much growth compared to other learners.

In the article, “Effects of Peer Tutoring on At-Risk Students”, the trend of students succeeding continued to be exemplified. Studies were done to track the progress of student learning and with CWPT in place, there were significant gains made. For instance, the article stated that students who were at risks of educational delays, “exceeded or performed close to the national norm on standardized achievement tests in all three academic subjects”, with the implementation of peer tutoring.

Overall, many researchers state many significant gains occur once teachers use CWPT within their classroom. CWPT is effective within literacy and other subject areas. Various students benefit from CWPT such as general education students, students with disabilities and at risk-students. Although one of the trends within these articles shows that CWPT is helpful and produces academic growth, there are gaps. For example, students with disabilities showed improvements academically once CWPT was implemented however, they also consistently showed the least amount of growth.

Research Design:

The Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) is a teaching strategy that involves the whole class to be engaged in the process of learning and/or practicing a particular academic skill, in a fun way. The Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) can be used in many different subject areas, however this specific study was done to track the progress of literacy development. CWPT can be implemented within the classroom. First teachers can analyze data as well as the classroom observations they’ve made to strategically pair students up. Next teachers can assign roles. One student can play the role of a “tutor” while the other student play the role of a “tutee”. Once students are provided with the score sheets and subject materials, they can start tutoring each other. The work time all depends on how much time the teacher would like the students to for work for. Usually ten to twenty minutes would be sufficient. After work time the tutor can provide scoring information as well as feedback. While students are working, teachers can use this time to circulate around the room to provide assistance and/or feedback. Once students have an opportunity to get tutored, teachers can decide if they would like for a second rotation of CWPT to occur.

I was able to implement CWPT within the classroom over the course of ten weeks. I began by having my students take a pre-test based on a 4^th grade reading comprehension skills. After the ten-week period, I had students take post-test, which tested the same skills as the pre-test. Additionally, I was able to administer the Fountas and Pinnell Assessment for each student before and after the ten- week implementation of CWPT. All assessments in addition to classroom observations and checklist contributed to a better understanding of student progress. The reason why a pre-and post-assessment was given was to be able to easily track any progress that was made. Similarity, the Fountas and Pinnell Assessment was administered to track if the reading levels increased or decreased over the ten-week period. The check list and the observations were used to assist in making better decisions as far as strategically pairing up students to get the best possible outcome for growth. For instance, the checklist was used to check students’ understanding of the skills being taught to them. It was also used to track amount of errors made. Teacher observations were purposed to check to verbal responses as well as to track best students to pair up with one another. To add on, next steps were also identified through teacher observations.

The Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) can also be implemented outside the classroom. For instance, if a student is struggling with homework, their sibling can play the role of a “tutor” to assist them. The “tutor” is preferably someone that is about the same age as the “tutee” in addition to showing that they have mastered the skill they are teaching.

Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) has been proven to be effective in many ways. It has led to students doing better on standardized testing. It was let to students needing less special educational needs and fewer students dropping out of high school. Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) has helped students to increase their academic and social skills. It also provided immediate feedback for students. CWPT is what I call a “win-win” situation because both the “tutor” and the “tutee” benefit from this strategy. The “tutee” benefits from learning new information in a fun way, while the “tutor” strengthens their skill by having to reinforce what they have learned through their teaching practices. CWPT is also beneficial for teachers because it provides data to create next steps for students, it does not take much time to prepare, and not take much resources are required for the implementation of it.

Data:

F & P Assessment

Pre-Test	Post-Test

Summary: The data above shows the results of the F& P assessments. The F& P assessment provides each student reading level according to the grade that they are in. Typically, a 4^th grader would be between the levels Q-T. The pre-assessment was administered before the 10-week trial of CWPT. The post assessment was taken after the 10-week period. The following color background indicates whether a student is below, approaching, or is on grade level:

Red = Below Grade Level

Orange = Approaching Grade Level

Green = One Grade Level.

Pre-Test	Post-Test

Summary: The data above shows the results of the pre-and post-reading assessments. The pre-assessment was administered before the 10-week trial of CWPT. The post assessment was taken after the 10-week period. The following color background indicates whether passed or failed:

Red = Failed Score (Below 65%)

Green = Passed (Above 65%)

Analysis:

Based on the data show above, the Fountas and Pinnell (F & P) Assessment shows that there were some improvements within students’ literacy development. Every student showed growth, with the exception of two students, who both have Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Although two students remained at the same reading level, 90% of the class moved up at least minimum of one reading level. During the pre-assessment, nine students demonstrated that they were below grade level, while seven students exemplified that they were below grade level during the post assessment. Additionally, during the pre-assessment five students showed that they were on grade level, whereas seven students demonstrated that they were on grade level during the post assessment. The F & P assessment does not show a huge leap of growth; however, it does demonstrate that CWPT is worth continuing to implement, especially since 90% of the students reveal growth during a 10-week period.

The data from the reading comprehension text revealed a huge leap compared to the F&P assessment. During the pre-assessment 13 students failed the exam and only 7 students passed. On the other hand, during the post-assessment 15 students passed while only 5 students failed the exam. For this exam, a passing rate was 65% or above, while a failing rate was below 65%. Students did not take the same exact text for the pre-post assessment. However, they were tested on the same reading skills.

Overall, I think the data shows that students’ academic levels increased as a result of implementing CWPT within the classroom. Research shows that CWPT has been proven to work within many different subject areas, including reading. The article, “Peer-assisted Learning” states “comprehension percentage scored averaged an increase of 35%”. I have also found that the comprehension skills increased tremendously during the last ten weeks.

Conclusions:

To conclude, through research Class Wide Peer Tutoring is known to be effective in many ways. Through my own study, I have noticed students growing academically as a result of the implementation of CWPT. My study contributes to the positive effects CWPT. It reassures me of how effective CWPT can be. CWPT is an excellent tool teachers can use and it is greatly assessable to any teacher, within any grade. Similar to others, my findings relate in many ways. For instance, in the article “The Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring in Further and Higher Education: A Typology and Review of the Literature”, Topping mentioned that “five out of 6 studies of same-year dyadic reciprocal tutoring have demonstrated increased attainment. There was also evidence of reduced student stress and improved transferable skills”. I have found this to be true within my classroom as well. Students were more relaxed and open to learn during the CWPT. Students felt more conformable sharing their thoughts, which in turn allowed them to tweak any misunderstandings on the spot. One student even shared with me that he doesn’t like sharing in front of the whole class because he wants to be sure the answer is correct beforehand. CWPT has given him the confidence he needs to feel less afraid to share. In other words, CWPT provides “more active, interactive and participative learning, immediate feedback, swift prompting, lowered anxiety with correspondingly higher self-disclosure, and greater student ownership of the learning process.” Essentially these are the things that a vital to incorporate within the classroom, because it would lead to lessons being student-centered as oppose to teacher centered.

Similarly, to the positive aspects of CWPT, I have found the gaps to remain true within my own study. Students with disabilities learn differently. Although they did show growth, it was very minimum compared to the other students within the class. For instance, during the pre-and post F&P assessments, the two students that remained at the same reading level were both IEP students.

Reflections on Process and Limitations:

This research was a great learning experience and it was very productive. I learned a lot through research, as well as through my own practice. I must say that this research paper has given me a better appreciation of the many research that has been done thus far. One critique I would say about my study, is that I should have provided more scaffolds for students of disabilities to have multiple access point into the lesson. As a result of knowing that students with disabilities would struggle with the most growth, through research, I should have made it my diligence to put further scaffolds in place to assist them even more. Students with disabilities have shown the least amount of growth. Consequently, I should have been more prepared to assist them so that they have the same amount of growth. The reasons why I was hesitant about provided further scaffolds for students with disabilities is because I wanted to make sure the data was valid. In other words, if students with disabilities received more help than the other students, then the data would not be as accurate.

One of the things I learned through the process of teacher research, is that as an educator, one is consistently learning and growing. A teacher is essentially constantly teaching himself or herself “next steps” in order to refine their craft. One of the next steps would be to implement a short break. Although my students seem to really enjoy CWPT, they tend to get agitated towards the end of the lesson due to having a short attention span. Once they come back from the break, they will resume from where they left off from the CWPT. The idea of pairing him up with another learner stems from Lev Vygotsky’s theory “Zone of Proximal”. Vygotsky believed that if a struggling student received assistance from a skill learner, they would develop the skills and strategies needed to achieve the task. Additionally, Vygotsky believed in providing students with hints to solve the task at hand, otherwise known as scaffolding. I would continue to scaffold the lesson for my students, not only in reading, but also within other subject areas to help maintain the skills taught to him.

References:

Arreaga-Mayer, C. (1998). Increasing Active Student Responding and Improving Academic Performance Through Classwide Peer Tutoring. Intervention in School and Clinic, 34(2), 89-94. doi:10.1177/105345129803400204

Chun, C. C., & Winter, S. (1999). Classwide Peer Tutoring with or without Reinforcement: effects on academic responding, content coverage, achievement, intrinsic interest and reported project experiences. Educational Psychology, 19(2), 191-205. doi:10.1080/0144341990190206

Effects of peer tutoring on at-risk students. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.ernweb.com/educational-research-articles/effects-of-peer-tutoring-on-at-risk-students/

Fulk, B. M., & King, K. (2001). Classwide Peer Tutoring at Work. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 34(2), 49-53. doi:10.1177/004005990103400207

Lundblom, E. E., & Woods, J. J. (2012). Working in the Classroom: Improving Idiom Comprehension Through Classwide Peer Tutoring. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 33(4), 202-219. doi:10.1177/1525740111404927

Topping, K. (107). Peer-Assisted Learning. Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology. doi:10.4135/9781412963848.n207

What are the Effects of Peer Assisted Learning Strategies on Reading Achievement in Elementary Students in an Urban Area? (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.peertutoringresource.org/research-on-peer-tutoring-impacts-and-outcomes-2/what-are-the-effects-of-peer-assisted-learning-strategies-on-reading-achievement-in-elementary-students-in-an-urban-area

Appendices:

Appendix A
The Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT)

The Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) is a teaching strategy that involves the whole class to be engaged in the process of learning and/or practicing a particular academic skill, in an enjoyable way.

Appendix B
Individualized Education Program (IEP)

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal document that is created by a team of professionals within a public school for a student within special education.

Appendix C
Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT)

Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) is when two teachers, a general education and special educations teacher teachers in the same classroom to students with special needs as well as general education students.