Overall Instructor Rating: Satisfactory

Ratings explanation:

• Exemplary - A model answer in almost every way (this is given out very rarely).
• Satisfactory - Very well done; you've met the expectations of the assignment. There are some minor problems, so read my feedback well.
• Marginal Pass - You pass, but there are lots of issues to consider. Read my feedback very carefully and be sure you understand the points/issues I raise.
• Not satisfactory, redo and resubmit - The assignment was not completed appropriately. I am concerned that you do not understand the process well enough yet. To get credit for the assignment, you need to redo it, most probably on another topic. Read and consider my feedback very carefully before redoing.

Instructor's Overall Feedback:

You did a good job here. You seem to understand the process well. Take a look at my feedback below. This is a complex problem so there are many ways to look at the problem. In ID we look for lack of knowledge and skills that relate directly to the problem. You jump to training teachers on how to teach to test without ever finding out if they already know this. The logic of ID would be something like this. Students are doing poorly on the test. Teachers want them to do better, but do not know how to teach for the test. Therefore, we need to deliver a course to teachers to teach them how to teach to the test.

1. Preliminary: Describe the context within which this potential instructional problem takes place. This will pinpoint where the problem is located. If instruction is deemed necessary, this will be the place where it will be designed and implemented.

a. List the context, also known as the "system of interest".

Your final response:

Norcross High School

b. Describe or show how the context relates to the bigger environment. Show how this context relates to other levels of the system within which it works.

Your final response:

United States Department of Education

--Georgia Department of Education

--Gwinnett County Board of Education

--Norcross Cluster

--Norcross High School

--Parents --Students --Administration --Community Business Leaders --Support Staff --Faculty

--Departments (Lang. Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science)

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Good

2. Symptoms of a problem. Write a brief description of some symptoms that make you stop and wonder if something is wrong.

Your final response:

Low passing rate on Standardized test
High failure rate among Freshmen students
High rate of fifth year seniors

Using the evidence cited above, describe why you believe that these symptoms signal a problem. Keeping these questions in mind, describe the reasons for identifying these symptoms as problematic.

Your final response:

High failure rates indicate that teachers are not providing instruction and remediation that enables students to pass standardized testing. In their landmark research Simpson and Simpson indicated the connection between student failure rates and poor teacher instruction levels. ("Why Bart didn't Pass." The Kappan Vol 14, March 1999)

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

Good, but you seem to already be deciding on the problem.

3. Preliminary Problem Statement. Based on 1 and 2, write a preliminary draft problem statement. Your context should be the subject of the statement. This is just the initial pass -- the statement will be revised in subsequent steps.

Your final response:

Teachers are not preparing students to perform at a passing level on standardized test (GHSGT).

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

Good

4. Verify the problem and determine specific needs. Two things will now happen concurrently. First, you need a systematic procedure to identify and collect data in order to verify that a problem exists. Second, you must identify information that the data sources may help uncover.

*Note: You are not required to gather data; you can draw on your experience or imagination to list the data you might gather.

The instructor's feedback to step 4:

If you have already decided that the problem is teaching, shouldn't you collect some data on the teaching? Ask students about teaching, ask parents, administrators...

5. Prioritize your list of needs.Which are most important? Why are they most important?

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

Is there any evidence that teaching for the test is good overall? Were there other sources you should have explored?

6. Rewrite your problem statement. Take a moment to look carefully at the initial problem statement that you wrote. Revisit your prioritized needs and check if your problem statement is still accurate and appropriate.

Rewrite the problem statement here:

Your final response:

Norcross High School has not been implementing successful strategies that will raise student performance on the Georgia High School Graduation Test.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

Good

7. Identify the instructional goals. The last step in Needs Assessment is to list a few goals of instruction. Remember, not all goals can be solved through instruction. The instructional goals you identify will be the starting information for the next steps in the instructional design process. List the instructional goals in order of priority.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

1. do you know that the teachers do not know this already? How since you did not collect this data. Perhaps the teachers do not want to teach to the test. Perhaps they have other mandates that take precedents.