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:
No feedback given yet.
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:
Gifted Honors Algebra at Snellville Middle 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:
Gifted Honors Algebra is an eighth grade mathematics course taught at Snellville Middle School as a part of the gifted/honors/pre-AP track in the South Cluster which is one of the thirteen attendance zones in Gwinnett County Public Schools, a school system in the state of Georgia. These students are required to take and pass at least one Advanced Placement mathematics course (either AP Statistics or AP Calculus), and possibly exempt one college class. These students are on a college bound track and will go to colleges all over the United States.
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:
Students cannot evaluate simple expressions or solve simple equations involving positive and negative fractions without a calculator with 90% accuracy.
Students cannot complete in a reasonable amount of time a given set of equations or expressions involving fractions without a calculator.
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:
Being able to quickly and accurately compute with fractions is an important pre-algebra skill. Students who have this skill experience greater success in understanding and mastering algebra concepts than those who do not possess it. Students who do not master algebra cannot take the succeeding college preparatory classes until they master algebra.
The instructor's feedback to step 2:
Good
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:
Gifted Honors Algebra students at Snellville Middle School are not adequately prepared in preceding math classes to solve equations or evaluate expressions involving positive and negative fractions.
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.
Data sources (who, what) |
Information gathered |
What did you find? (Needs)* |
Example: Interview participants in course; administer class survey; administer test of understanding.
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Example: Participant opinions on IDAs and course; Participant score on test. |
Example: Participants believe there is too much jargon (felt need); Participants don't understand ID vocabulary as compared to other classes (comparative need); Participants don't score above national average (comparative need); Participants don't/couldn't see the relation between their work and the ID process) |
| Your final response:
a. Assess incoming students ability with a fraction computation test.
b. Examine scope and sequence of previous math courses to determine what was taught and how much time was spent.
c. Analyze grades of students when concepts were taught/review for indications of previous mastery.
d. Inspect subsection scores of statewide criterion reference test.
e. Evaluate county curriculum to insure skills are a part.
f. Peruse previous textbook for skills
g.Interview teachers about their feeling towards fractions and fraction learning.
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Your final response:
a. 92% of current students cannot complete 20-question test in 20 minutes with 90% accuracy. The majority of the errors were in two areas: adding fractions of opposite sign and subtraction of fractions with the same sign and/or when borrowing was needed. b. Approximately 4 weeks was spent on developing the concept of fractions and addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators in 4th grade, 6 weeks spent on simple positive fraction addition and subtraction in 5th grade, 6 weeks was spent on positive fraction computation in 6th grade and 5 weeks on positive and negative fraction computation in 7th grade. c. The fraction units had the lowest average grade of any units in the math curriculum. The in-class assessments consisted of one or two quizzes per unit and one or two major tests. d. Subsection scores of statewide criterion reference test averages to meets expectation implying basic understanding. e. County-wide curriculum lumps fractions as nine out of sixty-six objectives in fourth grade, seven of fifty-eight objectives in fifth grade, three of forty-five objectives in sixth grade and one of forty-one objectives in seventh grade. f. Fraction sections in the textbooks had between 100-300 practice problems. Most problems focused on positive fraction computation. g. Teachers estimate they assigned approximately half of the practice problems available. They report that fractions are where students have the most trouble.
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Your final response:
Normative: Students are unable to complete test with 90% accuracy. Students demonstrate only basic understanding on state tests.
Felt: PDK journal states curriculum covers too much material with not enough depth. Students need more opportunity to practice computing with fractions with emphasis on problems involving negatives and the subtraction operation.
Expressed: Only 105 days spent mastering fraction computation.
Comparative: Other counties/state curricula have less mathematics objectives in grades 4-7.
Anticipated: More parents will want their children to take AP mathematics when they are seniors so the students must master algebra in eighth grade.
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*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:
Good
5. Prioritize your list of needs.Which are most important? Why are they most important?
Prioritized needs |
Reasons/evidence for priority |
Your final response:
1. Students need more opportunity to practice computing with fractions with emphasis on problems involving negatives and the subtraction operation.
2. Students are unable to complete test with 90% accuracy.
3. Student show only basic understanding on state tests.
4. More parents will want their children to take AP mathematics when they are seniors so more students than those tagged gifted must master algebra in eighth grade
5. PDK journal states state curriculum covers too much material with not enough depth.
6. Only 105 days spent mastering fraction computation
7. Other counties’ curricula have less mathematics objectives in grades 4-7.
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Your final response:
Since changing the curriculum is an immense process, needs 5-7 are not feasible at the local level. Instead concentration should be be on those which can be controled at the local level. Needs 1 is the most important since more practice should lead to more accuracy on tests (need 2) and more understanding (need 3). If more practice works for students tagged gifted, then it can be implemented for those who have not been tagged.
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The instructor's feedback to step 5:
Good
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:
Gifted Honors Algebra students need more practice with computing fractions especially with the subtraction operation and the addition operation involving fractions of opposite sign prior to being placed in Gifted Honors Algebra.
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.
Instructional goals by priority |
Reasons for importance |
Your final response:
1.) Seventh grade gifted students will complete an addition of fractions with opposite sign module during math team time.
2.) Seventh grade gifted students will complete a computation of positive and negative fractions module during math team time.
3.) Seventh grade gifted students will accurately answer 90% of the questions on a timed test once the modules are completed.
4.) Sixth grade gifted students will complete a subtraction fractions module during math team time.
5.) Sixth grade gifted students will complete a positive fraction computation module during math team time.
6.) Sixth grade gifted students will accurately answer 90% of the questions on a timed test once the module are completed.
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Your final response:
Gifted students are usually high achievers and will complete work without constant direct supervision of teachers. Since team time is to be used for remediation/enrichment, it is the most logical place for the modules. Gifted students on teams can work together to complete the modules. They will provide the needed extra practice without interfering with class time or home time. By creating modules that emphasize the need skills as well as modules that incorporate all the skill students are getting extended extra practice that leads to mastery.
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The instructor's feedback to step 7:
Most of these can be combined to form 3 goals.
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