Qualitative Evidence of Academic Growth
Students make dramatic levels of academic growth (that is measurable and rigorous).
Introduction
Unlike quantitative data, qualitative data provides insight into students thinking as they work towards a standard. Qualitative data in kindergarten is collected through their writing samples. When students enter kindergarten in August, their understanding and ability to write is limited due to their exposure and knowledge about writing. However, they quickly become immersed into writing as they practice writing their letters, their name, and then transition into papers. To measure student growth, every month, students are given the same writing assignment which is called “This is Me.” The “This is Me” writings, provide a clear progression of student growth from when they started kindergarten to where they are at the end of quarter three. For this assignment, students are prompted to write about something they did or learned about that month. Students are expected to complete their pieces independently and draw upon their knowledge of letter-sounds and sight words to express their thoughts in written form. It is important to note that students are exposed to different types of writing styles throughout the year including; informative, opinion, and narrative styles. As students learn about the different components of each piece, they typically apply their knowledge to their writings and that can be seen in some of their monthly pieces.
I chose the following writing samples to show a range of student work from beginning to the end of quarter three. August was the first month of school and in the writing samples, the student was unable to write anything. This is partially due to the fact that they did not receive explicit instruction for writing and also because many of them were still learning their foundational writing skills such as letter-sounds, alphabets, and fine motor skills like holding the pencil. However, as the months’ progress and students begin to make progress with their foundational skills, their writing also gets better.
Student Writing Samples: Monthly Writings and rubrics
Pictured Above: Student writing from August.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the August writing piece.
The writing sample above is from the first month in school. Although the student attempted to write, the results are illegible which puts them in the Not Yet (NY) Stage 2 of Formation on the associated rubric. Furthermore, their use of random letters which cannot be read by another also puts them in the NY Stage 2 for Spelling. In regards to Design, which takes into account the student's ability to write from left to write and adequately use the lines, the student received a Developing Proficiency (DP) Stage 3-4. The student received this score because they are using their lines to write their letters correctly and they are beginning at the left side of the paper rather than in the middle. For the last column of the rubric, Content, the student received a NY Stage 1 because they had to dictate their thoughts, ideas, and the basic information of the paper to the teacher. From the multiple scores on the rubric, the student received a NY.
Pictured Above: Student writing from September.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the September writing piece.
In the student's second writing, their score for Formation (NY Stage 2) stays the same, but their Spelling increases to DP Stage 3 because they are writing at least one letter to represent the word they are trying to write. Their Design score stays the same as the previous month because they are still adhering to the left to right writing rule and they are correctly using some of the lines of the paper. However, it is important to note that the student's design may have been influenced by the highlighter on the paper. The highlighter was used to show the student how to form certain letters. During this writing, the child read the paper as, "I trampolined with Richard." Although the student was able to articulate the message, the student got a NY Stage 1 on the content because they had to dictate their thoughts again.
Pictured Above: Student writing from October.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the October writing piece.
In the October writing, the student made adequate growth as they begin to use spacing correctly. In Kindergarten we teach students how to space using "finger" spacing where they use their finger as a placeholder to map out where they should write their next word. Due to this students spacing, the student scored in DP Stage 3 and 4 for Formation. The student also progressed in the Spelling category as they are identifying and writing beginning and ending sounds for words. They are also starting to use sight words in their work, and they are spelling the words correctly which supports the student's score of DP Stage 4 for Spelling. The student's Design score remains at DP Stage 3-4, and their Content score progresses due to the student's starts to convey some thoughts and basic information in their writing.
Pictured Above: Student writing from November.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the November writing piece.
The November writing was difficult for this student, and their scores dropped to the content produced. The student went from a DP Stage 3-4 in Formation to a NY Stage 2 due to the writing being illegible and the student having difficulting printing their upper- and lowercase letters correctly. The students score in Spelling went back down to DP Stage 3 because another person can not always read the words. The students score stayed consistent with Design at a DP Stage 3-4 because they continually show their understanding that written words go from left to right. Unfortunately, the students score dropped from a DP Stage 3 to a NY stage 1 for Content because the student had to dictate their entire piece to the teacher. It's important to note that the November writing occurred after fall break, which is typically a very challenging time for kindergarteners because they have to get back into the school routine.
Pictured Above: Student writing from December.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the December writing piece.
In December, the student bounced back from their challenges in November and got a DP Stage 4 for Formation. The student received a DP Stage 4 because they were correctly using their finger spaces, they are printing their upper- and lowercase letters correctly, and they are appropriately using capital letters at the beginning of sentences and periods at the end of sentences. For Spelling, the students score went back up to DP Stage 4 as they are writing the beginning ending sounds for words and spelling sight words (e.g., can, do, I) correctly. The student continued to progress and receive a higher score for Design. For this writing, the student received a Meets with Proficiency (MP) Stage 5 because they are writing from left to write, writing top to bottom most of the time, and using the line of the paper correctly. The students continue to make progress and receive a DP Stage 4 for Content, an area that had previously struggled with. In their December writing, the student includes at least two details about their chosen topic.
Pictured Above: Student writing from January.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the January writing piece.
The January paper had similar results as the student's November. Like the November paper, the January paper was written when students came back from winter break. Therefore, the student had two weeks off from school and now has to get back into the routine of writing and remembering all the writing rules and goals. The student struggled during this piece, and the score reflected the challenges they had. In all categories, the student's score dropped from having mostly DP's and an MP to mainly having NY's and one DP. Like many five- and six-year-olds, this student thrives on routines and repetition. When the routine was broken, the student's work was negatively impacted.
Pictured Above: Student writing from February.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the February writing piece.
Although the student had a difficult time with their January writing, their February writing shows that being in school for a month and getting back into the routines and repetition has helped the student make significant progress in their writing. The student's score of NY Stage 2 for Formation went up to a DP Stage 4 because the student was again using their finger spacing correctly, printing their letters correctly, and being mindful of their punctuation. For Spelling, the student is between a DP Stage 4 and a MP Stage 5 because they are beginning to represent most syllables in their words, but they are only sometimes using the correct spelling of sight words. In regards to Design, the student received a DP Stage 3-4 because they are writing from left to write, but they are not consistently using their lines correctly. Although the student continues to struggle with Spelling and Design, their Content is becoming more substantial as they are stating a topic and including three details. For Content, the student received a MP Stage 5.
Pictured Above: Student writing from March.
Pictured Above: Completed kindergarten rubric for the March writing piece.
In March, the student makes dramatic academic growth in their writing. The student has gone from NY Stage 1 to MP Stage 6 for Formation. The student received a MP Stage 6 because their writing correctly uses finger spacing, they independently printed their upper- and lowercase letters, they consistently used capitals at the beginning of sentences, and always used periods at the end of their sentences. In regards to their Spelling score, the student went from a NY Stage 2 to a MP Stage 5. The student received a MP Stage 5 because now you can see in their writing that they are trying to sound out all letter sounds in words, not just the beginning and ending sounds. Additionally, the student is spelling their sight words correctly. The student received a MP Stage 5 for Design because, throughout the entire paper, they used most of their lines correctly showing that they are cognizant of how their paper looks. Lastly, the student received a MP Stage 5 for content because they describe the topic and provide three details that relate to the topic.
Conclusion
Comparing the student's beginning of year writing in August to the student's third quarter writing in March, the student has made dramatic academic growth from not being able to write anything to writing a paper that includes a topic, three details, use of sound spelling, and appropriate kindergarten punctuation. From the qualitative data, I know that the student will continue to benefit from structure, repetition, and routine. The evidence from this student shows how valuable qualitative data can be in identifying things that support and hinder student growth and success.