Jnt2 Task 1 Needs Analysis
Conceptual Understanding of Basic Algorithms
Assessment Code: JNT2 – Task 1 (Needs Analysis)
Summary of Instructional Problem
Statement of Problem Majority of students lack understanding of mathematical language and show weakness in basic numerical computation. The students make frequent errors because they misread operation signs when adding or subtracting integers or carry numbers incorrectly when multiplying whole number and decimals. Furthermore, these students have difficulty understanding written or verbal directions or explanations, and find word problems especially difficult to translate.
Current Conditions The current data shows that only 15 percent of the students were able to understand and perform the …show more content…
necessary computation with minimal errors on application problems to pass the semester exam with a 70 or above. Thus 85 percent were unsuccessful on the semester exam that focus on computation skills and understanding application word problems.
Desired Conditions The optimal goal is to increase the student’s performance from its current state by 200 percent. By increasing the student’s performance, the students should be able to understand, define, and use mathematical terminology to solve difficult application problems without minimal computation errors.
Data Collection Processes
Discussion of Data Collection Instruments Used In order to determine what problems students had in school and what tools math teachers thought students should emphasize, interviews and focus groups were used due to the speed of receiving the results. Test score data was gathered from the district as it was already mandated by the district and results were already given. Test scores and the data retrieved from the district is meant to be similar to the state assessment that will be given towards the end of the 5th six weeks.
Discussion of Sources of Data Surveys and other short interviews were given to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math teachers at the middle school campus.
It is believed that it is partially due the lack of reviewing their own work is a potential source of the low test scores. Survey question was introduced by creating a baseline of how often teachers believed students should be checking their work. By first understanding this, it would allow a determination if there was in fact a difference between students’ actual reviewing patterns and the actual reviewing patterns. Additionally, an issue with reviewing would be if students are unfamiliar with how to check their work. By determining which skills the teachers deem to be the most productive when practicing their computation, the teachers will then be able to create a vertical alignment where instruction is built on those review skills. This would provide students with a foundation where their knowledge can be increased without the troubles of having to learn a new way to …show more content…
review.
Typically the reverse operation would be done in order to check for the correct answer. However, if there is an issue in the basic computation it would hinder students being able to check their work. This was the reason why students were also given survey questions and were interviewed. Students would be asked how often they check their work and they would also identify their self-efficacy in computation of problems with decimals. If there is a need in that students do not check their work and if they do not feel competent in completing the problems with decimals, then it would dictate a need to reteach the material. Surveys and interviews were given to students due to their speed and their ability to quickly assess where a need was.
Data Analysis Techniques Used
The first survey question asked the students about the percentage of the time they reviewed their work after completing a math problem. The answer choices included: between 0-20 percent, between 20-40 percent, between 40-60 percent, between 60-80 percent, and between 80-100 percent.
Table 1
Percentage of Time Student’s Reviewed Work
Percentage of Time Reviewing Work (%)
Respondents
1
2
3
4
5
0 ≤ 20
X
X
20 ≤ 40
X
X
40 ≤ 60
60 ≤ 80
X
The second survey question asked students which concepts of mathematics they found most difficult. The answer choices included: adding decimals, subtracting decimals, multiplying decimals, or dividing decimals. The students were given the option to choose more than on answer.
Table 2
Difficult Concepts in Mathematics
Difficult Concepts of Mathematics
Respondents
Total
1
2
3
4
5
Adding Decimals
0
Subtracting Decimals
X
1
Multiplying Decimals
X
X
X
3
Dividing Decimals
X
X
X
3
The third survey question asked three 6 - 8 grade math teachers their expectation of the percentage of students that reviewed their work after completing a math problem.
No answer choices were given.
Table 3
Teacher Expectations of Students Reviewing Work
Percentage of Time of Reviewing Work (%) Respondents
1
2
3
50 ≤ 60
X
60 ≤ 70
X
70 >
X
The fourth survey question asked three 6 -8 grade math teachers what ways students’ can increase their computation skills. The answer choices included: Drills, Repetition, memorization, practice, or flash cards. Each teacher was given the option to choose more than one answer.
Table 4
Teacher Response for Ways to Increase Computation Skills
Ways to Increase Computation Skills
Respondents
Total
1
2
3
Drills
X
X
2
Repetition
X
X
2
Memorization
X
1
Flash Cards
X
1
Practice Problems
X
X
2
The district expectation for the percent of students to pass was determined at the beginning of the year for when districts examinations are given. For each exam the percent of questions needing to be correct in order to pass the district was set at 70%. The state expectation is set at
93%.
Table 5
Passing Percent Compared with District and State Expectations
Score Comparison and Expectation
1st Six Week Exam Passing %
2nd Six Week Exam Passing %
Semester Exam Passing %
Actual
12.76
04.08
20.14
District
70
70
70
District Comparison (Expectation-Actual)
57.24
65.92
49.86
State
93
93
93
State Comparison (Expectation-Actual)
80.24
88.92
72.86
Results of Analysis
As shown in Table 5, more than 79 percent on the students failed to meet district expectations of the passing rate of 70 percent. The results from the first six week exam, second six weeks exam, third six week exam, and the semester exam clearly indicated that the students demonstrate difficulties with basic mathematical computation and concepts, mastering more advanced mathematics concepts, and a lack of problem solving skills which include reviewing computation after completion.
Based on the data in Table 1 and Table 3, the teachers ' expectations exceeds the actual percentage of time that students review their work after computation by 20 to 40 percent. Table 2 demonstrates the student’s difficulties with basic mathematical computation and concepts. From the five students surveyed, 80 percent identified multiplying decimals and/or dividing decimals as an area of difficulty.
Findings of Needs Analysis
Based on the passing percentages from the exams, it is conclusive that the students’ are having difficulty with basic computation and mathematical concepts. In the state of Texas, the concept of multiplying and dividing decimals are introduced in grade five and continuously taught through grade six. The state of Texas has the expectation that these concepts are to be mastered by grade seven since grade eight emphasizes the use of these concepts when determining the surface area and volume of three dimensional figures, which is a concept that has to be mastered in order to be promoted to grade nine.
Goal of Instruction
The eighth grade students that attend the Middle School will perform mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to correctly solve problems involving decimals, fractions, and percents by using models, real/concrete objects, manipulatives, or algorithms. The Eighth grade students will justify each solution by performing the inverse operation used to solve the original problem and evaluate each solution for reasonableness. After completing each problem, the students will become more fluent and accurate when performing mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) involving decimal, fractions, and percents in order to develop a conceptual understanding of basic algorithms, and be able to model and analyze increasingly complex problems.References
Assessment Code: JNT2 – Task 1 (Needs Analysis)
Summary of Instructional Problem
Statement of Problem Majority of students lack understanding of mathematical language and show weakness in basic numerical computation. The students make frequent errors because they misread operation signs when adding or subtracting integers or carry numbers incorrectly when multiplying whole number and decimals. Furthermore, these students have difficulty understanding written or verbal directions or explanations, and find word problems especially difficult to translate.
Current Conditions The current data shows that only 15 percent of the students were able to understand and perform the …show more content…
necessary computation with minimal errors on application problems to pass the semester exam with a 70 or above. Thus 85 percent were unsuccessful on the semester exam that focus on computation skills and understanding application word problems.
Desired Conditions The optimal goal is to increase the student’s performance from its current state by 200 percent. By increasing the student’s performance, the students should be able to understand, define, and use mathematical terminology to solve difficult application problems without minimal computation errors.
Data Collection Processes
Discussion of Data Collection Instruments Used In order to determine what problems students had in school and what tools math teachers thought students should emphasize, interviews and focus groups were used due to the speed of receiving the results. Test score data was gathered from the district as it was already mandated by the district and results were already given. Test scores and the data retrieved from the district is meant to be similar to the state assessment that will be given towards the end of the 5th six weeks.
Discussion of Sources of Data Surveys and other short interviews were given to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math teachers at the middle school campus.
It is believed that it is partially due the lack of reviewing their own work is a potential source of the low test scores. Survey question was introduced by creating a baseline of how often teachers believed students should be checking their work. By first understanding this, it would allow a determination if there was in fact a difference between students’ actual reviewing patterns and the actual reviewing patterns. Additionally, an issue with reviewing would be if students are unfamiliar with how to check their work. By determining which skills the teachers deem to be the most productive when practicing their computation, the teachers will then be able to create a vertical alignment where instruction is built on those review skills. This would provide students with a foundation where their knowledge can be increased without the troubles of having to learn a new way to …show more content…
review.
Typically the reverse operation would be done in order to check for the correct answer. However, if there is an issue in the basic computation it would hinder students being able to check their work. This was the reason why students were also given survey questions and were interviewed. Students would be asked how often they check their work and they would also identify their self-efficacy in computation of problems with decimals. If there is a need in that students do not check their work and if they do not feel competent in completing the problems with decimals, then it would dictate a need to reteach the material. Surveys and interviews were given to students due to their speed and their ability to quickly assess where a need was.
Data Analysis Techniques Used
The first survey question asked the students about the percentage of the time they reviewed their work after completing a math problem. The answer choices included: between 0-20 percent, between 20-40 percent, between 40-60 percent, between 60-80 percent, and between 80-100 percent.
Table 1
Percentage of Time Student’s Reviewed Work
Percentage of Time Reviewing Work (%)
Respondents
1
2
3
4
5
0 ≤ 20
X
X
20 ≤ 40
X
X
40 ≤ 60
60 ≤ 80
X
The second survey question asked students which concepts of mathematics they found most difficult. The answer choices included: adding decimals, subtracting decimals, multiplying decimals, or dividing decimals. The students were given the option to choose more than on answer.
Table 2
Difficult Concepts in Mathematics
Difficult Concepts of Mathematics
Respondents
Total
1
2
3
4
5
Adding Decimals
0
Subtracting Decimals
X
1
Multiplying Decimals
X
X
X
3
Dividing Decimals
X
X
X
3
The third survey question asked three 6 - 8 grade math teachers their expectation of the percentage of students that reviewed their work after completing a math problem.
No answer choices were given.
Table 3
Teacher Expectations of Students Reviewing Work
Percentage of Time of Reviewing Work (%) Respondents
1
2
3
50 ≤ 60
X
60 ≤ 70
X
70 >
X
The fourth survey question asked three 6 -8 grade math teachers what ways students’ can increase their computation skills. The answer choices included: Drills, Repetition, memorization, practice, or flash cards. Each teacher was given the option to choose more than one answer.
Table 4
Teacher Response for Ways to Increase Computation Skills
Ways to Increase Computation Skills
Respondents
Total
1
2
3
Drills
X
X
2
Repetition
X
X
2
Memorization
X
1
Flash Cards
X
1
Practice Problems
X
X
2
The district expectation for the percent of students to pass was determined at the beginning of the year for when districts examinations are given. For each exam the percent of questions needing to be correct in order to pass the district was set at 70%. The state expectation is set at
93%.
Table 5
Passing Percent Compared with District and State Expectations
Score Comparison and Expectation
1st Six Week Exam Passing %
2nd Six Week Exam Passing %
Semester Exam Passing %
Actual
12.76
04.08
20.14
District
70
70
70
District Comparison (Expectation-Actual)
57.24
65.92
49.86
State
93
93
93
State Comparison (Expectation-Actual)
80.24
88.92
72.86
Results of Analysis
As shown in Table 5, more than 79 percent on the students failed to meet district expectations of the passing rate of 70 percent. The results from the first six week exam, second six weeks exam, third six week exam, and the semester exam clearly indicated that the students demonstrate difficulties with basic mathematical computation and concepts, mastering more advanced mathematics concepts, and a lack of problem solving skills which include reviewing computation after completion.
Based on the data in Table 1 and Table 3, the teachers ' expectations exceeds the actual percentage of time that students review their work after computation by 20 to 40 percent. Table 2 demonstrates the student’s difficulties with basic mathematical computation and concepts. From the five students surveyed, 80 percent identified multiplying decimals and/or dividing decimals as an area of difficulty.
Findings of Needs Analysis
Based on the passing percentages from the exams, it is conclusive that the students’ are having difficulty with basic computation and mathematical concepts. In the state of Texas, the concept of multiplying and dividing decimals are introduced in grade five and continuously taught through grade six. The state of Texas has the expectation that these concepts are to be mastered by grade seven since grade eight emphasizes the use of these concepts when determining the surface area and volume of three dimensional figures, which is a concept that has to be mastered in order to be promoted to grade nine.
Goal of Instruction
The eighth grade students that attend the Middle School will perform mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to correctly solve problems involving decimals, fractions, and percents by using models, real/concrete objects, manipulatives, or algorithms. The Eighth grade students will justify each solution by performing the inverse operation used to solve the original problem and evaluate each solution for reasonableness. After completing each problem, the students will become more fluent and accurate when performing mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) involving decimal, fractions, and percents in order to develop a conceptual understanding of basic algorithms, and be able to model and analyze increasingly complex problems.References