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How Do You Know When They Know It?
A Capstone Project
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
of Master of Education
Colleen Hodenfield
Department of Education and Human Performance
College of Education and Health Sciences
Graduate School
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota
Summer 2011
ii
This capstone project was submitted by
Colleen Hodenfield
Graduate Committee:
Dr. Laurie Geller, Chairperson
Dr. Rebecca Anhorn
Dr. Deanna Klein
Dean of Graduate School
Dr. Linda Cresap
Date of defense: June 30, 2011
iii
Abstract
This project focused on formative assessment and its place in the classroom. In
order for learning to take place, students need to be given consistent and
informative feedback on their progress in a timely fashion. Daily entrance slips
were given to students and one-on-one feedback was given on those entrance slips
the following day. Students were surveyed and overwhelmingly agreed that this
method of assessment helped them understand the concepts being taught better
than previously used assessment methods. Throughout this project, a journal was
written by the researcher who concurred that this method of assessing students is
superior to formerly used techniques to assess students. It was determined that for
this researcher, daily entrance slips effectively and efficiently helped answer the
question, “How do you know when they know it?”
iv
Acknowledgements
Once again, thank you Scott, Cody, Braden, and McKenna for all the
patience and support you give me as I take on my professional projects. Your love
and understanding are boundless!
A huge thank you also goes out to the chairman of my committee, Dr.
Laurie Geller. The time you have invested, the patience you have shown, and your
commitment to the teaching profession is amazing.
Another big thank you goes out to Dr. Becki Anhorn. You are always
giving support, advice, and truly caring about your students. I have learned so
much from you. You are an inspiration to me.
Lastly, thank you Dr. Deanna Klein for being on my committee. I have so
much respect for you and value your opinion.
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Table of Contents
Page
Abstract .................................................................................................................. iii
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ iv
List of Tables ......................................................................................................... ix
List of Figures ......................................................................................................... x
Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
Motivation for the Project ........................................................................... 3
Background on the Problem........................................................................ 5
Statement of the Problem ............................................................................ 6
Statement of Purpose .................................................................................. 7
Research Questions ..................................................................................... 8
Summary ..................................................................................................... 9
Chapter Two: Review of Literature ...................................................................... 11
Formative Assessment .............................................................................. 12
Essential Learnings and Professional Learning Communities .................. 19
Feedback ................................................................................................... 24
Frequency of Assessments ........................................................................ 27
Summary ................................................................................................... 28
Chapter Three: Research Design and Method ...................................................... 31
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Setting ....................................................................................................... 32
Intervention/Innovation............................................................................. 34
Design ....................................................................................................... 35
Description of Methods............................................................................. 38
Expected Results ....................................................................................... 41
Timeline for the Study .............................................................................. 41
Summary ................................................................................................... 41
Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results .................................. 42
Data Analysis ............................................................................................ 42
Daily entrance slips ....................................................................... 42
Survey ........................................................................................... 47
Quiz, test, and homework completion .......................................... 51
Journal ........................................................................................... 55
Future study .................................................................................. 56
Interpretation of Results ............................................................................ 61
Summary ................................................................................................... 63
Chapter Five: Conclusions, Action Plan, Reflections, and Recommendations .... 64
Conclusions ............................................................................................... 64
Daily entrance slips ....................................................................... 64
Survey ........................................................................................... 65
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Journal ........................................................................................... 68
Quiz, test, and homework completion .......................................... 71
Action Plan................................................................................................ 73
Reflections and Recommendations for Other Teachers............................ 75
Summary ................................................................................................... 77
References ............................................................................................................. 78
Appendices ............................................................................................................ 83
Appendix A: Parental/Guardian Consent Form.........................................84
Appendix B: Youth Assent Letter............................................................. 87
Appendix C: Principal Letter .................................................................... 90
Appendix D: Assistant Superintendent Letter .......................................... 91
Appendix E: Student Survey ..................................................................... 93
Appendix F: Entrance Slip #1 ................................................................... 96
Appendix G: Entrance Slip #2 .................................................................. 97
Appendix H: Entrance Slip #3 .................................................................. 98
Appendix I: Entrance Slip #4 .................................................................... 99
Appendix J: Entrance Slip #5 ................................................................. 100
Appendix K: Entrance Slip #6 ................................................................ 101
Appendix L: Entrance Slip #7................................................................. 102
Appendix M: Entrance Slip #8 ............................................................... 103
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Appendix N: Quiz Sections 10.1-10.3 .................................................... 104
Appendix O: Test Chapter 10 ................................................................. 106
Appendix P: IRB Approval Letter .......................................................... 109
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List of Tables
Table Page
1. Entrance Slip Score Totals ........................................................................ 43
2. Survey Results for Questions 7-19 ........................................................... 48
3. Survey Coding Results .............................................................................. 50
4. Average Scores ......................................................................................... 52
x
List of Figures
Figure Page
1. Scatter plot of entrance slip averages versus test scores ........................... 46
2. Scatter plot of total completed homework averages versus test scores .... 55
3. Boxplots of entrance slip averages by time of day ................................... 57
4. Boxplots of quiz scores by time of day ..................................................... 58
5. Boxplots of test scores by time of day ...................................................... 58
6. Boxplots of entrance slip averages by grade level .................................... 60
7. Boxplots of quiz scores by grade level ..................................................... 60
8. Boxplots of test scores by grade level....................................................... 61
Chapter One
Introduction
If a teacher teaches but no students have learned, has the teacher taught?
This question brings up an important point: learning is integral to the act of
teaching (Gareis & Grant, 2008). It seems like an obvious statement, but it is not
as obvious as it seems. Teaching is not about “covering” the material; it is about
students uncovering the material. Just because a teacher has taught a concept does
not mean the student actually learned it. Gone are the days when teachers can say,
“I have taught it so it is up to the students to learn it.” The No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) Act has stopped that philosophy in its tracks. NCLB was put in place by
the government to provide incentives and create accountability for states to
improve instruction in an effort to prepare students to succeed at school and in the
workplace.
Since teaching involves learning, teachers need to know what their
students have learned. Teachers need a way of seeing learning (Gareis & Grant,
2008). Formative assessment can help.
Formative assessment is used while students are learning. The results of
formative assessment are used for developing knowledge. On the other hand,
summative assessments are used at the end of an instructional unit to judge the
outcome of the development of that knowledge (Marzano, 2010).
2
There are many ways to assess student learning. The problem is that one
of the most effective ways to formatively assess learning is to correct and give
feedback on every problem that a student does. That process takes more time than
most heavily burdened teachers have. In 20 years of teaching, I have still not
found the best solution to the problem of seeing what my students know each day
on a given topic without overwhelming myself to the point of burn out.
Early in my career I saw two extremely good math teachers quit the
profession because they were simply “burned out.” I told myself that I didn‟t want
to follow in their footsteps. I love my job too much to let assessment tasks keep
me from the profession in which I believe so strongly. I wanted to find a way to
assess my students as quickly and accurately as I can.
Students and teachers need feedback immediately. That is how they learn.
“Timely feedback is a critical element in any process to promote continuous
improvement and ongoing learning” (Eaker, DuFour, & DuFour, 2007, p. 97). As
the saying goes, if you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep
getting what you have been getting. If all is well, students will keep getting
correct answers. If all is not well, students will keep getting the answers wrong.
Teachers need the feedback students give so adjustments can be made while
students are engaged in their work, rather than when that work is completed.
3
Students need the teacher‟s feedback to know if they understand the concept
while they are engaged in learning it.
Motivation for the Project
I found myself too many times in the following predicament. Students
were taking a quiz and completing a homework check over the first three to four
sections in a chapter. As I graded them, I began to realize how many students had
not taken the time to get their work done and checked. Until that quiz and
homework check day, I had only the questions I asked during the lecture and any
other formative assessments I did in class to inform me about what students
understood. I had a general idea of what they knew, but nothing specific. At times
I found myself frustrated that I did not know what was going on in their brains.
Our school district believes in the Professional Learning Community
(PLC) philosophy. The premise of a PLC is that a school‟s purpose is to ensure
that all students learn. The learning process must happen through collaboration
between all staff. Continual tangible evidence that the students are acquiring
knowledge is essential for a student‟s future success (Eaker et al., 2007).
The North Dakota state mathematics standards encompass many topics,
too many to be covered within one course. The job before teachers in my school‟s
mathematics department was to “unpack” the standards. Essential learnings were
the result of that “unpacking.” They are the state standard targets determined to be
4
necessary for student success in each course. My school‟s mathematics
department has worked hard to create essential learnings based on the state
standards and the district‟s curriculum for each of the classes offered at the
school.
Once the essential learnings were in place, common formative assessments
were created. Data from these assessments drove how teachers taught. The
problem was that these assessments were given after three to four sections were
taught. I wanted to devise a way to immediately determine whether my students
had mastered those essential learnings, rather than wait until after I gave a quiz. I
wanted to know what each student knows daily, but without being overwhelmed
with correcting papers.
I have used a variety of formative assessments throughout my Algebra I
course. I have enjoyed employing many differentiated instruction techniques to
reach as many students as possible. I wanted to put formative assessment and
daily feedback together in a friendly way that would not be overwhelming. An
entrance slip is a type of formative assessment where the students respond to
questions relating to the prior day‟s lesson. I used entrance slips that focused on
current essential learnings and one past essential learning to determine whether
students retained the material. I also continued to use other formative
5
assessments, some formal and some informal, to give me additional feedback on
what my students knew.
My hope was that this plan would benefit me and my students. Because of
this project, I hoped to be better informed of my students‟ progress, and I hoped
my students would be better informed of their progress.
Background on the Problem
I have attempted to change and improve my assessment techniques. I tried
to correct all the assignments for all my students and quickly became
overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work it involved. Burnout is inevitable for
me when I try to correct everything the students need to do to master a skill.
I have also tried giving completion points to students for having made an
attempt to do all the problems. This technique helps me “catch” the students who
are not working, but does not tell me or the students what they know.
Not knowing until mid-chapter what students know results in some
students “falling between the cracks” and not succeeding. Finding out that a
student does not know how to do a skill two to three sections after it was taught is
frustrating. Unfortunately, many students do not confess that they do not
understand; therefore, they fall further and further behind. Catching some of these
students before they are too far gone may increase the likelihood of their future
success in mathematics.
6
The quizzes I currently use do not break down the skills into essential
learnings. Thus, it becomes difficult to determine whether a particular student has
mastered the essential learnings. The quiz score gives an overall grade for the
sections it covers. I hoped frequently assessing students on small chunks of
information and recording them according to the essential learning would help
give a better picture of what the students know.
After speaking at many workshops, I have found that when given the
chance, most teachers will bring up the subject of assessment and grading
homework. It is a hot topic, especially in mathematics. I bought an “Easy
Button©” to push when difficult topics such as this come up, but it doesn't work!
There is no easy answer.
Statement of the Problem
I have had a difficult time in the past deciding the best way to formatively
assess my students on a consistent basis. Formative assessment is frequently
discussed in education. Homework is often an issue with teachers and students.
Without constant feedback that is specific and time-bound, the student and the
teacher do not know what needs to be done next to ensure success. Developing
essential learnings within our school has been rewarding and time consuming.
The hope was that pinpointing those essential learnings using more frequent
formative assessments would help identify the mathematical strengths and
7
weaknesses of my students. The current method of assessment used does not
identify those strengths and weaknesses in a timely matter. For this project, the
challenge was to see if daily entrance slips are the solution to this problem.
Statement of Purpose
“Assessment of a student‟s work should provide a rich array of
information on his or her progress and achievement” (Eaker et al., 2007, p.59).
The purpose of this project was to use daily entrance slips based on
essential learnings from my school to determine whether entrance slips were more
beneficial than homework checks for my Algebra I students.
I designed formative assessments known as daily entrance slips that are
based on the essential learnings of the topics taught in my high school Algebra I
classes. Three questions assessed the current essential learnings to diagnose the
current learning status of students, and one question assessed a past essential
learning to determine whether the earlier material was retained. I recorded the
results by identifying the essential learnings assessed rather than by the section of
the book. These formative assessments were graded for accuracy but were only a
small percentage of each student‟s grade.
Students need a say in their education. I gave the students a survey to
determine whether the students found the entrance slips beneficial to their
learning. I looked at the results of the mid-chapter quiz grades and the summative
8
test grades to determine whether these grades correlated with entrance slip grades.
I reflected in a journal about whether the entrance slips gave me the feedback I
needed so I could adjust my teaching tactics in order to improve learning.
Research Questions
Would daily entrance slips provide sufficient information to adjust
instruction to meet the needs of Algebra I students better than past assessments
(specifically homework checks) had?
In the past, I have been frustrated, as a teacher, at the untimely access to
data about what students know. Due to the timeliness of the entrance slips, I was
better prepared to address student difficulties on a daily basis rather than on a two
to three week basis. The question of whether entrance slips provided sufficient
information to adjust instruction to meet the needs of Algebra I students better
than past assessments (specifically homework checks) was answered by my
thoughts and feelings written in my journal. The study was qualitative in nature.
Would frequent feedback give my Algebra I students a better sense of
what they know than past assessments (specifically homework checks) had?
In the past, students only knew if they were doing the problems correctly
if they got up and checked their answers with an answer key posted in the
classroom. Many students did not check their answers on a regular basis, but
rather waited until they got the results from the homework check. This homework
9
check was given after three or four sections had passed. Due to the layered
learning that takes place in mathematics, the student may end up doing multiple
sections wrong, based on inaccurate methods repeatedly used throughout these
sections, making this form of assessment rather untimely for students. I
determined whether the students had a better sense of what they knew by
gathering their thoughts in the survey provided at the end of the unit. This
approach was qualitative in nature, and the results were only used to help me
guide future instruction of my classes; the results were not meant to be
generalized. Using entrance slips provided students with more timely feedback,
and as a result, improved the learning for many students.
I believed the entrance slips would benefit my students and me, but I was
not without concerns. I was concerned that this type of formative assessment
would be an overwhelming task for me. A burned-out teacher is not an effective
teacher. Another concern was the issue of class time. I worried that this new form
of assessment would take too much time out of classroom instruction and
practice. Both of these concerns had to do with the passage of time. As Benjamin
Franklin once said, “Lost time is never found again.”
Summary
“Intentions are fine, but they will not impact results unless and until they
are translated into collective commitments and specific concrete actions” (Eaker
10
et al., 2007, p. 17). Finding a solution to the question, “How do you know when
they know it?” was a difficult task. This project was the action I planned to take in
an effort to improve my students‟ learning.
Constant and specific feedback is a critical aspect of learning. Finding a
way to frequently, efficiently, and effectively assess students would be a great
feat. My goal was to use daily entrance slips based on the essential learnings from
my school as one way to use formative assessment strategies to improve the
learning process.
Research on formative assessment, feedback, Professional Learning
Communities, mathematics standards, and frequency of assessments and how
these topics might work together in a harmonious way is included in the next
chapter.
Chapter Two
Review of Literature
The purpose of this project was to use daily entrance slips based on
essential learnings from my school to determine whether entrance slips were more
beneficial than homework checks for my Algebra I students. This project focused
on daily entrance slips as a way of seeing what the students knew on a regular
basis. The research questions related to (1) formative assessment as a way to
guide instruction, (2) state standards and the need to “unpack” them to ensure
success, (3) frequency of assessments, and (4) timely feedback and its importance
to students and teachers.
Knowing that multidimensional student assessments are important to get a
clear picture of what a student knows (National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics [NCTM], 1991), this study focused on one of the many forms of
formative assessments that can be used in the classroom.
Keeping in mind that assessment drives many educational decisions,
NCTM (2005) stated that educators need to use effective assessment materials as
important tools in the teaching and learning process. Items designed to assess
specific standards and expectations should be incorporated into the “classroom
repertoire” of assessment tasks. According to the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (2005), assessment should be an open, coherent process which is fair
12
to all students and encourages students to make inferences about what they know.
Assessments should enhance what students have learned.
Formative Assessment
Students learn in multiple ways. Teachers must find ways to see students
learn. Mathematics can be described as layered learning. The layers include
essential knowledge, application, and complex thinking (Doty, 2008). Algebra is
often thought of as the foundation of all other mathematics, the gateway to higher
level mathematics courses. A solid foundation in mathematics begins with a solid
foundation in algebra. Development of the routine skills, or essential knowledge,
is necessary before applications and complex thinking become involved. Without
a solid background of the essential skills, the differentiated instruction needed in
order to reach the many types of learners in the classroom cannot take place. It is
those necessary skills that need the formative assessment that this project focused
upon.
There has been plenty of debate as to the definition of formative
assessment. According to Marzano (2010), Scriven began the discussion in 1968
with his program evaluation approach which contrasted formative and summative
evaluation. Then, according to Marzano, in the early 1970s, Bloom, Hastings and
Madaus stated that the main purpose of formative observations was to determine
the degree of mastery of a given learning task. It was not meant to be graded, but
13
rather a way for the learner and teacher to focus on the specific learning necessary
to move toward mastery. This assessment was to be done with more frequent,
smaller units. The instrument used to collect data for the assessment should focus
on narrow components of proficiency. It was to take place during learning in an
effort to improve it. The intent of the assessment was to learn from it, not strictly
to be graded. All these years later, their definition still represents an excellent way
to describe formative assessment.
Formative assessments are educational tools, and like any tool, their
success depends upon how they are used (Haigh, 2007). To be formative,
assessments need to provide “on the way” information to guide instruction in
response to the needs of diverse learners (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, p. 71).
Teachers‟ opinions of their students‟ abilities formulated through formative
assessment often justify the differentiated instruction used “on the way” (Watt,
2005). Students need to be allowed to “show what they know” in multiple ways.
When it comes to the fundamental concepts, consistent formative assessment is
necessary to make sure students can eventually make extensions beyond the
basics.
Fluckiger, Tixier, Vigil, Pasco, and Danielson (2010) stated the following
about formative assessment:
14
Consistent use of formative assessment transforms a traditional,
competitive classroom, where the main purpose of assessment is to assign
grades, into a non-traditional learning-dominated classroom, where the
main purpose of assessment is for students and teachers to self-reflect in
an effort to improve learning. (pp. 136-137)
Reflection leads teachers to judgments about the quality of student responses, and
as a result, these judgments shape pedagogical action to improve students‟
competence. When teachers think through students‟ misconceptions and then
share those misconceptions with students, students can eliminate randomness and
inefficient trial-and-error learning (Newton, 2007). Students can learn from their
mistakes sooner instead of later. Harlen (2005) stated, “The same information,
gathered in the same way, would be called formative if it were used to help
learning and teaching” (p. 208).
Formative assessments provide the chance for students to practice, take
risks, learn from their mistakes, and correct their work (Tomlinson & McTighe,
2006, p. 131). These assessments are a form of student monitoring to determine
whether students are making acceptable progress over time (Newton, 2007). The
reporting of this progress can be done either verbally or on paper, which
determines whether individual or group intervention is necessary. The
15
interventions that take place become the scaffolding for subsequent instructional
activities.
Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam (1998) summarized the findings from more
than 250 studies on formative assessment. According to their analysis, formative
assessment had an effect size (ES) of 0.7 on student achievement, the largest ever
reported for educational interventions. An effect size of 0.7 told Black and
Wiliam that across all the individual studies examined, formative assessment
improved student achievement by 26 percentile points. The research-based
concept of formative assessment is essentially one of the most successful tools in
an instructor‟s belt for improving student achievement.
There are three types of formative assessments: on-the-fly, planned-for-
interaction, and formal and embedded in curriculum (Young & Kim, 2010). They
range from “teachable moments” that take place in the classroom to deliberately-
planned questioning designed to improve students‟ knowledge to formal
embedded assessments to create “teachable moments” in the classroom. No
matter the type, formative assessments should be short and focused with
immediate feedback so students and teachers can attend to the conceptions and
misconceptions of students (Alayla, Shavelson, Ruiz-Primo, Brandon, Yin,
Furtuk, & Young, 2008).
16
Data analysis can indicate the areas on which teachers need to focus more
effort, but it cannot tell them how to do it. Teachers need support in developing
the content knowledge and pedagogical tools to respond to data analysis results.
Achieving a balance between supporting the student and allowing appropriate
struggle requires experience (Young & Kim, 2010).
How formative assessments are created and eventually implemented by
teachers is sometimes misunderstood (Alayla et al., 2008). According to Young
and Kim (2010), using assessments formatively in the classroom is not a
beginner‟s skill:
When a teacher‟s knowledge of subject matter is both deep and flexible,
she can break down concepts, find different entry points for different
students, and repackage topics to match students‟ apparent understanding
and misconceptions as evidenced in their work, oral responses, or other
assessments. (p. 9)
Many state certification systems and teacher education programs have few
or no requirements that teachers and administrators receive training in assessment
(Frey & Schmitt, 2007; Stiggins, 2002). Textbooks used in teacher education
programs tend to provide very little instruction in the assessment methods
relevant for the current classroom (Stiggins & Bridgeford, 1985). Due to the drain
of resources used for standardized testing, few resources are available to train
17
teachers to create and conduct appropriate classroom assessments (Stiggins,
2002). Research has indicated that few teachers explicitly used formative
assessments as part of their instructional practice (Young & Kim, 2010). Teachers
perceived assessments as primarily summative and failed to use assessments for
formative purposes.
Many teachers tend to rely heavily on their own mental recordkeeping to
store and retrieve information while assessing their students (Stiggins &
Bridgeford, 1985). Although teachers‟ interactions with students over time
contribute to impressions of individual students, it is difficult to keep accurate
records of each student that way.
Bligh (2001) acknowledged the gap between theory and practice as it
relates to classroom assessment:
It appears that assessment is an example of a subject where there are two
camps: one full of well meaning, earnest teachers and researchers
immersed in the language and culture of assessment practice; the other full
of well meaning, earnest teachers and researchers facing day to day
practical problems of running assessments. (p. 312)
NCLB has used phrases such as “evidence-based decisions” and “scientifically
based research” to improve education. Embedding formative assessment into
curriculum not only helps guide teachers toward better instruction, it also leads to
18
greater student learning (Alayla et al., 2008). By frequently embedding formative
assessments into a curriculum, the teacher and the student are given a snapshot of
what the student knows and is able to do in the critical moments when the
learning takes place (Alayla et al.). Collecting a series of those snapshots can
create a more complete picture of what each student knows.
National and international assessments across multiple years have
highlighted the need for more effective teaching and learning of mathematics in
general, and algebra in particular (Foegen, 2008). Progress monitoring is a
research-driven approach to formative assessments that relies on frequent
assessments. It uses smaller assessments that serve as indicators of general
proficiency in a content area. The intent is to provide teachers with specific data
on student performance that can be used to track progress and indicate the need
for pedagogical changes when students are not progressing at acceptable levels
(Foegen). Numerous research projects exist in the area of mathematics on
progress monitoring at the elementary level, but few studies at the high school
level have been conducted.
Research shows that formative assessment improves learning and those
assessments should be tied to the mathematics standards (NCTM, 1991). Next, the
teacher must decide which standards to teach.
19
Essential Learnings and Professional Learning Communities
A school‟s cultural shift to a Professional Learning Community means
shifting from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker,
& Karhanek, 2004). A focus on learning requires purposeful assessment.
A big proponent of PLCs and president of the Assessment Training
Institute, Inc., Stiggins (2002) contended that assessment for learning happens
when teachers do the following:
understand and articulate achievement targets in advance of teaching,
inform students in advance about those learning targets,
develop assessments that accurately reflect student achievement,
use classroom assessments to build student confidence and help them
to take responsibility for their learning,
translate classroom assessment results into frequent descriptive
feedback for students that provides them with specific insights as to
how to improve,
continuously adjust instruction based on the results of classroom
assessment,
engage students in regular self-assessment so they feel in charge of
their own success,
20
involve students in communicating with teachers and families about
their achievement status. (pp. 761-762)
Instruction may or may not improve when the teacher is engaged in these steps
alone, but when teachers belong to a Professional Learning Community, they
collaboratively engage in these steps. This collaboration increases the likelihood
of improvement. The feedback given from teachers to teachers is invaluable.
Teachers talking to teachers about teaching is often an excellent way to improve
instructional techniques. Teachers working with teachers is the power behind
PLCs. Also at the heart of PLCs‟ continuous improvement philosophy is the
notion that teachers are learners, learning from and with each other how to
improve instruction. Formative assessment adds a new dimension to the list of
people from whom teachers can learn; student feedback implies teachers can learn
from students.
The nation‟s drive toward educational reform came to a head with NCLB.
Properly executed classroom assessments of state standards should be a top
priority of every district‟s list of strategies to ensure that no child is left behind
(Marzano, 2006). Two barriers stand in the way of standards being the focus of
effective classroom assessment, too much content and lack of unidimensionality.
Unidimensionality means that a single score on a test represents a single
dimension or trait that has been assessed.
21
The Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) found
that 71% more instructional time is needed in order to address the mandated
content in all the standards documents in the U.S. (Marzano, 2006). A comparison
of U.S. standards with those of other countries led to the conclusion that the U.S.
has identified far too much content for its K-12 education system. In mathematics
alone, research found that the U.S. mathematics textbooks attempt to cover 175%
as many topics as do German textbooks and 350% as many topics as do Japanese
textbooks (Schmidt, McKnight, & Raizen, 1996).
Marzano (2006) found that, when unpacked, there are 741 different skills
embedded in the 241 mathematics standard benchmarks. If mathematics teachers
tried to teach all the skills within the standards, it would take 23 years!
Reorganizing the standards into clusters of power standards, or essential
learnings, is the first step to designing effective measurement topics. Teaching
standards one inch deep and one mile wide, versus one mile deep and one inch
wide, is the issue at hand. Trying to “cover” all the standards would lead to
teaching and reteaching year after year and lower scores on standardized tests.
The researcher attended the annual national assessment conference
sponsored by Solution Tree in Las Vegas, Nevada. At this conference, Chris
Jakicic, a Solution Tree representative, stated that it is better for students to be
22
proficient at 88% of what is on the state test rather than have them exposed to
100% of what could be on the test, but proficient at only a few of those items.
During our shift to PLCs at my school, essential learnings became the
acronym used for the “unpacked” state standards. All departments, including the
mathematics department, were asked to determine which standards needed to be
mastered for each course, a common task of PLCs. Once that task was
accomplished, student learning and student needs became the focus.
Attending to students‟ needs, rather than striving for curriculum coverage,
requires flexibility in teachers‟ instructional strategies (Young & Kim, 2010).
Rather than teachers “covering” the material, students need to be “uncovering”
the material. This approach may change the amount of time allocated for a
particular topic. Flexibility on the teacher‟s part is essential. Driscoll (1999) stated
that teachers should no longer view assessment as a separate summative activity
used to check knowledge gains after instruction, but rather as an ongoing
interactive process of instruction. Driscoll defined assessment as “the process of
gathering evidence about students„ knowledge, skills, and disposition toward
mathematics and of making inferences based on that evidence for a variety of
purposes, including better understanding of students‟ needs and more appropriate
instructional goals and curriculum design” (p. 82).
23
One of the PLC‟s goals is for schools to monitor each student‟s learning
on a timely basis and to create additional time and support when students
experience difficulty (DuFour et al., 2004). To ensure the impact on students is
strong, teachers must ensure that students remain motivated to learn the essential
learnings for each subject. The assessments should be given on a unit-by-unit
basis with an opportunity for retesting (Newton, 2007). Retesting an assessment
may have two outcomes: (1) the teacher and student can get updated information
on content development after intervention; and (2) if a grade is recorded, then the
student can improve the grade on that skill if the teacher allows it (Newton).
Legend has it that Albert Einstein had a plaque on his wall that said, “Not
everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted
counts.” This quote leads to another issue to be discussed: should formative
assessments be recorded? Some researchers such as O‟Connor (2007) believed
that formative assessments should be reported but not recorded. Others believed
that formative assessment can support learning as well as measure it (Black &
Wiliam, 2003).
Assessments that yield formative scores can be recorded. Those scores can
be used to track student progress over time, which in turn can be used to generate
a summative score at the end of a particular interval of time. Those scores should
be reported for each essential learning to create a more complete profile of
24
individual student strengths and weaknesses (O‟Connor, 2007).
Unidimensionality, or reporting on essential learnings separately, is important for
feedback to be interpreted correctly.
How much weight teachers assign to formative assessment data depends
on the teachers‟ beliefs about their educational significance (Young & Kim,
2010). Some teachers assign no grade for formative assessments; others believe
some sort of grade is necessary for student motivation reasons. The decision is
ultimately in the hands of each teacher, which leads to another issue related to this
project, feedback.
Feedback
Feedback is among the most critical influences on student learning (Hattie
& Timperley, 2007). As the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said,
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Timely feedback is an essential
component of learning. In this technological age of instantaneous results, students
are accustomed to immediate feedback; it is what they have grown up with.
Timely feedback to students is crucial while they are acquiring their
essential learnings. The results of the formative assessment can provide feedback
that will be beneficial to the teacher as instruction is planned. Effective feedback
causes thinking (Black & Wiliam, 2003) not only for the student, but also for the
teacher.
25
Four qualities characterize an effective feedback system. The feedback
must be (1) timely, waiting until the end of a unit to give feedback is too late, (2)
specific, telling students “good job” is not specific feedback, (3) understandable
to the receiver, a score does not enhance learning, and (4) allow for adjustment,
students need opportunities to act on the feedback, to refine, revise, practice, and
retry (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006).
Encouragement after an assessment makes a difference to students and is
one of the most challenging parts to implement (Marzano, 2006). Providing
students with feedback that encourages students to keep track of their progress on
the essential learnings could be one way to motivate students to learn. Students
can then define success in terms of their own learning, as opposed to comparing
themselves to other students in the class (Harlen, 2005; O‟Connor, 2007). They
need to make it personal. When students see that the teacher is willing to self-
reflect on what is being taught and revise, students may be more apt to do so
themselves (Fluckiger et al., 2010). The time the teacher takes to explain the
benefits of reflection to the student and to establish a trusting culture makes the
feedback practice a powerfully engaging system of instruction (Clark, 2008).
More assessments can mean more achievement. The frequency effect does
taper off over time though. O‟Connor (2007) stated that the more consistent a
26
student is, the less evidence of learning that is needed; an inconsistent student
requires the teacher to gather more evidence that learning is taking place.
Learning is negatively influenced in classrooms where assessment simply
tells students whether their answers are correct or incorrect. Learning is also
negatively influenced when an assessment grade is given with no comments
(Marzano, 2006). Providing detailed, descriptive feedback noticeably enhances
the quality of students‟ work; yet the time and energy this type of feedback
requires is often why some teachers avoid or are reluctant to provide it (Fluckiger
et al., 2010).
Teachers reported difficulty in record-keeping and time management
while implementing classroom assessments (Young & Kim, 2010). Hattie and
Timperley (2007) did extensive research on the power of feedback. They found
that to make feedback effective, teachers need to make appropriate judgments
about when, how, and at what level to provide appropriate feedback. The
teacher‟s success in implementing formative assessment practices depends on the
strength of the teacher‟s classroom management skills. Giving timely and specific
feedback at regular intervals helps keep students involved and motivated (Doty,
2008). Frequent assessments increase positive attitudes toward mathematics
(Kika, McLaughlin, & Dixon, 1992). The time invested is time well spent.
27
Research has shown that timely and specific feedback has a proven track
record of success. Literature related to the last issue of this study, how often a
teacher should use formative assessment, is summarized below.
Frequency of Assessments
Results from a study done by Connor-Greene (2000) suggested that
students‟ study habits are strongly influenced by assessments. The NCTM (1989,
1991) advocated the use of frequent assessments as a way for teachers to make
instruction purposeful, even as often as daily. Due to the constant flow of
information between teacher and student, assessments need to occur often. When
frequency of assessments increases, a positive correlation exists on many levels.
Student engagement and response to questions and discussions increase when
frequency of assessments increases (Haigh, 2007). Frequent assessments
encourage students to better monitor their study time, which corresponds to
improved study habits and increased organization (Connor-Greene).
Shirvani (2009) researched frequent feedback extensively and found that,
with frequent feedback, there was less procrastination and less student anxiety.
Also, Sharvani found that frequent assessment had a positive impact on retention
of concepts previously taught.
Daily assessments are found to be more effective in lower level courses,
such as algebra, as opposed to upper level courses (Dineen, 1992). This result
28
may be due to the higher rate of improvement for lower ability students than
higher ability students as found in a study by Kika et al. (1992). Lower level
students have more room to grow.
Of course there are always studies to the contrary. Shirvani (2009) found
many studies in the 1980s with no significant differences between frequent and
infrequent assessments. Shirvani‟s study suggested the contrary. Using a control
group who were given weekly assessments and an experimental group who were
given daily assessments, Shirvani found that the experimental group outperformed
the control group on the final exam and homework assignment completion. Those
in the experimental group expressed a preference for daily assessments.
Shirvani (2009) also noted that intrapersonal students benefited from daily
quizzes because they could monitor their understanding internally using the
feedback given each day. Another study, done by Kika et al. (1992), also found
that students preferred more frequent assessments over less frequent assessments
and performed better when being assessed more frequently.
Summary
“How do you know when they know it?” Seeing is believing. Expectations
in education are vast. Teachers tend to get caught up in the intertwined details of
teaching and assessing. In spite of all this, teachers must keep student academic
29
achievement as a priority. Student success comes from purposeful, engaging
teaching with consistent assessment of student understanding (Doty, 2008).
Teachers using formative assessments for the purpose of guiding
instruction need to establish a classroom environment in which students
understand that the purpose of the assessments is learning, not grading. This
change requires effort on the part of the teacher to instill this new way of thinking
of assessments, as most students have only experienced assessments as judgments
and grades. Some of the pressures of grades have to be removed in order to
successfully implement this form of assessing students. Firm evidence indicates
formative assessment is an essential component of classroom work and its
development can raise standards of achievement.
Studies have shown that daily assessments are looked upon favorably by
students and improve student motivation and learning. Research also shows that
to appropriately modify learning, feedback has to be timely and describe features
of the work or performance relating directly to the essential learnings. The stakes
should be low, allowing time for adjustments before it “counts” (O‟Connor,
2007).
In this study, daily entrance slips were consistent assessments of student
understanding. They were the diagnostic tool, or “dip stick” used to modify lesson
plans. Spontaneity was expected as “on the way” learning would go many
30
directions. As Marzano put it at the annual national assessment conference
sponsored by Solution Tree in Las Vegas, Nevada attended by the researcher,
“Assessment is not what teachers do TO students, it is what teachers do WITH
students.” The next chapter describes how daily entrance slips were incorporated
into the classroom and how the teacher saw the learning going on in the
classroom.
Chapter Three
Research Design and Method
The purpose of this project was to use daily entrance slips based on
essential learnings from my school to determine whether entrance slips were more
beneficial than homework checks for my Algebra I students. This project focused
on daily entrance slips as a way of seeing what the students knew on a regular
basis.
I designed formative assessments known as daily entrance slips that were
based on the essential learnings of the unit being taught in my high school
Algebra I classes. The daily entrance slip consisted of three questions that
assessed the current essential learnings and included one question that assessed a
past essential learning to determine whether earlier material was retained. I
recorded the results by identifying the essential learnings assessed rather than by
the section of the book. These formative assessments were graded for accuracy
but were only a small percentage of the students‟ grades. A completion grade of
the homework was reported, but not used as part of the students‟ grades. I was
curious whether students would continue to complete homework at the same rate
while daily entrance slips were being used.
Students need a say in their education. I gave students a survey to
determine whether the students found the entrance slips beneficial to their
learning and to determine how the entrance slips affected how they prepared for
32
class. I looked at the results of the mid-chapter quiz and the summative test at the
end of the unit to determine whether there was any correlation between the
entrance slip grades and the grades received on the quiz and test. I reflected on
whether the entrance slips gave me the feedback I needed to make informed
adjustments in my teaching to improve learning. Reflections were documented in
a journal I kept during the study.
Setting
I have taught mathematics in the same school for 21 years and one year at
a rural school in the same state. I have incorporated many differentiated strategies
to try to reach all of my students. I have continually made an effort to keep
refining the art of teaching mathematics using past experience and new ideas to
help instruct students as best I can. Seeing what my students know has always
been a difficult task for me. Trying to find the “happy medium” between
correcting and giving feedback on every problem students do, and not correcting
any of the problems they do is trying. I have had many discussions with
mathematics teachers from across the country about this issue. No one seems to
have the “perfect” answer, and most, if not all, of the teachers I have talked to
struggle with the same assessment issues that I do. I know that I am not alone in
this search for a more effective and efficient way to see what students know on a
consistent basis.
33
The public school involved in this project is in a mid-western community
with a population of about 37,000 people. This community is located near an air
force base and is in the middle of an oil boom which is leading to an influx of
people from diverse areas. The school is part of a split high school with grades
nine and 10 at one building and grades 11 and 12 at another building. The ninth
and tenth grade high school was the location of this project. There were
approximately 1,100 students at this school. The four Algebra I classes involved
in this project ranged in class size from 18 students to 28 students per class. There
were 64 ninth grade students and 22 tenth grade students. Gender was fairly
evenly divided with 44 females and 42 males included in this project. The
students were predominantly white with other minorities represented, and
consisted of both regular and special education students, with the majority,
89.5%, being regular education students.
This project was conducted during the spring in the fourth nine weeks.
Because of the time of year, waning motivation and poor attendance due to spring
activities and other issues were thought to possibly adversely affect the results.
Also, the students were accustomed to the previous manner in which assessments
have been done. This was thought to possibly affect students in opposite ways.
Some may have been comfortable with the way the assessments have been done
34
and have no desire to see it done differently. Others might have appreciated a
change in pace and welcomed the new way of being assessed.
Intervention/Innovation
In the past, assessment was done using the following: (1) mid-chapter
homework checks in which I selected problems from each section for students to
show me what they had done; it was a spot check of completed work to see if it
was done accurately; (2) end of the chapter completion checks, where I checked
to see if the students had attempted to do all the problems assigned; (3) mid-
chapter quizzes to assess what the students knew “so far;” and (4) end of the
chapter summative tests. Amid all these were “on the fly” assessments made
through discussion, differentiated instruction tasks, and occasional entrance and
exit slips. A project was also assigned at the end of each unit so students could
“show what they know” in their own way. All assessments except for the mid-
chapter homework check continued to be used. The homework completion check
was only recorded, not included as part of the students‟ grades during the project.
Consistent daily assessments have not been a part of my classes. I relied
on my memory to know what students did and did not know until the mid-chapter
assessments occurred. Creating daily assessments (known as entrance slips),
administering these assessments, and recording these assessments in a new way
using the essential learnings as titles in the grade book were all new to me and the
35
students. Reporting completion of homework, but not including it in the student‟s
grade was also new.
Use of daily entrance slips to help me better diagnose my students‟
individual and group needs was my personal goal. Getting students to benefit
from daily feedback in an effort to improve their learning was my ultimate goal.
Design
Before the project began, all involved participants were made aware of the
action research about to be undertaken. A Parent/Guardian Consent Form (see
Appendix A) was sent and a Youth Assent Letter (see Appendix B) was given to
the students. The researcher had discussions with the principal of the school and
the assistant superintendent and letters were signed to document their awareness
and acceptance of the project (see Appendices C and D).
I used a student survey, a journal of my reflections and multiple forms of
assessments. I designed a survey (see Appendix E) to question my students as to
their thoughts on whether the entrance slips (see Appendices F-M) made a
difference in their learning and in what ways. My own opinions were brought to
view in my journal, but it was ultimately the students‟ voices that needed to be
heard. I then determined if the completion grade, mid-chapter quiz, and
summative test results at the end of the unit reflected their thoughts.
36
The study began during the fourth nine weeks in early April. I began my
unit on quadratic functions by explaining to the students that they would be
completing daily entrance slips that were based on the essential learnings of the
quadratic unit. The students were told that the entrance slips would be given to
them on a daily basis covering information from the previous day. The daily
process went as follows:
I taught the new essential learnings and assigned homework for students to
practice the skills involved.
The next day I went over questions and gave them an entrance slip on the
essential learnings from the previous day.
Answers were shared immediately after the entrance slip was handed in so
students could quickly find out if they got the problems correct. Later they
were graded by the teacher and recorded. This was a small part of their
overall grade. The emphasis was on students realizing whether or not they
knew the information, not a number in the grade book.
Individual feedback was given to those who did not get the problems
correct while they were taking the new entrance slip the next day.
Entrance slip grades replaced the homework check grades that had been
given in the past.
Intervention was assigned if the essential learnings were not understood.
37
On days when new material was not covered, an entrance slip was not
given the next day.
In the middle of the unit, a mid-chapter quiz was given (see Appendix N)
and homework was collected to check for completion. A homework
completion grade was recorded to diagnose whether lack of effort played a
part in their learning, but this grade was not included in their overall grade
during the project.
The daily entrance slips continued until the end of the unit when a
summative unit test was given (see Appendix O), and homework was
collected again to check for completion. Once again, this score was
reported but not included in the students‟ grades.
A survey was filled out by the students once the summative unit test
results had been given.
Because this was an action research project instead of a thesis, the main
emphasis was to gather information from students and myself about our thoughts
and feelings regarding this method of assessment. Using a control group would
exclude students from the use of entrance slips. I believed all students should be
given the opportunity to experience the use of entrance slips. I also believed all
my students should be allowed to anonymously voice their opinion on whether
this form of assessment of their knowledge was found to be helpful in their
38
learning. Use of a pre-test and post-test to determine whether knowledge growth
occurred did not make sense in this situation since there would automatically be
an improvement due to students gaining knowledge as information was taught.
The purpose of this action research project was to determine whether entrance
slips were more beneficial than homework checks for my Algebra I students.
Description of Methods
The following methods and activities occurred as the study was
completed:
(1) The principal and assistant superintendent were made aware of the project
and permission to do this project was requested from both of them.
(2) IRB permission was sought and received (see Appendix P). All personal
rights of the students were observed. Confidentiality and anonymity was of
utmost importance.
(3) A parental/guardian consent letter was sent to parents/guardians informing
them of the project that I would undertake with their child and requesting
permission for their child to participate. Once again, confidentiality was
emphasized.
(4) The students were informed of the project and their role in it. They were
asked to complete a youth assent form prior to the study. As always,
39
confidentiality was explained. The daily process as listed in the design was
explained to the students.
(5) The students were given an entrance slip on a daily basis covering
information from the previous day. The entrance slip consisted of four
questions, three of which assessed the new information from the previous day
and one question was a review question to check for retention of previous
material, known as a flashback. When a problem was too difficult to do, a
note was required from the student to tell me when that student would be in
to get extra help. To save time, I returned each student‟s graded entrance slip
the next day while the student worked on the new entrance slip for the day.
Because I had already discussed the previous entrance slip immediately after
it was completed, I was able to devote less additional time in discussing the
graded entrance slips upon their return. Any additional time was spent
personally with those students who did not understand their mistakes.
(6) Results were recorded by essential learning in the grade book. Good record
keeping was important as well as tracking absent students to get assessments
made up. I corrected the entrance slips for accuracy, writing comments as to
mistakes made or areas done well. Each entrance slip was worth four points.
(7) Modifications to the entrance slips and lesson plans began as the results to
the assessment data emerged. Flexibility was crucial here. A mid-chapter
40
quiz was given to assess knowledge attained in the first half of the unit. More
entrance slips followed.
(8) Upon completion of the unit, the end of the unit summative test was
administered. The unit this project focused on was Quadratic Functions.
(9) A survey was given to the students during class. The survey was given to
investigate the students‟ impressions about the formative assessment strategy
known as entrance slips. I was interested in knowing whether the students (a)
found the entrance slips helpful in the process of learning the essential
learnings, (b) increased or decreased their preparation time for class due to
the entrance slips, (c) found the individualized feedback that was provided
helpful, (d) became more aware of what the essential learnings are for the
class, (e) felt nervous about the entrance slips, and (f) thought that the mid-
chapter quiz and end of the unit summative test were affected by the entrance
slips.
(10) A journal was kept throughout the project by the researcher in order to self-
reflect on concerns, celebrations and any issues that came up.
(11) The results of the surveys, mid-chapter quiz scores, entrance slip scores, and
end of the unit summative test scores were interpreted.
41
Expected Results
I anticipated that the entrance slips would improve learning. I believed the
students would appreciate the extra attention they got from the feedback. I
believed knowing more about my students‟ abilities on a daily basis would be
extremely helpful.
Potential obstacles of using the entrance slips were thought to be time-
related. Student attendance, correcting, handing back and personally connecting
with students who need intervention were thought to become overwhelming and
time-consuming.
Timeline for the Study
The students began participating in this project in early April. It ended in
mid-May when the survey was given.
Summary
The action research study discussed in this chapter was done with my
Algebra I students. This study involved students completing a daily entrance slip
as a way for me and my students to formatively assess their understanding of the
essential learnings being discussed. I used entrance slip scores, surveys, self-
reflection, mid-chapter quiz and summative test scores to analyze the
effectiveness of the entrance slips to improve learning. The results of my study
are discussed in the next chapter.
Chapter Four
Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results.
The purpose of this project was to use daily entrance slips, based on
essential learnings from my school, to determine whether entrance slips were
more beneficial than homework checks for my Algebra I students. Included in this
chapter are the results of the survey, data from the entrance slips, mid-chapter
quiz and test results, as well as the results of the journaling/self-reflection done by
me, the researcher.
Data Analysis
Data for this project were collected in four ways: (1) Daily entrance slip
scores were collected; (2) a survey was given; (3) quiz, test, and homework
completion scores were collected; and (4) a journal was kept by the researcher.
Daily entrance slips. The day after new material was taught, an entrance
slip was given. Daily entrance slips replaced the homework checks that had been
used in the past to assess student knowledge. The daily entrance slips consisted of
three questions that assessed the current essential learnings and one question that
assessed a past essential learning (called a flashback). The scores of the entrance
slips were recorded. Each entrance slip score included the three questions that
assessed the current essential learnings. One of the questions was a multiple point
question creating the four points recorded for the entrance slip. The fourth
question, called the flashback, was not included in the grade but was reported as
43
to whether it was correct or not. Eight flashback problems were given with
students averaging 4.88 correct.
Table 1 shows the total scores for each entrance slip; 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 points
could be earned on each one. The mean was computed to compare each entrance
slip. Creating reliable assessments is important. Scores that appear much lower
than the others or have a higher standard deviation may mean there are reliability
issues. At the same time, lower entrance slip scores could also indicate that
instruction needs to change to correct incorrect thought processes. The need
existed to closely inspect student work to determine what is causing the lower
scores.
Table 1
Entrance Slip Score Totals
Entrance
Slip 0 1 2 3 4 N M SD
1 0 2 44 17 22 85 2.69 0.89
2 9 5 10 20 41 85 2.93 1.34
3 2 0 16 36 31 85 3.11 0.87
4 5 1 8 10 61 85 3.42 1.11
5 19 10 19 24 13 85 2.02 1.39
6 2 0 8 35 41 86 3.31 0.83
7 9 4 20 31 22 86 2.62 1.22
8 12 1 8 21 42 84 2.95 1.40
Overall - - - - - 86 2.89 0.68
44
Entrance slips #1-3 assessed Essential Learning 9.3, graphing a parabola
and labeling important parts. Entrance slip #1 became the baseline as it assessed
preliminary skills necessary for graphing parabolas. After entrance slip #1‟s
results were reviewed, I noticed a common mistake that the students were making
that I was unaware of before giving the entrance slip. The next day, the problem
was addressed, more information about how to graph was presented and more
practice was assigned. Entrance slip #2 assessed the issue that had been a problem
on entrance slip #1 along with the new information the students had just learned.
The mean for entrance slip #2 had a 0.24 point gain from the mean of entrance
slip #1. More practice and one-on-one assistance produced a mean of 3.11 on
entrance slip #3, a 0.18 point gain from entrance slip #2. Entrance slip #4 assessed
Essential Learning 8.6, stating the domain and range of a function. Included in
this assessment was Essential Learning 9.3 again. Once again, a gain occurred as
the mean rose to 3.42, a 0.31 point gain from entrance slip #3 and a 0.73 point
gain since entrance slip #1 when the skill was first assessed.
In the case of entrance slip #5, the lowest entrance slip score, Easter break
followed by a substitute teacher created a long gap from when the material was
last seen in class and the entrance slip. As an instructor, a “teachable moment”
happened and a deeper understanding for the students was accomplished by
45
revisiting the concepts in question with the class as well as individually with the
students who made mistakes.
Entrance slips #6-8 assessed Essential Learning 11.5, solving quadratic
equations. Entrance slip #6 assessed easier types of problems and entrance slips
#7 and #8 involved more difficult problems that required using the Quadratic
Formula. The sign of whether feedback made a difference can be seen between
entrance slip #7 and #8 assessing the same skill. A gain of 0.33 points occurred.
“Would daily entrance slips provide me with sufficient information to
adjust instruction to fit the needs of my students better than past assessments
had?” can be clearly answered. Yes, the entrance slips guided my instruction.
The entrance slip mean scores were then crossed with the test scores to see
if the entrance slips had a positive correlation with the test scores. Linear
regression was used with the dependent variable represented by the test scores and
the independent variable represented by the average entrance slip scores. The
Pearson correlation of the entrance slip average and the test scores was 0.594 with
a p-value < 0.001. Figure 1 shows the scatter plot representing this comparison.
The outlier students who failed the test were the students who generally
scored a two as their average entrance slip score. In this Algebra class, 61% was a
failing grade. These students needed to address the fact that they were not
mastering the skills necessary for a passing grade. I should have placed more of
46
these students into assigned intervention after school to work with them on the
skills they lacked.
ES Average
Te
st
4.03.53.02.52.01.51.0
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
S 12.2252
R-Sq 35.3%
R-Sq(adj) 34.5%
Fitted Line PlotTest = 48.60 + 13.15 ES Average
Figure 1. Scatter plot of entrance slip averages versus test scores.
The scatter plot in Figure 1 was created in an effort to answer the research
question, “Would frequent feedback give my Algebra I students a better sense of
what they know than past assessments (specifically homework checks) had?” In
response to that question, the scatter plot shows a positive trend between entrance
slip grades and test results. This trend along with the fact that the average on the
entrance slips was 72% and the test average was 86.6% shows that many of the
students “learned from their mistakes“.
47
Survey. Students need a say in their education. At the end of the unit a
survey was given to the students to investigate their impressions about the
formative assessment strategy known as entrance slips. The survey included
Likert-scale items in which students indicated their level of agreement from
strongly agree to strongly disagree, as well as demographic information such as
gender and grade level.
The surveys were copied and handed out the day after the summative test
at the end of the unit. Students were instructed to answer the questions honestly
and were told to keep their names off the survey for anonymity reasons. Students
finished the survey in approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Eighty-six surveys were filled out and returned to me. Some surveys were
completely filled out; others had questions unanswered; while others answered
with multiple answers. Those questions that had more than one response were not
included in the results. Most students supplied at least one additional comment,
with many supplying multiple additional comments.
Once the surveys were collected, the responses were entered into a
spreadsheet. The Likert-scale items were also coded and given a numerical value
where one corresponded to strongly disagree, two represented disagree, three
corresponded to agree, and four represented strongly agree. A mean was
computed from these numerical data. Table 2 represents the results of the survey.
48
Table 2
Survey Results for Questions 7-19
Question SA A D SD M
7. The entrance slips took too much time out
of class. 3.5% 4.7% 67.4% 24.4% 1.87
8. The entrance slips made me learn the
essential learnings better. 23.3% 60.5% 11.6% 4.7% 3.02
9. The entrance slips made me more prepared
for the mid-chapter quiz. 36.5% 49.4% 12.9% 1.2% 3.21
10. The entrance slips made me more prepared
for the chapter 10 test. 37.7% 48.2% 11.8% 2.4% 3.21
11. The entrance slips made me nervous. 4.7% 12.8% 40.7% 41.9% 1.80
12. The entrance slips helped me understand
what I was doing better than homework
checks.
48.8% 46.5% 3.5% 1.2% 3.43
13. Mrs. Hodenfield‟s one-on-one help on
what I did wrong on the entrance slips was
more beneficial than homework checks.
57.7% 41.2% 1.2% - 3.56
14. If I had a choice, I would stay with
entrance slips instead of homework checks. 58.3% 31.0% 8.3% 2.4% 3.45
15. I check my homework assignments often
to make sure I have done the problems
correctly.
12.1% 45.8% 30.1% 12.1% 2.58
16. I like doing homework better than doing
entrance slips. 3.5% 14.1% 35.3% 47.1% 1.74
17. The homework assignments helped me
prepare for the chapter 10 tests. 7.1% 64.3% 17.9% 10.7% 2.68
18. I did less homework during chapter 10
than I did in the past chapters in Algebra. 15.5% 36.9% 35.7% 11.9% 2.56
19. I am more aware of what the essential
learnings are for Algebra I. 26.2% 64.3% 7.1% 2.4% 3.14
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The students disagreed (mean of 2.00 or less) with the following survey
statements: (7) that the entrance slip took too much time; (11) that the entrance
slip made them nervous; and (16) they liked doing homework better than doing
entrance slips.
The students agreed (mean of 3.00 or more) with the following survey
statements: (8) the entrance slips made them learn the essential learnings better; (9
& 10) the entrance slips made them more prepared for the quiz and test; (12) the
entrance slips helped them understand what they were doing better than
homework checks; (13) Mrs. Hodenfield‟s one-on-one help was more beneficial
than homework checks; (14) they would stay with entrance slips rather than
homework checks; and (19) they were more aware of what the essential learnings
are for Algebra. All these results answer the question “Would frequent feedback
give my Algebra I students a better sense of what they know than past
assessments (specifically homework checks) had?” with a resounding yes!
Each survey question had a space provided for students to comment. For
the purpose of coding the data, all additional student comments were collated on a
document by stating the survey question and then listing all the student comments
for the question under it. There were 448 comments made by the students on the
survey. An extra section was provided for students to give additional comments in
general. Thirty-five of the 448 comments came from this section. As students
50
filled out the survey, the amount of comments added became less as the survey
went on. The first question had 48 comments and the last question had 17
comments.
The document was read multiple times, and the following themes
emerged: (1) the entrance slip‟s helpfulness to the student, (2) the researcher‟s
role in the student‟s learning (feedback), (3) the ease and quickness of the
entrance slips, (4) entrance slips were a review, (5) negative homework
comments, (6) positive homework comments, (7) mention of grades, (8) flashback
references, and (9) negative comments about the entrance slips. Table 3 shows the
results of the coding.
Table 3
Survey Coding Results
Comment Number of comments
The entrance slip‟s helpfulness to the student 128
The ease and quickness of the entrance slips 52
Feedback from the teacher 47
Negative comments about the entrance slips. 34
Negative homework comments 32
Positive homework comments 17
Thought that the entrance slips were a review
Mention of the word grades
13
8
Flashback references 5
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Of the 33 comments to the survey question asking whether the student
would stay with entrance slips instead of homework checks, 88% of the
comments stated in one way or another that they would stay with entrance slips.
When all the comments, both coded and un-coded, were counted that pertained to
entrance slips, 90% of all the comments reflected a positive attitude about this
project. Students believed that the entrance slips gave them valuable information
about what they knew.
Quiz, test, and homework completion. A mid-chapter quiz and a
summative end of the chapter test were given. When each assessment was given,
homework was collected to determine how much homework was completed by
the students. The assignments from the first half of the chapter were collected the
day of the quiz. The assignments from the second half of the chapter were
collected the day of the test. The quiz and test scores were recorded and included
in the student‟s grade; the homework was reported but not included in the
student‟s grade.
The scores were placed into the data spreadsheet created for this project. A
total homework completed grade was also computed. Table 4 shows the averages
(M) of each entrance slip, the quiz, the test, and the two homework completion
checks as well the flashback average.
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Table 4
Average Scores
Assessment N M SD
Flashback 86 4.88 1.77
Quiz 85 90.07 10.24
Test 86 86.62 15.10
Entrance slips 86 2.89 0.68
Homework 1st Half 85 48.93 14.69
Homework 2nd
Half 86 36.60 15.56
The flashback average was based on eight flashback questions assessing
prior concepts. The prior concepts ranged from graphing lines to exponents to
solving equations. The recording system was to put an X next the entrance slip
score if they had correctly answered the flashback. Students were told what
chapter the flashback came from and could look back at notes or assignments to
help them remember the concept. An average of 4.88 (out of 8.0) tells me that a
little over half the time the students could recall prior information. The results
would be more interesting once entrance slips have been used over the course of
the year to see if they help students retain knowledge.
The quiz and test averages are based on the percent correct on each
assessment. The quiz assessed the first half of the unit which included graphing
parabolas and maximum height situations. The test assessed the entire chapter
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which included the quiz information as well as solving quadratic equations. The
second half of the unit was more challenging than the first half of the unit, in my
opinion. This difference in difficulty might be one reason for the lower average on
the test compared to the quiz. Both the quiz and the test had large standard
deviations due to some extreme outliers. One student in particular did very poorly
on the test due to family issues.
Homework was collected twice throughout the unit. A completion grade
was reported but not included in the students‟ grades. The first half of the
homework was collected after the quiz was taken. There were 60 problems
assigned. I was very “picky” to make sure all parts of the problems were done in
order for the student to earn credit for finishing the problem. Approximately 82%
of the first half of the homework assigned was completed. The second half of the
homework was collected after the test taken. There were 51 problems assigned.
Approximately 72% of the second half of the homework assigned was completed.
Variables that influenced the decrease in the amount completed might relate to
time, as the students had more time to finish the first half of the homework.
Another factor might be difficulty, as the second half of the unit was more
difficult than the first half. A third factor might be student motivation and
attendance, as spring activities increased and the weather improved. Less
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homework completion may also explain why the test scores were lower than the
quiz scores.
The entrance slip average of 2.89 (out of 4.0) corresponds to a grade of
approximately 72%. Due to the small number of problems, making one mistake
led to a grade of 75%. At the time of the entrance slips, I tried to get the students
to fine tune all the skills; absolutely no mistakes could be made. Thus, it was not
easy to earn 100% on the entrance slips. An average of 72% means that, on
average, students made one or two mistakes in their work. Because of the highly
critical way the entrance slips were graded, most students‟ quiz and test scores
were higher than their entrance slip averages as students learned from their
mistakes.
Figure 2 shows the scatter plot that was created to check for a positive
correlation between the total homework completed and the summative test score.
Linear regression was computed using the total homework completed grade as the
independent variable and the test scores as the dependent variable. The Pearson
correlation of the homework completion average percent and the average test
percent was 0.507 with a p-value < 0.001.
There always seem to be exceptional children who score far above or far
below the expected score based on the amount of homework completed. For the
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most part, those students who completed over 60% of their homework scored
80% to 100% on the test.
HW Percent
Te
st
100806040200
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
S 13.0938
R-Sq 25.7%
R-Sq(adj) 24.8%
Fitted Line PlotTest = 63.82 + 0.2979 HW Percent
Figure 2. Scatter plot of total completed homework averages versus test scores.
Journal. Journaling was done by the researcher throughout the project.
This included reflections on the process of collecting consent forms, creating the
entrance slips, administering, grading, writing feedback, returning the entrance
slips, giving feedback individually to students, frustrations, positive outcomes,
and thoughts for the future.
The journal was read multiple times. The following themes emerged while
coding my journal: (1) teacher preparation, (2) student and teacher reactions, (3)
time, (4) instruction, (5) intervention issues, and (6) missing or late entrance slips.
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Action speaks louder than words. When it came time to actually DO this
project with the students, it was not without frustrations and excitement.
Seventeen journal entries were made, starting prior to the beginning of the unit as
the paperwork and creation of the entrances slips began and ending after the unit
was over as preparation for the next unit took place.
There were 20 comments about reactions from me or my students, 16
comments about intervention or students who do not get it, 15 references to
teacher preparation issues, 10 references to instructional issues, eight comments
about time, and seven references to missing or late entrance slips. The overall
tone of the journal was positive with a few issues that need to be addressed to
move forward with this method of assessment.
The journaling was done to answer the research question, “Would daily
entrance slips provide sufficient information to adjust instruction to meet the
needs of Algebra I students better than past assessments (specifically homework
checks) had? Due to the positive tone of the journal and self-reflection after the
project was completed with the students, the answer to this research question is a
resounding yes!
Future study. A last thought was to investigate whether there were any
differences between ninth and tenth grade classes and between the morning and
afternoon classes.
57
Boxplots were constructed to look at the spread of scores separated by the
time of day, before or after lunch. Figure 3 shows the entrance slip average
scores. Figure 4 shows the quiz scores. Figure 5 shows the test scores.
The students who were in Algebra I before lunch had less spread in their
scores and higher scores on all types of assessments than those in Algebra I after
lunch. Contributing factors might include attendance as those students involved in
activities often tend to leave for their activities after lunch. As the day progresses,
students get tired and restless, and this might have also affected the scores. Future
study could be done to delve into this subject more deeply.
ES Average
Before Lunch
After Lunch
4.03.53.02.52.01.51.0
Boxplots of ES Average vs Time of Day
Figure 3. Boxplots of entrance slip averages by time of day.
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Quiz Score
Before Lunch
After Lunch
10090807060
Boxplots of Quiz Score vs Time of Day
Figure 4. Boxplots of quiz scores by time of day.
Test Score
Before Lunch
After Lunch
100908070605040302010
Boxplots of Test Score vs Time of Day
Figure 5. Boxplots of test scores by time of day.
59
Boxplots were constructed to examine the assessment scores separated by
grade level, ninth grade and tenth grade. Figure 6 shows the entrance slip average
scores. Figure 7 shows the quiz scores. Figure 8 shows the test scores.
Grade level doesn‟t seem to affect the median much but the spread of
scores seems to be tighter for the ninth graders.
Ninth grade students taking Algebra I at this school are typically students
who are on the regular track in regard to their mathematics progression. Tenth
grade students taking Algebra I at this school have typically experienced some
difficulty and have taken an Introduction to Algebra math course as ninth graders
to work on skills prior to taking Algebra I.
The marks inside the boxes represent the means. The asterisks outside the
boxes represent outliers. One of the consistent outliers for the ninth grade
morning class was the student who suffered from family issues that occurred
sometime between the quiz and the test. The mean scores tend to be lower than
the median due to the low outliers.
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ES Average
10
9
4.03.53.02.52.01.51.0
Boxplots of ES Average vs Grade Level
Figure 6. Boxplots of entrance slip averages by grade level.
Quiz Score
10
9
10090807060
Boxplot of Quiz Score vs Grade Level
Figure 7. Boxplots of quiz scores by grade level.
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Test Score
10
9
100908070605040302010
Boxplot of Test Score vs Grade Level
Figure 8. Boxplots of test scores by grade level.
Interpretation of Results
Would daily entrance slips provide sufficient information to adjust
instruction to meet the needs of Algebra I students better than past assessments
(specifically homework checks) had?
The results of the journal and the survey indicate that not only did the
researcher believe that the entrance slips gave valuable input as to what the
students knew, but the students responded that help given to them due to the
errors they made gave them a better grasp of what they knew, as well as guided
them in the direction of comprehension of the material.
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I expected that the entrance slips would provide better insight than the
homework checks that were given in the past, and this was true as the project
unfolded. As time went on, the process became easier including the administrative
decisions I had to make. Students learned more than whether they got a problem
wrong or not, as was the case with homework checks. Rather they learned what,
and more importantly why, they got it wrong. Quality versus quantity is at play
here as four quality questions asked frequently with feedback was better than 25
questions asked all at once later.
Even when I was gone two of the days during this project, the entrance
slips were administered correctly and the results helped me to better prepare for
the issues that needed to be addressed upon my return. While journaling, I did not
hold back any comments or thoughts as this project went on. In an effort to decide
if this would be a worthwhile form of assessment in the future, all thoughts, good
and bad, were written down and considered.
Would frequent feedback give my Algebra I students a better sense of
what they know than past assessments (specifically homework checks) had?
The results of the survey showed a positive student response about the
effectiveness of the entrance slips. The positive correlation between the
summative test scores and the entrance slips showed that high test scores were
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related to high entrance slip averages. Those who did well on the entrance slips
successfully applied their knowledge and skills to the test.
The researcher expected that the one-on-one feedback I provided in
response to the entrance slip results would give students a better sense of what
they knew, but I was not sure if they would appreciate the feedback as much as
the survey comments reflected.
Due to the anonymity of the survey, the students felt free to express their
opinions freely making the results of the survey more trustworthy. Even the
student who stated in the survey that she was absent many of the days of this unit
found the entrance slips to be beneficial.
Summary
The positive response by both the students and me leads to the conclusion
that this type of formative assessment with one-on-one feedback on a consistent
basis is beneficial to students‟ learning. Triangulation occurred as the entrance
slip score improvements, the survey results, and the journaling all led to positive
results for both research questions. The last chapter of this project includes final
conclusions and thoughts about this project.
Chapter Five
Conclusions, Action Plan, Reflections, and Recommendations
“Intentions are fine, but they will not impact results unless and until they
are translated into collective commitments and specific concrete actions” (Eaker
et al., 2007, p. 17).
Conclusions
How do you know when they know it? Due to the positive response of the
entrance slips during this project, entrance slips are the concrete action I plan to
continue in the future to help me and my students “know when they know it.” All
forms of data revealed a positive attitude about the two research questions,
“Would frequent feedback give my Algebra I students a better sense of what they
know than past assessments (specifically homework checks) had?” and “Would
daily entrance slips provide sufficient information to adjust instruction to meet the
needs of Algebra I students better than past assessments (specifically homework
checks) had?” The researcher made the following conclusions based on each
method of data collection.
Daily entrance slips. Table 1 showed the total scores for each entrance
slip. The mean scores followed a trend consistent with an assessment that is
guiding instruction. When new essential learnings were introduced a baseline
grade was established. Each entrance slip that followed assessing that same
essential learning produced a gain in the mean number of points obtained on the
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following entrance slip. Instructional changes and one-on-one feedback
contributed to the gain in mean points.
The overall mean score for the entrance slips was a score of 2.89 points
out of 4.0. I was “picky” while grading the entrance slips. Small details missed
produced lower scores. I believed students needed to pay attention to all the
details so when the quiz and test was given, they had learned from their mistakes.
Figure 1 showed a positive correlation between the entrance slip grades
and the test scores. The higher the entrance slip grade, the higher the test score.
The outliers indicated that those students who scored a two or lower on the
entrance slips tended to fail the test.
Survey. One of my concerns before this project began was whether
entrance slips would take too much time out of an already busy class period. The
majority of my students, 91.8%, stated that it did not take too much time out class.
At least for this unit, I too found myself feeling like it was not taking too much
time out of class. The time it did take was well worth it to me as well as to the
students. As one student put it on the survey, “I think it‟s definitely worth the time
it takes.”
The most overwhelming response came from the issue of one-on-one
feedback. A large majority of my students, 98.9%, felt that the one-on-one help
benefited them. As one student stated on the survey, “The entrance slip made me
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realize what I am doing and I liked when Mrs. Hodenfield explained it to me one-
on-one.”
I believe this response, along with the 89.3% of students who stated they
would prefer to stay with entrance slips instead of homework checks, answers the
research question quite well: “Would frequent feedback give my Algebra I
students a better sense of what they know than past assessments (specifically
homework checks) had?” Yes, the students felt that the frequent feedback was
better than homework checks.
The entrance slips seemed to be viewed as a review or practice in many
students‟ eyes. Thirteen students mentioned that it was a good refresher, extra
practice, and a good review or recap of the material. “It reviewed what I learned
the other day and taught me what I didn‟t know” was how one student described
it.
A few students talked about what the entrance slips forced. “It forced you
to become more aware of the curriculum” and “We did them every day and were
always different questions so it forced me to be on my toes” were two of the
comments on this theme.
For me, reading the surveys had some “feel good” moments and some
“feel bad” moments. The following are some of the “feel good” comments: “They
were fun;” “They got my brain working. I did math every day!” and “They are
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cool.” My favorite comment was, “I felt like I worked more in class, which was
enjoyable and more beneficial.”
I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the negative comments
made by students. It is hard to please everyone, and their voices were heard and
carefully considered. “They are kinda pointless.” “I kinda don‟t like these.” “I
don‟t think they made a huge difference.” “I think I could do fine without them.”
The most thought provoking negative comment for me was made by a student
who said, “The entrance slip didn‟t do much if I didn‟t understand it before.” I
like to think that the comment just mentioned followed the same theme as this
comment, “The slips only checked to see if I had learned the lesson; they didn‟t
teach me anything.” Only with good personalized feedback, can the entrance slip
benefit those who do not grasp the concepts being assessed. I believe the
following student nailed the point of this discussion with this comment, “It wasn‟t
the slips themselves, but the feedback from Mrs. Hodenfield that I found helpful.”
On the subject of homework, there were many comments that were made
that showed great insight on the part of the students. “I would rush to get
homework done and not check my answers so the slips with the one-on-one
confrontation helped me understand.” My favorite homework quote came from a
student who said, “Ironically, I actually bothered to do more of my homework this
chapter in the hopes that I wouldn‟t fail all the entrance slips.”
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As for whether the entrance slips made students more prepared for the
quiz and test, student responses were varied. The fact that they were allowed to
use the entrance slips while taking the quiz and test gave many students a good
reference to use. Others felt the entrance slips helped prepare them because they
gave them extra practice to get ready.
One student commented, “I came in feeling prepared”. Entrance slips
provided awareness for students. Many students came to class knowing that they
knew the material for the quiz or test. On the flip side, other students came to
class knowing that they did not know the material based on the entrance slip
results. The test and quiz results should not have been a surprise to anyone.
Journal. Emotions ranged during this project. There was frustration trying
to get parent forms back and excitement giving the first entrance slip. I worried
about how the entrance slips were going and I was irritated that students were not
quiet while I provided one-on-one feedback to students. There were happy kids
that enjoyed this new way of finding out what they knew to bored kids who didn‟t
want yet another entrance slip to show their lack of understanding. There were
parents who did not understand the purpose of the entrance slips and gave
students grief about not performing well on them to students who were frustrated
that they could not “retake” an entrance slip. Students were cheering, yes, actually
cheering, when they correctly answered the entrance slip questions to a huge
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admittance by one student that even though the entrance slips were a pain, they
were helping him understand the concepts. As a teacher, I was exhausted some
days as I tried to get around the room providing the feedback necessary for
student success. This exhaustion was counterbalanced with a great feeling of
satisfaction that I knew what my students understood. That knowledge led to
concerns as to what to do with those students who did not understand the
concepts. I had questions as to whether I should put the students who did not
understand in intervention now or later.
Intervention at this school is assigned to students who need additional
help. They are scheduled into after school intervention by the teacher or
counselor. If a student is failing, then intervention is mandatory. If a student is not
failing but is behind or struggling, a teacher may assign intervention. Once the
student is passing and/or the teacher feels that student is at an acceptable level of
understanding, intervention is then dropped for that student.
The intervention decisions seemed to be the toughest decisions. Not all
students confess that they do not understand the information being taught. I didn‟t
want to jump to conclusions too soon as some students need more time to
comprehend new material. Ignorance is bliss; awareness requires action. Some
sort of rule or guideline needed to be determined to help make those tough
decisions about when intervention needed to be assigned to struggling students.
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In the beginning of this unit, the amount of time invested was large as the
decisions were made as to how to incorporate the entrance slips. Grading
decisions and entrance slip creation decisions as to what I really needed to know
topped the list of time consuming activities. As time went on, those decisions
were made quicker as I made it work for me and my students. Every classroom is
different, and a teacher must make it “their own” in a way that is comfortable for
all.
I was concerned about being overwhelmed by the amount of time
correcting these entrance slips on a daily basis would take. I quickly realized that
the time it took was very manageable.
Parents need to be brought on board right away. Parental education is
crucial so kids aren‟t getting in trouble for getting poor entrance slip grades. If the
pressure of entrance slip grades is put on kids, cheating, stress and other negative
issues begin. During this project I entertained the idea of not reporting the
entrance slip scores, but later decided I needed the support and awareness of
parents.
I considered having some sort of recording document for students to use to
monitor their entrance slip grades. Possible ways to do this included a grid where
a line graph could be created using the essential learnings as the horizontal axis
and the entrance slip score as the vertical axis. I decided this would be a time-
71
consuming task to get these created efficiently for the first year, but once it is
done, it will be easy to later incorporate year after year.
The flashbacks that were included on the entrance slips proved to be good
review for the final test. Retention in math is important, and they were a good
way to work on that. Stating the chapter from which the flashback question
originated is a change that will have to be made on future entrance slips. By
telling students the flashback‟s chapter, they were able to go back in their notes
and refresh their memories on the skill being assessed.
As I wound down my thoughts from the journal, I realized that instead of
“entrance slips,” these assessments should be called “Awareness Slips.” With this
new name, maybe parents and students would then better understand the point of
this formative assessment. How do I know when my students know it? How do I
become more aware of what is going on in their brains? Consistent, frequent
formative assessments such as entrance slips is a definite step in the right
direction.
Quiz, test, and homework completion. It has always been my
understanding that the amount of homework a student should do varies by
student. The goal is to get a student to automaticity. A student knows how to
perform a skill when it can be done automatically without spending large amounts
of time figuring it out. Some students are naturally gifted and can get to
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automaticity quickly. Other students need more time and effort to get to
automaticity. As with any skill, if you don‟t use it you lose it, so to retain
automaticity, you must revisit the skill often. It is with this thought in mind that I
chose to not include the homework completion grade in the students‟ grades.
Having the data of how many problems were completed provided me with the
information necessary to make an informed decision as to whether the student had
done enough practice to be successful at a task. If homework is not getting done
and quiz and test scores are below acceptable levels, then more practice is
necessary. On the other hand if homework is not getting done but quiz and test
scores are satisfactory, then all is well in my train of thought, as that student does
not need as much practice as others. If another student is completing their
homework and is still not performing well on the quiz and test, then instruction
needs to change. When homework completion was compared to test scores, it was
determined that there was a positive correlation between the amount of homework
completed and the test scores.
The homework completion average was 77.05%, the quiz average was
90.07%, and the test average was 86.62%. The numbers tell me that for most
students, even if they didn‟t completely finish their homework, they performed
well on the quiz and test.
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Action Plan
I intend to continue the use of entrance slips as one of many ways to
formatively assess my students. I will modify a few things in an effort to “tweak”
this method of formative assessment. I will not force all entrance slips to be the
same size, each having four problems. Keeping each entrance slip the same size
sometimes required extra effort or was inconvenient. It was done for this project
for the purpose of comparison of data. I will continue to use the same amount of
points by making the questions have four tasks that I want to assess. This may be
accomplished by having one or two problems with multiple parts at times.
I will begin to use entrance slips right away at the beginning of the year
next year and will discontinue the use of homework checks as a way to determine
what my students know. Early student and parental education will be crucial.
Many students will need to get used to this way of being assessed. Taking the
focus off the grade on their homework and putting the focus on what they know
and don‟t know will take time for students and parents to get used to.
Homework checks were snapshots of what my students knew. Not only
were they untimely, telling me what my students knew after too many days had
passed, but also they did not tell me how much homework my students had done
which then did not tell me if they were working as hard as they needed to in order
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to succeed. These two problems were the main reasons for trying this new way
assessing my students.
On the other hand, completion checks serve a different purpose. They are
designed strictly for the purpose of finding out how much homework students
have attempted. I will continue to exclude the homework completion scores as
part of their grades but will continue to report them to determine any students who
need to practice more due to lower quiz and test scores. I will not record the
flashback score but will ask the students to track their progress on the entrance
slip grades as well as the flashback questions. This will be done on a document
provided to the students which will be collected and used during parent-teacher
conferences. Not only will self-tracking let them see any trends they may have but
will also make them aware of any missing entrance slips that need to be made up.
Students who choose to come in for help on any essential learnings will be
given another chance to take a new entrance slip over the same material. As the
research indicated, struggling students need more documentation as to the levels
of their abilities. The new score will replace the old score. If this proves to be too
overwhelming, this may need to change. A folder will be required for students to
keep their entrance slips and tracking sheet. Once a unit is completed, the students
will staple all of it together and put it aside until the semester test. The entrance
slips will become a good review for the semester test.
75
Because of this project, I have no doubt that entrance slips give me and
my students a better sense of what they know on a consistent basis. My new
addition to the action plan I used in this research will be a recording document
that students will use to track their progress on the entrance slips. I plan to use this
document at parent-teacher conferences as a tool to show parents what their child
knows.
Reflections and Recommendations for Other Teachers
Our district‟s motto is “Empowering students to succeed in an ever
changing world.” Improving yourself as a teacher is a constant challenge for all
instructors. As the years go by, the world changes, students change, and teachers
must change with them. Forms of assessment used in the past may no longer work
in the present and future. Formative assessment makes sense. The focus of
assessment should be on learning, not grading. No one wants to be graded when
they are trying to learn something new. We all want time to “figure it out” before
a grade is given, whether it is in life skills or educational skills. Kids today are
under so many more pressures than in the past. Taking some pressure off them
while they are learning so they CAN learn has to be beneficial.
Consistency is another important issue here. Without consistent feedback,
it is difficult to learn. Consistent feedback thrives on making personal connections
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with students so trust can be obtained. All of these issues are prevalent with the
use of entrance slips.
The use of entrance slips came with excitement and frustration. The
energy level necessary for this form of assessment is high. Some days I wanted to
blow off the entrance slips and just teach my lesson and let them work. To keep
me motivated and to remind me how much students appreciated the personal
connection, I am going to enlarge and laminate some of the positive student
responses regarding the one-on-one help I gave them during this project. I will put
them around my desk so I can see them every day.
My advice to anyone who wants to try this form of assessment is be
flexible, be eager to make personal connections with kids, and stay organized.
The correcting did not become an issue for me as the small number of problems
on the entrance slips did not take too long to grade. Take baby steps. Teachers
could try it for one unit and see how they and their students feel. They should
conduct their own action research projects and use my survey or just have an open
discussion with the students about how they feel about being assessed this way.
Of course there will be some students who do not like it. The only thing some
would like is if you just left them alone. My favorite comment came from a kid
who told me that even though the entrance slips were a “pain,” they helped him
learn. Step outside the box and try it!
77
Summary
Nothing is perfect, including this method to formatively assess students‟
Algebra I knowledge. The benefits of entrance slips far outweigh the drawbacks.
Seeing is believing, and as the results have shown, entrance slips made a positive
difference for many of my students. As the teacher in all of this, entrance slips
also made a positive difference for me.
The most telling results in all of this were the survey results. How the
students felt was the most important data to me. There are many factors that
influence the scores—family issues, attendance, motivation—the list goes on, but
the survey results and comments had nothing to do with all of that. The survey
responses were students‟ personal impressions on how this project impacted how
they learned. When 98% of my students told me that they benefited from my one-
on-one help, then I am going to continue doing just that. When students are
comfortable and happy in a classroom setting, then more learning can be
accomplished. Maybe some scores were not awesome, but if I can create a
happier classroom, I am going to do it. I believe entrance slips can contribute to
that good atmosphere. As one of my students put it, “I felt like I worked more in
class, which was enjoyable and more beneficial”. Enough said.
78
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Appendices
84
Appendix A
Parental/Guardian Consent Form
Invitation to Participate
Your student is invited to participate in a study being conducted by Colleen
Hodenfield, a Minot State University graduate student and teacher at Central
Campus High School. The study will incorporate the use of a daily entrance slip.
Entrance slips are a type of assessment where the students respond to questions
relating to the prior day‟s lesson. Students will be given a chance to ask questions
at the beginning of the hour to clear up any misunderstandings prior to being
given the entrance slip.
Basis for Subject Selection
Your student has been selected because he or she is in my Algebra I class and will
participate in my project by completing daily entrance slips, homework, a mid-
chapter quiz, a unit test, and a survey at the end of the unit. In the event you do
not want your child to participate in this project, the student‟s data will not be
included in my results and your student will not complete the survey, but your
student will still be asked to complete the entrance slips, homework, quiz, and test
since these are regular parts of my course. The data collected from my Algebra I
students will be used to determine if this type of tracking student knowledge
helped my students learn better than previous methods.
Purpose of the Research
I am currently completing work towards my Master of Education degree through
Minot State University. For my final degree requirement, I am conducting an
action research project for approximately five weeks during the fourth quarter to
determine whether the use of entrance slips are more beneficial than homework
checks. An entrance slip is a type of assessment where your student responds to
questions relating to the prior day‟s lesson and gets feedback about their
solutions.
Specific Procedures
This study involves students in my four Algebra I classes who will complete daily
entrance slips as a way for us to assess their understanding of the essential
learnings being discussed. Essential learnings are the state standards found to be
most important for Algebra I. I will use daily entrance slips in place of homework
85
checks to determine whether there is any relationship between the entrance slip
grades and the grades received on the quiz and test. I will also keep a journal of
my impressions of the effectiveness of this project. Students will be surveyed at
the end of the project to get their perceptions of entrance slips versus homework
checks. My results will be summarized and included in my research paper. None
of the students in my class will be identified by name in my results. The principal,
Mr. Altendorf of Minot High School Central Campus, and Mr. Marquardt,
assistant superintendent of Minot Public School District, have both approved this
research study.
Duration of Participation
Your student will participate in entrance slips for approximately five weeks
during quarter four of the academic school year. He or she will complete a survey
at the conclusion of this project.
Benefits to the Individual
There are no direct benefits in participating in this study. Not participating in this
project will only mean the data from your student will not be included in the final
results.
Risks to the Individual
The risks to your student are no more than he/she would encounter in a regular
classroom setting.
Confidentiality
All data will be treated confidentially by the researcher. Names of participants
and their data sets will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in the researcher‟s office
or on a password-protected computer and will be destroyed once the project has
been defended and approved. The researcher agrees to maintain strict
confidentiality, which means your student‟s name will not be discussed or
divulged with anyone outside of this research project. The researcher will also
make sure confidential information will not be discussed in an area that can be
overheard that would allow an unauthorized person to associate or identify the
student with such information.
Voluntary Nature of Participation
During this study, your student‟s survey and scores do not have to be included in
the final results. However, I hope you approve of your student being involved in
86
this study because a large sample size improves the accuracy of the results of my
study. If you decide to allow your child to participate, you are free to withdraw
your consent at any time. If you want to withdraw your consent, write me a short
note about why you want to withdraw and sign it. This will in no way affect your
student‟s grade. If you do not consent or withdraw your consent, your student‟s
data will not be included in my results and your student will not complete the
survey, but your student will still be asked to complete the entrance slips, quiz,
and test since these are regular parts of my course.
Human Subject Statement
The Institutional Review Board of Minot State University has given me
permission to conduct this research. If you have questions regarding the rights of
human research subjects, please contact the Chairperson of the MSU Institutional
Review Board (IRB), Brent Askvig at 701-858-3051 or
Offer to Answer Questions
If you have any questions or concerns now or during the study, feel free to contact
me at 701-857-4660 or email me at [email protected], Mr.
Keith Altendorf at 701-857-4660, or Mr. Arlyn Marquardt at 701-857-4423.
Consent Statement
You are voluntarily making a decision whether or not your student can participate
in this study. With your signature below, you are indicating that upon reading and
understanding the above information, you agree to allow your student‟s survey,
entrance slip results, and end of the chapter test results to be used in this study.
You will be given a copy of the consent form to keep.
______________________________________________________________
Participant (Please Print Student’s Name)
_____________________________________________ ________________
Signature of Parent or Guardian Date
_____________________________________________ ________________
Signature of Researcher Date
87
Appendix B
Youth Assent Letter
Invitation to Participate
You are invited to participate in a study being conducted by Colleen Hodenfield, a
Minot State University graduate student and teacher at Central Campus High
School. The study will incorporate the use of a daily entrance slip. Entrance slips
are a type of assessment where the students respond to questions relating to the
prior day‟s lesson. You will be given a chance to ask questions at the beginning of
the hour to clear up any misunderstandings prior to being given the entrance slip.
Basis for Subject Selection
You have been selected because you are in my Algebra I class. You will complete
daily entrance slips, homework, a mid-chapter quiz, a unit test, and a survey at the
end of the unit. By choosing to participate, you are allowing me to use these
scores as part of my research. The data collected from you and the rest of your
classmates in my Algebra I classes will be used to determine if entrance slips
helped you learn better than previous methods. You will also be asked to
complete a survey at the end of the unit to determine any changes you have
noticed.
Purpose of the Research
I am currently completing work towards my Master of Education degree through
Minot State University. For my final degree requirement, I am conducting an
action research project for approximately five weeks during the fourth quarter to
determine whether the use of entrance slips are more beneficial than homework
checks. An entrance slip is a type of assessment where you respond to questions
relating to the prior day‟s lesson.
Specific Procedures
During this study you will be asked to complete daily entrance slips as a way for
you and me to assess your understanding of the essential learnings being
discussed. Essential learnings are the state standards found to be most important
for Algebra I. I will use daily entrance slips in place of homework checks to
determine which one helped you to be better prepared for your mid-chapter quiz
and unit test. I will also keep a journal of my impressions on the effectiveness of
this project. You will be surveyed at the end of the project to get your perceptions
of entrance slips versus homework checks. My results will be summarized and
included in my research paper. No one in the class will be identified in my results.
88
The principal, Mr. Altendorf of Minot High School Central Campus, and Mr.
Marquardt, assistant superintendent of Minot Public School District, have both
approved this research study.
Duration of Participation
You will participate in entrance slips during quarter four for approximately five
weeks of the academic school year. You will be expected to complete a survey at
the conclusion of this project. Your name will not be included on the survey.
Benefits to the Individual
There are no direct benefits in participating in this study, but participation will
give you quick results and explanations which can be used to help you learn the
information better.
Risks to the Individual
The risks to you are no more than you would encounter in a regular classroom
setting.
Confidentiality
All data will be treated confidentially by the researcher. Names of participants
and their data sets will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in the researcher‟s office
and will be destroyed once the project has been defended and approved. The
researcher agrees to maintain strict confidentiality, which means your name will
not be discussed or given to anyone outside of this research project. The
researcher will also make sure confidential information will not be discussed in an
area that can be overheard that would allow an unauthorized person to associate
or identify you with such information.
Voluntary Nature of Participation
During this study you may decide not to have your survey and scores included in
the final results. However, I hope you approve of being involved in this study
because more students‟ data improves the accuracy of the results of my study. If
you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your consent at any time. If
you want to withdraw your consent, write me a short note about why you want to
withdraw and sign it. This will in no way affect you or your grade. If you do not
consent or withdraw your consent, your data will not be included in my results
and you will not complete the survey, but you will still be asked to complete the
entrance slips since these are a regular part of my course.
89
Human Subject Statement
The Institutional Review Board of Minot State University has given me
permission to conduct this research. If you have questions regarding the rights of
human research subjects, please contact the Chairperson of the MSU Institutional
Review Board (IRB), Brent Askvig at 701-858-3051 or
Offer to Answer Questions
If you have any questions or concerns now or during the study, feel free to contact
me at 701-857-4660 or email me at [email protected], Mr.
Keith Altendorf at 701-857-4660, or Mr. Arlyn Marquardt at 701-857-4423.
Consent Statement You are voluntarily making a decision whether or not you can participate in this
study. With your signature below, you are indicating that upon reading and
understanding the above information, you agree to allow your survey, entrance
slip results, and end of the chapter test results to be used in this study. You will be
given a copy of the consent form to keep.
______________________________________________________________
Participant (Please Print Student’s Name)
_____________________________________________ ________________
Signature of Student Date
_____________________________________________ ________________
Signature of Researcher Date
______________________________________________________________
90
Appendix C
Principal Letter
Dear Mr. Altendorf:
I am completing work toward the Master of Education degree through
Minot State University. As a degree requirement, I am to conduct a research
project in my classroom during the fourth quarter this year. I am planning to
implement daily entrance slips which will formatively assess essential learnings in
algebra. To accomplish this, I would like to work with the students in my algebra
classes. An entrance slip is a type of assessment where students respond to
questions relating to the prior day‟s lesson.
This study involves students in my four Algebra I classes who will
complete daily entrance slips as a way for me and my students to formatively
assess their understanding of the essential learnings being discussed. I will use
daily entrance slips in place of homework checks to determine which one has a
more positive impact on students‟ mid-chapter quiz grades and unit test grades. I
will also keep a journal of my impressions on the effectiveness of this project.
Students will be surveyed at the end of the project to get their perceptions of
entrance slips versus homework checks. My results will be summarized and
included in my research paper. Classroom and student confidentiality will be
observed regarding all data collected and no individual will be identified by name.
Before the study begins, I will send home consent forms for
parents/guardians to notify them of this project and request their permission
allowing their student to participate in the research study. A copy of this letter is
attached for your inspection.
I am requesting that you permit me to carry out this research in my
classroom. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your
consideration.
_______ I grant permission for Colleen Hodenfield to conduct the above
mentioned research in her classroom.
_______ I DO NOT grant permission for Colleen Hodenfield to conduct the
above mentioned research in her classroom.
___________________________________________ ______________________
Signature of Mr. Keith Altendorf, Date
91
Appendix D
Assistant Superintendent Letter
Dear Mr. Marquardt:
I am completing work toward the Master of Education degree through
Minot State University. As a degree requirement, I am to conduct a research
project in my classroom during the fourth quarter this year. I am planning to
implement daily entrance slips which will formatively assess essential learnings in
algebra. An entrance slip is a type of assessment where students respond to
questions relating to the prior day‟s lesson. To accomplish this, I would like to
work with the students in my algebra classes.
This study involves students in my four Algebra I classes who will
complete daily entrance slips as a way for me and my students to formatively
assess their understanding of the essential learnings being discussed. I will use
daily entrance slips in place of homework checks to determine which one has a
more positive impact on students‟ mid-chapter quiz grades and unit test grades. I
will also keep a journal of my impressions on the effectiveness of this project.
Students will be surveyed at the end of the project to get their perceptions of
entrance slips versus homework checks. My results will be summarized and
included in my research paper. Classroom and student confidentiality will be
observed regarding all data collected and no individual will be identified by name.
Before the study begins, I will send home consent forms for
parents/guardians to notify them of this project and request their permission
allowing their student to participate in the research study. A copy of this letter is
attached for your inspection.
I am requesting that you permit me to carry out this research in my
classroom. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your
consideration.
92
_______I grant permission for Colleen Hodenfield to conduct the above
mentioned research in her classroom.
_______I DO NOT grant permission for Colleen Hodenfield to conduct the above
mentioned research in her classroom.
___________________________________________ ______________________
Signature of Mr. Arlyn Marquardt, Date
93
Appendix E
Student Survey
Instructions: For each statement, checking the most appropriate box:
1. My Algebra I class is at the following time of day.
□ Before lunch □ After lunch
2. Indicate your grade.
□ Grade 9 □ Grade 10
3. Indicate your gender.
□ Male □ Female
4. I am on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan).
□ Yes □ No
5. I am in High School Prep.
□ Yes □ No
6. The grade on my entrance slips was generally a:
□ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ Varied from day to day
Instructions: Please respond to each of the following statements. Indicate your
level of agreement by circling the appropriate response on the right and
explaining your answer.
SA = Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree
Question SA A D SD
7. The entrance slips took too much time out of class.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
94
8. The entrance slips made me learn the essential
learnings better.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
9. The entrance slips made me more prepared for the mid-
chapter quiz.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
10. The entrance slips made me more prepared for the
chapter 10 test.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
11. The entrance slips made me nervous.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
12. The entrance slips helped me understand what I was
doing better than homework checks.
Explain your answer:
SA A D SD
13. Mrs. Hodenfield‟s one-on-one help on what I did
wrong on the entrance slips was more beneficial than
homework checks.
Explain your answer:
SA A D SD
14. If I had a choice, I would stay with entrance slips
instead of homework checks.
Explain your answer:
SA A D SD
95
15. I check my homework assignments often to make sure
I have done the problems correctly.
Explain your answer:
SA A D SD
16. I like doing homework better than doing entrance
slips.
Explain your answer:
SA A D SD
17. The homework assignments helped me prepare for the
chapter 10 tests.
Explain your answer:
SA A D SD
18. I did less homework during chapter 10 than I did in
the past chapters in Algebra.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
19. I am more aware of what the essential learnings are
for Algebra I.
Explain your answer: SA A D SD
96
Appendix F
Entrance Slip #1
97
Appendix G
Entrance Slip #2
98
Appendix H
Entrance Slip #3
99
Appendix I
Entrance Slip #4
100
Appendix J
Entrance Slip #5
101
Appendix K
Entrance Slip #6
102
Appendix L
Entrance Slip #7
103
Appendix M
Entrance Slip #8
104
Appendix N
Quiz Sections 10.1-10.3
105
106
Appendix O
Test Chapter 10
107
108
109
Appendix P
IRB Approval Letter
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