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Reflection on Research Based Assessment in First Grade

Sarah J. Koonce
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Reflection on Research Based Assessment in First Grade

Area of Focus Statement

Research shows that students who are poor readers in the early grades rarely catch up to

their peers, even with extra help, putting them at risk for learning disabilities and a variety of

negative educational outcomes (Compton, Fuchs, Zumeta 2012). The issue that I chose to

address was reading comprehension and fluency in my first grade classroom. Out of my class of

nineteen students, eight students qualify for reading intervention with a district reading specialist.

These students leave my class three times each week to participate in small group reading

intervention. The time that students are taken out of the classroom affects how I plan teaching

lessons and student learning for the entire class. Additionally many worksheets, assignments, and

even tests have to be done together on the white board screen to accommodate almost half of the

class.

When designing a reading intervention, researchers and educators face a number of

challenges related to the focus, intensity, and duration of the intervention (Halderman, OReilly,

Sabatini, Steinberg, Weeks 2014). I proposed that by having the students meet with me in small

differentiated reading groups, student reading and comprehension and fluency will improve,

which will be measurable by weekly STAR assessments for the duration of the school year.

Differentiated instruction is matching instruction to meet the different needs of learners in a

given classroom. The range of instructional need within one classroom is large. In order to

accommodate these instructional needs, it is recommended that teachers plan for: small group,

differentiated reading instruction (Kosanovich, Ladinsky, Nelson, Torgensen 2007). My action

research question was; can I improve student reading comprehension and fluency, by using

STAR assessment scores to set up differentiated small reading groups with more personalized
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instruction, which will be measured by improved STAR assessment scores? The application of

weekly STAR assessment will provide computer generated reports that will screen and group

students for targeted instruction, measure student growth, predict performance on Smarter

Balanced exams, and monitor mastery of Common Core State Standards (Renaissance 2014).

Over the two week implementation students were placed into small differentiated reading

groups based on STAR results, students took a self-inventory report to measure affect and we

had weekly discussion to talk about how they feel about taking the STAR assessment. The reason

we want to promote positive attitudes toward learning is because students who have positive

attitudes toward learning today will be inclined to pursue learning in the future (Popham 253).

Using the STAR assessments guided my small reading group placement, and helped me choose

the specific reading and fluency standards that I need to focus on with each small group. This

project will help me better meet the needs of my students now and in the future, by utilizing the

research based assessments and progress monitoring tools in the first grade classroom. Although

there was not a great change in the STAR score over the two week period, I hope to see an

improvement over the course of the year.

National Teaching Standards

This action research project meets all five of the Core Propositions of the National Board

of Professional Teaching Standards. Participating in this class shows that I am committed to

students and their learning by participating as a member of a learning community. Spending time

researching, implementing research based practices in my class, and reflecting shows that I think

systematically about my practice and learn from experience. Using the STAR assessments for

progress monitoring and setting up differentiated small reading groups shows that I am

responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. Studying the STAR results and
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planning fluency and comprehension lessons to meet the needs of the differentiated small groups

shows that I know the subject and how to teach the subject.

University of St. Mary Conceptual Framework and Graduate Program Outcome

Throughout the entire class we worked to meet University of St. Marys Conceptual

Framework of research and reflective practice. This action research project helped me to meet

the first Graduate Program Outcome (GPO) of drawing from my knowledge of education theory

and research to undergird the formal and informal education process that impact first grade

students learning and learning environment. I did this by studying and researching assessments

to help students learn in differentiated reading groups and learn testing skills for formal testing. I

also met the second GPO in which I demonstrated knowledge of diverse learners, and created

instruction opportunities to meet the needs of all learners, by using STAR assessments to create

differentiated small reading groups to better meet the needs of all students. This project also

helped me to meet the sixth GPO of implementing instructional models, strategies, and

technologies to enhance learning of all students. I implemented computer based progress

monitoring to help set up the strategy of differentiated small reading groups and progress

monitoring. And finally this project meets the eighth GPO in which I demonstrated the ability to

be a reflective practitioner by identifying a problem, examining research, advocating a plan, and

measuring and evaluation outcomes. This GPO is exactly what we did in this class from start to

finish.
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References

Compton, D.L., Fuchs, L.S., Zumeta, R.O. (2012). Using Word Identification Fluency to

Monitor First Grade Reading Development. Exceptional Children, Pages 201-220.

Halderman, L., OReilly, T., Sabatini, J., Steinberg, J., Weeks, J. (2014). Designing Reading

Comprehension Assessments for Reading Interventions: How a Theoretically Motivated

Assessment Can Serve as an Outcome Measure. Educational Psychology Review, Pages

403-424.

Kosanovich, M., Ladinsky, K., Nelson, L., Torgensen, J. (2007). Differentiated Reading

Instruction: Small Group Alternative Lesson Structures for All Students. Guidance

Document for Florida Reading First Schools. Florida Center for Reading

Research.

Popham,W.J., (2014). Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know (7th Ed.). Upper

Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.

Renaissance Learning Inc. (2014). The Research Foundation for STAR Assessments: The

Science of Star. Wisconsin Rapids, WI.