Data Collection Methods
Data was collected for my study to show student improvement in number sense over six weeks while receiving targeted small group intervention.
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Observational Notes
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Observational Notes serve as qualitative data. Data was collected through observation and student interviews. Then this data was analyzed for themes to guide future instruction. Qualitative data takes students' culture and personal/home lives into account. Observational notes helped me to interpret my students' learning by looking at how and why they were performing the way they were. Then I could decide the next instructional steps to help increase their number sense. I took observational notes throughout the six weeks of targeted group intervention. I took notes on students individually and on the two groups as a whole. These notes were handwritten by me during the pre and post tests, every lesson, and the progress monitoring formative assessment/quiz.
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Below is an example of observational notes I took on January 24th. These are notes regarding Student 4 during the Pre-Test.
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These notes helped me identify this student's strengths and weaknesses. I used their strengths to build on from. This student could count all the way to 22 without any errors. I would use that strength by putting a number line in front of the student to point at as they count. This would help the student with one of their weaknesses as well. This student could not write their numbers to 20 and struggled with the count sequence when unable to count from one. The number line would help the student become more familiar with the numbers and their sequence. I also decided to give this student a number line to reference when asking them questions such as "What comes after 12?". I would encourage the student to utilize the number line to physically see which number comes after 12.
Pre & Post Tests
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Pre and Post Tests are a form of quantitative data. Data is used as information to help decision making. Students took a Pre and Post test asking them the same questions before starting the intervention and after having gone through the intervention. The test was out of 10 points. It was broken down into five categories. Each question/task was directly related to the Common Core Standards for Kindergarten. The first task asked students to count as far as possible starting from one. They received two points if they could count to 20 fluently, one point if they could count to 20 not fluently, and zero points if they could not count to 20. This question corresponds with K.CC.1: Count to 100 by tens and ones. These students are lacking number sense and are working towards 20 before they can learn to 100. The second task asked students to count back from ten and then 19. Students received 2 points for counting back correctly and fluently from 19, one point if they could count back from ten but not 19, OR could count back from 19 but not fluently, and zero points if they could not complete the task. This question supports K.CC: know number names and the count sequence. Question three gave students a number and they had to say which number came next. I would ask a question such as "What comes after 8?". I asked students four questions within 20 like this. Students' received two points if they could name all numbers correctly without starting from one and counting forward, one point if they could name two or more numbers correctly, but needed to start at one and count forward in most (or all) cases, and zero points if they could only name one number or less. This task aligned with K.CC.2: Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1). The fourth task asked students to correctly identify the quantities shown on five-frame cards (0-5). Students received two points if they could name all six cards, one point for naming three to five cards, and zero points for naming less than three cards. This aligned with K.CC.5: Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects. The last task asked students to write as many numbers as possible, by ones, beginning from one. Students received two points if they could write numerals to 20 or more, one point if they could write numerals to 12, and zero points if they could not write numerals to 12. This task aligned with K.CC.3: Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).
Student 3 Pre-Test conducted January 23rd and 24th, 2020
Student 3 Post-Test conducted March 6th, 2020
The Pre and Post tests serve as summative data points. They were given to evaluate student learning. This student received a 3/10 on the Pre-Test and a 8/10 on the Post-Test. The Evaluation of student learning shows growth. This helped to ensure that the intervention lessons were successful and so was my teaching practices and strategies.
Progress Monitoring Assessment
The progress monitoring assessment was a form of quantitative data. The data was used as information to help decision making. The progress monitoring assessment was given after three weeks of intervention where I taught all lessons in Module One. Students needed to score a 7/10 to move onto the next module of lessons. If they did not receive at least a 7/10 I would have gone back and retaught the concepts they were missing before moving onto the next module. I used this as a formative assessment to conduct in process evaluations of students learning needs and academic progress. This assessment was very similar to the Pre and Post test. It asked the students to perform five tasks worth two points each for a total of 10 points. The first task asked students to count as far as possible starting from one. They received two points if they could count to 10 fluently, one point if they could count to 10 not fluently, and zero points if they could not count to 10. This question corresponds with K.CC.1: Count to 100 by tens and ones. These students were working toward a deeper understanding of the base ten number system. The second task asked students to count back from five. They received two points if they could count back fluently from five, one point if they could count back from five correctly, but not fluently, and zero points if they could not count back from five. This question supports K.CC: Know number names and the count sequence. For the third task, students had to correctly identify the quantity when shown seven objects and correctly identify the quantity when shown 10 objects. This question aligned with K.CC.4: Count to tell the number of objects. It also aligned with K.CC.5: Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects. Students' received two points if they could correctly identify both quantities, one point if they could correctly identify one quantity, and zero points if they counted both groups incorrectly (lacking one-to-one correspondence). The fourth task asked students to correctly identify the quantities shown on dot pattern cards (0-6). This task aligned with K.CC.4 and K.CC.5 as well. The last task asked students to write as many numbers as possible, by ones, beginning from one. Students received two points if they could write their numerals to 10 or more, one point for writing numerals to five, and zero points if they could not write their numerals to five. This task aligned with K.CC.3: Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).
Student 1 Progress Monitoring Assessment taken February 10th, 2020.
This student was able to complete all of the tasks and received a 10/10, confirming that they were ready to move onto the next module of lessons.
