Running head: CAPSTONE PROJECT 1

Capstone Project

Lauren M. Vitt

University of Kansas

C&T 801
CAPSTONE PROJECT 2

Capstone Project

Within this paper, I will be summarizing three data sources and determining instructional

and learning gaps. Additionally, I will be developing a measurement tool that may provide

additional information in the next round of data collection. Finally, I will be developing a school

improvement plan for my own educational setting, including benchmarks, a rationale, and

improvement strategies.

Introduction

For the purpose of the school improvement plan, I have selected three data sources to

evaluate. The first two data sources display the reading data as it compares from Fall 2019 to

Winter of 2020. The data sources are AimsWebPlus and MAP testing. AimsWebPlus screens

students three times per year and collects progress monitoring data weekly. The MAP tests are

also given three times per year and measure growth to provide readiness reports. In addition to

these data sources, I have also provided data regarding my students’ achievement levels on

classroom assignments in reading from semester 1. Each data source, along with its visual

representation, is explained and analyzed below. For the sources displaying test scores, the

number of students displaying growth is also included.

AimsWebPlus

Figure 1: AimsWebPlus Data

The data above shows the number of students scoring in each percentile range as it is compared

from Fall 2019 to Winter 2020. Additionally, the comparison between students meeting/not

meeting growth is also given. Within this data there are gaps present. First, in Fall 2019 there

were 0 students scoring in the 0-25% ranges; however, there were 2 students scoring in the range

for the Winter test. Additionally, the amount of students scoring in the highest percentile range

went down from 4 students to 3.

MAP

Figure 2: MAP data

The data above shows the number of students scoring in each percentile range as it is compared

from Fall 2019 to Winter 2020. Additionally, the comparison between students meeting/not

meeting growth is included. Within this data, gaps are present. First, the number of students

scoring in the 0-10% range increased from 0 to 1. Additionally, 3 less students scored in the 90-

99% range in the Winter compared to the Fall. Finally, there were more students who did not

display growth than students who did display growth.

Classroom Grades

Figure 3: Classroom Grades

The data above shows the number of students that earned a grade in each percentile range for the

first semester. Within this data, there is a learning gap present. The majority of students, 50%, are

scoring in the 76-85% range on classroom assignments.

Measurement Tool

The measurement tool that will be used to provide additional data during the next round will be a

student survey. There are twelve questions that ask students to rate on a scale from strongly

disagree to strongly agree. The questions range from inquiring about students feeling safe to

whether or not students are learning something new every day. I created the survey through

google forms to ensure that I have all of the collected data in one place and that I can revisit it at

the end of the semester. I will give this survey once in the next few weeks, and again at the end

of the school year. The following is the link to access the form:

https://forms.gle/aE6g31qpQ9QSanmr9
CAPSTONE PROJECT 5

Rationale

Overall, there are a handful of learning gaps present in both of the test data sources. For

example, both of the data sets display a decrease of students who scored in the highest

percentiles from Fall to Winter. Additionally, each of the sets display an increase of students

scoring in the lowest or second to lowest percentile range from Fall to Winter. Finally, each of

the sets display a conflicting number of students displaying growth from Fall to Winter. As for

the classroom data, the scores appear to resemble the bell curve displayed in the test score data.

However, exactly half of the students in the class received a reading grade in the 76-85% range

for the first semester.

Each of these learning or instructional gaps may be present for various reasons. The first

apparent learning gap is the decrease of number of students scoring in the highest percentile from

Fall to Winter. This decrease may have an infinite number of possible reasonings. However, I

believe that there may be two prominent reasons. The first reason that I believe may have

attributed to this is the fact that the same MAP test is given to 2-5 grade students. Because of

this, my third grade students are being exposed to vocabulary and terms that they have not been

exposed to yet. I imagine that it would be difficult to keep a positive attitude and stamina when it

is difficult to understand what the questions are really asking. The second reason that I believe

the number of students in the highest percentile decreased is the limited amount of exposure that

students have received to more difficult vocabulary and content. The reading program that is in

place at my school is being used for the first time this year. While it has many components, the

overall rigor of course work is not very high. There is a whole-group anchor text to be read

through and analyzed, as well a small-group mini books. I made the decision as a first year

teacher to implement the program with fidelity and use all of its components to the best of my
CAPSTONE PROJECT 6

ability. With that, I decided to use the mini books for small group, instead of chapter books.

However, the components do not always include small-group resources that require students to

think critically. I believe it would be beneficial to increase the amount overall rigor and

implement more level 3 and 4 DOK questions during small-group instruction specifically. This

would allow students to expand their critical thinking abilities and have the opportunity to apply

those thinking abilities to the AimsWebPlus and MAP tests.

The second apparent learning gap is the differences between the number of students showing

growth in reading from Fall to Winter within the AimsWebPlus and MAP sources. I, again,

believe that this lack of growth can be attributed to the lack of rigor in the reading program.

Many teachers have discussed this year the simplicity of the questions and the inflation of

student grades this year compared to last year. They believe that the weekly tests may attribute to

this inflation, due to the fact that the questions are only “bubble-in”. As a new teacher, I do not

have anything to compare this program to. However, my classroom grades do mostly show the

same trends that are displayed within my data sources. To increase my classroom grades and test

scores, I believe it would be beneficial to implement performance tasks each week. These tasks

are an available resource from the teacher resources within the online teacher dashboard. In these

last few months of school, I would like to implement these performance tasks during the week to

determine their effectiveness. Instead of asking students to simply bubble in the answer, they are

required to compare and contrast, complete short answer questions, and more. I believe that

using these performance tasks will increase the skills of students and give them the ability to

perform well in class and on tests.

Finally, a third apparent learning gap is present within the classroom grades data source. It is

easily determined that the majority of students are scoring within the middle range of percentiles.
CAPSTONE PROJECT 7

There are 50% of students in my class that fall into the 76-85% range of reading grades. While I

understand that this percentile range is not underachieving, it is average. This shows me that I am

focusing more on the group as a whole than I am individual student needs. I believe it would be

beneficial to implement student surveys to ensure that students feel safe, supported, and

understood. While school is mainly academic, it is important to understand students and their

feelings/connotations toward school. Not only that, but it is also important to know the topics in

which they feel confident. I would like to ensure that each of my students feels heard by

implementing one-on-one morning meetings to complete the student survey and discuss needs

and wants from our classroom environment, as well as concerns or goals. There would be an

initial meeting to start from a baseline and a follow-up meeting to discuss further concerns or

praise progress in achieving a goal. Despite the fact that it is only my first year teaching, the

most important aspect that I have noticed is that positive teacher-student relationships make a

large difference in student behavior and achievement. However, it is difficult to always get that

time in. In doing one-on-one meetings, students will know that it is only about them for those 4-5

minutes during the day.

I believe that each of these learning gaps has the opportunity to get smaller with the

implementation of the following school improvement plan. Each of the gaps is equally

important. Furthermore, when each of the benchmark goals are being implemented and met, they

all have a chance to reach closure. Each of the benchmark goals has been set into place to

compliment one-another and work together to reach the overall goal of improving the amount of

students displaying growth. My reasoning for a focus on growth is due to a school-wide goal.

Our students are high-achieving; however, they have difficulty showing expected growth due to
CAPSTONE PROJECT 8

their already high scores. In creating this SIP, I am going to be able to implement it through the

end of this school year and do all that I can to reach my goal and my school’s goal.

School Improvement Plan

Below is the school improvement plan to be implemented this semester to reach the goal

of improving percentage of student growth.