Analyzing Data for Instructional Decision Making
Data Provided for Analysis in Attachment
Report (3-6 pages) on overall class performance and on any two students in a class based on provided data(attached) and the correct choice of data analysis method. Triangulation of the data will help you decide to enrich, redirect, or provide remediation for students.
In this course we will explore data analysis strategies for generating findings from collected data. Arguably, a sound data analysis plan is the most crucial aspect of your research design if you analyze the data using the wrong strategies, you will generate inaccurate results. Data analysis can be quite laborious and time intensive, but identifying the right procedures and executing them properly will increase the chances that your findings are accurate.
Quantitative data entails analysis of numerical data, typically through statistical analysis. On some occasions, we simply want to do a descriptive analysis and analyze data to calculate the mean, median, and mode. Other times, we must run statistical tests to find answers and to determine if those findings are significant (not due to chance). If you are conducting a quantitative study, you will identify statistical tests that will yield accurate findings.
Oftentimes, when we look at differences between a treatment/test group and a nontreatment/comparison/control group, we use either a simple t-test (analysis of two variables) or ANOVA (analysis of more than two variables) to analyze differences between means. When we analyze correlations (relationships) between variables, we employ statistical tests such as Pearson r, Spearman, chi square, or multiple regression to analyze the data.
Qualitative data analysis requires an evaluation of narrative data through coding and categorizing data to identify patterns and themes. As such, we must identify a coding strategy to identify terms or phrases that best represent the collective theme or pattern of what participants relayed to us. Some individuals elect to code data manually or will use data analysis software such as Nvivo to code data for them.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following competency and assessment scoring guide criteria:
Competency: Analyze student data to identify and address educational problems.
Analyze qualitative and quantitative data and triangulate data to pinpoint areas of strength and deficiency.
Identify strengths and deficiencies in overall class performance as supported through both quantitative and qualitative data.
Identify strengths and deficiencies in individual student performance as supported through both quantitative and qualitative data.
Explain additional instruction and resources, supported by the data, to enrich, redirect, and remediate the learning experience.
Instructions
Scenario
The following scenario is the background for your assessment and the data that is provided.
Your students (in a hypothetical eighth-grade geography class) took a test and completed a 3–5 page essay on the topic. Before your students can successfully move on to the next lesson within this unit, you have to determine what they need to do in order to achieve proficiency of the four standards below:
Standard 1: Students describe how humans impact the environment and how the environment impacts humans.
Standard 2: Students describe how to represent geographical information, such as spatial distributions and the location of places and their characteristics, in different graphic forms including large-scale and small-scale maps that use cartographic conventions.
Standard 3: Students analyze the impact of geography on available resources and the impact of available resources on the quality of life.
Standard 4: Students propose an actionable response to a geographical challenge and explain the expected outcomes of the proposed intervention.
Look carefully at the standards and the data to determine:
What gaps in knowledge are evident?
Are student ready for enrichment (enhanced instruction and resources to extend learning) around the standards?
Do students need remediation (additional instruction and resources) or redirection (additional guidance and resources)?
Assessment
Use the data in the following resources as the basis for your assessment. Submit your assessment as one 3–6 page document.
Data for Assessment (attached)
Triangulation Worksheet (attached)
Complete the following:
Analyze the performance data using the information provided information in the Data for Assessment resource above. When analyzing quantitative data, you can identify mean, mode, and median, or, if you are ready, you are welcome to do advanced statistical analysis to determine overall student performance based on learning standards, gaps in knowledge, areas of strength, and areas where enrichment, redirection, or remediation is warranted.
When analyzing qualitative data, you will want to come up with labels for the narrative data based on the learning standards and then determine which students fall into that label/category.
Your analysis will result in a 1–2 page report on the overall class performance and a 1–2 page assessment performance report for any two students in the class.
Your reports should include a rich narrative that refers to the criterion descriptors in the geography paper rubric, and you should consider percentage correct and/or stanine scores on individual standards and on overall achievement for each of the two students and for the class as a whole.
Triangulate the data to pinpoint areas of strengths and deficiencies. You may use the Triangulation Worksheet as an aide.Triangulate the data by identifying how the numerical and narrative data align (or not), and identify areas that need to be targeted to enrich, redirect, or provide remediation for students.
List and defend (via the data), in 1–2 pages, at least two decisions you will make in terms of further teaching and support (providing enrichment/extension of learning, remediation, redirection, additional resources, additional instruction, et cetera).
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Include a title page and references page.
Length is 3–6 pages, plus a title page and references page.
Use at least 2 current scholarly or professional resources.
Use APA format.
Use Times New Roman font, 12 point.
Double space.
