Assessment is the process of interpreting and collecting relevant information used to give information to students and parents about the progress they are making academically towards attaining the skills, knowledge, and behaviors taught Miller, Linn & Gronlund (2009). The performance of student A is excellent and it show that the student solved the problem correctly, and he included the correct units for Area and Perimeter; thus he scores all the marks.
- Identify, which students will need to be re-taught the math content.
The assessment results show that student’s B and D need to be re-taught.
- Briefly describe (suggested length of 2–3 paragraphs) at least two mathematical strengths of each student whose response indicates the need to re-teach the math content.
Student B: Student B shows some strength in his performance. His first strong point is in the calculation of perimeter where he used the correct formula to get the correct answer, and he applied the correct units. He performed the multiplication bit of the task successfully. Secondly, his strength is that he first indicates the formula he will use before doing the actual calculations and this gives him an advantage. His calculation makes some algebraic sense in terms of getting the perimeter of the figure. He understands that perimeter is all round the figure and by doing so; he is able to arrive at the correct answer. This shows that the student’s ability to undertake the mentioned tasks as regards the assignment indicates his understanding of the mathematical skills.
Student D: Student D’s strength is that he is in a position to correctly state what the perimeter of the polygon is, he states correctly the formula of calculating the perimeter of the rectangle, and he correctly performs the related additions of the task. The student’s knowledge to conduct these tasks as it regards the assignment shows a clear understanding of the mathematical skills.
- Briefly describe (suggested length of 2–3 paragraphs) at least two mathematical weaknesses of each student whose response indicates the need to re-teach the math content.
Student B: The weakness of student B is that he does not show a clear understanding of the ability to determine the correct area of the polygon using the correct method. This is shown in the explanation and calculation of this part of the worksheet. The other weakness is that the student fails to correctly identify the unit representation of the area computation. The student fails to provide the cm2 notation, and in addition to this, the student does not provide any unit in this task. These two weaknesses provide the basis to reteach the student the correct mathematical formula for calculating the area of the rectangle.
Student D: The weakness of student D is in the provision of the correct unit for the perimeter of the rectangle. The student writes the answer as cm2. This is a clear indication of a weakness in determining the difference in unit representation when calculating the perimeter and area of the polygon. The student neglects an important procedure of showing how they calculated the work essential to compute their answer. The student does not know how to do multiplication. He cannot distinguish between addition and multiplication. His answers (7 & 14) are for perimeter. This shows that the student needs re-teaching in the way he presents his answer in the correct mathematical format (Salvia, 2009)
In conclusion, the comments encourage the student to correct his errors and point out the inconsistencies in the student’s performance Slavin (2009). The comments clarify a given point as evidenced by the performance of the student. From the discussion, it is evident that the students perform differently in the test, which can be linked to factors such as health of the student, background and the attitude of the student towards the subject Borich (2007).
References
Borich, G. D. (2007). Effective teaching methods : research-based practice. New York: Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Miller, M. D., Linn, R. L., & Gronlund, N. E. (2009). Measurement and assessment in teaching. New York: Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Merrill/Pearson.
Slavin, R. (2009). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Boston: Pearson.