During the 2017-18 school year our closing the gap focus was improving the fourth and fifth grade Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores for Black students and Hispanic students in the areas of math and reading. The gap was found by examining the school data with our continuous improvement committee and became a school focus area. Reading and math SOL scores from our Virginia Department of Education for our four largest groups of students (Asian, Black, Hispanic and White), showed that Asian and White students have higher scores in all areas when compared to Black and Hispanic students. Our goal was to close the gap with a goal of increasing SOL test scores by 10%. Using our data analysis program DART, we identified Black and Hispanic students that scored a 415 or lower on the 2016-17 SOL reading and/or math assessment. A 400 is the lowest score you can receive and still pass. We identified 12 students in fourth (3) and fifth grade (9) that became our target group.
The interventions were tiered and included individual goal setting, small group activities and classroom lessons. We split the fifth graders into two groups and kept the fourth graders together. We called the group “Test Busters” and met with each group twelve times. Mrs. Anderson facilitated a fourth-grade group and fifth-grade group and Ms. Pennington facilitated a fifth grade group.
Research from the Professional School Counseling Journal in a study published in 2007 examining the achievement gap between African American and Latino students as compared to their White peers found that achievement is positively impacted by group counseling interventions and more specifically something called “Student Success Skills” which include goal setting, cognitive skills and managing test anxiety. Our focus for the small group was to equip students with strategies for coping with test-taking anxiety and increasing cognitive skills and more specifically, test-taking strategies. The Mindsets and Behaviors selected to guide our interventions were B-LS3: Use time management, organizational and study skills and B-SMS7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem. These mindsets and behaviors were chosen because they most closely aligned with the research on Student Success Skills. We had all participating students complete a test-taking anxiety self-assessment and list the test-taking strategies they are aware of. This data helped guide the delivery of our activities throughout the twelve sessions.
The first six sessions focused on test-taking strategies, exploring two each session and practiced them using released reading and math tests from the Virginia Department of Education. Students were encouraged to practice the strategy in class. The second half of the sessions focused on strategies for reducing test-taking anxiety. We introduced a new strategy each week and students were encouraged to practice them. We used articles from the ASCA journals and website to gather ideas on what works best and then created activities and found activities on Teachers Pay Teachers. For example, one of the activities we used focused on how stress/anxiety affects the various parts of their body (head, stomach, hands).
The data collected from our closing the gap focus will help guide future interventions. When examining the perception data, there was an increase in knowledge related to test-taking strategies and a decrease in self-reported high levels of test taking anxiety. We do think data was measured accurately, but would like to create a new tool for measuring test-taking strategies in order to gauge how often students use them. We focused on strategies for reducing anxiety, but in the future, plan to incorporate more mindfulness activities. We recently learned new mindfulness activities during a professional development and plan to incorporate them into future “Test Busters” groups and classroom lessons. Meeting with the students both individually and in a small group setting was beneficial when comparing the data gathered from the classroom lessons to the data from the “Test Busters” small group. When examining the outcome data, we found that the math scores increased for all groups but one and the reading scores decreased for two groups, increased for one and stayed the same for one. Long term we think it would be beneficial to collaborate with our reading specialist and classroom teachers to focus on ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors M2: Self-confidence in ability to succeed and M6: Positive attitude toward school, work and learning through interventions in K-2 classroom lessons and with struggling readers in second and third grade so that when they get to fourth and fifth grade there will already be supports in place.
Goal: By the end of the 2017-18 school year, the percentage of students in grades 4-5 identified as Black or Hispanic who pass the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment in reading and math will increase by 10%.
Target Group: 4th and 5th grade students identified as Black or Hispanic that had a 2016-17 reading and/or math SOL score of 415 or below.
Data Used to Identify Students: 2016-17 reading and math SOL scores 4th Grade: Reading SOL: Black students (83% passed) Hispanic students (80% passed) Math SOL: Black students (83% passed) Hispanic students (60% passed) 5th Grade: Reading SOL: Black students (71% passed) Hispanic students (79% passed) Math SOL: Black students (71% passed) Hispanic students (74% passed)
School Counselor(s): Beth Anderson & Janet Pennington
Type of Activities to be Delivered in What Manner?: REVISED
Classroom guidance lessons on Growth Mindset (3 lesson unit)
Classroom guidance lessons on Skills for Learning (3 lesson unit)
“Test Busters” small group for students in the target group. This group aimed at working with students to increase test taking strategies and decrease self-reported levels of test taking anxiety.
Individual Goal Setting Meetings with 4th and 5th grade students participating in the "Test Busters" small group.
Process Data (Number of students affected): 12 students
Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): Growth Mindset Classroom Lesson Perception Data for 4th and 5th Grade Students:
4 question pre/post assessment for growth mindset unit. Pre-test given during this lesson and post assessment given during third and final lesson in this unit.
1.If there is something I can’t do or can’t do well, I believe that I can get better if I keep trying.
Likert Scale 1-5: Strongly Disagree (1), Disagree (2), Neutral (3), Agree (4), Strongly Agree (5).
4th Grade:
Pre-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 0 students
Disagree: 2 students
Neutral: 12 students
Agree: 69 students
Strongly Agree: 29 students
Post-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 0 students
Disagree: 0 students
Neutral: 7 students
Agree: 69 students
Strongly Agree: 36 students
The number of 4th grade students who believe they can ALWAYS get better if they keep trying increased by 7 students or 24%.
5th grade:
Pre-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 1 student
Disagree: 3 students
Neutral: 7 students
Agree: 70 students
Strongly Agree: 38 students
Post-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 1 students
Disagree: 3 students
Neutral: 9 students
Agree: 68 students
Strongly Agree: 38 students
There was a decrease in the number of students who strongly agree or agree that they can get better if they keep trying.
2.I try to think positively after I’ve made a mistake. Likert Scale 1-5: Strongly Disagree (1), Disagree (2), Neutral (3), Agree (4), Strongly Agree (5).
4th Grade:
Pre-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 9 students
Disagree: 16 students
Neutral: 16 students
Agree: 29 students
Strongly Agree: 42 students
4th Grade:
Post-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 0 students
Disagree: 13 students
Neutral: 21 students
Agree: 33 students
Strongly Agree: 45 students
The number of students who STRONGLY AGREE that they try to think positively after they have made a mistake increased by 7%.
The number of students who STRONGLY DISAGREE decreased by 100%.
5th Grade:
Grade:
Pre-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 4 students
Disagree: 8 students
Neutral: 59 students
Agree: 17 students
Strongly Agree: 31 students
5th Grade:
Post-Assessment:
Strongly Disagree: 0 students
Disagree: 13 students
Neutral: 61 students
Agree: 16 students
Strongly Agree: 29 students
The number of students who agree or strongly agree that they try to think positively after making a mistake decreased by 3 students or 6.6%.
Knowledge:
3.Which of the following sentences might be said by someone with a growth mindset (bubble gum brain)?
a. Math is too hard. I will never be able to understand it.
b. Math is not easy for me yet, but if I keep working at it, I know I will get better.
c. I do ok at math so I really don’t need to study for my test.
d. I don’t know
4th Grade:
Pre: (37.9% of 4th grade students answered this question correctly)
Post: (93.3% of 4th grade students answered this question correctly)
146.1% increase in knowledge
5th Grade:
Pre: (53.2% of 5th grade students answered this question correctly)
Post: (93.4% of 5th grade students answered this question correctly)
75.6% increase in knowledge
4.I can come up with at least one goal of something I would like to learn or get better at (circle answer). If yes, write it on the back of this paper.
YES NO
4th Grade:
Pre: 68.9% of 4th grade students selected YES and were able to write a goal of something they would like to get better at.
Post: 96.7% of 4th grade students selected YES and were able to write a goal of something they would like to get better at.
40.3 % increase in skill
5th Grade:
Pre: 69.4% of 5th grade students selected YES and were able to write a goal of something they would like to get better at.
Post: 84.4% of 5th grade students selected YES and were able to write a goal of something they would like to get better at.
21.6% increase in skill
Skills for Learning Classroom Lesson Perception Data:
A 2 question pre/post assessment completed during this lesson and during the third and final lesson of this unit.
4th Grade:
Attitudes:
When taking a test, I feel nervous…
(1)Never, (2) Rarely,
(3) Sometimes, (4) Often (5) Always
4th Grade:
Pre-Assessment:
Never: 7 students
Rarely: 12 students
Sometimes: 82
Often: 11
Always: 7
Post-Assessment:
Never: 10 students
Rarely: 9 students
Sometimes: 84 students
Often: 8 students
Always: 5 students
There was a decrease when comparing the pre-assessment to the post-assessment of 29% in the number of students who ALWAYS feel nervous when they take a test.
5th Grade:
Attitudes:
When taking a test, I feel nervous…
(1)Never, (2) Rarely,
(3) Sometimes, (4) Often (5) Always
Pre-Assessment:
Never: 2 students
Rarely: 4 students
Sometimes: 82 students
Often: 22 students
Always: 8 students
Post-Assessment:
Never: 4 students
Rarely: 10 students
Sometimes: 75 students
Often: 25 students
Always: 4 students
The number of students who ALWAYS feel nervous when taking a test decreased by 50%.
The number of students who OFTEN feel nervous when taking a test decreased by 14%.
Please list below strategies you use to calm down when feeling nervous/anxious during a test.
Pre-Assessment
4th Grade:
15 out of the 116 students were able to list a strategy they can use to calm down when they are feeling nervous/anxious during a test. (13% of students)
Post-Assessment
4th Grade: 112 out of the 116 students were able to list a strategy they can use to calm down when they are feeling nervous/anxious during a test. (97% of students)
646% increase
5th Grade:
Pre-Assessment:
25 out of the 118 students were able to list a strategy they can use to calm down when feeling nervous/anxious during a test.
(21.18% of students)
Post Assessment:
110 out of the 118 students were able to list a strategy they can use to calm down when feeling nervous/anxious during a test. (93.22% of students)
The students who were able to list a strategy they can use to calm down when feeling nervous/anxious increased by 340%
“Test Busters” small group perception data: (Combined data for 4th and 5th grade students participating)
Students completed a self-assessment on test-taking anxiety.
Pre-Assessment:
LOW-2 students
MODERATE-6 students
HIGH-4 students
Post-Assessment:
LOW-3 students
MODERATE-8 students
HIGH-1 student
The percentage of students who rated as HIGH for test-taking anxiety decreased by 75%
Students were asked to list test-taking strategies they can use during a test.
Pre-Assessment:
The average number of test taking strategies the students listed was 2.5.
Post-Assessment:
The average number of test taking strategies the students listed was 4.
The average number of test taking strategies that students could list increased by 60%
Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): The overall 2017-18 reading and math SOL (Standards of Learning) reading and math scores for Black and Hispanic students as compared to the overall 2016-17 scores for Black and Hispanic students. By the end of the 2017-18 school year, the percentage of students in grades 4-5 identified as Black or Hispanic who pass the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment in reading and math will increase by 10%.
2016-17
4th Grade:
Reading SOL:
Black students in 4th grade (83% passed) Hispanic students in 4th grade (80% passed)
Math SOL:
Black students in 4th grade (83% passed) Hispanic students in 4th grade (60% passed)
2017-18
4th Grade:
Reading SOL: Black students in 4th grade (82% passed) 1% decrease
Hispanic students (72% passed) 10% decrease
Math SOL: Black students (87% passed) 4% increase
Hispanic students (83% passed) 23% increase
2016-17
5th Grade:
Reading SOL:
Black students in 5th grade (71% passed) Hispanic students in 5th grade (79% passed)
Math SOL:
Black students in 5th grade (71% passed) Hispanic students in 5th grade (74% passed)
2017-18
Reading SOL:
Black students in 5th grade (75% passed) 6% increase.
Hispanic students (79% passed) 0% change.
Math SOL:
Black students in 5th grade (83% passed) 17% increase.
Hispanic students in 5th grade (72% passed) 3% decrease.
Implications: REVISED
Perception Data Implications:
Although 12 students were in our target group, the activities for the closing the gap initiative were multi-tiered. The activities were delivered in classroom lessons, small groups and individually.
When examining the perception data for the 4th and 5th grade growth mindset 3 lesson unit, it is evident that although the attitudes did not change significantly, the knowledge did. The students ability to recognize a growth mindset statement increased in 4th grade by 146.1% and in 5th grade by 75.6%. By introducing growth mindset at the beginning of the school year we hoped that this would help set a solid foundation for the 12 students in our target group. We plan to collect the same perception data at the beginning of the 2018-19 school and compare it to the 2017-18 data in the hopes that the attitudes have increased from last year.
When looking at the perception data from the skills for learning unit, it is again evident that the attitudes/beliefs did not change significantly, but the knowledge did. Because the students in our target group were participating in our small group at the same time as the lessons, we hoped it would help reinforce the concepts that we were already practicing with them.
The perception data collected from the “Test Busters” small group showed a 75% decrease in the percent of students with self-reported high levels of test-taking anxiety. It also showed an increase in knowledge with the average number of test-taking strategies the students could list increasing by 60%
When examining all the data as a whole, it is evident that the individual goal setting meetings and small group was very beneficial for the students in our target group. By having a small number of students, we were able to focus much more on each strategy and make sure that the students truly understood how to use them.
Time management was incorporated into the “Test Busters” small group when learning about test taking strategies and the tools used on the Virginia Standards of Learning Test. One way we incorporated time management was encouraging students to use the “flag for review” tool on the test taking software, allowing students to return to a difficult question.
As a result of the “Test Busters” small group, the self-reported levels of high test-taking anxiety decreased significantly, and students learned new test taking strategies. This data shows that the small group setting in conjunction with individual goal setting meetings and classroom lessons is beneficial to the students in both affecting attitude, skills and knowledge.
Outcome Data Implications:
When comparing the baseline data from the 2016-17 Reading and Math SOL scores to those of the 2017-18 it is evident that reading continues to be an area of struggle. The 4th grade scores dropped for both groups of students while the 5th grade scores increased for our Black students and stayed the same for our Hispanic students. When looking at the math scores we can see that the 4th grade scores increased for both groups of students with the Hispanic students scores increasing by 23%. For our 5th grade students the scores increased significantly for our Black students (17%) and dropped 3% for our Hispanic students.
Future interventions could include collaborating with teachers in K-2 to see how we can best support students so that when they get to grades 3-5 and take the Standards of Learning assessment they will already be equipped with the necessary tools. It may be helpful to provide some intervention with the younger students in grades K-2 using ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors M2: Self-confidence in ability to succeed and M6: Positive attitude toward work and learning to build a foundation of positive attitude toward school, work and learning. This could be done with specific students in small groups and with the entire grade level in classroom lessons.
Additionally, this year our school had a family reading night for the very first time which focused on how parents can best help their children improve their reading skills. The school counselors could collaborate with the reading specialists to provide some support for this event in the form of a parent workshop. For math the school counselors could collaborate more with classroom teachers to hone in on the needs of our most struggling learners and come up with a plan of how we can best help. Additionally, one of our focuses for the 2018-19 school year will be mindfulness which we hope will help all of our students not only in the areas of social/emotional, but also with academics.
