Classroom+Literacy+Profile


 * Introduction **

This classroom literacy profile was created for a standard seventh grade English Language Arts classroom at Perry Hall Middle School. It seeks to evaluate student literacy levels, determine ability discrepancies, and modify instruction based on students’ needs and interests. This entire process has been broken down into five parts. The first part focuses on analyzing the MSA data for Perry Hall Middle School, determining how the school and the subgroups within it are performing in relation to the county and state. The second part of this classroom literacy profile examines the issue of text complexity, focusing on a seventh grade text. Next, the third part details students’ interests, which are key aspects in class motivation. Then, in part four, MSA, achievement, and observational data is provided for one standard seventh grade English Language Arts class and is analyzed to determine subgroups that are underperforming compared to their peers. Finally, in part five, instructional strategies are given to assist a low performing subgroup. Overall, the goal of this classroom literacy profile is to inform instruction based on literacy data.


 * Part One **

Perry Hall Middle School’s MSA reading data from 2013 was examined in order to create a basic literacy profile of the school. Table 1 summarizes the most recent MSA reading data from Perry Hall Middle School, Baltimore County, and Maryland State as a means of determining the school’s progress in relation to the county and state. Furthermore, the school population has been broken into subgroups to identify whether there are any underperforming student populations (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013).

Table 1: MSA Reading Data for Perry Hall Middle School, Baltimore County, and Maryland State
 * Group or Subgroup || School, District, or State |||| Basic |||| Proficient |||| Advanced ||
 * ^  ||^   || Percentage || Students at this level/total students testing || Percentage || Students at this level/total students testing || Percentage || Students at this level/total students testing ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Overall MSA Reading || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.8% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">137/1549 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">36.3% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">562/1549 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">54.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">850/1549 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">14.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6512/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">46322 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">44.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20604/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">46322 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">41.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">19206/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">46322 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">55837/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">370687 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">44.0% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">163170/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">379687 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">40.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">151680/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">370687 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Asian Subgroup || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">≤ 5.0% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">* || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">23.6% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">43/182 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">74.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">135/182 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.3% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">231/2788 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">34.8% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">971/2788 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">56.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1586/2788 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">5.8% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1285/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22288 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">32.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7147/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22288 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">62.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">13856/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22288 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Black or African American Subgroup || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">14.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">49/333 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">50.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">167/333 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">35.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">117/333 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20.8% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3781/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18171 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">50.6% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">9193/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18171 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">28.6% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">5197/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18171 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">24.4% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">31416/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">128767 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">50.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">64823/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">128767 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">25.3% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">32528/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">128767 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">White Subgroup || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">71/927 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">34.3% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">318/927 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">58.0% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">538/927 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.8% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1789/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20354 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">39.0% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7945/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20354 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">52.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10620/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20354 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">12402/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">157254 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">38.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">60146/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">157254 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">53.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">84706/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">157254 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hispanic/Latino of any race || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">12.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7/56 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">32.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18/56 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">55.4% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">31/56 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">16.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">486/3021 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">52.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1585/3021 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">31.4% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">950/3021 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">19.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8867/ 45554 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">52.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">23794/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">35553 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">28.3% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">12893/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">45554 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Two or More Races || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4/46 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">32.6% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15/46 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">58.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">27/46 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">197/1815 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">45.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">819/1815 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">44.0% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">799/1815 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10.6% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1629/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15396 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">42.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6546/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15396 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">46.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7221/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15396 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Special Education Subgroup || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">51.9% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">68/131 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">42.0% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">55/131 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8/131 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">44.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2438/5523 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">45.4% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3506/5523 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">579/5523 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">44.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18561/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">41517 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">44.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18543/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">41517 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10.6% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4413/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">41517 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">FARMS Subgroup || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">14.1% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">62/440 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">50.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">221/440 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">35.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">157/440 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">District: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4637/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22618 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">52.7% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">11910/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22618 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">26.8% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6071/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22618 ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">State: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">24.5% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">40140/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">163849 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">52.3% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">85649/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">163849 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">23.2% || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">38060/

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">163849 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(Maryland State Department of Education, 2013).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Overall, Perry Hall Middle School had less students scoring in the basic range compared to Baltimore County and Maryland State. Additionally, although the school had a lower percentage of students in the proficient category, this is due to the fact that they had increased percentages of students scoring advanced on the assessment. Therefore, it can be said that 91.2% of Perry Hall Middle School students scored at least proficient in reading while only 86% of Baltimore County and 84.9% of Maryland State students are testing at the same level. This data proves that overall Perry Hall Middle School is exceeding county and state averages in MSA reading.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The majority of the subgroups followed a similar trend, having a lower percentage of basic, a lower percentage of proficient, and a higher percentage of advanced. While the White subgroup conformed to this trend, it presented the smallest difference in scores compared to the county and state. In all three categories, the range of scores differed by 5% or less, suggesting that this subgroup of Perry Hall Middle School was reaching a level of achievement equal to that at various schools in the county and state. Perry Hall Middle School also had a 5-10% increase in advanced scores compared to the county and state for the Black/African American, Two or More Races, and FARM subgroups, a 10-20% increase for the Asian subgroup, and a 20-30% increase for the Hispanic/Latino subgroup. Therefore, it can be inferred that instruction at Perry Hall Middle School has been successful at developing these subgroups’ reading skills. However, the results for the Hispanic/Latino and Two or More Races subgroups may be misleading because the population size was under 100 students. Nevertheless, students from varying subgroups at Perry Hall Middle School demonstrate that they are reading at or above county and state average.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Unlike the other subgroups, the Special Education subgroup of Perry Hall Middle School underperformed in relation to county and state scores. Perry Hall Middle School had over 5% more students scoring basic and 4% less students scoring advanced in this subgroup. Therefore, it should be noted that MSA data shows that students in the special education subgroup from Perry Hall Middle School are not reaching grade level standards compared to their peers at other county and state schools.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In order to identify which subgroups are underperforming or excelling in relation to the overall school, the percentage of students scoring basic for a subgroup will be compared to the percentage of students scoring basic for the entire school. With the knowledge that lower basic percentage equates to a higher proficient/advanced percentage, subgroups with a lower basic percentage will be considered to be excelling while subgroups with a higher basic percentage will be considered to be underperforming. In Perry Hall Middle School, 8.8% of students scored basic on the reading portion of the MSA. Of the seven subgroups, three had a lower percentage of students scoring basic: Asian (<5%), White (7.7%), and Two or More Races (8.7%). Therefore, in comparison to their peers at Perry Hall Middle School, these students are excelling in reading according to the MSA. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the other hand, the remaining four subgroups had higher percentages of students receiving a basic score: Black/African American (14.7%), Hispanic/Latino (12.5%), Special Education (51.9%), and FARM (14.1%). Students in these subgroups are underperforming in relation to their peers at Perry Hall Middle School, especially the students in the Special Education subgroup. Although the Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and FARM subgroups were excelling when compared to the county and state, they are still underperforming when compared to their peers in school.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the reading MSA, students are asked a series of multiple-choice questions that are broken down into three main categories: vocabulary, comprehension of informational text, and comprehension of literary text. In the vocabulary section, students are asked to use context clues to either pick a synonym for the word or a sentence that uses it in a similar manner. For the questions that assess comprehension of informational text, students are asked to identify characteristics of the text, pick statements that would strengthen the argument, analyze organizational aids and patterns, identify and explain the author’s position, and analyze the extent to which the text fulfills its purpose. On the comprehending literary text questions, students are asked to analyze how text features, characterization, specific language, poetic elements, structure, language, setting, and point of view can affect and contribute to meaning. In addition, students are asked to summarize texts and analyze the extent to which the text has ambiguities or contradictions (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In addition to the multiple-choice questions, students must compose Brief Constructed Responses (BCRs). The BCRs ask students to read either an informational or a literary text and evaluate one aspect of it, using textual evidence to support their answer. Students are asked to evaluate aspects such as tone, structure, organization, characterization, language, dialogue, and plot in order to create an interpretation of the text or evaluate its effectiveness. In addition to this type of response, students could also be asked to compare two different texts (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In order to score well on this standardized test, students need to be able to read and comprehend what the questions are asking them to do. In the general directions for the vocabulary section, there is a high level of ambiguity. The directions read: “chose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word” (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013). Because the directions are not specific, students could be confused if they were picking the answer that is the “same” as the underlined word or simply an answer that is “similar” to the underlined word.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The questions for informational and literary texts include a high level of subjectivity. A majority of the questions ask students to identify the “most probable” or “least helpful” option. The use of the qualifiers “most” and “least” denote that within the given responses, there are at least two answers that could be correct. However, students need to be able to analyze and evaluate these two possible answers to determine which is “most probable” or “least helpful” (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013). Additionally, many of the questions could have multiple answers depending on students’ background knowledge. For example, “What information could have been added to help a reader better understand an important idea” (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013). Because students’ background knowledge influences the lens through which they read, they could have different opinions on what may help a reader better understand the text. Therefore, when reading this question, students need to analyze their audience and the purpose of the test question, choosing the answer that is most likely to be selected by the test creators and not the one that would best help them in understanding the text.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Overall, the reading selections and questions require students to have a basic understanding of middle-class American culture, so students from different backgrounds may have difficultly comprehending the reading selection and questions. For example, the short excerpt from Absolutely Normal Chaos is about a family dinner where the father gives some unexpected news to his family (Maryland State Department of Education, 2013). In order to comprehend this reading, students need to have an idea of what a “normal” American family dinner looks like, the American nuclear family system, and the roles of each family member. Students whose life experiences differ from this text may understand the theme, conflict, characters, and tone differently, leading them to incorrectly answer the questions not because they lack the ability to comprehend the text but because they read through a different lens of experience. Based on this analysis of the MSA sample questions, students’ scores on the MSA may not accurately portray their reading abilities. Therefore, teachers ought to consider other forms of data when making decisions in the classroom.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Part Two **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">When choosing a text to use in the classroom, it is essential to determine whether or not that text is appropriate to the grade-level and classroom of instruction. Text complexity is assessed through two means: quantitative data and qualitative data. Quantitative data examines the language conventions, syntax, and vocabulary demands of a text, and it can be determine via online programs such as Lexile, which is used to assess texts for this classroom literacy profile. In addition to quantitative data, teachers also need to analyze the qualitative aspects of a text including its text structure, knowledge demands, language clarity, and levels of meaning. Because qualitative data cannot be assessed via programming, teachers personally need to examine the texts used in their classroom and consider these factors.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">For this literacy profile, the narrative Gifted Hands was analyzed for text complexity to determine if it is appropriate to teach in a standard seventh grade classroom. In this readability measure, quantitative, qualitative, and classroom data were combine to yield a recommended text complexity band. Even though Gifted Hands is recommended for the seventh grade text band, the level of text complexity does not completely align with the literacy skills needed to be successful on the seventh grade reading MSA. Both Gifted Hands and the reading MSA present students with difficult vocabulary. However, Gifted Hands uses footnotes to help students comprehend the difficult medical terminology while the MSA often provides vague context clues and ambiguous directions. Therefore, when students are reading Gifted Hands, they are prepared to comprehend the unfamiliar jargon through context clues.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Additionally, Gifted Hands deals with issues that are not covered in the reading MSA. As stated earlier, most of the reading passages on the MSA conform to stereotypical middle-class American society. The lack of diverse reading selections on this standardized test completely differs from Gifted Hands, which tackles issues such as racism, poverty, religion, and death. Therefore, selections like Gifted Hands may appeal to more diverse groups of students, increasing their motivation and personal connection to the reading. Because they are invested in the content, students will strive to read higher text complexities, demonstrating higher literacy abilities in class than during standardized testing.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Part Three **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Students’ interests can be used to motivate reading in the classroom. During the first week of school, my mentor teacher handed out an All About Me homework assignment. The directions read: “I love to share my thoughts and experiences with my students. I feel that this is the foundation for a positive teacher/student relationship. Please take the time to tell me a little about yourself. You may want to include information about your family, vacations you have taken, and your likes and dislikes.” In addition to these directions, which were printed on the assignment, my mentor teacher assured students that they could share as much or as little as they wanted about themselves. Also, she stressed that this was information that would only she and I would read.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">After reviewing the students’ responses, I noticed many similarities across the classroom. Almost all students wrote about their families and the vacations they took over the summer. In part, I believe the vast majority of students chose to include this information because it was specifically mentioned in the prompt. Not including these two “required” elements, the interest students most mentioned was sports. Over half of the class wrote about either their participation in a sport or their favorite professional team. In addition to sports, many students included that they loved animals. Trying to incorporate students’ interests into my lessons, I created practice sentences about animals for a grammar lesson. Compared to previous grammar lessons where I had used generic sentences, students were much more involved and interested in the lesson. Overall, knowing what shared interests my students have will help me adapt large group activities, integrating things they like into the lessons in order to increase their motivation and learning.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Finally, there were a few responses that struck me as a teacher. First, I had three students tell me that they were English Language Learners. While one student moved to the United States as a child, the other two students had come to this country within the past three years. Knowing this information has been invaluable to me as a teacher because I am able to give these students the support they need to succeed. In addition, I had one student write: “I am a good student. Most teachers say that I am a trouble maker, but I am just social and like to talk. . . I think I am a hyperactive kid and always have to be moving.” In order to help this student, I plan lessons with small group activities where he can collaborate with his peers. I also have him help me pass out and collect materials to give him the chance to move and exert some energy. Lastly, I try to respond to him positively. I want him to know that I am aware that he is not a “trouble maker,” so he continues to be the great student that he is. Allowing students to share personal information not only lets me use their interests in the classroom but also helps me to be the best teacher to them that I can be.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Part Four **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Students’ interests are only one aspect teachers must consider when choosing texts and activities for their classroom. In order to make informed instructional decisions, teachers also must examine students’ MSA data, observational data, and achievement data. In Table 2, MSA data, observation data, and achievement data were collected for one standard seventh grade English Language Arts class.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Table 2: Individual Class Data ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Student || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Subgroup |||| <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">MSA Data || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Observational Data || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Achievement Data ||
 * ^  ||^   || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Score || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Category ||^   ||^   ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">African American

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">397 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet but participates when she feels confident <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works well independently || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">80.5% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">438 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Participates at times but usually quietly observes <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works well in groups || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">93.4% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">IEP Student || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">396 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Active reader – goes to the library often during homeroom <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always completes work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sometimes doodles on assignments during instruction <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Tries hard to succeed || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">82.9% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">451 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hesitantly participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Participates in small group work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">92.3% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">5 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">422 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Eager to complete work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Responds thoroughly on assignments <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Leads small group work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">97.3% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">427 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Often participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all classwork || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">87.3% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">IEP Student || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">405 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Needs reminders to focus and complete assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">77.6% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">IEP Student || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">381 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Seems disengaged throughout the lesson <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sometimes does not complete group work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">84.5% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">9 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">427 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Participates often <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works well in small groups <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">96.4% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Asian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">418 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Needs reminders to complete assignments <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Relies on others during group work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">77.9% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">11 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">422 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Talkative to peers <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Can get off task but completes all work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">91.0% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">12 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">African American

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">422 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Participates when she feels confident of her response <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes work quickly <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Asks questions when confused <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works well independently || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">102.3% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">13 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">African American

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">IEP Student || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">381 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes minimal work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Talkative with peers || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">53.7% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">14 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">408 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prefers to work independently || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">68.7% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">427 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prefers to work independently <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works quickly and quietly || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">91.3% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">16 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">438 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Talkative <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Moves around a lot – active <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes work quickly <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Can get off task <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Enjoys group work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">79.3% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">17 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">451 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Leads small group work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Responds thoroughly to assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">102.4% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">18 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">460 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, participates at times <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prefers independent work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">92.6% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">19 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">427 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, but when he does participates, he responds complexly and abstractly <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Responds thoughtfully to assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">90.8% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">20 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">432 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Always participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all work and responds thoroughly to assignments <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Leads in small group work || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">100.2% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">21 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">451 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet but engaged <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes all work <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Responds thoroughly to assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">103.5% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">22 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Asian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">413 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, rarely participates <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Needs reminders to stay on task || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">83.9% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">23 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">405 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Participates at times <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Can be disengaged during lectures <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works well in groups <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">90.6% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">24 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caucasian

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">504 Plan || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">396 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quiet, participates rarely <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Completes most assignments || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">73.8% ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In Table 2, students’ raw MSA scores are also translated into category descriptors of basic, proficient, and advanced. However, because these categories do not offer meaningful descriptions of what skills students possess, a breakdown of the categorization system is listed in Table 3. By examining the information in this table, teachers can better determine which skills their students possess based on their MSA data.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Table 3: Category Descriptions for MSA Data ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Basic ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What Students Likely Can Do: || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What Students Likely Cannot Do: ||
 * * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Demonstrate a minimal to literal understanding of a grade-appropriate informational or literary text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Respond to questions about a text with only minimal supporting textual evidence
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Apply basic understanding of narrative elements in a literary text (i.e. sequence, character relationships)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Determine meanings of words in context
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Make simple predictions and draw simple conclusions based on information in a text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Recognize a main idea and identify information not related to a main idea
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Apply basic word-level knowledge to identify word meaning and usage
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Recognize an organizational pattern in an informational text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Apply understanding of author’s choice of language to make meaning of text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Provide adequate text-relevant information or evidence to support an idea or a conclusion about a text ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Proficient ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What Students Likely Can Do:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(in addition to above) || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What Students Likely Cannot Do: ||
 * * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Demonstrate a general understanding of a literary or informational text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Use textual evidence to draw conclusions about narrative elements in a literary text (i.e. idioms, common expressions, synonyms)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Recognize an author’s opinion in an informational text and determine the purpose of a text or portion of text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Identify an organizational pattern of an informational text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Provide some textual support for an idea of conclusion about a text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Explain an organizational pattern of an informational text
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Recognize the implications of an author’s specific language choices
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Extend ideas or information in a text in order to discover the text’s complexities ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Advanced ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What Students Can Do:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(in addition to above) || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What Students Cannot Do: ||
 * * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Interpret effectively an author’s choice or words and phrases
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Use effectively supporting evidence from a text to clarify or extend ideas
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Analyze and explain an organizational pattern of an informational text by using effective textual evidence. ||  ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(Maryland State Department of Education, 2013)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Based on an examination of the MSA data in Table 2, there are clear achievement discrepancies between subgroups on this standardized test. By counting how many students in each subgroup were rated as basic, proficient, or advanced, I could determine what category was predominant in any given subgroup. For the male students, 62% were classified as proficient while the remaining 38% were in the advanced category. In comparison, 82% of female students were rated as advanced, and only 18% of the female students were in the proficient category. This data demonstrates an enormous gender achievement gap between students in terms of MSA data. Additionally, this gender achievement difference is supported by students’ achievement data. Averaging students’ grade percentages based on subgroup, the mean percentage can be determined. For the males, the mean grade is 75.7%, but female students are averaging a grade of 93.3%. Overall, the MSA and achievement data demonstrates that male students are performing below their female peers in reading.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Returning to the MSA data, there were also achievement differences based on race although it should be noted that averages are more skewed with race data compared to gender data because smaller amounts of students compromise a subgroup. For Caucasian students, 31% were categorized as proficient, and the remaining 69% were placed in the advanced category. In the African American subgroup, 67% of students scored proficient, and 33% of students scored advanced. 100% of the Asian subgroup in this particular class scored in the proficient range. Again, this data is confirmed by achievement data. The mean grade for Caucasian students was 89.2% while African American students had an average grade of 78.8% and Asian students averaged 80.9%. However, as already noted, these averages are not as reliable because there were less than five students in every subgroup with the exception of the Caucasian group.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Continuing the comparison between subgroups, the special education subgroup is preforming lower than their peers based on both MSA data and achievement data. Including both students with IEPs and students with 504 plans, the special education subgroup all scored proficient on the reading MSA. In comparison, 26% of students without special needs scored proficient while 74% of them scored advanced. In terms of achievement, the special education subgroup had a mean grade of 74.5% while the other students averaged 90.6%. This is a large discrepancy in both MSA scores and grades, showing that students with special needs are not performing equal to their peers in the classroom and on standardized tests.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Based on the achievement data in Table 2, two students’ overall grades are lower than 70%, making them at-risk for failing Language Arts for the quarter. Student 13 is an African American male with an IEP; however, his failing grade may not only be a result of his subgroup identification. Within the class, there are other African American students who are achieving passing grades in the course. Additionally, other students with similar IEP accommodations possess grades in the 75-90% range. The other student with a failing grade, Student 14, is a Caucasian male with no IEP. Again, this student has peers within the same subgroup that are achieving passing grades in the class. To isolate the causes of their poor grades, these students’ observational data should be compared. Neither of these students participates regularly in class. In addition, both of these students have several missing assignments and do not perform well on assessments. Therefore, based on these observations, it can be assumed that students’ low motivation and missing assignments are one key determinate in their poor grade percentage.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the other hand, there are six students who are excelling based on achievement data, having a grade over 95% in the course. Four of the six students are female; however, the highest grade belongs to a male student. Further, five of the six students are Caucasian with the remaining student being African American. All of these students scored advanced on the reading MSA, suggesting that their abilities have allowed them to succeed in English Language Arts. In addition, observational notes show that all these students are engaged in their learning process. Four of these students always participate in class discussions and lead small group work with their peers. Although the other two students are not as vocal in class, they are engaged in the lessons, ask questions to clarify concepts, and quickly complete all assignments. Therefore, it can be generalized that all these high achieving students are engaged in the lesson albeit through various means. Another aspect these students share is their thoroughness. Each of these students has completed all assignments, and they display high levels of thinking in their responses. In other words, they go above and beyond the prompt to make connections to their personal lives, others stories, or other literary concepts.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There is also one student, Student 16, who scored advanced on his MSA but is not achieving similar to other peers in the advanced category. Student 16 has one of the highest MSA scores in the class (438), but his current grade is 79.3% While this is not a failing grade, it is not in the 85-100% range like the other students with advanced scores. This discrepancy is best explained through his observational data. Student 16 is often talkative in class, getting off task with assignments because he is chatting with peers. Additionally, he is an extremely active individual and spends time moving around the classroom or tapping his pencil on his desk, again distracting himself from classwork assignments. While he enjoys group work and participates in class every day, his achievement may be lacking because he does not complete all classwork and homework assignments.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Part Five **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Based on the above analysis of student achievement, I selected the male group for targeted instructional support. Although both the male and female groups included students from various races, the male group scored lower in terms of both the MSA reading test and the class achievement data as discussed above. This male grouping represents 54% of the class population and is comprised of 13 students. Out of these students, the course grades are as follows: four ‘As’ (90-100%), three ‘Bs’ (80-89%), four ‘Cs’ (70-79%), one ‘D’ (60-69%), and one ‘F’ (0-60%). Although there are several students who are excelling in the course, the majority of students possess grades that are below the class average of 87.3%; therefore, it is essential to determine why this population is not achieving similar to their grade level peers.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Male students are performing lower than females in the following three areas of classroom achievement grades: analyzing text assignments, comprehension quizzes, and narrative composition writing. On classwork assignments that asked students to analyze a specific aspect of the text (including tone, theme, character, and plot), no female students received a failing grade. However, on each of these assignments, three to four male students received a grade below 50%. Similarly, on the five reading comprehension quizzes, male students possessed the lowest quiz grade, and every test had at least two male students receive a failing grade. Finally, on the narrative composition, three male students received a grade lower than 50%. While the lowest female grade was a 70%, one male students’ composition received a 20%, indicating a large achievement gap between genders.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Analyzing this achievement data, male students can be seen to be underperforming in terms of text analysis, reading comprehension, and composition writing. In order to lesson this achievement gap, this group of students needs targeted instruction on the following Common Core Standards:


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3] Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.10] By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3] Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(NGA Center & CCSSO, 2012)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Because these standards are directly correlated to the areas in which male students are underperforming, developing targeted instruction to meet these standards should lesson the gap between male and female students.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Large and small group activities can be used to increase students’ analyzing abilities. Because vocabulary acquisition is essential to analyzing text in the English classroom, students need to be comfortable with terms such as theme, tone, irony, characterization, plot, etc. To help students acquire disciplinary vocabulary, example and non-example charts can be done either in small groups or with the whole class. By identifying what does and does not constitute as a particular literary device, students will be better prepared to analyze the text. Once students comprehend the necessary vocabulary, I can model the thinking processes needed to analyze the text, speaking my thoughts about the text aloud to the class (Fisher, Brozo, Frey, & Ivey, 2011). With this amount of background knowledge, students should be successful in analyzing the text either individually or in small groups and reach the goals outlined in CCSS.ELA-Literary.RI.7.3 (NGA Center & CCSSO, 2012).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">To improve male students’ text comprehension, active reading should be encouraged through activities like side-by-side notes, graphic organizers, and read-write-pair-share. By using side-by-side notes, students have to pause and evaluate the text, recording aspects of the text that confuse them, interest them, or relate to them. In this way, students begin to feel comfortable conversing with a text, increasing their comprehension. Again, graphic organizers give students an opportunity to organize a text, pull out the main points and specific details, and focus their reading purpose. By forcing students to slow down and consider a text, graphic organizers increase students’ retention of the text. Finally, students’ comprehension is increased when they are able to read, write, and share their opinions on a text. By using activities like read-write-pair-share, these students will have the opportunity to respond to a text in multiple ways and bounce ideas off of their peers, increasing their knowledge about the text (Fisher, Brozo, Frey, & Ivey, 2011).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Additionally, students should not be provided with frustration level texts. Because this group of male students is already demonstrating low motivation in reading, they should not be presented with texts that will discourage them from continuing with reading and responding. However, as male students improve their reading comprehension abilities, it will be necessary to reassess their ability levels, so they are consistently striving towards fulfilling CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.10 (NGA Center & CCSSO, 2012).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">While students’ writing should improve with their reading comprehension, it is also necessary to target this aspect of disciplinary literacy individually. Example assignments could be used to help this group of students understand the expectations of writing assignments and make them more aware of key writing strategies. For example, if students were given a sample writing product and asked to evaluate it based on the rubric, they could better understand how the teacher would evaluate their own writing. Additionally, by discussing what aspects of the paper work well and why they are effective, students begin to see what strong writers do, making them more cognitively aware of how to compose an assignment.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">By using the above strategies, I believe the achievement gap between male and female students could be decreased or eliminated. To assess whether these strategies increased the learning of male students, the following two areas would be monitored: assessments and classwork. Assessments, both reading comprehension quizzes and compositions, would allow me to determine whether students were improving in these two aspects of learning. Because classwork assignments often ask students to analyze the text, monitoring these worksheets would allow me to see if students were improving in their abilities to draw inferences from the text, cite textual evidence, and understand how literary devices affect overall text meaning. Although these instructional methods were created based on the male students’ needs, they would not harm the female students. In fact, these disciplinary literacy strategies are beneficial for all students and probably would improve the female students’ analyzing abilities, reading comprehension, and writing skills.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Conclusion **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This classroom literacy profile was designed for a standard seventh grade English Language Arts class at Perry Hall Middle School. It sought to analyze MSA data, achievement data, and observational data to determine underperforming student populations. Once these low achieving subgroups were identified, the final goal was to explore strategies that would increase the subgroup’s performance, lessoning the achievement gaps in the classroom and school. Based on the information in this document, teachers should be able to plan lessons that are developmentally appropriate to the readers in their classroom, setting up all students for success.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">References **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Carson, Ben. (1990). Gifted Hands. Grand Rapids, MI: Review and Herald.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fisher, D., Brozo, W. G., Frey, N. & Ivey, G. 50 Instructional Routines to Develop Content Literacy (2nd edition). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Kansas State Department of Education. (2012). Template for Assessing Text Complexity.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Maryland State Department of Education. (2013). School Improvement in Maryland. Retrieved from: mdk12.org

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) & Council of Chief State School Operators (CCSSO). (2012). Common Core State Standards Initiative. Retrieved from: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Electronic Copy **