- What type of student achievement data did you analyze?
Currently I am looking at our African American students at our school. I have studied the data and feel that they are in need of more support and a plan to help them with their academic achievement. I looked at the API over the years of 2011-2013 and found that our African American students scored lower than any other sub group that was tested. Not only did they score lower than every other group tested at our school, they scored a low standardized score in general. They scored a 733, 737,740, over the respective years.
I also studied the dropout rates for African American students from our school. I found that there was a 2.1% dropout rate for the 2012-2013 school year. While the other races all had higher rates of enrollment in the school and higher dropout percentages, African American students had the lowest dropout rate of any race, the highest being American Indian at 9.1%.
I still tried to understand why our African American students were scoring so poorly on API scores. I looked at their CAHSEE passing rates and found that 88% of African American students tested passed the math test and 92% tested passed the English test.
However when I looked at the STAR testing in 2013 it showed maybe the reason for such low API scores. The only category that had higher then 50% was 9th Grade ELA. Many scores ranged from 9% of the tested students were proficient or advanced like in Earth science. However most of the scores hovered around the 40%.
2. What were the main findings generated from the analysis of your data?
That our African American students are scoring low on the API test, but yet to be performing well in almost every other area of the academic testing. Looking at the API for the school, it looks clear that our African American students need help and support, however they score decent on CST, have low dropout percentage, and high pass rate on the CAHSEE. I am a little confused on why the score is so low.
3. Share 5 questions that the data sparked.
How is API measure and calculated? Why is it that so many students have high scores in testing yet still look like they are the underachieving subgroup? Would suspension and disciplinary actions be affecting other parts of their academics? Why is it that almost every data collection of this groups information seems to point that they are performing well, yet there is a test that states they are underachieving? Is API even a valid source of info to assess a subgroups achievement off of?
4. Name 3 priority needs and mention which one of these seemed most urgent.
1.From what I can see these students do very well in the lower grades, especially in English. Yet when they get to upper grades, less students are entering science classes and their math scores drop on CST testing. We need to make sure that we can provide additional support and tutoring for African American students in math classes at our school.
2.We have very low enrollments for African American students in science and in math in upper grades. While they are in these classes they are scoring low on the CST as well. I think that recruiting more African Americans into these high level classes while help to provide the teacher with a more critical mass in the classroom and to help tailor the class to their needs as well instead of having just one student of that subgroup in the class. Currently the registration for next year is happening. We need to start asking kids and guiding them to take these classes. Through Counselors and teachers, getting them to take these courses.
3.We need to make sure that teacher who have African American students in their science and math classes start to make sure that they are getting the support they need. We need to make sure that they start getting proper guidance and support in the classroom.
5. Which target group did you select to work with and why?
I chose to work with the African American students because after looking at the API scores for my school based on race it looked as if one group needed more help and support than others. Our African American students scores much lower than every other race on campus. The strange thing is that they have good scores and passing rates. They have the lowest dropout rate per race at the school. I am just confused on how a race that scores around 40% Advanced/Proficient on CST's and has good scores on the CAHSEE can have such a low API score.