Achievement+Series

On the 2009 Dakota Step Test, according to Emetric, the indicator that my students as a whole scored lower on was indicator 5.S.1-Use statistical models to gather, analyze, and display data to draw conclusions. This indicator is composed of two standards, 5.S.1.1 Students are able to gather, graph, and interpret data, and 5.S.1.2 Students are able to calculate and explain mean for a whole number data set. Therefore these are the standards that I have chosen to focus my Action Research on.

The first step that I took was to create an Achievement Series test for each standard. For standard 5.S.1.1 there weren’t any items from the Department of Education in the item bank for me to choose from. I looked at similar standards in other grade levels and found questions that I felt the standard was addressing. I also added in some of my own questions. For the second standard there was a plethora of questions from which to choose.


 * Achievement Series PreTest and PostTest **

5.S.1.1 Students are able to gather, graph, and interpret data

5.S.1.2 Students are able to calculate and explain mean for a whole number data set. 


 * Results**



5.S.1.2 Students are able to calculate and explain mean for a whole number data set.
 * || PreTest || PostTest ||
 * 5L || 45.00% || 93.80% ||
 * 5N || 48.80% || 95.20% ||

On average the students' scores increased 47.6% for standard 5.S.1.2 5.S.1.1 Students are able to gather, graph, and interpret data
 * || PreTest || PostTest || 2nd PostTest ||
 * 5L || 77.10% || 90.00% || 95.80% ||
 * 5N || 76.60% || 88.10% || 94.70% ||

For standard 5.S.1.1 the students' scores increased an average of 12.2%. This put them above the 80th percentile, which is good, but I wasn't happy enough so I did another activity online and later had them retested. After the second posttest their scores increased an average of 18.4%. With this in mind when I teach this lesson next year I will include more of an emphasis on the graphing portion.