Informal Formal Assessment Analysis

I decided to use the 9th grade honors English Language Arts class of twenty-eight

students for my data for this assignment. I chose the students STAR scores to be the formal

assessment that I will compare to an informal assessment. I was able to use both Fall (September

2017) STAR scores and Winter (January 2018) STAR scores for comparison. The informal

assessments that I chose to use are two Romeo and Juliet quizzes that I gave after we have read

Act 1 of the play, and another informal assessment quiz that I gave after we have read Act 2. I

also provided students gender, age, and whether they had IEP/504 plans as variables for this data.

The informal assessments were graded as quizzes. Each question on the quiz is worth

one point, and I gave partial credit for answers where I could. The Act 1 quiz, I gave after

students read the portion of the play on their own. We reviewed briefly, and I clarified key

points during one class period. That following period students took the quiz. Overall, students

did not do well. Out of the twenty-eight students in the 9th grade ELA honors class, only one

student earned a 100 percent. Given these grades, I adjusted my instruction accordingly. It was

clear students need more guidance in order to best understand the Shakespearean language. For

the next quiz on Act 2, I had students read through the prologue and Act 2.3 for homework. In

class the next day, we went line by line clarifying language and I frequently asked student’s

analysis questions. We then watched through all of Act 2; the Frank Zeffirelli version. I

reviewed everything that would be on the second quiz, and I told students to study for the next

class when they would take the quiz. As this is an honor class, I may have changed my

instruction a little too much. However, I wanted to make sure that I adjusted my teaching in

order for students to best learn the content. For the Act 3 quiz, I am going to try giving the quiz

orally. I will read questions a total of three times, and students must write down their answers to
the questions on a separate piece of paper. This tests students’ knowledge of the content, and

also tests students listening skills. Overall the class average for the first Romeo and Juliet quiz

was a 75% while the class average for the second Romeo and Juliet quiz was a 95%. This

improvement I attribute to my change in instruction, and also students were motivated to receive

a higher quiz grade than the first.

I adjusted my instruction based on the first quiz grades. I asked students why they

thought they may not have done well on the first quiz, and many students responded stating they

simply did not study. However, instead of having students only read outside of class, take notes,

then come together to take a quiz, I had students read outside of class and take notes, but then we

reread the entire section of the play together in class, and I made sure to clarify key points and

questions. Students were able to discuss what lines meant together and close read in groups. We

also made frequent additions to our Romeo and Juliet character flow chart and theme tracking

worksheet as we collectively studied for this quiz. Before the quiz, I made sure to inform

students ahead of time and continue to remind them about when the quiz would be so they would

have time to study. I also reviewed each question that would be on the quiz prior to having

students take it.

The formal assessment that I chose to use is the STAR test reading scores. I provided

students overall scores for both the Fall and Winter tests. I also provided students IRL or

Instructional Reading Level based on their STAR scores. IRL provides the reading level that

students should be provided instruction. For example, an IRL of 10.7 means that a student is

reading at a sophomore year, month 7 reading level. Meaning, they should be receiving written

instructional materials at the given grade indicated on the STAR report. Some students tested at
a PHS IRL. PHS stands for Post High School reading level indicating that students are reading

at a level much higher than a high school level.

Student MP is a female without an IEP/504 plan. She is 14 years old and initially tested

at a 1323 on the Fall STAR test. Her IRL given the Fall STAR test is 11.8 or junior year, month

eight. During the Winter STAR test, she tested at a 1345, and her IRL is 12.9 meaning that she

is now reading at a senior, month nine reading level as a freshman. Student MP was the only

student to score a 100 percent on the first Romeo and Juliet quiz, and also scored a 100 percent

on the second Romeo and Juliet quiz.

Student DC is a male student who is 14 years old. He does not have an IEP/504 plan.

During the Fall STAR test, he scored an 854 with an IRL of 6.6; meaning he is reading at a sixth

grade, month six reading level. During the Winter STAR test, he scored a 1139 with an IRL of

10.3. He is now reading at a sophomore, month three reading level. Between September 2017

and January 2018, he jumped from a sixth-grade reading level to a sophomore reading level. On

the first Romeo and Juliet quiz student DC earned a 36 percent, and on the second quiz student

DC earned a 25. The students quiz grade declined. This student was absent for the class period

before we took the second Romeo and Juliet quiz, and therefore did not receive as much review

as the other students in the class.

Student SS is a female student who is 14 years old. She also has a 504 plan. On the

STAR test for 9/18/2017 the student tested a 1341, and on the STAR test for 1/19/2018 she

tested a 1347. Her IRL for 9/18/2017 was a 12.5 meaning she reads at the 12th grade, month five

level. However, after taking the Winter STAR test, student SS tested at a PHS reading level. On

the first Romeo and Juliet quiz, student SS scored a 93, but on the second quiz she scored a 100.
Examples of Student Work:
STAR Report:
Informal/Formal Data Table: