Introduction

Equity is at the heart of being a transformational educator. All students must feel valued, seen, and heard before they can make academic gains in the classroom. Growing up, I attended a high-performing public education school, in which I always was successful in the classroom despite the quality of instruction my teachers delivered to students. This vastly differs from the low-income setting where I teach, in which educators must truly invest students in their own learning progress and utilize every strategy in their teaching toolbox to make significant academic gains. Research suggests that there is a correlation between data tracking and student investment in learning. Students are more invested in their learning and aware of their performance when educators know how to make data-informed instructional decisions that will generate growth (Safer & Fleischman, 2005). In my classroom, I establish a culture of success by holding students to high expectations and tailoring instruction in many ways to in order for my students to make dramatic growth and be successful in the future.

As a kindergarten educator, I have significant influence in creating the foundation for my student's learning. It is important that I use data as a driving force of my instruction. One way I track data is through assessments. Assessments are critical to assess and analyze student learning and my own teaching. In my practice, I use a variety of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to track academic growth. Assessments help me determine which skills to address, which students need support or enrichment, which skills need to be retaught, and more. I use quantitative and qualitative systems of measurement to measure student growth over time.

In my kindergarten classroom, I assess my students in quantitative and qualitative ways to get a holistic perspective of their growth throughout the year. Quantitative data, such as letter and letter sound identification, gives me insight into the numerical progress students make towards mastering specific standards. Qualitative data, like writing samples, allows me to see how students’ thought processes develop over time. In this section, I show an example of quantitative data and qualitative data I collected from my kindergarten class in the 2019-2020 school year.

Quantitative Data (Kindergarten, 2019-2020)

Kindergarten Quarterly Assessment

This assessment is a teacher-created assessment that tests students on a variety of skills, including name writing, color identification, shape recognition, counting and cardinality, number identification, letter recognition, and letter sound production. I deliver this assessment to my students at the beginning of the year and at the end of each quarter. During the year, this assessment serves as an extremely valuable tool for my instructional decision-making. Most time in kindergarten is spent on learning the alphabet, early stages of reading and writing, counting to 100, identifying shapes, and identifying numbers up to 20. I review this assessment many times during the year. It is most valuable in showing me what letters I need to focus on more or revisit. I deliver the assessment one-to-one, verbally to students by asking them to follow a set of tasks. In this section, I specifically focus on student growth in letter identification for uppercase and lowercase letters as well as letter-sound identification.

Above is the teacher-created kindergarten assessment I use to test students on a variety of skills throughout the year. It covers name writing, colors, shapes, rote counting, number identification, number dictation, counting and cardinality, uppercase and lowercase letter identification, letter sound recognition, fine motor skills, and concepts of print.

Above is what the assessment looks like as I am administering it to a student. In part one of the assessment, I point to each letter and verbally ask the student, "What is the letter?" for the letter identification portion for both uppercase and lowercase letters. The student is expected to say the name of the letter. In part two of the assessment, I ask students, "What sound does it make?" The student is expected to say the sound or multiple sounds. The sound portion only includes lowercase letters in since students primarily read and write words using lowercase letters in kindergarten. This process is repeated consistently for each student every time I deliver the assessment during the year. An assessment of a student mastering expectations (ME) is shown to the left. The student was able to write her first and last name, identify all shapes and colors, rote count to 116, identify numbers to 20, write numbers from 1-29, and count objects to 10. The student also identified all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters and letter sounds. She also mastered all concepts of print. This assessment was delivered at the end of third quarter and indicates the student is performing above grade-level proficiency.

Connections to Common Core

In the school year 2013-2014, Hawai’i fully implemented the K-12 Common Core State Standards in an effort to prepare students for college, career, and community pathways (Hawai’i Common Core Standards, n.d.). Kindergarten is the first year students are exposed to a standards-based curriculum, which means it is critical that my assessments align to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

The kindergarten assessment aligns to the Hawai'i Common Core Standards for ELA and math. There is a standard aligned to each of the skills on the assessment that students must master by the end of the year. It is important that I am addressing the standards daily in the classroom using student-friendly language so students are constantly reviewing and learning new material. Aligning this assessment to the Common Core also allows me to collect data which drives my instruction. For the kindergarten assessment, my grade level collaborated to create an assessment that aligns to the CCSS while also considering long-term goals for our students. For example, a long-term goal we have in mind is that 100% of our students to know all of their letters and sounds by the end of the year so they will be able to apply them to phonics. Keeping this in mind, I use my student's specific numerical data from the kindergarten assessment to backwards plan and assess each grade-level standard in isolation. This gives me an accurate picture of the letters and sounds I need to revisit or reteach. Sometimes I may revisit a standard for my whole class, but often times it is just a few students that have not yet mastered it. I can reteach the standard in small groups or individually.

Beginning of the Year Data (July 2019)

I delivered the kindergarten assessment to my students at the very beginning of the year, in July, so I could see their independent levels as they entered kindergarten. This was many of my students' first exposure to formal education, as the majority never attended preschool. The spreadsheets below show the various levels my students entered kindergarten on based on their capital and lowercase letter identification and sound identification. The letters are in the order in which I introduced them to students.

Capital Letter Identification

In kindergarten, identifying letters and sounds is an essential skill that students need to develop in order to read and write. Reading and writing begins in kindergarten and essential to do daily tasks, such as something simple like writing your name. Without knowledge of letter and sound identification in kindergarten, students may struggle as reading and writing becomes increasingly more difficult by first grade.

I assess on all letters, even the letters I have not taught them yet. This data sheet indicates the number of capital letters students were able to correctly identify during their initial kindergarten assessment. The "X" marks the letters that were correctly identified by each student.

Based on the data, none of my students were able to correctly identify all 26 letters of the alphabet. However, two students were only one letter away. Almost half of my class, 46% of students, identified five or fewer letters correctly. Corresponding to the Alphabet Knowledge Key to the left, I group students based on their incoming knowledge of the alphabet into low, medium, and high groups. Students who knew less than half of the letters in the alphabet (>13) were identified as low, students who could recognize half of letters in the alphabet (13) were identified as medium, and students that knew more than half of the alphabet (13+) were considered high. According to the initial assessment, ten students were considered low, two students were considered medium, and three students were considered high when entering kindergarten. This data signifies that letter and sound identification would be critical to teach and reinforce throughout the year.

Lowercase Letter Identification

While capital letters are critical to know, most words are spelled with lowercase letters in the alphabet. More emphasis is placed on learning lowercase letters in kindergarten so students can begin to write words and sentences correctly.

The data sheet to the left indicates the number of lowercase letters my students were able to correctly identify during their initial assessment. I used the same criteria above to group students based on low, medium, and high levels. According to the data, none of my students were able to identify all 26 lowercase letters. Four of my students were considered high because they were able to recognize more than half of all lowercase letters. None of my students were considered middle. Eleven of my students were considered low because they recognized less than half of all alphabet letters, including ten that could only identify five or less. This data sheet specifically shows me which letters I would need to address to ensure students develop foundational reading and writing skills. It also shows the lack of experience my incoming class have with the alphabet and what all I will need to pull from my teaching toolbox to ensure students master identifying their lowercase letters.

Letter Sound Identification

Knowing letter sounds is critical so students can begin to blend and segment words in reading. This data indicates the number of letter sounds my students were able to correctly identify during their initial assessment. At the beginning of the year, I assess students on their letter sounds by pointing to each letter and marking it correct if they are able to say one sound or all sounds the letter can make. For example, if they say only the short sound for a, I will mark it as correct. If the student gives me both sounds the letter makes, I put a two next to the letter for my records indicating that they know both sounds, and then I mark it as correct.

This data shows that only two of my students were considered high in recognizing their letter sounds, no students were considered medium, and thirteen of my students were considered low. The vast majority of my students do not know their letter sounds, which makes it more difficult to begin the process of reading and writing development. This data shows me that I would need to push students and raise the bar on a rigorous level to make academic gains this year in reading and writing so they are set up for success in first grade.

Instructional Strategies to Increase Student Growth

Individual Goal Setting

In analyzing my my student's initial kindergarten assessment data, I recognized that the majority of my students did not come to kindergarten with any or all formal education experience, and it would be critical for me to introduce the goals for kindergarten and have my students make goals to create dramatic growth in letter and sound identification. While my students were familiar with our whole class goal, in which 100% of students would be able to identify all letters and all sounds by the end of kindergarten, I met with students to establish independent learning goals since they came to kindergarten with varying needs. I first went over their assessment with them and told them we are going to learn our letters and sounds so we can read and write words. Using Seesaw, a virtual learning platform, I helped each of my students fill out their individual goals for the year. Most of their goals indicated that they would like to learn their alphabet letters and letter sounds by the end of the year so they could read and write. This was my students first conversation about their academic growth. It helped me ground students in their own learning and motivate them to make dramatic growth.

Daily Small Groups

Data drives my small group instruction. I used student's beginning of the year data to break students into low, medium, and high groups. Because the majority of my students come into kindergarten developmentally behind, my students began the year with similar interventions. Interventions are critical to get my students to master specific skills. In my small groups, I differentiated instruction based on my students independent learning levels. For example, the data from the initial kindergarten assessment informed me that the majority of my students needed consistent reinforcement to learn their uppercase and lowercase letters and letter sounds. In my groups, students played games with flashcards and letter and sound picture matching. They also used alphabet letter books and "choo-choo cards" to practice identifying letters and letter sounds. Over time, I modified my small groups as the needs of my students and their levels changed. I consistently reinforced letters and sounds with my low group and for my medium and high students, I pushed them to use their letters and sounds to read and write. Without rigor, students are unable to make dramatic gains.

Scaffolding

One way I reviewed and introduced new letters and sounds is through scaffolding. Scaffolding is an instructional strategy I used to review the letters and sounds students have learned each day through alphabet chants and songs before introducing them to new letter and sounds. Every week, students were introduced to a new letter and sound. As it increasingly became more difficult, I used strategies like thinking maps, letter poems, songs, and chants to review other letters while building on their new knowledge.

Quarter 3 Data (March 2020)

At the beginning of the year, the majority of my students knew few or no letters and letter sounds. By the third quarter, my students showed significant academic gains. The data below demonstrates student growth by the end of the third quarter.

Capital Letter Identification

This data indicates that my students made dramatic growth in identifying their capital letters by the end of the third quarter. Based on the data, no students were considered low. Three students were considered medium. One student was one letter away from knowing all capital letters. Twelve students were considered high. Nine students mastered all 26 uppercase letters, even though this is the end of kindergarten goal. The data showed me which capital letters a student, or group of students, did not master yet so I can reteach or provide enrichment.

Lowercase Letter Identification

This data indicates that my students made dramatic growth in identifying their lowercase letters by the end of the third quarter. According to the data, no students were considered low. Four students were considered medium. One student was only one letter away from knowing all lowercase letters. Eleven students were considered high. Eight students mastered all 26 lowercase letters, even though this is the end of kindergarten goal. Similar to the data above, this data showed me which lowercase letters a student, or group of students, did not master yet so I can reteach or provide enrichment. Students most commonly missed letters b/d and p/q, which are reversals and frequently missed in kindergarten. This is extremely common for early learners and may be further addressed with whole class and small group instruction.

Letter Sound Identification

tMy students also made dramatic growth in identifying their letter sounds by the end of the third quarter. As demonstrated by the data, my students made tremendous gains in identifying their letter sounds. No students were considered low. Four students were considered medium. One student was only one letter away from knowing all letter sounds. Eleven students were considered high. Seven students recognized all 26 letter sounds, even though this is the end of kindergarten goal. This data also shows me which letter sounds a student, or group of students, did not matter yet so I can reteach and provide enrichment.

Comparison: Beginning of Year Data and Quarter 3 Data

A significant amount of time was spent on teaching students their letters and letter sounds. It is impossible to "memorize" every word in the English alphabet based on what they look like. Students must know their letters and letter sounds to decode, blend, and segment words for reading and writing.

At the beginning of year assessment data indicates above, very few students came into kindergarten with knowledge of uppercase and lowercase letters and letter sounds. No students had mastered identifying all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters and letter sounds. However, by the end of the third quarter, the data drastically shifted. The majority of students were able to identifying most, if not all, 26 uppercase and lowercase letters and letter sounds. This means they developed a skillset they can use in reading and writing. Identifying all letters and letters sounds is crucial. Without this knowledge, students are unable to decode new words, a higher-order thinking skill for kindergarteners.

I have broken down the data to draw comparisons between beginning of year data and end of the third quarter data to show the growth students made over a nearly seven month period (late July 2019 - early March 2020).

Capital Letter Identification

The first two columns indicate dramatic student growth in the number of capital letters students were able to identify initially and by the end of the third quarter.

At the beginning of the year, the majority of students were well below grade-level proficiency regarding capital letter identification. In the first column, the vast majority of students were considered low (Students 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15). Students 1 and 10 were considered medium. Students 8, 11, and 13 were in the high group. Some of my students stated random numbers when I pointed to the letter during the beginning of year assessment. I also received responses like, "I don't know", as I pointed to the letters.

Over time, this data completely shifted. Based on the Quarter 3 data column, students that were originally considered low are now considered medium or high, with the vast majority showing high levels of growth. Students 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 15 moved from knowing very few capital letters at the beginning of the year to knowing all, or nearly, all 26 letters by the end of the third quarter. Students 8, 11, and 13 knew nearly all capital letters at the beginning of kindergarten and were able to identify all 26 capital letters by the end of the third quarter.

My students made significant academic gains in a short period of time. By the end of the third quarter, students were considered low in capital letter recognition. Students 3 and 15 knew 0 letters at the beginning of kindergarten and had mastered all 26 by the end of the third quarter. Students that knew less than five letters are either meeting grade-level proficiency or very close to grade-level proficiency. For the students that were only 1-4 letters away, I used this data to revisit letters missed. For students that were 10 or close to 10 letters away, I used small group interventions to address the letters missed in fourth quarter. Overall, students grew exponentially in their capital letter recognition. 80% of students are now on grade-level proficiency and 20% are almost on grade-level proficiency. 100% of students grew in capital letter identification by the end of the third quarter.

Lowercase Letter Identification

The next two columns indicate significant student growth in the number of lowercase letters students were able to identify initially and by the end of the third quarter.

In the first column, the vast majority of students were considered low (Students 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15). No students were considered medium. Students 1, 8, 11, and 13 were in the high group. Over time, this data completely shifted. By the end of the third quarter, students that were originally considered low are now considered medium or high, with the vast majority showing high levels of growth. Students 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 15 moved from knowing very few lowercase letters at the beginning of the year to knowing all, or nearly, all 26 letters by the end of the third quarter. Student #3 knew 0 letters at the beginning of kindergarten but demonstrated dramatic gains in lowercase letter identification, as she correctly identified 25 letters by the end of third quarter. Students 1, 8, 11, and 13 knew many capital letters at the beginning of kindergarten and were able to identify all 26 capital letters by the end of the third quarter.

It is evident through this data that all students made significant academic gains in a span of almost seven months. No students were considered low in lowercase letter recognition by the end of the third quarter. Students 3, 4, 5, and 15 knew 0 letters at the beginning of kindergarten. By the end of the third quarter, Student 3 mastered identifying 25 letters, Students 4 and 5 mastered identifying the majority of letters, and Student 15 mastered identifying all lowercase letters. Students that knew less than five letters are either meeting grade-level proficiency or very close to grade-level proficiency. For the students that are only 1-4 letters away, I used this data to revisit letters missed. For students that are 10 or close to 10 letters away, I used small group interventions to address the letters missed in fourth quarter. Overall, students grew exponentially in their capital letter recognition. 80% of students are now on grade-level proficiency and 20% are almost on grade-level proficiency. 100% of students grew in capital letter identification by the end of the third quarter.

Letter Sound Identification

The last two columns demonstrate dramatic progression in the number of letter sounds students were able to identify initially and by the end of the third quarter.

At the beginning of the year, seventy-seven percent (thirteen students) knew no or extremely few letter sounds at the beginning of the year. When I pointed to the letter and asked for the sound on the assessment, common responses from my students were "I don't know" or "What's that?" Some of them did not realize letters even produce a sound and were confused. Based on the beginning of year data, no students were considered medium. Only two students were meeting grade-level proficiency. No students were able to identify all letter sounds.

Over time, students made tremendous academic gains in letter sound recognition. By the end of third quarter, students who were originally considered low are now considered medium or high, with the vast majority showing extremely high levels of growth. Nine students (Students 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 , 9, 10, 14, and 15) moved from knowing no or very few letter sounds at the beginning of the year to knowing all, or nearly, all 26 letters. The data in these columns shows that students made significant gains in letter sound production. No students were considered low by the end of the third quarter. All students were able to produce at least 16 letter sounds. Students 2, 9, 14, and 15 are examples of dramatic growth. They knew 0 sounds at the beginning of the year and could identify all 26 letters by the end of third quarter. Three of my students actually were able to identify all 31 letter sounds, including both short and long sounds for vowels (a, e, i, o, and u). One of my students could identify all three letter sounds for "y." Three of my students knew the multiple pronunciations for letters "c" and "g. Nonetheless, for this assessment, students only had to know all 26 letter sounds to be on track for grade-level proficiency. The progess demonstrated through the letter sound recognition data indicates high levels of academic growth. My students abilities to make connections to letter sounds beyond the typical gains in kindergarten demonstrates dramatic growth.

Qualitative Growth: Key Findings

The quantitative data in this section is proof that all students can make dramatic academic gains in a short period of time. Based on the data:

1. Based on the capital letter identification data, 20% of students were meeting grade-level proficiency and 13% of students were on track toward grade-level proficiency. By the end of the third quarter, 80% of students were meeting grade-level proficiency and 20% of students were on track toward grade-level proficiency. These three students mastered 16 or more capital letters.

2. According to the lowercase letter identification data, only 27% of students were meeting grade-level proficiency. By the end of the third quarter, 73% of students were meeting grade-level proficiency and 27% of students were on track toward grade-level proficiency. These four students mastered 16 or more lowercase letters.

3. Regarding the letter sound identification data, only 13% of students were meeting grade-level proficiency. By the end of the third quarter, 73% of students were meeting grade-level proficiency and 27% of students were on track toward grade-level proficiency. These four students mastered 16 or more letter sounds.

Quantitative Growth: Conclusion

After analyzing the quantitative data in my classroom over three quarters from the 2019-2020 year, I can say I am extremely proud of the high levels of academic growth my students have demonstrated. My students came to kindergarten with limited or no prior academic experience and not being able to identify most letters and sounds. They were extremely far from grade-level proficiency. By the end of the third quarter, my students showed drastic growth in their letter and letter sound recognition. In my grade level meetings, we often discussed how the average growth for kindergarten students at specific school is less than a year's worth of growth. However, my students were already making a year's worth of growth by the end of the third quarter. This shows that my students made more than typical gains.

Through whole class instruction, daily small group instruction, individual goal-setting, scaffolding, and interventions, my students went from knowing no or few letters to being able to apply them in reading and writing. In the seven months that this data covers, my students have already shown more than a typical year of growth. The dramatic growth indicated in this section will support students as they continue their educational journey in first grade and beyond. Identifying the letters and letter sounds of the alphabet are foundational skills early learners need to develop the capacity to read, write, and succeed.

Qualitative Evidence (Kindergarten, 2019-2020)

Overview of Kindergarten Writing

Most students are learning how to write for the first time in kindergarten. Students that never attended preschool are beginning to write. Writing plays a critical role in early childhood development. In Kindergarten, students learn a variety of writing styles, including narrative, opinion, and informational. Learning how to write in kindergarten for the first time is difficult for students. First, they are learning the alphabet and how to draw. Then they have to make connections between their thoughts and the letters and sounds they know. They use invented spelling, or phonic spelling, which is using symbols that beginning writers use to associate the sounds they hear in the words to what they wish to write (National Association for the Education of Young Children, n.d.). Kindergarten writing is rigorous and pushes students to think critically, but research suggests it has lasting benefits. Through writing, students are able to develop many skills in a short period of time. For years, studies have suggested that writing can promote "physical, social, and cognitive growth" in early learners (Herr, 1994). Other research suggests that writing promotes literacy development. Students that learned how to write in kindergarten are more likely to develop reading comprehension skills at a faster rate (Gentry & Peha, 2013). Additional scholarship states writing is essential for early childhood learners because it allows them to express their thoughts (National Association for the Education of Young Children, n.d.).

It is important that students view themselves as authors and view their drawings as forms of writing to express their thoughts rather than simply visually pleasing images. Because of this, I never say "draw your story" in kindergarten. Instead, I say "write your story." At the kindergarten level, writing is typically depicted through drawings and dictation. Depending on the level of the student, this may also include scribbles, random letters, and some words. The writing process typically begins with some scribbles and little to no letters or words. Throughout the year, students pictures become more detailed and students add letters to words or may even write full words. By the end of the year, student's drawings and dictation becomes more detailed. Their oral dictation of their stories is more elaborate.

How Kindergarten Writing is Assessed

Writing Rubric

Rubrics are a great and fair way to measure student's mastery in the classroom. In kindergarten, I use teacher-created writing rubrics that aligns to the Grade K Hawai'i Common Core Writing Standards. For narrative writing, I specifically use the rubric depicted to the left to assess student's writing on Standard K.W.3 - Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

Categories assessed include setting, characters, organization, picture-story match, sounding out words, and punctuation/capitalization. Grades are based on a point system that corresponds to a writing developmental stage.

NY (0-4) - Not Yet
DP (5-8)- Developing Proficiency
MP (9-14)- Meeting Proficiency
ME (15-18)- Mastering Expectations

Using a writing rubric demonstrates that I have high expectations for student's writing throughout the year. They know what is expected of them, and we establish ways they can meet their writing goals.

Student Checklist

Student Self-Assessment

Another form of self-assessment that my kindergarteners use are examples. Students can strive for excellent work when they know what it looks like. I often write a story alongside students and ask them "What is missing from my picture?"

Students can also assess what to add to their own stories by using a system of stars to evaluate their work during the writing process.

1 star- The student draws a picture, only colors with a pencil, and names their picture.
2 stars- The student draws a picture, uses one or two colors, adds one detail, and describes their picture.
3 stars- The student draws a picture, uses more than three colors, adds three to five details, describes their picture with details, and makes sentences.
4 stars- The student draws a picture, uses more than five colors, leaves no white space, adds more than five details, describes their picture with details, makes sentences with a capital letter and a period, and spells some words correctly.

Beginning of the Year Writing (2019)

For the initial narrative writing assessment, I gave students the following prompt:

Write a story about a time you stood up for yourself.

I also gave my students the following directions:

1. Write a story about a time you stood up for yourself.

2. Include a drawing (illustration) with details.

3. Add characters and a setting.

4. Write words to match your story.

I did not offer students additional support, prompting, or assistance as they worked to ensure their writing was reflective of their true current levels.

Before writing, students participated in a read aloud of the story Mean Jean the Recess Queen (2002) by Alex O'Neill. Students partook in a whole class discussion of appropriate ways to stand up for yourself, including saying stop, telling an adult, and using the restorative practice learned in our classroom. Students were encouraged to think/pair/share about a time they stood up for themselves in partners as I circulated around the room. Once independent writing time began, I did not offer students additional support, prompting, or assistance. Writing assessments evaluate where students are performing on an independent level so I wanted to gather an accurate depiction of my student's true current writing levels (Edutopia, 2016). This allowed me to identify specific areas of need that I need to address and tailor my instruction accordingly. The writing samples below showcase a variety of student levels, including MP (Mastering Proficiency), DP (Developing Proficiency), and NY (Not Yet). The rubrics guided me to target student areas for growth.

Student A

Above is Student A's initial writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. I specifically chose to analyze Student A's writing because he was an English language learner (ELL) in my class, and I wanted to evaluate the progress he made throughout the year. His beginning of the year writing to the left fell under the "Not Yet" developmental stage in the writing rubric. This signified that Student A has not yet demonstrated mastery of the kindergarten writing standards and needs more time, one-to-one support, and experience to develop his writing.

Student A included two characters, him and his baby sister, in his writing. He also included a vague setting, such as a rainbow sky. The rest of the space is empty. Student A did not write any letters or words, which shows he did not have prior knowledge of writing letters coming into kindergarten. Student A received 3 points (NY) based on the kindergarten writing rubric.

Student B

Above is is Student B's initial writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. Similar to Student A, Student B was also an ELL student, and I wanted to track her progress in writing to provide her with differentiated supports that would allow her to make large academic gains in a short amount of time. Student B 's writing fell under the "Developing Proficiency" stage in the writing rubric. Similar to Student A, this means that Student B also has not yet demonstrated mastery of the kindergarten writing standards and needs more time, one-to-one support, and experience to develop her writing

Student B included three characters, her, a classmate, and her sister in the form of stick figures. She also included a setting with at least two details (day time sky and a tree). There is no white space in her picture. Her entire page is colored. Her story matches her picture, such as the character with red on the face illustrates how she bumped her head. The story is written in a clear logical sequence. Student B did not write any letters or words, which shows she did not have prior knowledge of writing letters coming into kindergarten. Student B received 8 points (DP) based on the kindergarten writing rubric.

Student C

Above is is Student C's initial writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. Student C's writing fell under the "Developing Proficiency" stage in the writing rubric. Similar to Student B, this means that she has not yet demonstrated mastery of the kindergarten writing standards and needs more time, support, and experience to develop her writing

Student C included two characters, her and another individual. She also included a setting with at least two details (playground slide and daytime sky). There is no white space in her picture. Her entire page is colored. Her story matches her picture, such as the character pictured next to her yelling. The story is written in a clear logical sequence. Student C did not write any letters or words, which shows she did not have prior knowledge of writing letters coming into kindergarten. Student C received 8 points (DP) based on the kindergarten writing rubric.

Instructional Strategies Used to Increase Student Growth

To support my kindergarten students writing growth throughout the year, I used specific strategies that would allow them to make academic gains. In the classroom, students referenced a Word Wall, Secret Stories bulletin board, and teacher examples to support them in their writing alongside their personal student checklist and self-assessment rubric referenced above. Every time they completed their work, they would place it in their writing folder so they could monitor their own progress throughout the year.

Word Wall

Secret Stories

Teacher Modeling

Writer Conferences and Workshops

To help my students develop their writing, I met with them to have writer conferences workshops. Writing conferences addressed individual needs of students to improve their writing while workshops were more skills-based and addressed the needs of a small group of students. During writing conferences, I met with a student for no more than 5-10 minutes. I would look at their work with them and give them feedback on what they could add, such as details or a setting to their drawing. I would also help them sound out words. Writing conferences were Tuesdays and Thursday. I met with 4-5 students for 10-15 minutes. I taught them strategies to phonetically sound out their words, such as using an imaginary slinky to stretch and shrink words to blend. Another strategy I taught students to phonemically segment their words, or sound out each part in the word, was placing unifex cubes in empty squares to represent each sound. Students then read the whole word by blending the sounds back together, which is phonemic blending.

Quarter 3 Writing (March 2020)

Over the course of the year, my kindergarten authors engaged in frequent personal writing activities and lessons. They learned to write in different styles beyond narrative, including opinion and informative. I typically read a book aloud to students then had them write to a prompt that related their own lives to the story. During writing time, I always instructed my students to draw illustrations with details and write words that matched their thinking. Students made a fist to sound out words phonetically by raising a finger for the beginning, middle, and ending sounds. They referenced our Word Wall to include sight words in their writing. They also used a Secret Stories bulletin board to identify patterns in words they wrote and decode them. I learned about Secret Stories during a professional development workshop. Secret Stories is a brain-based approach that is use in the classroom to teach my students valuable reading and writing skills. During direct instructional writing time, I showed examples of writing to students. I helped students develop their writing through individual writing conferences and writing workshops to learn many strategies to spell words phonetically.

After nearly four months of building my student's writing toolbox, they took a narrative writing assessment so I could assess their progress. Drawing on their knowledge of our Interdependent Relationships Unit and a read aloud of The Family Book (2003) by Todd Parr, I gave students the following prompt:

Write about someone you are connected to.

I also gave my students the following directions:

1. Write about someone you are connected to. Think about someone in your life and why you love them.

2. Include a drawing (illustration) with details.

3. Write words to match your story.

I did not offer students additional support, prompting, or assistance as they worked to ensure their writing was reflective of their true current levels.

Student A

Above is Student A's quarter 3 writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. While Student A's initial writing sample included an illustration with a vague setting with only two characters, it is evident that his drawing and writing improved by quarter 2. The setting includes a rainbow sky, grass, and a house. His ability to draw characters is more developed, as now they have a body and clear facial expression. The smile on his character indicates the correct feeling involved in his story. His illustration matches his story, as there is a cookie and his pictures are labeled based on what he orally dictated.

His writing is also more developed. The student focused on writing the sounds he hears in words. He wrote, "I Lk mi mom bkz To Bk k______ w hr..." and used a magic line to represent the word "cookies." When he orally dictated his story, he stated, "I like my mom because I want to bake cookies with her." The student correctly began his writing with "I." He also tried to phonetically sound out the other words with the letters he knew. For example, the student recognize the initial sound "L" and ending sound "k" in the word "like." He recognized the initial sound "b", middle sound "k", and ending sound "z" in the word "because." The student used the blending strategy of stretching and shrinking to sound out the word "mom."

Student A received an initial score of 3 points (NY) at the beginning of the year and a score of 9 points (MP) by quarter 3. His writing grew 6 points over the course of the year moving from the Not Yet writing stage to the low range of Meeting Proficiency writing stage. This signifies a year's worth of growth in kindergarten writing by quarter 3.

Student B

Above is Student B's quarter 3 writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. While Student B's initial writing sample included a drawing with characters represented as stick figures and a limited setting. The setting in her initial drawing included a sky and tree. This drawing is much more detailed and easy to follow. Her characters are detailed with clear facial expressions and bodies. Their hair is colored. It is evident that her story takes place at the beach by the setting, which includes a sky with clouds, the ocean, sand, and beach blanket. One character is even wearing a swimsuit. She added some labels to her illustration, such as "sun," "sky," and "me." Overall, the illustration portion of her writing has significantly improved between her initial drawing and quarter 3. It clearly matches her story

Student B's writing has also improved. In her initial writing, she did not write any letters or words. In this drawing, she wrote "me and mi G_____ go t__ the B____ch." Although she did not recognize "my" is a high-frequency words, she was able to associate her letter sounds to the word. She was also unable to write the words "grandma" and "beach," she successfully sounded out the initial sounds in both words and recount her knowledge from the "ch"secret to write the ending sound in the word beach. She also used a magic line for the word "grandma." Student B was able to sound out many of her words and reference the Word Wall in the classroom to write some sight words, such as "me", "and", and "the." She also used finger spaces to represent the spaces in between words.

Student B received an initial score of 8 points (DP) at the beginning of the year and a score of 12 points (MP) by quarter 3. Her writing improved 4 points over the course of the year moving from the Developing Proficiency writing stage to the mid-range of the Meeting Proficiency writing stage.

Student C

Above is is Student C's quarter 3 writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. While Student C's did not add many details to her setting in her initial drawing, she emphasized the setting as a focal point in this drawing. Her characters in this drawing are clearly in the mountains. There is a sky with stars and large grassy field. Her characters have also improved from her initial drawing. Now, they have real bodies and hands. Her illustration matches her story, as she and her mom are spending time together somewhere.

Student C's writing had improved significantly. In her initial writing, she did not include any letters or words. In this drawing, she wrote "I Love Mi MOMMY BeCUZ I Love Her. We play o_____ toge____." She wrote in complete sentences and used some punctuation, such as the capital I at the beginning of the first sentence and period at the end. She also was able to correctly write the word "her," which is a first grade high-frequency word. She included the silent e in the word "love" and correctly spelled "mommy." While she was unable to sound out "outside" and "together," she included the correct initial sounds in both words and used her magic lines to represent the parts of the words she could not write yet. She also used finger spaces to represent the spaces in between words.

Student C received an initial score of 8 points (DP) at the beginning of the year and a score of 12 points (MP) by quarter 3. Her writing improved 4 points over the course of the year moving from the Developing Proficiency writing stage to the mid-range of the Meeting Proficiency writing stage.

Qualitative Growth: Conclusion

is Student C's quarter 3 writing sample and corresponding grading rubric. While Student C's did not add many details to her setting in her initial drawing, she emphasized the setting as a focal point in this drawing. Her characters in this drawing are clearly in the mountains. There is a sky with stars and large grassy field. Her characters have also improved from her initial drawing. Now, they have real bodies and hands. Her illustration matches her story, as she and her mom are spending time together somewhere.

Student C's writing had improved significantly. In her initial writing, she did not include any letters or words. In this drawing, she wrote "I Love Mi MOMMY BeCUZ I Love Her. We play o_____ toge____." She wrote in complete sentences and used some punctuation, such as the capital I at the beginning of the first sentence and period at the end. She also was able to correctly write the word "her," which is a first grade high-frequency word. She included the silent e in the word "love" and correctly spelled "mommy." While she was unable to sound out "outside" and "together," she included the correct initial sounds in both words and used her magic lines to represent the parts of the words she could not write yet. She also used finger spaces to represent the spaces in between words.

Student C received an initial score of 8 points (DP) at the beginning of the year and a score of 12 points (MP) by quarter 3. Her writing improved 4 points over the course of the year moving from the Developing Proficiency writing stage to the mid-range of the Meeting Proficiency writing stage.

DAG Section Conclusion and Reflection

Being able to watch my students grow throughout the year is my favorite part about being a teacher. When I get a new group of kindergarten students, I am so excited for the year ahead- knowing that it will be difficult but also incredibly rewarding! In kindergarten, I love the look on my students faces when they learn something new. Everything I teach is magical, even when I use the eraser for the first time on the classroom wipe board! It makes me excited to show up each day and definitely makes the daunting hours of lesson planning worth it. Through the quantitative kindergarten assessment and qualitative writing samples shown in this section, it is clear that tailored learning strategies and data-driven instruction allow students to achieve dramatic academic growth in a single school year.

I tracked quantitative assessments through the kindergarten assessment. The majority of my students came to kindergarten without preschool experience. Most of my students lacked knowledge in identifying letters and sounds. The data shows that the majority of my students did not recognize any letters and sounds in the alphabet at the beginning of the year. By the end of the third quarter, most of my students identified most or all of the letters were meeting grade-level proficiency. This shows tremendous academic growth in a short period of time.

I also analyzed qualitative student growth through a comparison of their initial writing assessment and third quarter writing assessment. As the student writing samples demonstrated, they made powerful academic gains in writing and illustrating their work. At the beginning of the year, my students were at the beginning stages of writing. The majority of my students never had even held a pencil prior to kindergarten. By the end of the third quarter, my students began to write or express their own thoughts and ideas in words and complete sentences.

By investing my students in their own data and showing them their progress throughout the year, my kindergarteners become excited, ambitious learners that want to surpass what is typically expected of them. I am eager to fill their sponge-like brains with new knowledge so that one day they can achieve their goals, hopes, and dreams. Rather than simply teaching, I strive to reach my students through raising the bar and showing them that with hard work, patience, and persistence, they can achieve rigorous academic goals.