A Report on Data Analysis

Data Analysis Process

Collecting data was a vital step in improving students'performance. However, this data will make merit if not properly analyzed and implemented. As a result, the data analysis team is very vital, and it should conduct a proper scrutiny. The team consisted of three groups with each tasked to analyze the data in grades 6, 7 and 8. Each sub-team started with examining the disaggregated Math and reading test scores. Here, the data of student's by race was analyzed. The team compared the academic performance of the African Americans, the whites, and the Hispanics.

After the evaluating, if a race has an impact on one's performance, the team went ahead to analyze data from Math, Social Studies and reading tests for three consecutive years. This examination aimed at finding out the student's progress in the various grade levels. The sub-groups then teamed up and analyzed data of individual students. This step examined the reading tests for the students'at grade 4, 5 and 6. Finally, the team analyzed the value-added data for each student. Here, the team examined data of individual students'over time to ascertain if the learners' performance is consistent or the reverse.

Findings of the Key Questions

There is an inconsistent improvement in the Math test scores for students in different grades. It is only in grade 8 that students'performance has improved over time. There was a percentage increase from 49.2 then to 55.5 and finally 64.9 in 2007, 2008 and 2009 academic years respectively. The other grades registered an improvement in the second year of research, but this dropped in the subsequent year. This data indicates strength in the policies and studies of students at the 8th grade. However, there are no policies or structures to improve performance in category seven and six as far as Math performance is concerned.

There is no stable reading performance in the Greenwood Middle School based on the grade level. It seems that the students at grade 8 perform much better than students in other levels. For instance, considering the academic year 2008/2009, students'at the 8th level registered a 62.6% in the reading test whereas those in grade 6 and 7 registered 43.7% and 56.3% respectively. This data indicates weakness in learning activities. It seems that the school is only focused on the 8th level student's ignoring the others. This negligence can be backed up by the fact that over the years the students in the 8th grade have performed far much better on the reading tests and other academic tasks.

The analyses of data suggest that students'are likely to perform much better in Social Studies in the 6th grade than other levels. However, the performance is quite embarrassing as the class score is meager. Also, these results seem to get worse in the different grades. For instance, for the academic year 2009/2010, the students scored an average of 44.6%, 36.5% and 41.0% in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade respectively. The data depicts a weakness that cut across all the levels. At first, the result should be consistent across all levels, but most essential measures should be put in place to enhance the performance of students.

There is a consistent parity in performance based on race. The whites seem to perform far much better than the other students yet at the same level. For instance, in the grade 8 reading score, the whites have an average of 79.3%, the African Americans 59.6% and the Hispanics 69.8%. However, the analysis of individual students showed consistency regardless of race or grade.

The data on student's performance based on their race can help the school device an improvement strategy. It could be the main reason resulting in poor performances at the various levels. Also, as individual students show consistency, there must be academic and non-academic factors attributed to it. The school should put in place measures that will facilitate the well-being of the non-whites.

References

Conley, D. (2010). College and career-ready. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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