Jenna Gallichio

Student Learning Objectives

EDSE 586

March 2023

University of South Carolina – College of Education

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Table of Contents

Contextual Factors and Student Characteristics …………………………………………… Page 3

Unit Topics ………………………………………………………………………………… Page 5

Initial Learning Goals/Objectives …………………………………………………………. Page 6

Baseline Data and Pre-Assessment Artifact ……………………………………………….. Page 7

Baseline Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………. Page 9

Objectives, Growth Targets, and Standards ……………………………………………… Page 11

Progress Monitoring ……………………………………………………………………… Page 15

Instructional Strategies …………………………………………………………………… Page 18

Post Assessment with Analysis …………………………………………………………... Page 26

Reflection ………………………………………………………………………………… Page 31

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Contextual Factors and Student Characteristics

This Student Learning Objective (SLO) project was completed in an Honors Algebra 2
semester long course at Columbia High School. Columbia High School is located in the St.
Andrews area of Columbia at 1701 Westchester Dr. Columbia High School is a relatively small
high school with a population of around 700 students any given year (According to SC School
Report Card, the 2021-2022 school year had 691 students enrolled). According to the 2020-2021
school year data on Public School Review, the student demographic breakdown is as follows:
3% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 85% Black, 3% White, and 4% two or more races. Columbia High
school is a Title 1 school in which all students receive free or reduced lunch and breakfast.
Columbia High School is in a quiet neighborhood off of the busy Bush River Road in which
many students walk alongside to get to and from school. According to the SC School Report
Card, 86% of students attending Columbia High school are in poverty as they were enrolled in
one or more of the following programs (or labeled as): TANF, Medicaid, SNAP, foster child,
homeless or migrant.
After talking with my coaching teacher and her colleagues, I discovered that many
parents at Columbia High School work multiple jobs, long hours, and/or odd hours which meant
they were unable to visit the school and support their children during the typical school day or
for extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, many of the upperclassmen at Columbia
(Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors) also work night shifts after school to help provide for their
family as well. Many students are bussed from nearby apartment complexes, but students that are
zoned for Columbia and live farther out end up getting taxied or Uber-ed to and from school
each day. These teachers explained that many students move in and out of the area which is why
the Freshman class is much larger than the upper classes. They explained that the location is
nearby many bus stops, restaurants, and other job opportunities which is why families move into
the area. Unfortunately, the area surrounding Columbia High school is not the most developed so
once families have enough saved up and a stable job, they move out of the area closer to A.C.
Flora High School.
In terms of academics, according to the SC School Report Card for the 2021-2022 school
year, only 19.7% of students in Algebra 1 scored a C or higher on their end of course exam
compared to 36.5% in the entire district (Richland County School District 1). The on-time
graduation rate for Columbia High school is 78.8%, with an annual dropout rate of 2.2% and
dropout recovery rate of 6.7%. The percentage of students in the graduation cohort at Columbia
High who are college or career ready is 43.1% compared to 55.4% for all of Richland County
School District 1. The student-teacher ratio in core subject area classes at Columbia High is
roughly 30:1.
Many students are interested in the sporting programs at Columbia High, but due to other
responsibilities (working, taking care of family, etc.) many students are unable to participate. To
offer all sporting options as the other schools throughout the district and the surrounding area,
students are allowed to participate in multiple same-season sports (we have some students
running track and playing soccer in this class which are both spring sports). Due to the time
constraints on students and parents, Columbia High tries to offer clubs during the school day by
having A-day and B-day clubs every other Friday in place of enrichment time.
The third block Algebra 2 Honors class I focused on for completing this SLO project has
21 students with about half the class being Juniors, a quarter are Sophomores, and a quarter are
Freshmen. Two thirds of the class is female, and the other third is male; all students in this
course identify as cisgender. None of these students had any current accommodations or
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modifications as they had all grew out of their IEP or 504 plans. The two students whose primary
language is Urdu are considered fluent in English as well and no longer need any modifications
or accommodations either. Although Columbia High school provides free lunch to all students
enrolled, I was surprised to find out that not all students are labeled as eligible. Roughly 85.7%
of the class identify as Black or African American, 9.5% identify as Asian, and 4.8% identify as
two or more races. The individual student demographic breakdown is posted in the chart below.

Student Gender Race Free Gifted IEP/504 Grade

Reduce Academically Level
d Lunch
1 Female Black or African Yes Yes 9
American
2 Male Black or African Yes No 10
American
3 Female Black or African Yes Yes 9
American
4 Male Asian (born in No No 11
Canada) primary
language Urdu
5 Female Black or African Yes No 11
American
6 Male Black or African No No 10
American
7 Male Black or African No No 11
American retain
8 Female Black or African Yes No 11
American
9 Female Black or African Yes Yes 9
American
10 Female Black or African Yes No 11
American
11 Female Black or African Yes No 11
American
12 Female White and Asian No No 10
13 Male Black or African Yes Yes Previously 10
American dismissed – speech
language therapy
Listed as
speech/language
impaired
14 Male Black or African Yes No 7th grade reading 11
American plan and progress
report after star
testing
15 Female Black or African Yes No 11
American
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16 Female Asian (born in Yes No 11

Pakistan, Urdu is
primary
language)
17 Female Black or African Yes No 10
American
18 Female Black or African Yes No 7th grade reading 11
American intervention and
progress report
19 Male Black or African Yes No 11
American
20 Female Black or African Yes Yes 5th grade 9
American intervention plan
in behavior
21 Female Black or African Yes Yes 9
American
When getting the student demographic information from Enrich and PowerSchool, I was
surprised to find we had two sets of siblings in this class. Students 1 and 15 are sisters sharing
the same mother and students 4 and 16 are siblings born out of the country who no longer need
ESOL services.

Unit Topics
- Day 1: Review of Exponent Rules
o Delta Math 3.1
- Day 2: Identify and Evaluate Polynomials
o Synthetic Substitution Practice
- Day 3: Catch Up Day
o Missing work from any point in the quarter due to half day
- Day 4: Introduction to Graphing Polynomial Functions
o Desmos Polygraph
o Delta Math 3.2
- Day 5: More Graphing Polynomial Functions
o Graphing Polynomials Practice
o Delta Math 3.2
- Day 6: Polynomial Operations
o Homework 3.1
o Delta Math 3.2
- Day 7: Quiz on Graphing and Evaluating Polynomials
o Quiz
- Day 8: Introduction to Factoring Polynomials
o Delta Math 3.3
o Exit Ticket
- Day 9: More Practice Factoring Polynomials
o Group Experts Activity
o Delta Math 3.3
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- Day 10: Remainder and Factor Theorems

o Delta Math 3.3
o Homework 3.2
- Day 11: Finding Possible Rational Zeros of Polynomial Functions
o Homework 3.3
- Day 12: Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
o Delta Math 3.3
o Exit Ticket
- Day 13: Review of Polynomials
o Polynomials Review
- Day 14: Post Assessment on Polynomials
o Post Assessment

Initial Learning Goals/Objectives

After reading through the standards on Polynomials, I decided that the overarching goal
for the unit would be that students could expand their prior knowledge of evaluating, factoring,
graphing, solving, and performing operations on quadratics to higher order polynomials. My
initial objective was to bump all students up a step on the Columbia High School mastery scale
with 0-49% correct meaning needs remediation, 50-79% meaning approaching mastery, and 80-
100% meaning mastery. This would mean that students would be able to explain the difference
of each polynomial operation, could choose the best method of factoring to solve polynomials,
kind key characteristics of a polynomial in algebraic form to translate to its graphical form,
identify how many solutions a given polynomial should have, and evaluate a polynomial for a
given input.
Overall, this means that students would be able to do the following on their own by the
end of this unit:
- Identify whether a function is a polynomial function or not and classify the type of
polynomial based on the degree.
- Use direct substitution with the correct order of operations to evaluate a polynomial for a
given input.
- Identify key characteristics of a polynomial in algebraic form (like degree, leading
coefficient, x-intercepts, and end behavior) to sketch a graph of a polynomial.
- Add, subtract, multiply, and divide polynomials; write the solution in standard form.
- Extend methods of factoring quadratics to higher order polynomials, including factoring
out a greatest common factor (GCF), factoring by grouping, using the x game when a
does or does not equal one, and the difference of perfect squares.
- Use the remainder and factor theorems to identify if a binomial is a factor of a
polynomial.
- Identify all possible rational roots of a polynomial and apply the factor theorem to
identify whether it is a root.
- Apply the fundamental theorem of algebra to identify number of solutions of a
polynomial.
- Choose a valid method of factoring from:
o Factoring out a GCF
o Factoring by grouping
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o Quadratic substitution
o Difference of perfect squares
o Difference of two cubes
o Sum of two cubes
o Dividing by possible rational roots

Baseline Data
To identify the baseline data for understanding of polynomial content and mathematics
operations, I created a 9-question short answer preassessment. Because I really wanted to
analyze the data based on student understanding, I wanted the preassessment to need students to
show their work rather than guess on a multiple-choice form. The preassessment I created based
on my initial goals for the unit is posted below.

Pre-Assessment Artifact:
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Analysis of Student Baseline Data

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The table and charts below detail student performance on the pre-assessment. As
mentioned above, the entire pre-assessment was designed to be free response so that I could see
students work and try to analyze what mathematical content they recalled as they tried to apply it
to polynomials. In the chart below I have blacked-out any question that the students did not make
any attempt, otherwise I have labeled the score each student made from the total points per
question which is labeled in parentheses below.

Student Question (Points Per Question) Total %

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Score
(2) (5) (5) (1) (2) (2) (3) (4) (1) (25)
1 2 1.5 0 0 3.5 14
2 1.5 0 .5 .5 0 2.5 10
3 1.5 .5 .5 1.5 6 24
4 2 1 1 1 5 20
5 0 0 0 0
6 .5 0 3 .5 1.5 0 0 5.5 22
7 0 0 0 0 0
8 1 1 1.5 0 0 3.5 14
9 1.5 2 .5 .5 4.5 18
10 1 .5 0 1.5 6
11 1 1 4
12 0 0
13 0 0
14 2 1 1 0 0 4 16
15 1.5 .5 0 2 8
16 1.5 1 1.5 2 1.5 7.5 30
17 0 0
18 2 .5 1 0 3.5 14
19 .5 .5 0 0 1 4
20 2 .5 .5 .5 3.5 14
21 1.5 2 3.5 14

After discovering how much of the pre-assessment students did not try to attempt, I
decided to make a personal goal to have each student attempt every problem in this class. After
observing these students for a couple of weeks, I have noticed that if students think the problem
is too hard or don’t have a way to access the problem, they will turn in a blank quiz or other form
of assessment even if they know the actual content and process. I was hopeful that every student
would try at least one problem, but according to the data above, 3 students did not attempt a
single problem. I was also hoping that at least one student would attempt each problem, yet no
one tried any method to try and factor in problem 8. Based on my understanding of student
mastery in factoring quadratics, I already planned to spend a couple of days reviewing and
applying different factoring methods as well as teaching some new methods. After noticing that
students did not attempt any part of the two factoring problems (8 & 3), I knew that we had to
teach students the different methods and things to look out for to use each method.
Overall, I knew that we would have to review some of our older math concepts like
combining like terms and exponent rules as many students struggled to combine like terms (they
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ended up changing the exponents) and distributing x values as they multiplied (many students
attempted the multiplication problem by only distributing the 5). A lot of students remembered
how to evaluate a function from their units on linear and quadratic functions, but many students
forgot to put parentheses around their input, did not complete the order of operations in the right
order (multiplied before exponents), or made simple arithmetic mistakes which is why I planned
to introduce synthetic substitution as a way for students to work with smaller arithmetic
mistakes. By introducing synthetic substitution, I would then be able to teach synthetic division
as students used divided polynomials by binomials as they tried to factor using the possible roots
method. I was pleasantly surprised to see that one student knew how to perform polynomial
operations, including long division, but forgot to extend the subtraction to the entire binomial
which resulted in the wrong solution.
A handful of students tried to apply the information they learned from polynomials to the
graphing problems in 2 and 3 by finding the x intercepts and attempting to find an axis of
symmetry and vertex. A couple of students even pointed out that the leading coefficient (or a-
value from quadratics) was negative in problem three so I knew I wouldn’t have to focus on the
leading coefficient as much as I would have to focus on degree and end behavior. After looking
at the attempts made for graphing, I thought it would be a good idea to spend multiple days on
graphing, including a day where students are provided both standard and factored forms of the
polynomial as they practice determining the end behavior and one day focusing strictly on
factored form before teaching them how to factor and revisiting a similar problem to number 3. I
was a little disappointed that only one student attempted problem 9 which focused on the
fundamental theorem of algebra. I figured we only needed to spend a day on the concept as it is
relatively easy to understand but also be sure to check our work when factoring by using the
fundamental theorem of algebra to tell us how many solutions we should have.
At Columbia High school, every teacher uses the three-scale mastery progression to
measure student understanding on their SLOs. The scale breakdown is as follows: “needs
remediation” (0-49%), “approaching mastery” (50-79%), and “mastery” (80-100%). After
looking through my data I noticed that all 21 of my students scored in the “needs remediation”
level on their pre-assessment, with the highest overall score being a 30%. Below is a scatterplot
of everyone’s overall score on the pre-assessment and a whisker plot to show the average score
and standard deviation.
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Pre-Assessment Results by Student

100

90

80

70

60
Percentage

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Student

Objectives, Growth Targets, and Standards

After reviewing the data above, the only two objectives that I wanted to change were
“Use direct substitution with the correct order of operations to evaluate a polynomial for a given
input” to “evaluate a polynomial using either direct or synthetic substitution” and “Choose a
valid method of factoring from:” to “choose a valid method of factoring and apply the
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fundamental theorem of algebra to check the total number of solutions from:”. I still have the
personal goal for each student to attempt every problem and not give up while taking their
summative assessment. For the purpose of this SLO, my class wide goal is to bump every student
up from the “needs remediation” level (0-49%) on the Columbia High school mastery scale to
the “approaching mastery” level (50-79%) or above. Below I have listed out the daily objectives
and which standards they correspond to.

Daily Unit Objectives

- Day 1: I can describe and use the order of operations and exponent rules as I simplify
exponential expressions.
o ASE.3c* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: use the properties
of exponents to transform expressions for exponential functions.
- Day 2: I can Identify whether a function is a polynomial function or not, find the degree
of the polynomial, and classify the type of polynomial based on the degree. I will also be
able to evaluate a polynomial using either direct or synthetic substitution.
o ASE.2 – Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
o FIF.2* - Evaluate functions and interpret the meaning of expressions involving
function notation from a mathematical perspective and in terms of the context
when the function describes a real-world situation.
- Day 3: I can evaluate a polynomial using either direct or synthetic substitution.
o FIF.2* - Evaluate functions and interpret the meaning of expressions involving
function notation from a mathematical perspective and in terms of the context
when the function describes a real-world situation.
- Day 4: I can identify key characteristics of a polynomial in algebraic form (like degree,
leading coefficient, x-intercepts, and end behavior) to sketch a graph of a polynomial
when given standard and factored forms. I can also Identify key characteristic of a
polynomial in graphical form to identify a graph from a pool of graphs.
o FIF.4* - Interpret key features of a function that models the relationship between
two quantities when given in graphical or tabular form. Sketch a graph of a
function from a verbal description showing key features. Key features include
intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, constant,
positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums; symmetries; end
behavior and periodicity.
o AAPR.3 – Graph polynomials identifying zeros when suitable factorizations are
available and indicating end behavior. Write a polynomial of least degree
corresponding to a given graph.
o FIF.9* - Compare properties of two functions given in different representations
such as algebraic, tabular, or verbal.
o FIF.5 – Relate the domain ad range of a function to its graph and, where
applicable, to the quantitative relationship it describes.
o FIF.7 – Graph functions from their symbolic representations. Indicate key features
including intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing,
constant, positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums’ symmetries;
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end behavior and periodicity. Graph simple cases by hand and use technology for
complicated cases.
- Day 5: I can identify key characteristics of a polynomial in algebraic form (like degree,
leading coefficient, x-intercepts, and end behavior) to sketch a graph of a polynomial
when given factored form. I can also Identify key characteristic of a polynomial in
graphical form to identify a graph from a pool of graphs.
o FIF.4* - Interpret key features of a function that models the relationship between
two quantities when given in graphical or tabular form. Sketch a graph of a
function from a verbal description showing key features. Key features include
intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, constant,
positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums; symmetries; end
behavior and periodicity.
o AAPR.3 – Graph polynomials identifying zeros when suitable factorizations are
available and indicating end behavior. Write a polynomial of least degree
corresponding to a given graph.
o FIF.9* - Compare properties of two functions given in different representations
such as algebraic, tabular, or verbal.
o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
o FIF.5 – Relate the domain ad range of a function to its graph and, where
applicable, to the quantitative relationship it describes.
o FIF.7 - Graph functions from their symbolic representations. Indicate key features
including intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing,
constant, positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums’ symmetries;
end behavior and periodicity. Graph simple cases by hand and use technology for
complicated cases.
- Day 6: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide polynomials and write the solution in
standard form.
o AAPR.1* - Add, subtract, and multiply polynomials and understand that
polynomials are closed under these operations.
o ASE.2* - Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
- Day 7: I can evaluate a polynomial using either direct or synthetic substitution. I can also
identify key characteristics of a polynomial in algebraic form (like degree, leading
coefficient, x-intercepts, and end behavior) to sketch a graph when given in standard and
factored forms.
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o AARP.3 – Graph polynomials identifying zeros when suitable factorizations are

available and indicating end behavior. Write a polynomial of least degree
corresponding to a given graph.
o FIF.4 – Interpret key features of a function that models the relationship between
two quantities when given in graphical or tabular form. Sketch a graph of a
function from a verbal description showing key features. Key features include
intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, constant,
positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums; symmetries; end
behavior and periodicity.
o FIF.9 – Compare properties of two functions given in different representations
such as algebraic, tabular, or verbal.
o FIF.2* - Evaluate functions and interpret the meaning of expressions involving
function notation from a mathematical perspective and in terms of the context
when the function describes a real-world situation.
- Day 8: I can apply my prior knowledge of factoring quadratics to factoring polynomials
by factoring out a GCF, factoring by grouping, and using the X-game to assist me as I
factor quadratic factors of a polynomial. I will also learn how to perform quadratic
substitution to factor polynomials that look like quadratics but have a higher degree.
Finally, I will be able to determine the best method to use when factoring polynomials for
a given polynomial due to restraints of each method.
o ASE.2 - Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
- Day 9: I can apply my prior knowledge of factoring quadratics to factoring polynomials
by factoring out a GCF, factoring by grouping, and using the X-game to assist me as I
factor quadratic factors of a polynomial. I will also learn how to perform quadratic
substitution to factor polynomials that look like quadratics but have a higher degree, the
sum of two cubes, and the difference of two cubes formulas. Finally, I will be able to
determine the best method to use when factoring polynomials for a given polynomial due
to restraints of each method.
o ASE.2 – Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
- Day 10: I can use long or synthetic division to divide polynomials. I can find all other
factors of a polynomial when given one by using and applying the remainder and factor
theorems.
o ASE.2 – Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
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o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and

explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
o AARP.2 – Know and apply the Division Theorem and the Remainder Theorem
for polynomials.
- Day 11: I can list out all possible rational roots of a function and use the remainder and
factor theorems to determine if the possible root is a real root as I factor polynomials.
o ASE.2 – Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
o AARP.2 – Know and apply the Division Theorem and the Remainder Theorem
for polynomials.
- Day 12: I can factor polynomials using any method learned thus far and apply the
fundamental theorem of algebra to check if I have the correct number of solutions.
o NCNS.9 – Know the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra and explain why complex
roots of polynomials with real coefficients must occur in conjugate pairs.
o ASE.2 – Analyze the structure of binomials, trinomials, and other polynomials in
order to rewrite equivalent expressions.
o ASE.3a* - Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and
explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression: find the zeros of
a quadratics function by rewriting it in equivalent factored form and explain the
connection between the zeros of the function, its linear factors, the x-intercepts of
its graph, and the solutions to the corresponding quadratic equation.
o AARP.2 – Know and apply the Division Theorem and the Remainder Theorem
for polynomials.
- Day 13: I can call upon and use all the above content as I review for my summative
assessment on polynomials.
o Standards: All the above
- Day 14: I can call upon and use all the above content as I complete my summative
assessment on polynomials.
o Standards: All the above

Progress Monitoring
I plan on monitoring the class and observing students as they work independently and in
groups during the practice portion of the lesson each day. Every day students will have either a
worksheet, delta math, activity, or homework assignment to work on to practice the newly
learned content. I also plan on giving students a quiz after the first third of the unit to determine
if we need to spend more time on graphing, some exit activities (class discussions and
thin/pair/shares, with one exit ticket), and a major review before their summative assessment.
 17

Because none of my students are ESOL students that receive accommodations or modifications,
hold an IEP, or a 504; none of my students require accommodations or modifications so all
students complete the same assignments and activities. Below is a chart of all the forms of
assessment used throughout the unit and how each assignment was graded per learning objective.

Learning Assessment Assessment Evaluation Criteria

Objective Description
Identify whether Pre-assessment: N/A
a function is a
polynomial Formative: Delta Math 3.1 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
function or not
and classify the Post Assessment: N/A
type of
polynomial
based on the
degree.
Evaluate a Pre-assessment: Question 1 Ungraded – accuracy out of 2 points recorded for SLO
polynomial at a
given input using Formative: Synthetic Graded for completion out of 20 points
direct or Substitution Practice
synthetic
substitution. Questions 1 and 2 on Graded for accuracy out of 6 points
Quiz

Question 1 on Ungraded – practice for summative assessment

Review

Post Assessment: Question 1 Graded for accuracy out of 2 points

Identify key Pre-assessment: Questions 2 and 3 Ungraded – accuracy out of 5 points each (10 total)
characteristics of recorded for SLO
a polynomial in
algebraic form Formative: Desmos Polygraph Graded for completion out of 20 points
(like degree,
leading Delta Math 3.2 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
coefficient, x-
intercepts, and Graphing Graded for completion out of 20 points
end behavior) to Polynomials Practice
sketch a graph of
a polynomial. Question 3 on Quiz Graded for accuracy out of 4 points

Questions 2 and 3 on Ungraded – practice for summative assessment

Review

Post Assessment: Questions 2 and 3 Graded for accuracy out of 5 points each
Add, subtract, Pre-assessment: Questions 4, 5, 6, Ungraded - accuracy out of 1, 2, 2, and 3 points
multiply, and and 7 respectively (8 total) recorded for SLO
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divide
polynomials; Formative: Homework 3.1 Graded for completion out of 20 points
write the
solution in Delta Math 3.2 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
standard form.
Questions 4, 5, 6, Ungraded – practice for summative assessment
and 7 on Review

Post Assessment: Questions 4, 5, 6, Graded for accuracy out of 1, 2, 2, and 3 points

and 7 respectively
Use the Pre-assessment: Question 7 and Ungraded – accuracy out of 3 and 4 points respectively
remainder and potentially 8 (7 total) recorded for SLO
factor theorems
to identify if a Formative: Delta Math 3.3 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
binomial is a
factor of a Homework 3.2 Graded for completion out of 20 points
polynomial.
Homework 3.3 Graded for completion out of 20 points

Questions 7 and 8 on Ungraded – practice for summative assessment

Review

Post Assessment: Question 7 and Graded for accuracy out of 3 and 4 points respectively
potentially 8
Identify all Pre-assessment: Potentially question Ungraded – accuracy out of 4 points recorded for SLO
possible rational 8
roots of a
polynomial and Formative: Homework 3.3 Graded for completion out of 20 points
apply the factor
theorem to Delta Math 3.3 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
identify whether
or not it is a root. Question 8 on Ungraded – practice for summative assessment
Review

Post Assessment: Potentially question Graded for accuracy out of 4 points

8
Apply the Pre-assessment: Questions 2, 3, 8, Ungraded – accuracy out of 5, 5, 4, and 1 point
fundamental and 9 respectively (15 total) recorded for SLO
theorem of
algebra to Formative: Delta Math 3.3 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
identify the
number of Exit Ticket Ungraded – Accuracy out of six points recorded for
solutions a SLO
polynomial has.
Questions 2, 3, 8, Ungraded – practice for summative assessment
and 9 on Review
 19

Post Assessment: Questions 2, 3, 8, Graded for accuracy out of 5, 5, 4, and 1 points

and 9 respectively
Choose the best Pre-assessment: Questions 3 and 8 Ungraded – accuracy out of 5 and 4 respectively (9
method to factor total) recorded for SLO
polynomials
from: factoring Formative: Delta Math 3.3 Graded for accuracy and completion out of 20 points
out a GCF,
factoring by Exit Ticket Ungraded – accuracy out of six points recorded for
grouping, SLO
quadratics Group Experts
substitution, Factoring Activity Graded for completion out of 20 points
difference of
perfect squares, Homework 3.2
difference of two Graded for completion out of 20 points
cubes, sum of Homework 3.3
two cubes, and Graded for completion out of 20 points
dividing by Questions 3 and 8 on
possible rational Review Ungraded – practice for summative assessment
roots.
Post Assessment: Questions 3 and 8
Graded for accuracy out of 5 and 4 points respectively

Instructional Strategies
Throughout the course of this unit, I planned a variety of activities for students to
complete alongside their typical lesson structure. Below is a list of the daily lesson plans in
bulleted format. I will also include a link here to a Google Drive folder that includes the basic
weekly lesson plans I created for the unit (using the Columbia High School weekly lesson plan
format), the lesson notes (Smart Notebook files converted to pdf), and any activities that we used
throughout the unit.
Day 1: Review of Exponent Rules
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on exponent rules and simplifying
expressions using the order of operations. Throughout the direct instruction and modeling
portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and walk around the room monitoring
students as they attempt similar problems. All students should be taking physical notes on
paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their Delta Math assignment
20

for the remainder of the block. They will need their laptops or phones to complete the
assignment and can plug into one of the many extension cords if they need to charge their
device.
o If students are not done with their Delta Math, they will need to complete the
remaining work outside of class before 8AM on Monday morning.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion reviewing the order of operations and what to do when multiplying the same
base with different exponents.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the quiz on
Friday 2/24 covering evaluating and graphing polynomials.
Day 2: Identifying and Evaluating Polynomials
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on identifying, classifying, and evaluating
polynomials. Throughout the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the
teacher will take breaks and walk around the room monitoring students as they attempt
similar problems. All students should be taking physical notes on paper and should be
participating in the teacher’s call out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before handing out the synthetic substitution practice
assignment that students will work on for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can check it off with the teacher for
completion and compare their work to the answer key on my desk. If they are not
done, they will need to complete the remaining work outside of class.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion on what we check for when identifying polynomials and when students need
to add in zero terms when performing synthetic substitution.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the quiz on
Friday 2/24 covering evaluating and graphing polynomials.
Day 3: Continue Evaluating Polynomials
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up as well as getting their synthetic substitution
practice worksheet out to check if they have not checked it already.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room and
checks in the synthetic substitution practice. If the teacher notices a student is stuck, they
will refer the student to a guiding problem in their notes and ask students what they think
they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
21

- The teacher will then inform the students that the remainder of this half day is for
students to work on their Delta Math and other missing work from the quarter.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the quiz on
Friday 2/24 covering evaluating and graphing polynomials. The teacher will also remind
students to complete their Delta Math over the weekend and bring in any missing work
on Monday.
Day 4: Introduction to Graphing Polynomial Functions
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on graphing polynomials given the function
in standard and intercept form, identifying key characteristics of the function (like degree,
leading coefficient, end behavior, and x-intercepts) to sketch the function. Throughout
the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and
walk around the room monitoring students as they attempt similar problems. All students
should be taking physical notes on paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call
out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
will instruct students to get out their laptops and go to student.desmos.com and enter the
class code to play the Polygraph activity. The teacher will model example questions to
the class and describe how to play the Polygraph game (like Guess Who) before having
students complete three games.
o If students finish the Polygraph activity early, they will be instructed to work on
the Delta Math assignment for the week.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion on end behavior.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the quiz on
Friday 2/24 covering evaluating and graphing polynomials.
Day 5: More Graphing Polynomial Functions
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on graphing polynomial functions when
only given the intercept form of the function. Throughout the direct instruction and
22

modeling portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and walk around the room
monitoring students as they attempt similar problems. All students should be taking
physical notes on paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call out and response
questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their practice graphing
polynomials assignment for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can check it off with the teacher for
completion and compare their work to the answer key on my desk. If they are not
done, they will need to complete the remaining work outside of class.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion on how to find the degree and leading coefficient of a polynomial in intercept
form.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the quiz on
Friday 2/24 covering evaluating and graphing polynomials.
Day 6: Polynomial Operations
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on adding, subtracting, and multiplying
polynomials. Throughout the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the
teacher will take breaks and walk around the room monitoring students as they attempt
similar problems. All students should be taking physical notes on paper and should be
participating in the teacher’s call out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their book work assignment
for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can check it off with the teacher for
completion and compare their work to the answer key on my desk and then
continue working on their weekly Delta Math. If they are not done, they will need
to complete the remaining work outside of class.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion on exponent rules and combining like terms.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the quiz on
Friday 2/24 covering evaluating and graphing polynomials.
Day 7: Quiz on Graphing and Evaluating Polynomials
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up review.
23

- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then continue the teach me format to review for the quiz on graphing and
evaluating polynomial functions.
- Once the review is completed, the teacher will instruct students to put away all notes and
electronics and pass out the quiz.
o If students finish the quiz early, they can continue working on any missing work
or the weekly Delta Math.
- The teacher will remind students to complete their Delta Math over the weekend and
bring in any missing work on Monday.
Day 8: Introduction to Factoring Polynomials
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on factoring polynomials using extensions
of factoring methods from the quadratics unit (factoring out a GCF, factoring by
grouping, and quadratics substitution). Throughout the direct instruction and modeling
portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and walk around the room monitoring
students as they attempt similar problems. All students should be taking physical notes on
paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their Delta Math assignment
for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can work on any missing work from the
quarter. If they are not done, they will have more time to complete the Delta Math
later in the week.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with and exit ticket
on choosing the best method to factor a given polynomial.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the summative
assessment on Tuesday 3/6 covering the entire polynomials unit with the end of quarter
exam on Friday 3/10.
Day 9: More Practice Factoring Polynomials
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
24

-Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on factoring techniques for polynomials
including factoring by grouping, factoring out a GCF, difference of perfect squares,
difference of two cubes, sum of two cubes, and quadratic substitution. Throughout the
direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and
walk around the room monitoring students as they attempt similar problems. All students
should be taking physical notes on paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call
out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before introducing the Factoring Method Group activity in
which each group will become an expert on one of the six factoring methods we have
learned thus far. Students will be given the packet for the activity and will work with
their group members to identify which of the polynomials they could factor using their
given method. They will also work on finding a strategy to use their process, work out
one of the problems, and explain how they knew the problems they chose could be
factored using their technique.
o Once all students have checked off their work the teacher will pass out chart paper
for students to write their work on to hang in the hallway for all their classmates
to see and take notes on.
- At the end of class, the teacher will explain that this activity will serve as a guide as they
continue to factor polynomials this week and will be checked in at the beginning of the
next class.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the summative
assessment on Tuesday 3/6 covering the entire polynomials unit with the end of quarter
exam on Friday 3/10.
Day 10: Remainder and Factor Theorems
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on long division of polynomials, how to
use synthetic division, and the remainder and factor theorems. Throughout the direct
instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and walk
around the room monitoring students as they attempt similar problems. All students
should be taking physical notes on paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call
out and response questioning style.
25

-Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their book work assignment
for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can check it off with the teacher for
completion and compare their work to the answer key on my desk before
continuing to work on their Delta Math or any missing work. If they are not done,
they will need to complete the remaining work outside of class.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion on the difference between the remainder and factor theorems, the process of
long division of polynomials, and the process of synthetic division.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the summative
assessment on Tuesday 3/6 covering the entire polynomials unit with the end of quarter
exam on Friday 3/10.
Day 11: Finding Possible Rational Roots of Polynomial Functions
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on finding possible rational roots and
dividing polynomials by them to determine if it’s a factor. Throughout the direct
instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the teacher will take breaks and walk
around the room monitoring students as they attempt similar problems. All students
should be taking physical notes on paper and should be participating in the teacher’s call
out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their book work assignment
for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can check it off with the teacher for
completion and compare their work to the answer key on my desk before working
on the Delta Math or any missing work. If they are not done, they will need to
complete the remaining work outside of class.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with a group
discussion on how to find the possible rational roots of a function and how they can tell if
it is or is not an actual root.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the summative
assessment on Tuesday 3/6 covering the entire polynomials unit with the end of quarter
exam on Friday 3/10.
Day 12: Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
26

-Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then teach the lesson portion on the fundamental theorem of algebra and
how they can use it to check their work when they are factoring and graphing
polynomials. Throughout the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson, the
teacher will take breaks and walk around the room monitoring students as they attempt
similar problems. All students should be taking physical notes on paper and should be
participating in the teacher’s call out and response questioning style.
- Once the direct instruction and modeling portion of the lesson is completed, the teacher
should ask for any questions before letting students work on their Delta Math assignment
for the remainder of the block.
o If students finish the assignment, they can check it off with the teacher for
completion and compare their work to the answer key on my desk. If they are not
done, they will need to complete the remaining work outside of class.
- Within the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher should close the lesson with an exit ticket
problem written on the whiteboard where students find the number of solutions of three
given polynomials.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the summative
assessment on Tuesday 3/6 covering the entire polynomials unit with the end of quarter
exam on Friday 3/10. The teacher will also remind students to complete their Delta Math
over the weekend and bring in any missing work on Monday.
Day 13: Review of Polynomials
- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
some paper to get started on the warm-up. The teacher will also go around the room and
check in any missing work students may have at this time.
- Students will work individually on the warm-up as the teacher monitors the room. If the
teacher notices a student is stuck, they will refer the student to a guiding problem in their
notes and ask students what they think they could try.
- Once students have completed the warm-up, the teacher will ask students to “teach me”
how to do the problem, guiding the teacher throughout the process. The teacher will ask
students if they have any questions or need clarification at this point.
- The teacher will then give the class thirty minutes to work individually on the review that
is posted on Schoology. As students are working the teacher will monitor the room and
assist students when necessary.
- After thirty minutes, the teacher can choose to give students another twenty minutes to
work before reviewing problems that many students struggled with or begin reviewing
the entire review using the “teach me” strategy.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the summative
assessment on Tuesday 3/6 covering the entire polynomials unit with the end of quarter
exam on Friday 3/10.
Day 14: Post Assessment on Polynomials
27

- Greet students as they enter the room. Remind them to grab a calculator, a pencil, and
that they have 5 minutes to review before beginning their summative assessment on
polynomials.
- The teacher will then ask students to put away all notes and devices before passing out
the summative assessment. As students are working, the teacher will monitor the room
and answer student questions as needed.
- If students finish early, they can work on any missing work they have for the semester or
get a head start on the end of quarter exam review posted on Schoology.
- The teacher will remind students that their next upcoming assessment is the end of
quarter exam on Friday 3/10.

Post Assessment with Analysis

The post assessment of the polynomials unit was identical to the pre-assessment given at
the beginning of the unit. I have posted the artifact below if you would like to reference the
problems as you look through the data. Students were given the exact same problems that were
on their pre-assessment with 9 free response questions where they had to evaluate, graph, factor
and graph, add, subtract, multiply, divide, factor, and find the total number of solutions of
polynomials. Each question was graded out of a different number of points based on the
complexity of the problem. The question on evaluating a polynomial was worth two points; the
graphing problems were worth five points each; adding polynomials was worth one point;
subtracting and multiplying polynomials were worth 2 points each; dividing was worth three
points; factoring was worth four; and finding the total number of solutions was worth one point;
leaving the whole summative assessment worth 25 points. Below the copy of the post assessment
is individual student data per question, alongside a graph of student progression from scores on
the pre-assessment versus the post assessment, and a whisker plot comparing the overall class
means with standard deviation between the pre and post assessments.
28
29

Student Question (Points Per Question) Total %

Score
30

1 2 4.5 5 1 2 2 3 4 1 24.5 98
2 2 4.5 5 .5 2 2 3 3 1 23 92
3 2 5 5 1 2 2 3 4 1 25 100
4 2 4 5 1 2 2 2 3 21 84
5 1.5 4.5 2 .5 2 1.5 3 2 1 18 72
6 1 4.5 3 1 2 2 2.5 1 1 19 76
7 2 4.5 5 1 1.5 1.5 2 4 1 22.5 90
8 2 4.5 3.5 1 1.5 2 3 4 1 23 92
9 2 5 5 1 2 2 3 4 1 25 100
10 2 4 4 .5 2 2 3 3 1 21.5 86
11 2 4.5 4.5 1 2 1 3 3.5 1 22.5 90
12 2 4.5 5 1 2 2 3 4 1 24.5 98
13 2 4.5 4 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 1 21.5 86
14 2 5 3.5 1 2 2 2.5 4 1 23 92
15 2 4.5 5 .5 1.5 2 2.5 2.5 1 21.5 86
16 2 5 5 .5 2 2 3 3 1 23.5 94
17 1 4.5 5 1 1 2 3 2 1 20.5 82
18 1.5 4.5 4 1 2 0 2 2.5 1 18.5 74
19 1 3 2.5 0 1 1.5 2 2 1 14 56
20 2 4.5 4.5 1 2 2 3 4 1 24 96
21 2 3.5 5 1 1.5 2 3 4 1 23 92

Assessment Results
100
90
80
70
Total Score (%)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Sudent

Pre-Assessment Post Assessment

31

Overall students did much better attempting each problem and we almost hit the goal of
100% of questions attempted. Unfortunately, one student did not attempt problem 9 (the problem
on the fundamental theorem of algebra) and I believe he did not see the last problem because he
knew how to use the fundamental theorem of algebra throughout the last two classes. According
to the Columbia High School mastery goal, I was able to surpass my goal of getting each student
to the approaching mastery level (50-79%) and had 17 out of my 21 students move from the
“needs remediation” level all the way to the “mastery” level. I happily noticed that every student
understood how to set up either direct or synthetic substitution in problem one, and only a
handful made some small arithmetic mistakes. Almost every student knew how to correctly draw
the graph in problem three with the most common mistake being identifying the degree (this
problem was in factored form already). Problems three and eight were the most difficult for
students, which was somewhat expected as they were the factoring problems. A lot of students
chose a good factoring method in problem eight, but many forgot to find all the solutions and lost
a point for forgetting to put a plus or minus in front of their solution to have three solutions.
Students that didn’t earn many points on problem 3 ended up forgetting they had to factor the
polynomial to find the x-intercepts, but they were able to find the correct end behavior, leading
coefficient, and degree. For problems four, five, and six (adding, subtracting, and multiplying)
the most common mistake was small arithmetic mistakes. Almost no students made any mistakes
combining like terms or using their exponent rules. The only mistake that students really made
when dividing polynomials in problem seven was rewriting their polynomial with the remainder
after completing the division.
32

Reflection
Students met and surpassed my expectations overall for the polynomials unit moving
from the “needs remediation” level to the “approaching mastery” and “mastery” levels. I think
this was due to the fact that I was able to analyze the pre-assessment, which was an open
response format, so I was able to see any attempt students made and misconceptions students
were already making before teaching the content. I was also able to make explicit connections
with students about content they saw in their quadratics and systems of linear functions units as I
was in the classroom with them during these units (unlike my fall experiences).
Based on the data for this current unit, I plan on trying to structure my lessons to have as
much practice time for students as possible as this provided more time for me to check in on
students and have one-on-one conferences which held students more accountable for their work
overall and gave them more confidence to ask questions which then gave their more confidence
in their mathematical abilities. I also had to analyze and reflect on student performance much
more than I had in my current placement, which helped me to better understand the common
misconceptions and mistakes students were prone to make. It also gave me more insight to
students as individuals and helped me make better connections to them overall. If I were to teach
this unit over again, I would make sure that students understood why we want to find the degree
and leading coefficient as that helps us determine the end behavior of a function the first day we
learned how to graph as they seemed confused about how the end behavior chart helps us graph
functions that first day. I would also spend more time on the day we learned about the
fundamental theorem of algebra and how it helps me to check for my total number of solutions,
modeling explicitly how to use the new tool as many students understood how to find the total
number of solutions but did not know how to apply it to check their work. Lastly, I would love to
squeeze in an extra day of graphing at the end of the unit in which students had to factor
polynomials on their own to be able to find the x-intercepts and graph the polynomial. I think
that students understood how to factor and graph polynomials as two separate problems but
struggled when they had to do both processes for one problem.
I would also want to go back and either switch up some of the problems or add some
more to the summative assessment as many of the problems did not focus on the most
challenging material in the unit which was factoring and solving polynomials. I understand that
there isn’t an explicit standard that I highlighted for factoring polynomials, but applying the
remainder and factor theorems and the fundamental theorem of algebra all apply to when you
factor polynomials. Hence, I would try to focus some more on factoring and applying those
theorems. Otherwise, I would say that my assessments followed the objectives I set for my
students as they had at least one problem on each objective I set with many of the objectives
covering multiple questions. I also preferred to see student work on each problem which is why I
did not create a multiple-choice assessment as I could see the different processes students tried
and if they understood how to get to a solution rather than just finding the correct answer.
The last thing I would want to change is how I analyze student mastery/growth
throughout the unit. Because I was a student teacher in another teacher’s classroom, I did not
want to overstep and change up her grading system randomly to better analyze the growth of
students, but I would prefer to change the homework system up. I understand that it is difficult to
check students for accuracy and completion on every assignment as a busy teacher with multiple
classes, but I think I would have been better informed if students had to check their homework
for accuracy too. I made an answer key for every homework assignment that students could
check their work with as they completed their assignments, but I only had one or two students
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ever go back to my desk to check their solutions. A lot of students thought I knew the solutions
off the top of my head and could check their work for accuracy as I came around the room, so I
think it would have been beneficial to show the solutions alongside the warm-up so that students
could ask questions and that it would hold students accountable for getting the work done in a
reasonable amount of time (i.e., not right at the end of the quarter, a month after we learned the
content).

Mid Unit Conference

1. Are students making progress toward the target goal? How do you know?
a. Students do seem to be making progress toward evaluating, graphing, and
performing polynomial operations. I can tell based on student formative data on
their homework problems, their delta math assignments, the practice graphing and
practice synthetic substitution problems, our closure discussions, their attempt at
the Desmos Polygraph activity, and their performance on the quiz. Students
showed growth and developed understanding of graphing polynomials and end
behavior after the second day of graphing and the graphing practice activity.
2. If not, what revisions are planned for instruction?
a. There were some struggles with graphing polynomials and determining end
behavior, so we decided to incorporate an extra day of graphing with a new
practice activity to determine the correct end behavior. After reviewing graphing
and talking about how the degree helps us identify if the arrows are pointing in
the same direction or the opposite direction and how the leading coefficient helps
us identify which direction to put the arrows in, students did much better on their
graphing problems and did not need to reference their end behavior charts as
much. Students performed really well on their quiz on graphing and evaluating
polynomials, so we decided to continue in the unit to factoring.
3. If students will surpass the target goal, what is planned for continued growth during the
completion of the unit?
a. As of this point in the unit I am unable to determine if students will surpass the
goal as we have not yet learned how to factor polynomials and after seeing
students factor quadratics, I have seen that factoring seems to be the most difficult
topic for students to master. Also, students will most likely have trouble
identifying possible processes to use to factor polynomials since they are not as
straight forward as factoring quadratics, so I have a feeling we will need to spend
extra time on factoring in the upcoming days.
4. What has been a strength for the intern in this process?
a. According to my CT, she says that my biggest strengths are finding engaging
activities and different ways to get every student in the class to participate. She
says I am doing a great job of being flexible and moving around the topics within
the unit as needed to better fit our students’ needs rather than being rigid and
needing to follow a strict schedule and lesson plan for each day.
5. What is an area of growth for the intern in this process?
a. According to my CT, because I care so much about meeting with each individual
as I monitor throughout the lesson and I love to give students extra time to
practice each of the problems, I end up messing up my pacing and not providing
students with as much individual/group practice time overall. In the next couple
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of weeks that I am teaching, a personal goal of mine is to stick to any time limits I
set for students during the modeling and direct instruction portion of my lesson so
that I can spend more one-on-one time during the practice portion of the lesson.

Final Conference
1. Was the target for this SLO reached?
a. Yes, my target of moving every student from the “needs remediation” level of
mastery to the “approaching mastery” level or higher was met. I was pleasantly
surprised to find out that 17 out of my 21 students in this class actually scored in
the “mastery” level rather than just the “approaching mastery” level.
2. If not, was it close?
a. I reached my target for this SLO.
3. If so, was the target greatly surpassed? Why or why not?
a. Yes, as mentioned above 17 out of my 21 students surpassed the goal of attaining
“approaching mastery” (50-79%) to be in the “mastery” level (80-100%). This
was most likely due to the fact that I tried to conference with each student
individually at least three times a week where we looked over the notes and had
each student ask any questions they had about the lesson but were afraid to ask in
the whole class setting. I think the range of practice activities also helped students
master the content as they had to think more critically about how they could solve
different types of problems rather than being told explicitly which process to use.
4. Did reflective practices lead to improved instruction and student outcomes?
a. I think that reflective practices helped lead to improved instruction because I was
able to better manage my time to then conference with each individual multiple
times throughout the week which helped them clear up any confusion and boost
their confidence. I believe that students benefitted from the changes my CT and I
made to the original calendar and lesson notes after analyzing student work on
their pre-assessment, and that bringing in new game-like activities (trashetball
review, Desmos polygraph) and working with different groups (factoring experts,
Desmos polygraph, review game) made the content more engaging and gave
students a new medium to work with.