Lessons Learned from scoring student work in math and science

1. Lessons Learnedfrom scoring student work in math and science

2. Run-On Equations • Students are using run-on equations to support work. Run-on equations give “false information” and do not earn points for supporting work. • Example of a run-on equation: 10 + 17 = 27 – 3 = 24 • Remedy: Have students use only one equal sign per equation.

3. Showing Work • Examples of ways to help students earn points: • Have students show all mathematical decisions. • Encourage students to record any conversion factor that they use. • “Show work using words, numbers, and/or pictures” does not mean all of the ways. -Students who write a narrative of “how” they solved a problem have added no additional information and may include a contradiction in the narrative.

4. Showing Work • When students provide more than one answer, scorers will not choose which one is correct. • When students write over an answer, they are not making their answers clear enough to score. • Students can earn points for work that is crossed out if it is correct and supports their answer. • Students should cross out work, rather than erase. When students erase work, they show no evidence of strategy or procedure.

5. Labels • Missing and/or incorrect labels are a common reason students lose points. • Money: $1.80 (One dollar and eighty cents) is mislabeled in the following ways: 180 1.80 $1.80¢ 1.80$ $1.8 • When students are given inches in a prompt, their answers are mislabeled feet.

6. Conclusion and Support • Students need practice drawing conclusions and giving quantitative support for their conclusions. • Valid conclusions are based on the data or describe the data. • Support uses the specific data and/or information specific from the item.

7. Number Sense • Students have difficulties labeling fractional parts. • Examples of mislabels:

8. Number Sense • Students do not know how to represent a remainder in decimal form. • Student writes an answer as 12.3 instead of 12 ¾ on the answer line. • Students do not understand the meaning of the “remainder” in division problems.

9. Measurement • Students have difficulty computing with time and representing the answers. • 12:10 means 12 hours ten minutes elapsed time. • 12.1 hours means 12 hours 6 minutes. • 12:10 P.M. means 10 minutes after 12 noon. • Students continue to use 100 minutes for one hour instead of sixty minutes for one hour, when computing elapsed time.

10. Algebraic Sense • Students need practice writing expressions and equations that represent a situation. • They can solve a problem, but do not write an equation or expression that represents what they have done. • Students need to understand the difference between expressions and equations and a correct way to represent expressions and equations using variables. • Examples of expressions: 4x3, t+2, 20t • Examples of equations: 4x3=12, c=20t

11. 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Geometric Sense • When plotting points on a coordinate grid, students are showing the tracking lines that help them locate the points.

12. Geometric Sense • Students need practice sorting figures using more than one attribute: i.e. four-sided figures with exactly one line of symmetry. • When sorting figures with specific attributes, students mistakenly assume that there is an equal number of figures for each attribute. • Students need to use a ruler or straight edge when drawing figures.

13. Probability and Statistics • Students need to understand measures of central tendency: mean, median, and mode. • Students do not make lists of all possible outcomes. • Students have difficulty determining the probabilities of events.

14. Solves Problems/Reasons Logically • Students should answer the question that is being asked! See page 4

15. IT Communication • Students have difficulty writing questions that can be answered from given information. • When students write: “The cost of a milkshake and a donut = ” They do not receive credit because it is not a question. • They should write: “What is the cost of a milkshake and a donut?”

16. In Summary:To Increase Math Scores • Answer the question being asked. • Show work to show how you got your answer. • Peace, Love, and Joy!