Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012

Introduction
The learners that were analyzed in this report are current students at Ola High
School. Ola High School is a public school in Henry County, Georgia. The learning
environment is in the Mild Intellectual Disabled Program, which is a self-contained
setting. The learners range from 9
th
to 11
th
graders with various degrees of disabilities.
For this project the focus will be writing standard ELA11W1: producing writing that
establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader,
maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure. For the learners
in the Mild Intellectual Disabled setting it is appropriate to give students access to the
Georgia Performance Standards, which means that not all elements of a standard are
covered. For this standard the focus will be on element e: Writes texts of a length
appropriate to address the topic or tell the story. Every learner in this program has an
Individualized Educational Plan with specific goals and objectives. The specific objective
the learners will be working on is: Given a topic, the student will write a coherent
paragraph using a topic sentence, details, and a conclusion with a score of 12/15 to 15/15
on the writing rubric.
Demographics
Demographic data on the learners is obtained through Infinite Campus. Infinite
Campus is the computerized system that Henry County uses to store data on students.
The data collected indicates gender, race, age, and disability. (Appendix A)


Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012

Entry Skills & Prior Knowledge
Henry County requires all Intellectual Disabled Programs to use the Unique
Curriculum with students in the program. Benchmark testing is done 3 times per
year in fall, winter, and spring. Curriculum is presented monthly with pre and post-
tests for each month. All tests are done online and data is collected on the Unique
Website. Data in this report is from the benchmark-writing test taken in the fall.
The graph shows the students writing scores. (Appendix B) The writing rubric,
which the learners were scored with, has a possible of 15 total points. A score of 1-9
is considered emerging, a score of 10-12 is considered Instructional, and a score of
13-15 is considered Proficient.
Academic Motivation
The learners in the Mild Intellectual Disabled Program often have academic
motivational issues. Based on my experience as an educator in this program, the
learners are afraid of failure due to their past experiences in the general education
setting. The learners are especially afraid or embarrassed to write, because of their
lack of skill in this area. The Learners have weaknesses in nonverbal and abstract
reasoning. Due to these weaknesses, they have weak expressive and receptive
vocabulary, which makes written expression very difficult. The learners struggle
with basic writing skills such as capitalization, punctuation, grammar, spelling, idea
development, and organization.


Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
Motivational Strategies
To motivate learners I try to gain their attention though different types of
inquiry. We will begin using brainstorming activities in whole group and/or one on
one setting. Specific examples will be presented through story starters, pictures or
graphic organizers. To show relevance I will review present knowledge and skills
that have been previously discussed and practiced to link or activate prior
knowledge. These skills include, but are not limited to punctuation, capitalization,
writing topic sentences, writing detail sentences, and writing conclusion sentences.
The learners will be reminded of the future usefulness of writing skills to gain
employment and to function in society. The students will be allowed to choose a
topic and graphic organizer that is relevant to his/her interest. Before the learners
begin, I will model a writing exercise on large chart paper or the Promethean Board.
I usually use a students writing from a previous exercise for the modeling exercise.
To build student confidence I will present the rubric that will be used to score
writing. To help grow the learners, before the students write, the rubric will be
broken down into several sections. For each section of the rubric, there will be
activities to pre-teach each skill and to check for understanding of each concept in
the rubric. As the students write, the rubric will be used as a checklist to guide
writing. The writing exercise will be broken down into manageable parts and
sequential steps of pre-write, write, edit, and publish. After the students complete a
writing task, the rubrics will provide feedback. The use of the rubric will be to
celebrate the achievements of individuals and to give an opportunity to improve.
The learners will also have control of assessing themselves and one another using
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
the rubrics. Through improving their writing skills, the learners will have
opportunity to gain satisfaction by showing off their writing skills in a simulated
real life setting. The students with disabilities have a transition plan with transition
goals that focus on skills that will help them transition into the real world post
graduation. The students will complete an application, write a resume, and an
introduction paragraph about themselves to present during Ola Highs school wide
mock interview week. Each student will present their writings to a professional
from the community in an interview setting. It is important for the students to
experience success with this writing and interview experience to increase his
confidence in society.
Learner Characteristics
We know that a students culture, family background, and socioeconomic
level affect his or her learning. According to the National Education Association
(2011), Culture shapes a person's sense of who he or she is and where he or she fits
in the family, community, and society." As a teacher of the Intellectually Disabled, I
want my students to have an understanding of where they fit in the world. The Mild
Intellectually Disabled students often have the appearance of being normal, but
struggle fitting into the community and society intellectually and socially. Different
cultures have different views of the disabled. Some cultures value the disabled,
while others do not. Some cultures view the disabled as a burden to society and
have no expectations for the disabled to contribute to society. In this article the
importance of communicating high expectations is a culturally responsive teaching
method. Too often, students with disabilities are not challenged with high
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
expectations. I want my students to be challenged with high expectations according
to their ability level to reach their potentials. Knipping, McGathren, & Stormonts
(2003) article stated the following:
A deep understanding of both culture and learning style differences is
important for all educators, though the subject must be addressed carefully.
The relationship of the values of the culture in which a child is currently
living, or from which a child has roots, and the learning expectations and
experiences in the classroom is directly related to the child's school success
academically, socially, and emotionally.
In addition, my students have language deficits and struggle with communication. I
have to be very aware of my communication style and choice of vocabulary. In the
article Supporting Vulnerable Learners in the Primary Grades: Strategies to Prevent
Early School Failure. Guild (2011) stated the following:
School requires a language style that some families use as part of the
familial communication style, and other families do not. Literate style
language (i.e., school language) is more decontextualized than the type of
language typically used among people who are familiar with each other.
Many children need additional support to develop the vocabulary and
narrative skills required for school success.
As I learn my students and have a better understanding of their culture, family
background, and socioeconomic level, then I have to be aware of the way that I
communicate and interact with language. My goal is to help them expand their
vocabulary in a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable communicating
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
in their own style. My students took a Multiple Intelligence Test based on Gardners
multiple intelligences. (Appendix C). The data I collected showed that 5 of the 6
male students were Logical/Mathematical learners. They need things to explore
and they learn best using manipulatives. The other three students were Spatial and
Body/Kinesthetic. These students learn best with movement, tactile experiences,
and hands-on learning. Students with disabilities need accommodations to support
their learning styles and their learning differences.
Accommodations
There are specific appropriate accommodations for learners with Mild
Intellectual Disabilities. In the Intellectual Disabled program we are required to
teach an adapted curriculum. Within this adapted curriculum the vital component is
differentiating instruction. According to Bashinski (2002):
Adapting the curriculum involves differentiating instruction to provide
learners with a variety of ways to process information and demonstrate what
they have learned, in order to "match" the way in which each learner learns
most effectively. Viewed in this manner, providing curriculum adaptations is
a way in which to implement Howard Gardner's theory of multiple
intelligences.
The adapted curriculum used is called Unique Learning. This curriculum provides
students with adapted instructional strategies and materials. Reading materials are
available for students on three different reading levels. Writing activities are
differentiated as well. Students who struggle with writing legibly or with spelling
are allowed to use a hand held word processor that gives the student guidance
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
verbally as they write. Other students benefit from using graphic organizers to help
them organize their thoughts. We call this the Pre-writing stage. In Hall and
Strangmans (2002) research on the effectiveness of graphic organizers improving
learning outcomes for a variety of learners, they found that 10 of 12 studies
reported some positive learning outcomes using graphic organizers. Using graphic
organizers are especially beneficial for my students who have expressive and
receptive language disorders, and for those who are visual learners. Another
accommodation for students with disabilities is Metacognitive Modeling. According
to Blakey and Spence (ND) in their article Developing Metacognition, studies show
metacognitive strategies increase learning. In the creation of a metacognitive
environment, teachers monitor and apply their knowledge, deliberately modeling
metacognitive behavior to assist students in becoming aware of their own thinking.
(Blakey and Spence (ND) It is important that I model the writing process with every
writing activity. As I model the writing process, I think out loud so the students can
hear me think as I am writing. As I model I have them engage by asking them what
they think I should write. We also use the metacognition strategy with the
Promethean Board. Together we think out loud as we complete a graphic organizer
on the board. While writing sequential paragraphs we use the Promethean Board to
touch and drag the sentences to place them in the correct sequence in the paragraph
as we think out loud together. The metacognitive strategies need to be consistently
modeled with the Intellectually Disabled Students. Accommodations are a vital
piece of the learners with disabilities Individual Educational Program.
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
While implementing instruction, it is important to know and understand my
students. First, I must have knowledge of basic demographics and their ability
levels. Then, I must access their entry skills and prior knowledge with benchmark
assessments. Also, it is important to know what motivates my students and to know
what strategies work best with their learning characteristics. Finally, I need to
implement appropriate accommodations to support their learning.































Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
References

Bashinski, S. M. (2002). Adapting the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse
learners. PBS Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/adapting.html

Blakey, E., Spence S. (ND) Developing metacognition. education.com. Retrieved
from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Dev_Metacognition/

Espinosa, L., Knipping, N., McGathren, R., & Stormont, M. (2003). Supporting
vulnerable learners in the primary grades: Strategies to prevent early school failure.
Early Childhood Research & Practice, volume 5 (2). Retrieved from
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v5n2/stormont.html

Guild, P. B., (2011). Diversity, learning style, and culture. Retrieved from
http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Learning%20Styles/
diversity.html

Hall, T., & Strangman, N. (2002). Graphic organizers. Wakefield, MA: National Center
on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved from
http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/graphic_organi....

National Education Association. (2011) Diversity toolkit: cultural competence for
educators. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/tools/30402.htm#MI






















Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
Appendix A
Demographic Information on Students from Infinite Campus (2012)





Appendix B
Benchmark Writing Scores from Unique Learning System (2012)



0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Gender
Female
Male
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Race
African
American
Caucasian
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Age
17
years
old
16
years
old
15
years
old
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Disablility
Moderate
Intellectua
l Disability
Mild
Intellectua
l Disability
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Writing Score
Writing Score
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
Appendix C
Multiple Intelligence Test Taken by Students (2012)
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES TEST
Where does your true intelligence lie? This quiz will tell you where you stand and what to do about it.
Read each statement. If it expresses some characteristic of yours and sounds true for the most part, jot
down a "T." If it doesn't, mark an "F." If the statement is sometimes true, sometimes false, leave it blank.
1. _____ I'd rather draw a map than give someone verbal directions.
2. _____ I can play (or used to play) a musical instrument.
3. _____ I can associate music with my moods.
4. _____ I can add or multiply in my head.
5. _____ I like to work with calculators and computers.
6. _____ I pick up new dance steps fast.
7. _____ It's easy for me to say what I think in an argument or debate.
8. _____ I enjoy a good lecture, speech or sermon.
9. _____ I always know north from south no matter where I am.
10. _____ Life seems empty without music.
11. _____ I always understand the directions that come with new gadgets or appliances.
12. _____ I like to work puzzles and play games.
13. _____ Learning to ride a bike (or skates) was easy.
14. _____ I am irritated when I hear an argument or statement that sounds illogical.
15. _____ My sense of balance and coordination is good.
16. _____ I often see patterns and relationships between numbers faster and easier than others.
17. _____ I enjoy building models (or sculpting).
18. _____ I'm good at finding the fine points of word meanings.
19. _____ I can look at an object one way and see it sideways or backwards just as easily.
20. _____ I often connect a piece of music with some event in my life.
21. _____ I like to work with numbers and figures.
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012
22. _____ Just looking at shapes of buildings and structures is pleasurable to me.
23. _____ I like to hum, whistle and sing in the shower or when I'm alone.
24. _____ I'm good at athletics.
25. _____ I'd like to study the structure and logic of languages.
26. _____ I'm usually aware of the expression on my face.
27. _____ I'm sensitive to the expressions on other people's faces.
28. _____ I stay "in touch" with my moods. I have no trouble identifying them.
29. _____ I am sensitive to the moods of others.
30. _____ I have a good sense of what others think of me.
Top of page





MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE SCORING SHEET
Place a check mark by each item you marked as "true." Add your totals. A total of four in any of the
categories A through E indicates strong ability. In categories F and G a score of one or more means you
have abilities as well.
A
Linguistic
B
Logical- Mathematical
C
M usical
D
Spatial
E
Bodily-
Kinesthetic
F
Intra-
personal
G
Inter-
personal


7 ___ 4 ___ 2 ___ 1 ___ 6 ___ 26 ___ 27 ___

8 ___ 5 ___ 3 ___ 9 ___ 13 ___ 28 ___ 29 ___

14___ 12 ___ 10 ___ 11___ 15 ___ 30 ___

18 ___ 16 ___ 20 ___ 19___ 17 ___

25 ___ 21 ___ 23 ___ 22___ 24 ___

Totals: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Top of page
Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012

The Seven Multiple Intelligences in Children
Children who
are strongly:
Think Love Need
Linguistic in words
reading, writing, telling
stories, playing word
games, etc.
books, tapes, writing tools paper
diaries, dialogues, discussion, debate
stories
Logical-
Mathematical
by reasoning
experimenting,
questioning, figuring out
puzzles, calculating, etc.
things to explore and think about,
science materials, manipulatives, trips
to the planetarium and science
museum
Spatial
in images
and pictures
designing, drawing,
visualizing, doodling, etc.
art, LEGOs, video, movies, slides,
imagination games, mazes, puzzles,
illustrated books, trips to art museums
Bodily-
Kinesthetic
through
somatic
sensations
dancing, running,
jumping, building,
touching, gesturing, etc.
role play, drama, movement, things to
build, sports and physical games,
tactile experiences, hands-on learning
Musical
via rhythms
and
melodies
singing, whistling,
humming, tapping feet
and hands, listening, etc..
sing-along time, trips to concerts,
music playing at home and school,
musical instruments
Interpersonal
by bouncing
ideas off
other people
leading, organizing,
relating, manipulating,
mediating, partying, etc.
friends, group games, social
gatherings, community events, clubs,
mentors/apprenticeships
Intrapersonal
deeply
inside
themselves
setting goals, meditating,
dreaming, being quiet,
secret places, time alone, self-paced
projects, choices


www.spannj.org/BasicRights/appendix_b.htm













Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012

Scoring Rubric for Learner Analysis

0 3 5 Score
Learners Selected a group of
learners that is not an
appropriate target
sample

Selected a group of
learners that is
appropriate; sample size is
less than or equal to 8
Identifies demographics of
learners
Selected a group of learners that
is an appropriate target audience
for the selected Standard/Goal
and contains sufficient number of
learners (8 or more).
Identifies a broad range of
learner characteristics and
includes supporting data from the
target learners.

0 1 2 Score
Gardner Does not identify
differences among
learners
Identifies differences, but
does not use Gardner's MI
theory.

Utilizes Gardner's multiple
intelligences to describe learners'
intelligence preferences and
strengths; includes instrument
and original data from students.

0 1 2 Score
Special Needs Does not include
special needs
information
Identifies special needs of
learners, but does not
describe accommodations
for those learners.
Identifies special needs of
learners. Cites at least 3
references for specific methods
of meeting learners' needs.

0 1 2 Score
Culture/Ethni
city
Does not include
culture or ethnicity
information
Describes how culture
and/or ethnicity might
influence target learners,
but does not list methods
for meeting needs of
learners from different
cultural or ethnic
backgrounds.
Describes how culture and/or
ethnicity might influence target
learners Cites at least 3
references for specific methods
of meeting the needs of
learners of different cultural
and/or ethnic backgrounds.

0 1 2 Score
Motivation Does not include
motivation
information
Includes motivation
information, but does not
list strategies for
motivation
Includes motivation information
and strategies for motivation
Uses ARCS terminology or
structure

0 1 2 Score
Form Poorly organized
report

Section headings
provided were not
used

Several spelling and
grammar errors that
distracted the reader

APA Style not applied
to reference list
Some section headings
provided were addressed

More than three spelling or
grammar errors that
distracted the reader

APA Style attempted

Rubric not included
Well organized report

Provided section headings were
addressed

Few, if any, spelling and grammar
errors that distracted the reader

APA Style applied to reference list

Rubric included

Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012

Total (Max 15) /15
























Rachael McGaha Learner Analysis 9/30/2012