Developing Instructional Plans Based on Students’ Academic Achievement, Functional Performance, and Funds of Identity

 A teacher's knowledge of her students' academic achievement (Johnson & Nelson, 2018), functional performance (Suldo, Friedrich, White, Farmer, Minch, & Michalowski, 2017), and Funds of Identity (Gay, 2018; Gonzalez , Moll, & Amanti 2005) is the foundation for effective, differentiated lesson planning.  Why is it crucial to know these elements of the classroom if your goal is develop effective instructional lesson plans?  Consider the following:

1.    Academic Achievement: Understanding the academic achievement level of each student in the class enables the teacher to tailor the instruction to meet the specific needs of each student. This knowledge helps the teacher to differentiate instruction by identifying areas where students need extra support or challenge.

2.    Functional Performance: Functional performance refers to a student's ability to perform daily living skills, such as communication, social skills, and self-care. By understanding a student's functional performance level, a teacher can incorporate activities and strategies into the lesson plan that support the development of these skills.

3.    Funds of Identity: The Funds of Identity refer to the cultural, linguistic, and personal experiences that students bring to the classroom. Incorporating students' Funds of Identity into the lesson plan helps to create a culturally responsive learning environment, which can increase student engagement and learning.

The teacher's knowledge of her students' academic achievement, functional performance, and Funds of Identity allows her to create a lesson plan that is tailored to meet the specific needs of each student, leading to better academic and personal outcomes.  This is just part of the goal.  How comfortable are you with developing or even using rubrics as an effective formative assessment tool for measuring and analyzing student learning?

Rubrics provide a clear framework for evaluating student performance on specific learning objectives (Andrade, 2005).  Formative assessment provides ongoing feedback to students that can be used to guide instruction and improve student outcomes (Black & Wiliam, 1998). By treating rubrics and formative assessment as complimentary, teachers can collect a wealth of data on student learning that can be used to analyze trends and patterns over time. Rubrics help to standardize the evaluation process and provide a common language for discussing student performance, while formative assessment helps to identify areas where students are struggling and where additional support may be needed.

With this data, teachers can then use data-based analysis to make informed decisions about instructional strategies and interventions. For example, if a teacher notices that many students are consistently struggling with a particular concept, they may use this data to adjust their instruction or provide additional resources to support student learning.  Yes, using rubrics with formative assessment processes can lead to effective data-based analysis of student learning by providing teachers with consistent and meaningful data on student performance that can be used to make informed decisions about instruction and interventions (Heritage, 2010).

Obviously, it is important to develop instructional plans that are sensitive to the academic achievement, functional performance, and Funds of Identity exhibited by your students. To benefit your teaching and your students’ learning, you are invited to access your University’s Libraries’ EBSCO or ERIC databases. Then, review and bookmark the following references.  They are valuable resources for your pedagogical toolbox.

To cite:

Anderson, C.J. (April 30, 2023). Developing instructional plans based on students’ academic achievement, functional performance, and Funds of Identity. [Web log post] Retrieved from        http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

 

References:

Andrade, H. G. (2000). Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning. Educational Leadership, 57(5), 13-18. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/using-rubrics-to-promote-thinking-and-learning

 

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171908000205

Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.)              Teachers College Press.

Gonzalez, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C. (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices            in households, communities, and classrooms. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates         Publishers.

 

Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom.  Corwin Press.

Johnson, C. L., & Nelson, M. J. (2018). Understanding student academic achievement:             The role of teacher expectations. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 8(1), 27-38. doi: 10.5590/JERAP.2018.08.1.03

Suldo, S. M., Friedrich, A. A., White, T., Farmer, J., Minch, D., & Michalowski, J. (2017).             Teacher support and student functional performance: A mixed-methods investigation. Journal of School Psychology, 61, 69-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2016.12.001