I have twenty students in my algebra 1 class who are mostly sophomores that have failed the STAAR state exam several times. Half of the twenty students have learning disabilities which makes the class more challenging. After collecting data from diagnostic assessments, I discovered that most of the students in the classroom had problems finding solutions to story problems dealing with linear and quadratic equations. In addition, I found out that they did not follow any specific strategy when they encountered a story problem in the test. For this reason, I am implementing the STAR strategy and incorporating whole class instruction to close this achievement gap affecting the learning of the students. According to Gagnon and Maccini (2001), the STAR strategy has been used successfully to teach older students with disabilities to solve math problems, including algebra. This is an achievement gap that is affecting the students to pass a state exam. Therefore, I am planning to teach and deliver the content in a way that all students master the lesson. According to Dr. Deshler, one effective way to reduce or close performance gaps is by making the content more learner-friendly (Laureate Education, n.d-e). The lesson that I am planning will be implemented as a whole class instruction and will be modeled as Teacher-centered learning. Teacher-centered learning or passive learning, occurs in a …show more content…
An additional handout with math vocabulary words that are often utilized in story problems will also be provided to students with learning disabilities so they can refer back when they need them. The first critical step using the STAR strategy that I am modeling for my students is reading the problem very carefully, writing down known facts, and highlighting important keywords that they might know or have doubts. During this activity, I will be asking students questions to keep them on track and focus their attention in main ideas or important points. The next step that I am going to model in the activity is students translating the word problem into an equation in picture form by choosing different variables. I will also check for understanding by restating important facts or difficult sentences. The third step in the STAR strategy that I am going to model for students is to make sure students answer the problem using the information that was gathered in step one and two. During this activity, I will be calling students to summarize the steps that were discussed to keep them engaged. The last step in the STAR strategy that I am modeling for my students is to review the solution and make sure the solution makes sense by reading the