Assessment Data and Analysis

The pre and post assessments for the unit on the Enlightenment and the French Revolution were
identical, in order that they could be more easily quantified in terms of growth. The assessments
contained fifteen total multiple choice problems. Seven of the questions asked about the
Enlightenment, while the other eight asked about the French Revolution. Each question was
equally weighted, with the highest possible score being fifteen.
The graph below shows the results for individual students on both the pre- and post-assessments.
Every student improved their score, often substantially. Students came into the assessment with a
range of prior knowledge, with one student who scored nine out of fifteen on the pre-assessment.
In contrast, three students scored zero on the pre-assessment. The rest of the students came in
somewhere in between. The largest amount of growth was twelve points out of fifteen, a striking
improvement. Two students showed that level of growth. The smallest growth was four points,
with two students showing that level of growth.

Individual Student Scores on the Pre- and Post-Assessment for the Enlightenment and French Revolution Unit
16
14
12
10

Score
(Max. 15)

8
6
4
2
0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516171819202122232425
Pre-assessment Post assessment

The following graph shows the average overall scores for the entire class. The average score on
the pre-assessment was 4.4 points. In contrast, the overall average grade in the class for the postassessment was 12.32 points. The growth was thus substantial between the pre- and postassessments. The average overall growth was 7.92 points over the pre-assessment.

Average Overall Student Scores for the Enlightenment and French Revolution Unit
14
12
10

Score
(Max. 15)

8
6
4
2
0

Pre-assessment

Post assessment

The next graph shows the average scores by gender for the pre- and post-assessment. The
average score on the pre-assessment of males in the class was 3.5, while the average score for
females on the pre-assessment was 5.23. Thus the girls taking the pre-assessment had slightly
more knowledge about the enlightenment and the French Revolution. As for the post-assessment,
female students average score was 13.15. The boys in the class had a slightly less robust postassessment score of 11.42.

Average Score by Gender for the Pre- and Post-Assessment for the Enlightenment and French Revolution Unit
14
12
10

Score
(Max. 15)

Female Average

Male Average

4
2
0

1= Pre Assessment
2= Post Assessment

The final chart shows growth as a percentage. This growth is broken down in terms of
percentage. While the boys in the class had a lower average score in the post-assessment, their
growth in terms of percentage change was the highest, at 226 percent. Female growth was also
quite notable, with girls average growth at 150 percent. Overall as a class, the average growth
was 180 percent. As such, the post-assessment scores were three times the pre-assessment scores.

The pre- and post-assessments demonstrate a substantial growth among the students, with
variation in how that growth is expressed. For example, the girls in the class had stronger preand post-assessment scores, but their percentage growth was lower than the boys. Overall, the
growth was robust, with scores near the maximum of fifteen. This demonstrates rather
conclusively that learning did occur in this unit. The girls, who knew more going into the unit
than the boys, also obtained higher scores in the post-assessment. They knew more going into the
unit, but instead of the boys just catching up, all students showed learning gains.
Formative assessments throughout the unit were used to ensure this growth. When
students struggled, such as on the What is the Third Estate primary document and the Was the
Reign of Terror justified at the time activity, extra attention was given to ensure that all students
were able to meet the objectives. Thus the assessments utilized throughout the unit were used to
ensure learning in all students.
The pre- and post-assessments were effective in showing a certain kind of growth. As the
points in the identical assessments were based on multiple choice answers, they are somewhat
limited in the scope of what can be measured. That is not to say that the pre- and post-assessment

was not effective in measuring learning, merely that it does not cover increases in writing ability
or other methods of learning resistant to multiple choice questions.