Capstone Project: Exploring Student Performance

In our Capstone project, we got a dataset from the Watertown district public schools. It includes data from five schools in the district. These schools are run by a committee and a superintendent appointed by Massachusetts government bodies. The five schools in the Watertown district are part of the municipal government. Here are the schools:

1. Cunniff Elementary
2. Hosmer Elementary
3. James Russel Lowell Elementary
4. Watertown Middle School
5. Watertown High School

The main goal of our capstone project is to create an interactive data dashboard that shows student performance and teacher qualifications. With this, the district public schools can make an annual report card for students and share it with parents.

In my part of the project, I'm focusing on data from Watertown Middle School for the years 2013 and 2014, and on Student Athletics data for the year 2017/18 for all five schools in the district.

In figures 1, 2, and 3, I show the number of students enrolled in math, English, and Algebra at Watertown Middle School in 2013 and 2014.

Figure 4 shows how many students at Watertown Middle School got different percentages of marks in 2013 and 2014 across all subjects and grades.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 provide an in-depth analysis of student performance at Watertown Middle School. These graphs show how many students got grades like A, A-, etc., in grades 6, 7, and 8.

Figures 8 and 9 show the number of male and female students playing different sports. Figure 10 combines these graphs and adds a grade filter, showing, for example, how many male students in grade 7 played baseball. The same color in lighter shades represents this.

The above chart combines two datasets, MCAS and I-Ready, joined by Student ID (SASID). There are 1,139 students enrolled in five different schools in 2017-18. This graph shows student demographics, such as how many are white, African American, Hispanic, etc. We analyzed this info from data provided by the superintendent, Ms. Deanne Galdston.

In our capstone project, our group split the data among the four of us. I'm analyzing Watertown Middle School data and athletics data for the five public schools in the district.

In the last graphs, I combined the MCAS and I-Ready datasets based on Student ID (SASID).

Conclusion

To wrap up, our capstone project offers useful insights for the superintendent of the Watertown district to evaluate school performance and track various data elements. By creating an interactive data dashboard, the district public schools can make detailed annual report cards for students, improving communication with parents and stakeholders.

This project looked at data from Watertown Middle School for 2013 and 2014 and student athletics data for 2017/18 across all five schools in the district. Through detailed analysis and visualization, we examined key metrics like student enrollment in different subjects, academic performance, and participation in sports.

By merging datasets like MCAS and I-Ready, we got a broader understanding of student demographics and academic performance. This comprehensive analysis, along with the user-friendly data dashboard, helps district stakeholders make informed decisions and compare with other public schools in Massachusetts.

Going forward, the strategic design of this analysis will help address the diverse interests of educational organizations, including district, school, and government bodies. By linking various data elements effectively, this project lays the groundwork for ongoing assessment and improvement in student outcomes and educational practices in Watertown district public schools.

Reference

1. 2018 Accountability Data - Boston (00350000). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/accountability/report/district.aspx?linkid=30&orgcode=00350000&orgtypecode=5&
2. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). DistrictReportcard. Retrieved from http://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/2018/DistrictReportcard/03140000?Length=8
3. Watertown Middle School. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://wms.watertown.k12.ma.us/parent_resources/principal_bulletin/principal_bulletin_archives