New York State Education
Department
Interpreting and Using Your New
York State-Provided Growth Scores
August 2012
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www.engageNY.org
By the End of This Presentation….
 You should be able to:
– Explain what information is included in a teacher growth report
– Answer some common questions about the information
– Describe the differences between a teacher-level, school-level,
and district-level report
– Understand how districts, principals and teachers can use the
information on the reports as one source of data that can help
improve instruction.
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www.engageNY.org
Evaluating Educator Effectiveness 2011-12
Growth
20%
Locally Selected
Measures
20%
Other Measures
60%
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• Student growth on state assessments (stateprovided)
• Student learning objectives
• Student growth or achievement
• Options selected through collective
bargaining
4-8 grade ELA and
Math Teachers &
their Principals
• Rubrics
• Sources of evidence: observations, visits,
surveys, etc.
www.engageNY.org
Key Points about NYS Growth Measures
– We are measuring student growth and not
achievement
 Allow teachers to achieve high ratings regardless of incoming levels
of achievement of their students
– We are measuring growth compared to similar
students
 Similar students: Up to three years of the same prior achievement,
three student-level characteristics (economic disadvantage, SWD, and
ELL status)
Every educator has a fair chance to demonstrate
effectiveness on these measures regardless of the
composition of his/her class or school.
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www.engageNY.org
Review of Terms
 SGP (student growth percentile):
– the result of a statistical model that calculates each student’s change in
achievement between two or more points in time on a State assessment
or other comparable measure and compares each student’s
performance to that of similarly achieving students
 Unadjusted and adjusted MGP (mean growth
percentile):
– the average of the student growth percentiles attributed to a given
educator
– For evaluation purposes, the overall adjusted MGP is used. This is the
MGP that includes all a teacher or principal’s students and takes into
account student demographics (ELL, SWD, and economic disadvantage
status).
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www.engageNY.org
MGPs and Statistical Confidence
MGP
Lower
Limit
87
Upper
Limit
Confidence Range
• NYSED will provide a 95% confidence range, meaning we can be 95% confident that
an educator’s “true” MGP lies within that range. Upper and lower limits of MGPs will
also be provided.
• An educator’s confidence range depends on a number of factors, including the
number of student scores included in his or her MGP and the variability of student
performance in the classroom.
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www.engageNY.org
Growth Ratings and Score Ranges 2011-12
Growth Rating
Description
Growth Score Range
(2011–12)
Highly
Effective
Well above state average for
similar students
18–20
Effective
Results meet state average
for similar students
9–17
Developing
Below state average for
similar students
3–8
Ineffective
Well below state average for
similar students
0–2
The growth scores and ratings are based on an educator’s combined MGP.
For detailed information see the webinar posted here:
http://engageny.org/resource/using-growth-measures-for-educatorevaluation-in-2011-2012/
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www.engageNY.org
First let’s look at a growth report about a teacher…
Jane Eyre
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www.engageNY.org
Teacher-level Report
District X
Teacher 1D’s Growth
Score and Growth
Rating are listed here
School #1
Jane Eyre
Teacher 1D does not
have any growth data
reported for any of
the subgroups
because 16 student
scores are required
to report any data
Jane’s MGP = 47
(this is what is used
to determine the
growth score and
growth rating)
Jane Eyre
Jane’s
Upper Limit = 55 and
Lower Limit = 39
Teacher 1D has a
higher adjusted MGP
in Math than ELA
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www.engageNY.org
Common Questions about Teacher-level Reports
Will an educator’s adjusted MGP always be higher than the unadjusted
since the adjusted MGP takes into account not just prior student
achievement but also economic disadvantage, ELL, and SWD status?
Not necessarily.
Let’s take the following simplified example of a relay race.
Order of finish
Overall Percentile
Division
Division Finish
Division Percentile
L
1
99
A
1
99
M
2
66
B
1
99
N
3
50
B
2
33
O
4
33
A
2
33
P
5
17
B
3
1
Q
6
1
A
3
1
Team
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www.engageNY.org
Division B
Percentile
Division B
Teams
Common Questions about Teacher-level Reports
What is the difference between an educator’s MGP and the percent of an
educator’s students above the state median?
Let’s take the following simplified example:
Student SGP
Teacher MGP
(Average of all SGPs)
% Students above
State Median of 50
20
30
55
55
60
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www.engageNY.org
Common Questions about Teacher-level Reports
What is the difference between an educator’s MGP and the percent of an
educator’s students above the state median?
Let’s take the following simplified example:
Student SGP
Teacher MGP
(Average of all SGPs)
% Students above
State Median of 50
20
30
55
55
60
(20+30+55+55+60)
divided by 5 = 44
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www.engageNY.org
Common Questions about Teacher-level Reports
What is the difference between an educator’s MGP and the percent of an
educator’s students above the state median?
Let’s take the following simplified example:
Student SGP
Teacher MGP
(Average of all SGPs)
20
Not > 50
30
Not > 50
55
Yes > 50
55
Yes > 50
60
Yes > 50
(20+30+55+55+60)
divided by 5 = 44
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% Students above
State Median of 50
3 out of 5 students
above 50 = 60%
www.engageNY.org
Note: in NYSED
reports, no MGP is
calculated for less
than 16 student
scores.
School-level Report
The Growth Score and
Growth Rating for the
Principal of School #1 are
listed here
District X
School #1
An adjusted MGP and
associated confidence
range will be reported for
each subject and grade
level within the school.
49 % of students
at School #1
scored above the
State median.
36% of the student
scores are from
economically
disadvantaged
students, and no
scores from
English language
learners.
School #1 has
scores broken
out by subject
for grades 4-6.
Summary of Revised APPR Provisions Memo:
http://engageny.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/nys-evaluation-plans-guidance-memo.pdf
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www.engageNY.org
School-level Report—Detailed View
District X
Each teacher receives an adjusted
MGP and associated confidence
range that are used to determine
the growth rating and growth score
School #1
School #1 has
12 teachers
who teach
grades 4-8 ELA
and Math
Teacher 1A
Teacher 1B
Teacher 1C
Teacher 1D
Teacher 1E
Teacher 1F
Teacher 1G
Teacher 1H
Teacher 1I
Teacher 1J
Teacher 1K
Teacher 1L
Teacher 1B has the most
student scores linked to him
(43 scores)
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43 student scores could not be
linked to any of the teachers
www.engageNY.org
Teachers 1E
and 1G did not
receive any
growth data
because they
are linked to
less than 16
student scores
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some teachers have a combined MGP but no subject-level
MGPs?
 Minimum of 16 student scores
 Student must be continuously enrolled in a course that leads to an
assessment for 195 calendar days for ELA or 203 calendar days for Math.
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www.engageNY.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are some students unassigned? How did the State define
“unassigned”?
Students are considered unassigned if the district did not provide a valid
teacher-of-record for that student, or if the student-teacher linkage
relationship did not meet the continuous enrollment guidelines set
forth in the APPR guidance
http://engageny.org/resource/guidance-on-new-yorks-annualprofessional-performance-review-law-and-regulations/.
To meet the continuous enrollment guidelines, a student needed to be
linked to a teacher for 195 calendar days for ELA, or 203 calendar days
for Math in 2011-12.
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www.engageNY.org
District-level View—Page 1 NY State Summary
District X
Number of student
scores included in
calculation of State
MGP
NYS Summary Data—
Included on ALL
District reports
NY Statewide
Adjusted MGP = 52
State Median = 50
Statewide about 50%
of ELL, SWD, and
economically
disadvantaged
students scored
above the State
median.
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www.engageNY.org
District-level View—Page 1-2 District Summary
District X Summary Data
District-wide
Adjusted MGP
District X
Number of student
scores included in
calculation of
district-wide MGP
District X
District X Summary
Data—continued on
next page of report
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www.engageNY.org
District-level View—Page 3 List of Schools
District X
District X has two
schools that have
grades 4-8 ELA
and Math scores
School #1
School #2
Principal of School #2
Growth Score = 6
Growth Rating = Developing
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www.engageNY.org
Principal of School #1
Growth Score = 14
Growth Rating = Effective
Using Growth Score results
 Beyond evaluation, growth score information
can provide additional information to help
teachers, principals and districts with
instructional improvement.
– Of course, these measures are only one of
multiple sources of evidence to use for this
purpose
– The best insight comes from considering the
results in the context of other information
about a teacher, group of teachers, principal
or group of schools.
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www.engageNY.org
Districts may want to:
Analyze district-level information using these reflective questions:
How much did our students grow, on average, compared to similar
students? Is this higher, lower, or about what we would have
expected? Why?
How do our MGPs for each reported subgroup (ELL, SWD,
economically disadvantaged students, high- and low-achieving
students) compare to each other and to our overall MGP? Are there
any patterns? Are the MGPs higher, lower, or about what we would
have expected? Why?
How do the MGPs compare by subject and across grade levels? Why
might they be similar or different?
What should we do to understand any surprises using other
information and evidence?
Do we have the right plans in place to aid in professional growth and
learning for our educators?
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www.engageNY.org
Districts may want to:
Convene principals to reflect upon their school growth results in
context of other information about student learning and teacher
effectiveness in their schools:
– Use BOCES trainers and/or SED online resources to ensure basic
understanding of the measures and what information is found on
reports
– Engage principals individually or in a group to reflect on questions
about their school information in the context of other evidence of
teacher effectiveness:
 How much did the students of my teachers grow, on average,
compared to similar students and how does this differ across
teachers? Are there differences across grades or subjects?
 How do my teachers’ MGPs differ across each reported
subgroup? Do I see any patterns?
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www.engageNY.org
Districts may want to:
Plan for communicating with teachers about their results:
 How will teachers get general information about the growth
measures?
– District or school-level training or self-directed use of SED
resources
 How and when will teachers receive their individual reports?
– Remember SED will have online access for individual educators
later in the fall
– Use BOCES trainers and/or SED online resources to ensure basic
understanding of the measures and what information is found on
reports
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www.engageNY.org
Principals may want to:
 Consider the reflective questions in their school-level reports:
 See the Principal’s Guide to Interpreting Growth Scores:
http://engageny.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/Principals_Guide_to_Interpreting_Your
_Growth_Score.pdf
 See the Sample Principal Report—Annotated:
http://engageny.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/Principal_Sample_Growth_Report.pdf
 Plan how teachers will get the information they need to understand
their own growth reports
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www.engageNY.org
Teachers may want to:
 Review materials from SED about growth measures
 View the “Growth Model for Educator Evaluation 2011-12” Webinar:
http://engageny.org/resource/growth-model-for-educator-evaluation-in-2011-2012/
 View the “Using Growth Measures for Educator Evaluation in 2011-12”
Webinar: http://engageny.org/resource/using-growth-measures-for-educator-evaluation-in-20112012/
 See the Teacher’s Guide to Interpreting Growth Scores:
http://engageny.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/Teachers_Guide_to_Interpreting_Your_Growth_Score.pdf
 See the Sample Teacher Report—Annotated: http://engageny.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/Teacher_Sample_Growth_Report.pdf
 Consider the following reflective questions:
 How much did my students grow, on average, compared to similar students?
Is this higher, lower, or about what I would have expected? Why?
 How does this information about student growth align with information about
my instructional practice received through observations or other measures?
Why might this be?
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www.engageNY.org
For More Information…
Please review our posted Guides for Interpreting Your Growth
Scores:
http://engageny.org/resource/resources-about-state-growthmeasures/
And the guidance on NYS’s APPR Law and Regulations:
http://engageny.org/resource/guidance-on-new-yorks-annualprofessional-performance-review-law-and-regulations/
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www.engageNY.org
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