Wisconsin RtI Center
Screening & Progress Monitoring Glossary
AGGREGATED DATA/RESULTS refer to the performance/achievement of the total population of
students participating in an assessment (e.g. all students in a district, school, or grade level).
AIMLINE see Goal Line.
ALTERNATE FORMS are different equivalent versions of an assessment. Alternate forms of screening
and progress monitoring assessments guard against “practice effects,” or inflated test scores, seen when
students re-take the same test after a short interval of time.
BALANCED ASSESSMENT refers to the use of using formative, benchmark and summative assessments
to provide a complete and clear picture of student progress, student achievement, and instructional
effectiveness .
BENCHMARKS are pre-determined milestones of achievement, established periodically throughout the
school year, leading towards mastery of the grade level/content standards.
BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS are the periodic assessments used throughout the school year to show
student progress toward mastery of grade-level standards. Universal screeners, Curriculum-Based
Measures (CBMs), office discipline referrals, portfolios, and interim assessments are examples of
benchmark assessments used in schools.
CBM (CURRICULUM BASED MEASURE). See General Outcome Measure.
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM A student is chronically absent if s/he has missed 10% or more of the school
year in the previous year, or a month or more of school.
CLASSIFICATION ACCURACY is a quality measure used to evaluate screening tools. Classification
accuracy indicates how well a screener correctly sorts students into categories of at risk and not at risk
for poor learning outcomes.
COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS A student who is ready for college and career can qualify for and
succeed in entry level college degree / certificate courses or career training programs in their chosen
field without the need for remedial coursework. (Adapted from Conley, 2012)
CRITERION-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT measures what a student understands, knows, or can
accomplish in relation to a specific performance objective or criterion. Criterion-referenced assessments
are typically used to identify a student’s specific strengths and weaknesses in relation to an age- or
grade-level standard; it does not compare students with other students like norm-referenced tests do.
CULTURAL COMPETENCE in the screening process includes believing that all students will learn, placing
the locus of responsibility on the professional and the institution, and examining systems, structures,
policies and practices for their impact on all students. (Adapted from Liang and Khang, 2009)
CUT SCORES are selected points in test results used to identify levels of proficiency.
DATA-BASED DECISION-MAKING is the process of making instructional decisions for student academic
and behavior success through ongoing collection and analysis of data.
DATA BOARD/ DATA WALL is a visual display of student performance. Data boards and data walls
typically show the status of each individual student performance in a school or grade level proficiency
bands (e.g. minimal, basic, proficient, advanced). This visual data display allows school and grade level
teams to identify strengths and areas in need of improvement at a glance.
DECISION RULES are predetermined, specific “If… then…” criteria used for instructional decision-making.
The Wisconsin RtI Center/Wisconsin PBIS Network (CFDA #84.027) acknowledges the support of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
in the development of this handout and for the continued support of this federally-funded grant program. There are no copyright restrictions
on this document; however, please credit the Wisconsin DPI and support of federal funds when copying all or part of this material.
Wisconsin RtI Center
Screening & Progress Monitoring Glossary
DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS are tests designed to identify specific areas of need in order to design
appropriate, targeted interventions.
DISAGGREGATED DATA/RESULTS are outcome data that have been calculated and reported separately
for specific demographic groups or populations (e.g., students’ economic conditions, race, gender,
culture, native language, developmental differences, and identified disabilities).
EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS (EWS) use readily available school data to identify students who are at risk
of dropping out, allowing educators to intervene early. (National High School Center,
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES are educational practices and instructional strategies that are supported
by scientific research studies.
FIDELITY refers to the degree to which instruction is delivered or an assessment is administered
consistent with how it was intended to be delivered.
FORMAL MEASURES are quantifiable, standardized assessments.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS are the frequent, ongoing evaluation strategies teachers use to quickly
gauge students’ current understanding and make instructional adjustments in response. Running
records, exit activities, open questioning, guided observations, and student journals are examples of
formative assessments.
GENERAL OUTCOME MEASURES are indicators of general skill success and reflect overall competence in
the annual curriculum. They describe students’ growth and development over time, or both their
“current status” and their “rate of development.”
GOAL LINE is the line on a student’s progress monitoring graph that represents the expected rate of
progress over time. The first point on the goal line represents the student’s initial performance level; the
last point is the desired goal performance level for a student by a given date. Also referred to as the aim
line.
GRADE-LEVEL/COURSE BENCHMARKS see Benchmarks.
GROWTH LINE refers to the student’s actual slope of improvement on a progress monitoring chart. Each
point on the line represents a student’s performance on a given date. The growth line is used to
determine whether a student is making expected or adequate progress toward meeting a goal or
benchmark.
INDICATORS are data/measures most predictive of important future outcomes; typically, indicators are
used to “flag” students as at-risk for not reaching identified outcomes
INFORMAL MEASURES refer to teacher-developed, formative assessments and observations.
INTRA-INDIVIDUAL FRAMEWORK is a method of goal-setting in progress monitoring where the progress
of the student is measured compared to the student’s own past performance.
INTENSITY OF PROGRESS MONITORING refers to the frequency of progress monitoring.
INTENSIVE LEVEL of support refers to instruction, assessment, and collaboration programs and practices
provided for and about students with significant learning needs, either well-below or well-above
benchmarks. Also referred to as Targeted, Tier Three, and Tertiary Level.
LOCAL NORMS are used to compare student performance to other students in a limited population,
such as a school, district, or state (e.g., How does student A’s performance compare with other students
of the same age or grade at the same school?)
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Wisconsin RtI Center
Screening & Progress Monitoring Glossary
LONGITUDINAL DATA follow the experiences and outcomes over time of a representative sample of
students (i.e. a cohort) who share a common characteristic (e.g. age, grade).
MASTERY MEASURES are used to measure progress on a series of short-term instructional objectives,
e.g. multi-digit addition then multi-digit subtraction. Mastery measures can be used to monitor student
growth in targeted, skill-based instruction.
MEAN of a set of data is equivalent to its average. To find the mean, the sum of the data is divided by
the numbers of items in the set.
MEDIAN of a set of data is the middlemost number in the set. The median is also the number that is
halfway into the set. To find the median, the data should first be arranged in order from least to
greatest.
MULTIPLE MEASURES, or multiple types of data, are gathered and their evidence considered for schools
to understand the whole picture of students’ performance and the effectiveness of instruction to make
more fully informed decisions.
NATIONAL NORMS are used to compare the performance of one student to the performance of peers in
a national population (e.g., How does student A’s performance compare with other students of the same
grade or age across the nation?)
NORM-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT refers to a form of assessment in which the performance of one
student is ranked in comparison with that of other students (as opposed to criterion-referenced
assessments which measure student performance against a pre-determined standard or benchmark).
NORMATIVE DATA LINE refers to the line on a student’s progress monitoring graph that shows the
typical rate of growth for that student’s age or grade level peers. Comparing the slope of the student’s
growth line to the slope of the normative data line is a useful way to gauge whether a student is making
expected progress.
PERCENTILE RANK is used to show the relative standing of one student’s performance on a test to
others who took the same test. A percentile is a measure that articulates what percent of the total
frequency scored below that measure; the rank is the percentage of students whose score falls below a
given score. For example, if a student scores at the 65th percentile, s/he scored greater than 65% of the
other students who took the test.
PROBES are brief, direct measures of specific academic skills, with multiple equal or nearly equal forms,
that are sensitive to small changes in pupil performance, and provide reliable and valid measures of
pupil performance during interventions.
PROFICIENCY LEVEL is the ranking of the ability to operate within a certain competency or to perform a
particular skill.
PROGRESS MONITORING is a process used to assess students’ academic and behavioral performance, to
measure student responsiveness to interventions/challenges, and to evaluate the effectiveness of
interventions/challenges.
PROGRESS MONITORING TOOLS are valid and reliable assessments used to quantify a student’s rate of
improvement in response to an intervention/challenge; these tools are designed to be easy, quick,
repeatable, and highly sensitive to change in student performance.
PROTOCOLS are the accepted, consistent norms and procedures that guide team agendas and practices
of planning and decision-making.
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Wisconsin RtI Center
Screening & Progress Monitoring Glossary
QUALITATIVE data are descriptive and word-based. Qualitative data include anecdotal records and
interview transcripts.
QUANTITATIVE data are number-based measures. Quantitative data include test scores, absence rates,
and frequency counts, for example.
RATE OF IMPROVEMENT specify the slopes of improvement or average weekly increases, based on a
line of best fit through the student’s scores.
RELIABILITY refers to the consistency of an assessment’s results.
RESEARCH BASED refers to “Research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective
procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs”
(United States Department of Education, 2009). In other words programs, strategies, and assessments
shown to be effective in rigorous, scientific studies.
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION in Wisconsin is defined as an organizational framework that guides the
implementation of a culturally responsive multi-level system of support to ensure academic and
behavioral success for all.
SCREENING PROCESS is a process in which data from multiple measures are analyzed to determine
whether each student is likely to meet, not meet, or exceed academic benchmarks or behavioral
expectations.
SELECTED LEVEL refers to instruction, assessment, and collaboration programs and practices provided
for and about students with learning needs of moderate intensity, either below or above
benchmarks.Also referred to as Secondary, Tier Two, Supplemental, and Small Group level of support.
SLOPE is used in progress monitoring graphs to describe a student’s rate of growth. A steep, vertical
slope line shows that the student is making good growth, whereas a flat, or horizontal slope shows that
instruction in its current form is not having the desired effect on a student’s performance.
STANDARD PROTOCOL INTERVENTION is an RtI decision-making approach where a school uses the
same intervention for all students with similar academic or behavioral needs.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT are infrequent tests used to evaluate cumulative learning. Large-scale
standardized assessments (including WKCE-CRT and Advanced Placement tests) and end-of-semester
exams or school suspension rates are examples of summative assessments.
SYSTEMIC refers to accomplishing goals, solving problems, and making improvements at the school or
system level.
SYSTEMATIC refers to a planned and predetermined approach to accomplish a goal or solve a problem.
TEST is a device or procedure designed to elicit responses that permit an inference about what a student
knows or can do.
TEST CEILING is the upper limit of performance that can be effectively measured by a test. Individuals
are said to have reached the ceiling of a test when they perform at the top of the range that the test was
designed to measure and discriminate reliably. If an individual or a group scores at the ceiling of a test,
the next higher level of the test, if available, should be administered.
TEST FLOOR is the opposite of the test ceiling, it is the lowest limit of performance that can be
measured effectively by a test. Individuals are said to have reached the floor of a test when they
perform at the bottom of the range that the test was designed to measure and discriminate reliably.
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Wisconsin RtI Center
Screening & Progress Monitoring Glossary
THRESHOLD also referred to as “risk indicator thresholds” refers to scores or selected results that
indicate proficiency. See also “Cut scores".
TREND LINE is a line on a student’s progress monitoring graph showing the line of “best fit” calculated
using a student’s data points. The trend line is used to compare the student’s performance against their
goal line to help inform how well a student is responding to an intervention.
UNIVERSAL LEVEL refers to instruction, assessment, and collaboration programs and practices provided
for and about all students in the school. Also referred to as Core, Primary Level, and Tier One.
UNIVERSAL SCREENERS are valid and reliable data collection tools and processes used to assess
students’ current level of performance in relation to grade level benchmarks.
UNIVERSAL SCREENING is conducted, usually as a first stage within a screening process, to identify or
predict students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes. Universal screening tests are typically
brief; conducted with all students at a grade level; and followed by additional testing or short‐term
progress monitoring to corroborate students’ risk status.
VALID refers to the extent to which an assessment or tool measures what it is intended to measure.
Definition Sources
Attendance Works. <http://www.attendanceworks.org>
Conley, D. (2012). A complete definition of college and career readiness. Educational Policy
Improvement Center. Available <http://www.epiconline.org
Liang, X. & Zhang, G. (2009). Indicators to evaluate pre-service teachers‟ cultural competence.
Evaluation and Research in Education, 22(1), 17-31.
National High School Center. (2012). Defining college and career readiness: A resource guide. Available
< http://www.betterhighschools.org/CCR/documents/NHSC_DefiningCCRResourceGuide_2012.pdf >
National Center for Response to Intervention. <http://www.rti4success.org>
Riverside Publishing. (1999). Glossary of testing, measurement, and statistical terms. Available
< http://www.riversidepublishing.com/pdfs/WebGlossary.pdf>
United States Department of Education. (2009).
Wisconsin RtI Center. <www.wisconsinrticenter.org>
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (2012). Student assessment system guide for district
assessment coordinators and school assessment coordinators. Available
<http://oea.dpi.wi.gov/files/oea/pdf/dac12.pdf>
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