Vertical Scales and the
Assessment of Growth
What is Growth?
• Growth describes change in student achievement
over time
• Focus of growth is on individual students or on
matched groups of students
What is Growth?
NCLB Testing – Not Growth
Fall ’09 Spring ’10 Fall ’10 Spring ’11 Fall ’11 Spring ‘12
Grade 3
NCLB
NCLB
NCLB
Grade 4
NCLB
NCLB
NCLB
Grade 5
NCLB
NCLB
NCLB
Fall Testing for Growth
Fall ’09 Spring ’10 Fall ’10 Spring ’11 Fall ’11 Spring ‘12
Grade 3
ITBS
ITBS
Grade 4
ITBS
ITBS
ITBS
ITBS
ITBS
Grade 5
Measuring Growth
• Determining expected growth
for all students
• Setting goals based
on any starting place
• Measuring student growth
using vertically articulated
standards
Why is Growth Important?
•
•
•
•
•
Individuals learn at different rates
Learning is continuous
Focus on growth avoids arbitrary labels
Puts focus on setting long-term goals
Understanding progress towards college- and
career-readiness
What is required of an
assessment to measure growth?
Assumptions
• Learning is a continuum, not a set of discrete
steps and achievement levels
• Measurable differences along the
learning continuum
• Test development process can focus on
growth along the continuum
• Growth scale for reporting results
Growth Scale
• Standard scores that describe a student’s location on an
achievement continuum
• Tracks year-to-year growth regardless of where the student
started on the continuum
• A vertical scale that describes student growth over time, as
multiple measures on individual students using different, ageand grade-appropriate test forms are available
• Typical annual growth is defined and expectations for growth
can be established and monitored
Vertical Scales
Standard Score Growth Model
at Five Achievement Levels in Mathematics
330
CCR
Vertical Scale Score
Level 5
Level 4
280
Level 3
Level 2
230
Level 1
180
130
2
3
4
5
6
7
Grade
8
9
10
11
How can information on growth be
used to help students and teachers?
Using Growth Information
• Setting goals
– What are the expectations for growth?
– How do I set goals for my students?
• Monitoring progress
– Did my student reach their goal?
– Did my student grow as expected?
Setting Math Goals – Example
Student On Track for Expected Growth
Student Scores
Projected Growth Range
350
325
300
Standard Score
275
250
228
225
200
217
198
190
175
150
125
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Student Scores
Projected Growth Range
Setting Math Goals – Example
Data Suggests Growth Beyond Expected
350
325
300
Standard Score
275
251
250
225
200
205
225
199
175
150
125
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Expected Growth on
Iowa Scales
Reading
Math
Grade
Scale
Score
Expected
Growth
Scale
Score
Expected
Growth
2
168
3
185
17
185
17
4
200
15
200
15
5
214
14
214
14
6
227
13
227
13
7
239
12
239
12
8
250
11
250
11
9
260
10
260
10
10
268
8
268
8
168
Expect Growth at Low and High Achievement Levels
Reading
Expect
Growth
High
Achiever
Math
Grade
Low
Achiever
Expect
Growth
2
146
3
157
11
222
24
182
10
213
22
4
166
9
242
20
191
9
235
22
5
173
7
258
16
197
6
255
20
6
179
6
274
16
200
3
272
17
7
185
6
290
16
203
3
286
14
8
190
5
303
13
207
4
300
14
9
195
5
318
15
217
10
310
10
10
200
5
326
8
228
11
319
9
198
Low
Achiever
Expect
Growth
172
High
Achiever
Expect
Growth
191
Expected Growth for High Performing Student
Student…
Projected Growth Range
350
325
300
Standard Score Scale
275
253
250
242
225
225
200
175
205
187
150
125
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Student Scores
Setting Math Goals – Example
Need for Additional Information
Projected Growth Range
350
325
300
Standard Score
275
250
225
212
191
200
188
175
175
150
125
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Student Scores
Setting Math Goals – Example
Data Suggests Growth Less Than Expected
Projected Growth Range
350
325
300
Standard Score
275
250
225
206
217
215
200
175
173
150
125
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
SS
210
200
190
180
SS
210
200
190
180
SS
210
200
190
180
SS
210
200
190
180
SS
SS
210
210
200
200
190
190
180
180
Math
SS
SS
210
210
200
200
190
180
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
190
180
Resources for Monitoring Growth
•
•
•
•
Longitudinal Reports on Iowa Assessments
eITP
Iowa DE Data Warehouse
New onliine tools from Iowa Testing Programs
(2011-2012)
Iowa Profiles of Growth and Status
Sources of Additional Information
•
•
Overall information from student profile
Iowa Reports
• Individual/Group Performance Profile
• Class Item Analysis
• Class Item Response Record
• Multiple measures
Use of Multiple Measures
• Growth information can be obtained from a
variety of sources.
• Multiple measures of student learning, such
as assessments, essays, portfolios of students’
work, group projects that require analysis,
investigation, and written, oral, or graphic
presentation of findings, should be combined
to measure growth.
Questions or Comments?
Catherine Welch
Catherine-welch@uiowa.edu
Steve Dunbar
Steve-dunbar@uiowa.edu