Overview of SGPs and their Use Damian Betebenner Center for Assessment April 30, 2021

Descriptive accountability • The quality of large-scale summative assessment data collect today is very high. • People often conflate large scale assessment and accountability because the data derived from the assessments often find their way into state accountability systems but rarely have other uses. • This is unfortunate as the data has many more uses than just accountability. • Goal: Move from seeing data as a hammer (accountability) to seeing data as a flashlight. MA SGP Growth Calculations in 2021

Large scale assessment data Accountability system results can have value without making causal inferences about school quality, solely from the results of student achievement measures and demographic characteristics. Treating the results as descriptive information and for identification of schools that require more intensive investigation of organizational and instructional process characteristics are potentially of considerable value. Rather than using the results of the accountability system as the sole determiner of sanctions for schools, they could be used to flag schools that need more intensive investigation to reach sound conclusions about needed improvements or judgments about quality [Linn, 2008, p. 21]. MA SGP Growth Calculations in 2021

Descriptive accountability • SGPs are a descriptive growth measure that support both norm- and criterion-referenced interpretations of student growth. • SGP are norm-referenced • Student growth targets (sometimes called adequate growth percentiles) indicate growth necessary to reach desired achievement outcomes (standards) • SGPs are individual level that can be aggregated for any group of interest. • SGPs are uncorrelated with prior achievement. Any student regardless of where they start, can demonstrate high or low growth. • Mean/median SGPs (cohort referenced) are 50 for each grade x content area. • Deviations of mean/median SGPs above/below 50 indicate groups with high/ low growth (i.e. learning) of interest for further investigation. MA SGP Growth Calculations in 2021

Four Investigations • Mean/Median SGP by content area for schools and districts. Which schools have high/low scores? Why? Are there schools districts with high/low mean SGPs in one content area but not another? • Mean/Median SGP by grade within school? Are there schools with large differences by grade? By content area? • Mean/Median SGP by demographic subgroup for state? Where are the largest growth gaps? • Mean/Median SGP by demographic subgroup for schools and districts? Are there schools or districts who have closed growth gaps? Are there schools or districts with especially large growth gaps. MA SGP Growth Calculations in 2021

Investigations Associated with Learning Loss • A large part of our work this year is helping states understand what has happened to students academically during the pandemic. • The modus operandi is the same: Descriptive accountability. • Describe which students, schools, districts demonstrated learning loss (pandemic related academic impact) in what content area and to what extent. • Did student learning differ by mode of education (e.g., remote/hybrid/ in-person) • Did particular demographic subgroups fare better/worse than others. MA SGP Growth Calculations in 2021

Communication of results • Most of my work in Colorado developing SGPs around 2007 – 2009 was directed toward communication of results. • The goal was to change conversations around education (i.e., use data as a flashlight instead of a hammer) • Accountability tends to short circuit those conversations. • Some states produced some nice video resources around the growth model use their: • Mississippi: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=LWUJ2eKSwbM&list=UU9nZALC1qeHSdK8xzIXkVsw • Georgia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyArv7184ZY • Virginia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDqj6t1UKYM • Hawaii: http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/VisionForSuccess/SchoolDataAndReports/ Growth-Model/Pages/home.aspx MA SGP Growth Calculations in 2021

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Overview of SGPs and their Use — Pearson Growth Use Ideas, April 30, 2021.

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