Student growth percentiles are determined by comparing a test section score with that of students who share similar academic histories, then weighting these comparisons to determine an individual student rank within his/her cohort on a scale from 1-99; higher numbers indicate greater relative growth. Growth percentages provide educators with tools for measuring student and teacher performance, informing instruction, supporting research initiatives and evaluating schools/districts.
To create an SGP for a student, educators require access to longitudinal (time dependent) data that includes test results from all assessments taken during multiple testing windows and each case/row representing one student at various points in time and columns representing variables related to that student; The SGP package offers both wide and long format data sets for this purpose.
Educators will soon be able to use the EDS portal to create Student Growth Plans (SGPs) for each of their students by selecting “Profile” and then “SGP vignettes”. Once complete, educators can print or download these SGPs for sharing with students and families. SGPs will become accessible in late April; all districts regardless of whether or not they opt for distribution can access these SGPs through this channel.
SGP vignettes will be available in both English and Spanish for teachers to use with their students to explain its workings. Each one will include an explanation of its model as well as graphic depictions of how SGP is calculated for various content areas assessed by an assessment test. Teachers can click on any vignette to access additional resources – such as video tutorials – that help explain this concept further.
As with all educational data, SGP should not be taken as definitive evidence of student progress. While its data can provide useful insight into a child’s academic growth, some key considerations must be considered when interpreting these scores; specifically those that relate directly to state achievement targets/goals.
Teachers should keep in mind that Student Growth Plans (SGPs) rely on comparisons between students, and may therefore be susceptible to spurious correlations due to differences between schools/teacher characteristics and baseline cohort designs, for instance. As such, educators are strongly advised to consult an experienced specialist before reviewing their SGPs themselves.
Although limited, Michigan educator evaluation systems recognize and utilize the mSGP as an important metric. It allows teachers to communicate to students that proficiency is measurable goal and motivates students by making a connection between performance and measurable targets. Furthermore, unlike standard growth models, the mSGP allows educators to incorporate it directly into the official evaluation system by including it into assessment metrics; consequently ensuring Michigan educators possessing relevant data in order to generate quality mSGPs.