Lessons from

Using NWEA’s Vertical Scales

Phil Dommes

North Thurston Public Schools

June 2, 2006

North Thurston Public Schools

• 1995 – 2005

• Customized reading and math tests

• Fall to Fall

Characteristics of NWEA Tests

• Common item pool of pre-tested items

• Common, cross-grade measurement scales for all items in a content area

• Common test design

• Common psychometric properties

NWEA Vertical Scales

• Grade level independent

• Equal interval

• 150-300

Put Growth into Perspective

Tim's Growth on North Thurston Levels Tests

175180185190195200205210215

Fall 2002 Fall 2003 Fall 2004

Tim

NorthThurston

NWEA

Fall to Spring RIT Growth(Matched Students) for

-10-8-6-4-202468

101214161820

3 4 5 6 7

Grade

RIT

Gro

wth

NWEA Growth District Growth

Reading

Monitoring Growth in Student Achievement

Reading Achievement and Growth  Fall   Spring     Mean Growth

Grade Median Mean Median MeanEnding Grade

Fall to Spring

Fall to Fall

Spring to

Spring

2 179 177.7 188 186.6 2 14.9 n/a

3 191 188.7 200 197.9 3 10.5 11.9 14.1

4 200 198 206 204.6 4 7.4 7.6 10.7

5 207 205.2 213 210.8 5 6.3 7 8

6 212 210.5 217 215.3 6 5.3 5.3 6.1

7 216 214.4 221 219.1 7 4.3 4.3 5.3

8 220 218.3 225 223.2 8 4.2 4.3 4.6

9 223 221 226 224.2 9 2.9 3 3.8

10 225 223.1 231 229.2 10 2.6 3.3 3.6

RIT Block Growth Norms

Math Achievement Levels Test Growth from Fall 7 (2003) to Fall 8 (2004)

57%51%

45%50% ile

36% ile

20% ile

1 2 3

% making typical growth NWEA comparison group(%ile)

North Thurston Public SchoolsPercent Making Growth on Math Levels

Grade 3 to Grade 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

% making typical growth 2002 % making typical growth 2003 % making typical growth 2004

District Goal: 60%

V Hi

Ver

Very High70% or Higher higher

High 60%-70%

High Av50%-59%

Low Av40%-49%

Low25%-39%

Very Low0-24%

Learning continuum sequence of skills

RIT

Skill <150 161-170 181-190 201-210 231-240 241-250

Whole

Numbers

 

-Identify fact families with sums 0-18 in horizontal format

- Subtract two numbers in vertical format.

-Subtract a 1-digit number from a 2-digit number with no regrouping-- Solve simple addition word problems.

-Solve 1-step word problems involving division-Divide a 3-digit or 4-digit number by a 1-digit number.

-Understand the concept of division using pictorial representation- Divide a 2-digit by a 2-digit number with a remainder

-Divide multi-digit numbers using a calculator

N/A

Fractions

-N/A -N/A -Read, shade & write fractional parts of a group

-Add mixed numbers with like denominators with regrouping-Multiply mixed numbers

Divide a mixed number by a whole number or a fraction

Divide a fraction, whole number, or mixed number by a mixed number

Multiply a whole number by a fraction

Percents

-N/A -N/A -N/A -Write a decimal or fraction as a percent

Find the percent one number is of another

N/A

Don’t Forget about Error of Measurement

197 205 207 213

202

210

Test # 1(Obtained

Score)

Test # 2(Obtained

Score)

Most likely: Student’s true score grew 8 points. Plausible: Score increased by 2 points Or

Score increased by 16 points.

Be cautious when interpreting subtest results

197 205

207 213

202

210

Test # 1(Obtained

Score)

Test # 2(Obtained

Score)

Most likely: Student’s true score grew 8 points. Plausible: Student decreased by 4 points Or

Student increased by 20 points.

Triangulate the Data

Local Assessment

Teacher

NWEA

TRIANGULATION

When 3 points of data

tell the same story about a student,

we can comfortably

make the appropriate decisions.

Data begins a discussion; it doesn’t end the discussion.