1. © 2007 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium www.wida.us WIDA Focus on Growth H Gary Cook, Ph.D. WIDA Research Director April 2, 2009

2. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 2 WIDA Consortium Consider this…. Mee is a middle school student of Asian origin. Last year she received a composite scale score of 338 on ACCESS (proficiency level of 2.8). In her most recent test this year she scored a 363 (proficiency level of 3.8). She gained 25 scale score points and one proficiency level. So…. Is that good? Is that normal? Is that what you’d expect?

3. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 3 WIDA Consortium Consider this…. At the monthly district principals meeting, annual gains in ACCESS scores are discussed. The district assessment coordinator presents these results: Ordinary Elementary School’s composite scale score gain is 28.1 Traditional Middle School’s composite scale score gain is 20.7 Normal High School’s composite scale score gain is 16.2 All three school have similar proportions of ELLs, so… Is the elementary school growing as expected? Is the high school growing below expectations? How do you know what to expect?

4. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 4 WIDA Consortium This presentation is on understanding growth on ACCESS for ELLs ®

5. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 5 WIDA Consortium Overview Using information for change Understanding scores on ACCESS for ELLs ® Looking at growth on ACCESS for ELLs ® Using this information in your class, school or district

6. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 6 WIDA Consortium Information for Change How can you use information to support change? Consider three questions: Where are we now? (Status) Where have we come from? (Growth) Where are we going? (Projection) All three questions are important and should be addressed. Each question can be answered with different types of sources. This presentation addresses the second question in the form of understanding growth on ACCESS.

7. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 7 WIDA Consortium WIDA Scores RAW SCORES the actual number of items or tasks that students answer correctly. SCALE SCORES transformations of raw scores developed in such a way that they may be compared across grades and tiers. comparable within language domains or composites but not across them PROFICIENCY SCORES interpreted scores, social constructions presented as whole numbers followed by a decimal

8. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 8 WIDA Consortium Raw Scores WIDA ACCESS for ELLs ® raw scores are the actual number of items student correctly answer or the actual writing or speaking scores students receive. The only reported raw scores can be seen on WIDA ACCESS for ELLs ® Teacher Report as “Student’s performance by English language proficiency standards” section. They are not directly comparable across grades or tiers, and should not be used as a primary means to track student growth.

9. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 9 WIDA Consortium Scale Scores WIDA ACCESS for ELLs ® Scale Scores are psychometrically derived measures of student proficiency Range from 100 to 600 (above 500 is rare) Single vertical scale applies to all grades and all test forms Vertically equated scale scores take into account grade level differences Scale scores are ideal for tracking student growth. Scale scores have equal intervals! Scale scores cannot be compare across domains or composites.

10. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 10 WIDA Consortium Proficiency Scores Proficiency Level Scores are socially-derived interpretations Comprised of two numbers, e.g. 2.5 First number indicates proficiency level (e.g. 2 = Beginning) Second number indicates how far the student’s scale score places him or her between the lower and the higher proficiency level (e.g. 2.5 = 5/10 or ½ of the way between the cut score for level 2 and level 3) The same scale score is interpreted differently based on a student’s grade level Proficiency level scores do not have equal intervals. It is common practice to monitor growth using proficiency level scores, but they are not the best measure for this.

11. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 11 WIDA Consortium WIDA Score Cycle RAW SCORE Number of correct items SCALE SCORE Transformed raw score Proficiency Score Constructed category score

12. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 12 WIDA Consortium Growth on ACCESS ELL student growth principle: Lower is faster, higher is slower Growth = This year’s score - Last year’s score Two types of growth to consider Individual student growth Classroom, school or district growth

13. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 13 WIDA Consortium Examining Individual Growth 2008 ACCESS for ELLs ® administration All WIDA States

14. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 14 WIDA Consortium Individual Growth Scale Score Gain Proficiency Level Band Average Score Gain Range Growth Profile Across Proficiency Bands

15. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 15 WIDA Consortium Individual Growth Mee’s initial proficiency level = 2.8 Mee’s gain score = 25 x She’s in the shade!

16. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 16 WIDA Consortium Individual Growth This is similar to the scale score graph. But it is language proficiency growth x Mee’s proficiency level gain EXTRA CREDIT: Why is Mee’s proficiency score higher in the shade when compared to her scale score gain?

17. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 17 WIDA Consortium Individual Growth Mee is in the shade. She is within the range of scores (20 – 48) that represent “average” student growth on ACCESS for ELLs®. Students in the shade are making average growth with reference to all WIDA states. Each state is unique and may have slightly different individual growth profiles based on its student population. Students below the shaded area are not making average growth. Note: Not all students grow the same!!!! Students below the shade should may need further support or intervention.

18. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 18 WIDA Consortium Examining District Growth 2008 ACCESS for ELLs ® administration All WIDA States

19. WIDA FOCUS on GROWTH 19 WIDA Consortium Caveats… …with district growth Variability in students’ scores is greater than variability in district scores. So don’t use the individual growth profiles to make judgments about schools or districts. Growth rates for schools or districts with small numbers of ELLs (e.g., <20) tend to be unstable (bumpy). District growth profiles are arrayed like individual growth profiles (by proficiency level band) but do not display bands of scores.