Data sgp is used in a number of ways, from providing insight into teacher performance to helping to identify students who need extra support. Regardless of the purpose, it is vital that educators have accurate, easy-to-use data in order to effectively utilize the information. Unfortunately, many people misunderstand the information and make costly errors that waste it or diminish its value. By understanding how to properly interpret the data, educators can maximize its value and use it to improve student achievement.
Data SGP measures relative student growth using longitudinal test score data. It provides valuable insights for informing instruction, assessing student/teacher performance and supporting educator evaluation systems. The underlying methodology uses latent achievement trait models estimated from historical test score data and teacher evaluation criteria alongside growth standards established as growth benchmarks. This approach reduces estimation error and increases validity when making comparisons over time.
The SGP metric is designed to be easy-to-understand and is reported as a percentage, indicating the percentage of students with similar prior test scores who have grown at a comparable rate. Higher numbers indicate greater relative growth, which is helpful in identifying which students need the most support and which are making sufficient progress to meet their goals. In addition, SGP can be used to more clearly articulate and measure school-wide improvement goals by outlining the growth necessary to achieve them.
SGP is calculated using a student’s recent subject-matter test and one previous test from a prior testing window. The current SGP is then compared with the previous SGP to determine how much the student has improved since the last assessment. This information can be found on the Star Growth Report in a student’s Profile/Growth dashboard.
Teachers can also access SGP information by creating a custom data set in the online Excel spreadsheet. This spreadsheet will provide all of the necessary data to run analyses including the students’ unique identifier, the assessments they have taken, their growth percentiles for each assessment year and the actual scale scores used in each assessment. The spreadsheet can be downloaded in either WIDE or LONG format depending on the type of analysis being conducted.
SGP can be a powerful tool for improving student learning and achievement, but it should not replace existing student achievement targets or goals. Instead, it should be used to supplement them by clarifying what is needed to succeed. By articulating how much students need to grow, the targets can be more accurately articulated and defined, and programs can focus resources and effort on the greatest opportunities for student growth. This can help ensure that every student makes sufficient progress to reach their potential. It can also help schools to identify the right mix of activities and support that will allow them to achieve their improvement goals. It can also help to better align accelerated programs so that most students remain on track with their peers. This allows high-achieving students to reach their goals without being held back by the small percentage who do not make adequate progress.