WIDA Focus on Growth
H Gary Cook, Ph.D.
WIDA Research Director
April 2, 2009
© 2007 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium
www.wida.us
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?
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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?
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This presentation is on
understanding growth on
ACCESS for ELLs®
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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WIDA Score Cycle
RAW SCORE
Number of
correct items
Proficiency Score
Constructed
category score
SCALE SCORE
Transformed
raw score
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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
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Examining Individual Growth
2008 ACCESS for ELLs® administration
All WIDA States
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Individual Growth
100
Scale Score
Gain
Composite Scale Score Gain
90
80
70
Growth Profile
Across Proficiency
Bands
60
50
40
30
Proficiency
Level Band
20
10
0
Average
Score Gain
Range
1.0-1.9
2.0-2.9
3.0-3.9
4.0-4.9
Range High
60
44
32
27
Range Low
25
17
9
5
Starting Language Proficiency Level
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Individual Growth
100
Composite Scale Score Gain
90
80
Mee’s gain score = 25
70
60
50
40
30
x
20
She’s in the shade!
10
0
1.0-1.9
2.0-2.9
3.0-3.9
4.0-4.9
Range High
60
44
32
27
Range Low
25
17
9
5
Starting Language Proficiency Level
Mee’s initial proficiency level = 2.8
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Individual Growth
This is similar to the scale score graph.
But it is language proficiency growth
2.2
Language Proficiency Level Gain
2.0
1.8
1.6
Mee’s proficiency level gain
1.4
EXTRA CREDIT:
Why is Mee’s
proficiency score
higher in the shade
when compared to her
scale score gain?
1.2
x
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
1.0-1.9
2.0-2.9
3.0-3.9
4.0-4.9
Range High
1.2
1.3
1.1
0.9
Range Low
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.1
Starting Language Proficiency Level
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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.
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Examining District Growth
2008 ACCESS for ELLs® administration
All WIDA States
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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.
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