Lindsey Hancock Warden
Quantitative Growth
As a member school of the American Association of Christian Schools (AACS), Heritage Baptist Academy tests twice yearly using the Iowa Assessments. The Iowa Assessments, which are designed and written by the University of Iowa's College of Education, are paper-based, standardized assessments designed to measure proficiency across a set of skills. Students at Heritage test in every academic subject, but the English Language Arts skill areas assessed are vocabulary, reading, written expression, and conventions of writing. The student score reports resulting from their yearly assessment reflect:
​​
-
a grade equivalent (GE) score, which identifies the student's achievement in comparison to a grade level and month of the school year (i.e. 7.5 indicates the student's proficiency is comparable to a seventh grader in his or her fifth month of school).
-
a National Percentile Rank (NPR), which compares the student's score to the average of a nationally representative student sample.
-
a standard scale score (SS or NSS), which "is a number that describes a student’s location on an achievement continuum or scale" and is expected to increase over time (Interpreting Standard Reports from the Iowa Assessments, n.d.).
-
a National Stanine (NS), which are scored "on a nine-point standard scale with a mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 2" (Interpreting Standard Reports from the Iowa Assessments, n.d.).
​
Iowa Assessments serve as a broad, effective tool for tracking and measuring overall academic growth because we use our students' beginning of year (BOY) scores to set growth goals for the year, and then track our success in meeting those goals using the end of year (EOY) assessment. Since I teach at an extremely small, private school (my eighth grade class consisted of only seven students this year), I am able to meet frequently with students to discuss their assessment data and track progress on goals tomorrow. I conference with all parents in both the fall and at the end of the spring to discuss the assessments, and areas of growth that I want students to focus on over the course of the year before matriculating to the next grade.
Table of Contents
Overview of Iowa Assessments
Iowa Assessments are currently utilized by school districts across the state of Iowa, and are also used by other school districts and organizations nationally. Rather than focusing on rote memorization of specific content, Iowa Assessments are fully aligned to Common Core State Standards and seek to assess a balance of concepts, applications, and procedures (Iowa Assessments, n.d.). The assessment consists of different forms, or booklets, for each assessed category and each grade. Students at Heritage complete a benchmark in August, and EOY Iowa Assessments over the course of one week in April.
​
To measure student growth in English, I emphasize the grade equivalent (GE) score above the standard scale score because comparing the SS scores places students into performance bands rather than providing a quantifiable numeric or grade level comparison. A student might have a raw score of 233 on their BOY, and a raw score of 230 on their EOY, but that does not indicate a lack of growth. The student likely still grew at least marginally because the EOY presents a slightly higher level of difficulty. Similarly, while I use the National Percentile Rank in order to determine where my students are compared to other students in the nation, these numbers shift slightly every year as sample groups change. For me, the grade equivalent is the simplest way to ascertain what the numbers actually mean as far as skills, concepts, and proficiencies assessed.
GE scores are particularly easy to analyze because I am very familiar with what a student is expected to know and to be able to do at different points throughout a given grade in middle school 6-8. A grade equivalent score is a very simple number for me to think about because the framework of different grade levels is very familiar, and I find it useful that grade level equivalents translate directly into years and months of growth.
​
We are lucky enough at Heritage to receive our students' scores back before the academic year ends, so when I conduct final conferences with my students and parents, I discuss the grade equivalent with them because I find that, just as the grades and months provide a simple frame of reference for me, they translate easily into discussions with students and parents. We can broadly track a students' growth in English from semester to semester, as well as year to year, and pinpoint and compare growth in specific assessed categories under the umbrella of English Language Arts. Since my students and families understand that 1.9 years of academic growth is their goal, EOY grade equivalent scores help us discuss to what extent the goal was approached or met, and what the students' goal for the next year will look like.
​
To learn more about Iowa Assessments, visit the website at https://itp.education.uiowa.edu/Default.aspx.
English Language Arts Sample Items
The document below is a collection of sample items similar to the questions found on level 14 (eighth grade) of the Iowa Assessments. These sample items are categorized in the same way that Iowa Assessments categorizes questions into sections of reading, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, and written expression. Capitalization, punctuation, and spelling are all considered part of a single conventions of writing score, but they are practiced and assessed in three separate sections.
​
The sample questions reflect the style of questions found on the formal assessment. The questions are multiple choice, and are formatted as both individual questions and choice selections, and grouped questions that support the reading of one passage. Some of the multiple choice questions in the written expression section require students to read a paragraph and identify grammatical or usage mistakes.
​
In the classroom, I use these sample items and other sample resources as bellwork and practice questions. My students and I discuss how to tackle the questions so that we can ensure there are no surprises when it is time for the EOY assessment. My students tell me that when April comes, they feel confident when it comes to achievement testing. They feel prepared through their practice questions and unraveling strategies, and frequent goal-setting and goal-setting discussions help them to feel motivated to do their best.
Iowa Assessments Scoring Charts
The state of Iowa and the American Association of Christian Schools determine proficiency using the students' scale scores on their achievement continuum. The proficiency goals increase from grade level to grade level, and vary by subject area and assessment section. The proficiency goals also increase from fall to winter to spring, although Heritage Baptist only assesses twice - once in the fall, and once in the spring. Scale scores are divided into three performance bands for accountability purposes - Not Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced. The following scoring charts outline proficiency goals and performance bands for the assessment sections:
This scoring chart indicates that an eighth grader is considered proficient in reading if he or she scores a 239-303 on the reading section of the EOY Iowa Assessments.
​
Notice also how the scale score needed to demonstrate proficiency increases from grade-to-grade, and from benchmark-to-benchmark.
This scoring chart indicates that an eighth grader is considered proficient in vocabulary if he or she scores a 246-287 on the vocabulary section of the EOY Iowa Assessments.
​
The reading and vocabulary assessments are also averaged in the score report for a reading composite. Iowa does not provide score keys for composite totals, but by taking the average of the proficiency bands in the reading and vocabulary score charts, we can assume that a reading total from 236-283 indicates proficiency on the fall BOY, and 243-295 indicates proficiency on the spring EOY.
This scoring chart indicates that a seventh grader is proficient in written expression if he or she scores 233-309 on the written expression section of EOY Iowa Assessments.
​
An eighth grader is considered proficient in Written Expression if he or she scores a 242-324 on the written expression section of the EOY Iowa Assessments.
This scoring chart indicates that an eighth grader is considered proficient in capitalization if he or she scores a 250-322 on the capitalization section of the EOY Iowa Assessments.
This scoring chart indicates that an eighth grader is considered proficient in punctuation if he or she scores a 249-327 on the punctuation section of the EOY Iowa Assessments.
This scoring chart indicates that an eighth grader is considered proficient in spelling if he or she scores a 248-305 on the spelling section of the EOY Iowa Assessments.
​
Capitalization, punctuation, and spelling are averaged into a single "conventions of writing" score on student score reports. While Iowa does not provide a scoring key for conventions of writing, we can take the average of the three categories to assume that a conventions of writing score from 243-295 indicates proficiency on the fall BOY and 248-315 indicates proficiency on the spring EOY.
Analyzing the proficiency bands into which my students fall using the charts above helps me to target areas of growth for the student in the following academic year and focus on specific skills within the umbrella of English Language Arts to address with specific students. The scale scores and performance bands serve as a final measure of proficiency at the end of the academic year.
Iowa Assessments Scoring Key
The following scoring key serves as a guide for interpreting the list of student scores from each class and assessment. I prefer to use this list format to analyze student growth data because it provides a comprehensive list of each student's score. While I tend to focus on the GE score for purposes of tracking growth, I find it useful to have the other score types at hand during data analysis and discussion for quick measures of proficiency and projected proficiency. It is also extremely useful for this report to display the students' individual section scores, a reading composite composed of the reading and vocabulary scores, and their overall ELA composite. This helps me measure growth in specific skills encompassed by ELA, and gain a better picture of the ELA composite score.
​
Click on the image below to magnify.
Scoring key provided by The University of Iowa and Iowa Testing Programs.
Scoring key is a Iowa Assessments-provided sample only, and does not include actual student names or data.
Data & Analysis
Score Reports & Overview
In the documents below, I included my eighth grade students' Iowa Assessments score reports from the beginning and end of the 2018-2019 school year. Since the documents I have access to do not summarize class-wide averages, I have also attached a range of my personal worksheets where I calculate the average of the standard scale scores, the national percentile rank, and the grade equivalent in each of the English Language Arts categories. Since I really do not utilize the National Stanine score for classroom-level purposes, those averages are not included in my worksheets.
​
The data from these two assessments highlights dramatic academic growth in many areas. BOY data demonstrates that my class is already well above average, with an average ELA total of 261, putting them at the grade equivalent 10.3. However, I noticed that they were comparatively behind in the categories of reading and vocabulary, with scale score averages of 247 and 248 respectively. This influences their overall composite reading comprehension total, which also averaged to 247. This placed their average grade equivalent at 8.4 in reading and 8.8 in vocabulary, indicating that the class, on average, is reading and retaining vocabulary at an eighth grade level, but only just. I find that out of all the averages I calculated from my students fall BOY assessment, I was most surprised that the average National Percentile Rank in the reading category was at 58%. I felt that this was due to my school lacking a robust reading program and access to high-interest reading material. While it can sometimes be challenging for teachers to move a class that already demonstrates a high level of proficiency, I knew that I could implement a robust reading program and use other strategies to pull my students up far above the national average in reading. Therefore, I decided to target reading and (to some extent, by proxy) vocabulary during the 2018-2019 academic year.
​
​
On their spring EOY assessment, my students demonstrated dramatic growth. The average ELA total shot up by fifteen points, from 261 to 276, bringing the class average grade equivalent to a 11.6. This indicates that my class grew by 1.3 years over the course of their eighth grade year. My students grew across all categories encompassed by English Language Arts in order to achieve this goal. While I was pleased with this level of overall growth, I was even more ecstatic about my students' performance on the reading and vocabulary sections. In vocabulary, my class moved twelve points to achieve a standard scale score of 260 and a grade equivalent of 9.8, indicating that there was 1 year of growth in vocabulary, one of my students' most challenging areas. In reading, my class moved an incredible twenty-six points from 247 to 273, bringing their grade equivalent to 10.8. This demonstrates a class-wide growth of 2.4 years, far surpassing our reading goals.
​
One area of perhaps less growth than expected was in Conventions of Writing, which encompasses the students' spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. The class is still well above grade level, but I feel that the simple explanation for this is that I made the decision to focus on reading because it was the higher need. My students were already more than proficient in conventions on their EOY, so beyond bellwork practice and addressing issues as needed in their written essays, I engaged in very little direct instruction in spelling, punctuation or capitalization. I think that spelling, grammar, and punctuation are also just more difficult for students to demonstrate growth in once they reach a certain level of proficiency, because even adults still make mistakes in those three categories. Regardless, this is something I plan to be more aware of next year so that I can ensure my students are growing across the board.
​
​
Student Scores Comparison
​
In the document below, I compare my individual students' BOY composite GE scores to their EOY composite GE scores. This is a helpful visual for me to pinpoint students who did not demonstrate the expected growth, allowing me to gain a more nuanced view of my class performance. As you can see, student B and D grew less than a year in reading, which I found concerning since we placed such a huge emphasis on reading and vocabulary practice all year. This would definitely be a detail I would bring up in my EOY student and parent conferences as I encourage these students to work on their independent reading over the summer. That said, both students have grown by 0.8 years from their BOY scores, indicating that they are on track to maintain growth if they continue the skills and habits they learned in my class.
​
I was satisfied overall with the individual composite ELA growth, although Student G demonstrated only 0.6 years of growth. I know this student struggles in the area of Conventions of Writing, so that is what we both felt prevented him from demonstrating a higher level of growth overall, despite feeling confident in the other areas. He is still on track for the ninth grade, so I gave him some resources for practicing over the summer.
​
For my two highest performers on the BOY ELA composite, Students E and F, ELA growth is difficult to measure because Iowa Assessments only scores up to a 13+. For students who are already performing at this very high level, our conference looks and sounds more like discussing individual assignments, successes, and struggles from the year that allowed the student to actually score at this high level on the EOY assessment. We talk about future goals, and which skills, habits, and mindsets the students can continue to focus on in the ninth grade in order to be successful.
​
In addition to comparing the standard scale, National Percentile Rank, and grade equivalent average scores, and looking at each individual student in turn, I also evaluate my small class of seven by specifically tracking the EOY grade equivalents of the BOY's lowest scoring student, median scoring student, and highest scoring student. I would typically do this only for the composite score, but since I chose to specifically target increasing reading outcomes this year, that data is included as well.
​
Student B was my lowest scorer on the fall benchmark in both reading and overall, with a grade equivalent of 8.4 and a reading category equivalent of 6.8. By the end of the year, her grade equivalent is 9.7 in both reading and overall, demonstrating nearly three years of reading growth, and a year and three months of growth overall.
​
My median student in reading alone was Student D, who started the year with a grade equivalent of 7.7, and finished the year with a grade equivalent of 9.7, demonstrating two years of reading growth.
​
My median student overall was Student C, who started the year at a tenth grade equivalent in ELA, and finished the year at a twelfth grade equivalent, also demonstrating two years of growth.
​
My highest scorers in reading were Student F, and overall, Student E. Both students began the year with a grade equivalent above twelfth grade. Their exact growth is more difficult to quantify, since both also finished the year above a twelfth grade level. To evaluate their growth, I would need to look more closely at the categorical scores.
Categorical Score Summary for Advanced Students
​
As outlined above, growth on the Iowa Assessments can be difficult to track in advanced students, as their score may remain at 13+ from assessment to assessment. In order to get the most accurate picture of advanced student growth in my class, I decided to track their individual, categorical scores to identify potential areas of growth.
Student F's growth in reading is reflected in his overall reading total, which jumped thirteen points from a 293 to a 306. I can also look to his individual reading categories, reading and vocabulary, where he grew from 303 to 314, and 283 to 298 respectively. While the grade equivalent score that I like to highlight does not necessarily reflect growth, I can look to these standard scale scores to reassure myself and Student F that he did make gains, including the significant gain in vocabulary.
​
Similarly, with Student E, I can see that his composite score ricocheted fifteen points from a 280 to a 295. When I discuss these scores with him at year's end, we can discuss how he made gains in reading, writing conventions, and vocabulary, but we might need to address the slight drop in written expression.
​
While standard scale growth is tricky to quantify in terms of years and months, they do provide a good measure for students who cannot demonstrate higher growth through grade equivalent alone.
Final Growth Summary
The graph below, which I created as a personal reference tool, demonstrates my class average growth across each category and the two total composites. I like this visual because it demonstrates that, even though targeting reading and vocabulary were primary goals, my students still grew across each assessed category. By completing a fall benchmark, identifying target areas, setting GE goals, implementing a rigorous reading program, and reinforcing reading skills and vocabulary gain through teaching and learning strategies, we worked together to meet all of our goals and demonstrate the level of dramatic academic growth that I only dreamed of as a novice teacher.
Conclusion
While it is almost intimidating to some degree to think about growth with a class of students who are already at or above grade level, we leaned in to the challenge this year to produce some amazing gains. My class grew in reading by 2.4 years, and overall by 1.3 years. From the students who love school and consistently perform well on assessments to students who have testing anxiety or otherwise experience more challenges in the classroom, each of my students grew. Even more importantly, students learned a valuable lesson from our year together in the realization that they can constantly push themselves to new and greater heights, and as I follow this class's progress through the coming years, I am more than excited to see how they continue to excel.
​
References:
Iowa Testing Programs. (n.d.). Sound Measure of Student Growth: The Iowa Assessments [PDF Document]. Retrieved from https://itp.education.uiowa.edu/ia/documents/Measure-of-Student-Growth-Iowa-Assessments-Webinar.pdf
​
Iowa Testing Programs. (n.d.). Interpreting Proficiency [PDF Document]. Retrieved from https://itp.education.uiowa.edu/ia/documents/Standard_Score_Ranges_for_Achievement_Levels.pdf
​
Iowa Testing Programs. (n.d.). Interpreting Standard Reports from the Iowa Assessments [PDF Document]. Retrieved from https://itp.education.uiowa.edu/ia/documents/Interpreting-Iowa-Standard-Reports.pdf
​
Mercer Publishing. (2019). Iowa Assessments Practice Test [ebook]. Mercer Island, WA: Mercer Publishing. Retrieved from http://www.mercerpublishing.com/iowa-assessments/grade-7-8