Data sgp is a system that utilizes longitudinal student data to produce statistical growth plots (SGPs). These graphs display a student’s current test score relative to students who have scored similarly in previous years. SGPs provide more accurate measures of achievement than unadjusted test scores and can capture changes in latent achievement traits over time. SGPs can also be used to estimate student proficiency levels and predict future performance.
While the bulk of time associated with SGP analyses is spent on data preparation, once that work is completed, running the actual analysis is a relatively simple two step process. All SGP analyses that we conduct or assist with follow a similar pattern. This article will walk through this basic analysis workflow and provide the tools needed to run your own SGP analyses.
The SGP package contains a set of functions, studentGrowthPercentiles and studentGrowthProjections that can be used to calculate the SGP. These functions can be used in a variety of ways, but the typical operational SGP analysis involves using the lower level functions with an exemplar LONG data set and an INSTRUCTOR-STUDENT lookup table, sgpData_LONG and sgpData_INSTRUCTOR_NUMBER respectively. These exemplar data sets model the format of LONG data used with SGP analyses and include a unique student identifier, assessment date, content area, grade and achievement level. The INSTRUCTOR_NUMBER column is used to identify the instructor associated with a students assessment record.
When calculating the SGP, it is important to note that the final number represents a percentile rank and not a percentage. The percentile rank indicates the number of students that have performed better than a given student. The higher the percentile rank, the better the student’s SGP.
A student’s SGP is measured on a scale of 1-99, with lower numbers indicating lower relative growth and higher numbers indicating higher relative growth. The SGP score can be interpreted as an indicator of relative student growth, but should be considered in conjunction with other indicators of student progress such as student achievement, class placement and grade point average.
SGP is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used in a variety of educational settings. It can help educators identify academically struggling students, provide differentiated instruction to support student learning and provide meaningful feedback to teachers about the effectiveness of their instructional practices. In addition, it can be used to predict future academic outcomes and inform the allocation of resources to student needs. With these benefits, SGPs have the potential to improve educational outcomes for all students. The key to maximizing the power of SGPs is in the careful preparation and execution of the analysis process. By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your SGP analyses are as valid and useful as possible. This will ensure that your school is leveraging the full potential of SGPs. Best of luck!