A favorite EDW report of many folks is the GR601 report, the Student Growth Scatter Plot. It displays a dot for each student showing his or her SGP (x-axis) and scaled score (y-axis) for a given MCAS test for an entire grade level. Wouldn't it be great to have this same scatter plot for a single classroom of students? There isn't currently an EDW report like this, but creating one by hand is a fantastic exercise for engaging with student data, particularly since student growth data is a piece of Massachusetts' new Educator Evaluation model.
You'll need a student data set (scaled score and SGP for each student for a given test) and a blank copy of the scatterplot document. I've written out some more detailed guidance for those that are interested, but this could be as formal or informal an activity as you like, as long as the participants have a working knowledge of SGP and how it is determined. Creating this type of graph by hand provides an opportunity for teachers to really engage with the data, student by student, and to reflect on the story the data tells for both individual students as well as groups or classrooms.
The activity I am sharing has evolved over time, and I would like to acknowledge Paula O'Sullivan (Data Specialist, Greater Boston DSAC), Mary Fredrickson (Assessment Specialist, Quincy Public Schools), and the educators at the Marguerite E. Small School in Yarmouth for their contributions to the development and refinement of this activity and related materials. I would love to hear from you (laura.tilton@dsacma.org) if you give this activity a try - feedback is always welcome!
