DesCartes / The Curriculum Connection

NWEA Knowledge Academy

2

Intended Accomplishments• Review

• The RIT scale

• RIT scores and percentile rankings

• Score ranges and goal scores

• Learn to read and interpret different reports

• Use data to focus instruction

• Overall RIT

• Michigan Ver. III Goal performance

• DesCartes Learning Continuum and Lexile

• Develop a plan for using the data

3

Instructional Level • The NWEA test is not a test for determining mastery of skills.

• It provides a road map for students toward achieving mastery.

This test provides the

instructional level of the student.

4

• Challenging and appropriate for every student

• Assesses what we teach• Untimed• Purpose is internal

accountability• Measures growth in student

achievement

Challenging, appropriate and dynamically developed for every student

Accurate data for students across the scale

Untimed Purpose is internal accountability Measures growth in student

achievement Immediate results Can test up to 4 times a year / it does

not change the price

Design of Achievement Level Tests (ALT)

Design of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

Beginning Literacy

Adult Reading

5th Grade

Beginning Literacy

Graduate Level Reading

8th Grade

xx x

x

xx

xx

x

x

x x

x

x

x+

+

-+

-- -++

++ 230

5

6

RIT (Rasch Unit) Scale• Achievement scale• Equal interval• Used to show growth

over time• Scale has the same

meaning regardless of the students’ grade level or items taken

Beginning Literacy

Graduate Level Reading

8th Grade

xx x

x

xx

xx

x

x

x x

x

x

x

MAP Test

+

+

-

+-

- -++++230

150

250

7

Checkpoint!

• How would you describe a RIT?

• What does “equal interval” mean?

• What are the major strengths of NWEA assessments?

Triangulation

Never use only one point of data

Teacher(Common

Assessments, Dibels, DRA,

Benchmarking, etc)

MEAP / MME / ACT

NWEA Data

9

Placement Guidelines

A RIT is only one piece of the puzzle for making important decisions.

Sample Teacher Report

Sample MAP Teacher Report p. 2

(Preliminary)

T

11

Sample Class Report (Final)

12

Score Range – confidence band

Sample Math Teacher Report p. 2

13

Percentile

Percentile – grade level dependent (NWEA norm)

14

RIT vs. Percentile

Percentile Including Hi, Av, Lo Grade level

related (NWEA norm)

RIT

Not grade level

related

Sample MAP Teacher Report p. 2

RIT Range % ile

15

Summary Goal Information

Grd

5

Teacher Report – Mathematics Spring 2002

16

What are expected RIT and growth

scores?

typical

17

What does the standard deviation tell us?

Standard deviations (Std.Dev.) are indicators of the academic diversity of a group of students.

Sample Math Teacher Report p. 2

18

LargerLarger standard standard deviations . . . deviations . . .

• Indicate that the group is more Indicate that the group is more diverse.diverse.

• It is likely that small group It is likely that small group instruction is more appropriate in instruction is more appropriate in these areas than whole group these areas than whole group instruction.instruction.LowerLower standard deviations ...standard deviations ...

Indicate that students are Indicate that students are most alikemost alike in this in this area.area.

Large/full group instruction Large/full group instruction may bemay be appropriate.appropriate.

19

Would we expect the standard deviation of a class to change from

fall to spring?Why or why not?

Think about…

20

RIT Score - Breakdown by 10 point RIT bands

Sample Math Teacher Report p. 2

Student Goal PerformanceGoal Descriptors

(Teacher OR Class Report)

RIT Range Scores

(Available on class report only)

MAP Coordinator must ORDER on

Report site

22

Scavenger HuntUse your student’s data!

• Which student has the highest score?• Which student has the lowest score?• Which student has the median score?• Which goal area has the highest mean?• Which goal has the lowest standard

deviation?

23

What does “Goal Performance” mean?

• Goal scores are percentiles based on the entire group of students in the norming study at each student’s grade level.

• They tell how a given student compares with others in this whole group.

• For example, if a student is at the 70th percentile, it means that 70% of the students in that grade level scored lower than this student.

24

Goal Scores• Hi = Percentile scores greater than 66

• Av = Percentile scores between 66 and 34

• Lo = Percentile scores less than 34

• Hi > 80 percentile

• HiAvg = 61-80 percentile

• Av = 41-60 percentile

• LoAvg = 21-40 percentile

• Lo < 21 percentiles

On Student Progress Reports

only

Goal Score Descriptors

25

Grd

5

Identify Class RELATIVE

Strengths and/or Areas of Concern

Sample Math Teacher Report p. 2

Teacher Report – Mathematics Spring 2002

222

220

210

Look for a difference of 3 or more RITS

Strengths Areas of concern

26

Sample District Reports pp. 6-7

226.3219.1

188.3

Strengths and areas of concern comparing the performance of

this group of students to their

own mean/median.

Differentiated Instruction Ladder

Subject: Reading Goal Strand: Comp. Informational Text

State Standard (Concept and P.O.s): Concept 1-Expository Text PO 1. Restate the main idea (explicit or implicit) and supporting details in expository text. PO 2. Summarize the main idea and critical details of expository text, maintaining chronological or logical order.

Group #1 Tom Kevin Bri Zena Annie Pete Peggy Carl

Group #3 Bill Katie Ivan Joyce Polly Alan

Group #2 George Todd Megan Andy Sarah Enis Nate Adam Josh Betty

RIT Range: <190-210

RIT Range: 231+

RIT Range: 211-220

Learning Continuum Skills: Evaluates informational text to identify a

title representing the main idea Locates supporting details using

informational text Determine which conclusion is supported

by facts or details in a passage Locate, paraphrase, and interpret multiple

details in a detail-filled passage

Learning Continuum Skills: Analyzes informational text to identify a

title representing the main idea Locates and paraphrases explicit

information in informational text Locate small but significant detail in a

detail-filled passage Understand, paraphrase, and interpret

significant detail

Learning Continuum Skills: Locates the main idea using informational

text Locates supporting details using

informational text Identify which sentence does not relate to a

more specific topic when given sentences all relating to a general topic

Differentiated Instruction Ladder

Subject: Reading Goal Strand: Comp. Informational Text

State Standard (Concept and P.O.s): Concept 1-Expository Text PO 1. Restate the main idea (explicit or implicit) and supporting details in expository text. PO 2. Summarize the main idea and critical details of expository text, maintaining chronological or logical order.

RIT Range: <190-210

RIT Range: 231+

RIT Range: 211-220

Read pages A9-A11 in Science text: “Animal and Plant Cells” Before Reading: Possible Sentences Activity in small groups During Reading: Use sticky notes to mark where words from Possible Sentences activity are found in the text After Reading: Review Possible Sentences and rewrite to reflect new knowledge. Share with class.

Read pages A9-A11 in Science text: “Animal and Plant Cells” Before reading: Anticipation Guide Level 2 activity During Reading: Use sticky notes to mark where facts from the Anticipation Guide are found in the text. After Reading: Review Anticipation, changing answers to reflect new knowledge. Share with class evidence for answers.

Read pages A9-A11 in Science text: “Animal and Plant Cells” Before reading: Anticipation Guide Level 1 activity During Reading: Use sticky notes to mark where facts from the Anticipation Guide are found in the text. After Reading: Review Anticipation, changing answers to reflect new knowledge. Share with class evidence for answers.

Group #3 Bill Katie Ivan Joyce Polly Alan

Group #2 George Todd Megan Andy Sarah Enis Nate Adam Josh Betty

Group #1 Tom Kevin Bri Zena Annie Pete Peggy Carl

29

How can I use the Goal Breakdown?

• Useful in flexible groupings in classroom

• Important to also keep in mind the student’s overall RIT score – can be a wide variation still in what students know

• Provides a transition into using the Learning Continuum to refine skills and concepts at student’s instructional level

30

Lexile

NWEA RIT

205 600

…the level of text that a student can read with 75% comprehension. For a student with a RIT of 205, books with a 600 Lexile provide an excellent match with the student’s instructional level.

The book, After the Rain by Norma Mazer is a 600L text.

USE Sample Reading Report pp. 4-5

The Lexile score represents…http://www.lexile.com/

• Introduction - Overview - Climbing the Data Ladder – Using Des Cartes- Can you log into NWEA Reports?

• History of NWEA in our District• Overview of NWEA components• Focus on Measurable Goals

– Classroom / Teacher Reports– RIT range of H,M,L– What does the measurable Goals Mean (goal structures)– Des Cartes Michigan Version / CCSS version coming

• Class by RIT scores / Ten Ways to Use Class by RIT• Knowledge Academy / session and break at 3:00