Value-Added Growth Models: Methods and Applications for Local School Districts

1. Value-Added Growth Models: Methods and Applications for Local School Districts Dr. Roloff, District 219 Dr. Marcelo, District 219 Dr. Gatta, ECRA Group Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting

2. Part I: Methods The National Landscape and Best Practices

3. Typical: What is a normal year’s growth? Target: What should a current year’s growth be? What are value-added growth models? Value added growth models are an advanced and modern approach toward documenting individual student performance, and quantifying the effect of teachers, programs and other structures and processes within the school. When designing a value-added growth model, it is important to distinguish between the “growth” component and the “value-added” component. Growth models transition student achievement examination from an achievement status model to a model designed to rigorously capture student growth at the individual and aggregate level. Growth models address the following questions?

4. What are value-added growth models? Value-added models are designed to quantify the impact of various components of the school on student growth. VAM measures the impact of educational programs on individual students’ growth over time. Value added models address the following questions? What schools are delivering growth above and beyond what is typical? What programs are delivering growth above and beyond what is typical? What teachers are delivering growth above and beyond what is typical?

5. Employment of a fixed-effects regression model without demographic and SES variables. Incorporation of longitudinal data on prior achievement. Use of common, local assessment measures to track student progress. Calibrating models using local norms. Value-Added Growth Models: Best Practices The research literature on value-added modeling recommends:

6. Simple gain Scores Fixed effects regression models using multiple prior measures of achievement Hierarchical linear mixed effects modeling using multiple prior measures of achievement Value-Added Growth Models: Common Approaches Below are the most common implementations of value-added growth models:

7. Incorporates student achievement growth into teacher and principal evaluation; Documents value added impact and return on investment for programs and interventions; Reframes effectiveness as student academic progress rather than minimum proficiency. Aligns curricular programming and instructional interventions (e.g., RTI) to Illinois Learning Standards and the upcoming national Common Core standards Value-Added Growth Models and “Race to the Top” Not only is value-added modeling considered best practice, a well designed value-added growth model will satisfy all the requirements of “Race to the Top”. A well-designed value-added growth model:

8. VAM and “National Common Core Standards” The model can also be aligned to the new National Common Core Standards. The Common Core Standards: Are tied to “Race to the Top” federal aid. Are expected to be adopted by 48 states. Push for multiple formative, curriculum-based measures of student growth Will require examination of alignment between assessment instruments and new standards Can be used as a performance indicator in a value-added model

9. Part II D219 GROWTH MODEL Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Implementing Growth Models at the Local School District Level

10. Part II: Applications Implementing Growth Models at the Local School District Level

11. Monitoring the achievement growth of every student Setting realistic, but rigorous individual targets Ensuring all students have equitable access to instruction within the curriculum Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Philosophy The new growth model is a manifestation of the District 219 philosophy by:

12. Practice ACT EXPLORE (for course placement) PLAN ACT/PSAE GRADE 8 SPRING GRADE 9 SPRING GRADE 10 SPRING GRADE 11 Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Current D219 EPAS Program

13. Is anchored to local norms Benchmarks individual student growth against typical growth of similar District 219 students Identifies students at risk for failing to meet state and college readiness standards Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting D219 Growth Model The new growth model is based on EPAS data, and is consistent with District 219 philosophy by tracking student growth reliably and sensitively for each student. The D219 growth model:

14. Eliminate known limitations of the EPAS system for measuring growth Reliably identify students at risk for not being on track to meet or exceed state standards Capture individual and aggregate value-added growth Provide more meaningful growth benchmarks Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Local Norms In addition benchmarking growth against state, national and college readiness benchmarks, the growth model benchmarks individual and aggregate growth against local norms. Local norms provide the following benefits:

15. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Local Norms Example: English CRL = College Readiness Level

16. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Local Norms Example: Mathematics CRL = College Readiness Level

17. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Local Norms Example: Reading CRL = College Readiness Level

18. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Local Norms Example: Science CRL = College Readiness Level

19. Estimates the probability of meeting or exceeding state standards for each test and each content area For example, a student with an EXPLORE reading score of 13 has a 51% chance of passing the PSAE Local Prediction Models Established growth profiles were also used to develop local prediction models that reliably identify students who are not on track to pass the PSAE*. The model: * Predictions apply IF District 219 continues to have the same impact and does not make changes to increase growth

20. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Predicting District Performance * Predictions apply IF District 219 continues to have the same impact and does not make changes to increase growth.

21. Setting realistic, but rigorous individual student targets for every single student. Ensuring students have access to the most important components of the curriculum through appropriate course placement. Improving the effectiveness of all programs. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Value-Added Education If the District 219 Instructional Program is improving, students should outperform the projections. How are we going to do that? One student at a time by:

22. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Setting Individual Targets Individual Student Targets: English Every student will show yearly growth at least one point greater than comparable students in the local norm group. CRL = College Readiness Level

23. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Setting Individual Targets Individual Student Targets: Mathematics *Note: Student has not yet taken ACT Every student will show yearly growth at least one point greater than comparable students in the local norm group. CRL = College Readiness Level

24. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Setting Individual Targets Individual Student Targets: Reading Every student will show yearly growth at least one point greater than comparable students in the local norm group. CRL = College Readiness Level

25. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Setting Individual Targets Individual Student Targets: Science Every student will show yearly growth at least one point greater than comparable students in the local norm group. CRL = College Readiness Level

26. Rigor will be stressed when considering placement. Students will be placed in the highest-level course that is supported by the data. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Course Placement District 219 will also be using the models to reliably and analytically recommend eighth-grade students into freshman-year courses.

27. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Course Placement: Rules of Thumb Placement decision rules are based on sophisticated analytical procedures. The following table shows a simple rule of thumb that works for most cases. Rules of Thumb: English

28. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Course Placement: Rules of Thumb Placement decision rules are based on sophisticated analytical procedures. The following table shows a simple rule of thumb that works for most cases. Rules of Thumb: Math

29. Facilitating academic success for all through rigorous, individual achievement growth targeting Course Placement: Rules of Thumb Placement decision rules are based on sophisticated analytical procedures. The following table shows a simple rule of thumb that works for most cases. Rules of Thumb: Science