education

Progress Monitoring: Calculating Rate of Growth Est. Time: 30 Minutes

The contents of this resource were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, #H325E120002. However, those contents do not neces- sarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen.

Objective To learn how to determine the average rate of growth in a student’s performance in mathematics over a period of time.

Overview Progress monitoring is a type of formative assessment in which student learning is evaluated on a regular basis to provide useful feedback about performance to both students and teachers. Though there are a number of methods for monitoring a student’s progress, the most widely used is general outcome measurement, sometimes referred to as curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Progress monitoring consists of the frequent administration (e.g., once per month, every two weeks) of brief probes or tests, which include sample items from every skill taught across the academic year. After each probe is scored, the teacher or student plots the score on an individual CBM graph. The teacher can then use this data to determine a student’s:

• Rate of growth — Average growth of a student’s mathematics skills over a period of time • Performance level — An indication of a student’s current mathematics skills, often

denoted by a score on a test or probe

FYI The primary purpose of progress monitoring in a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)— for example, response to intervention (RTI)—is to determine which students are not responding adequately to instruction. Progress monitoring should be implemented for each level of instruction (e.g., primary, secondary, tertiary). Depending on the level of instruction, teachers will evaluate rate of growth, performance level, or both.

• Primary (core instruction) – rate of growth or performance level • Secondary (targeted instruction) – rate of growth and performance level • Tertiary (intensive, individualized intervention) – rate of growth and

performance level

n1http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu 010918

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Progress Monitoring: Calculating Rate of Growth Est. Time: 30 Minutes

Rate of growth is represented by the slope of a student’s graphed scores, the direction and steepness of the line that connects the data points. Once a student’s scores are plotted for a minimum of five weeks, his or her slope can be determined with a simple calculation using the following pieces of information:

• The score on the first probe • The score on the last probe • The first administration (e.g., week 1) • The last administration (e.g., week 6)

To determine Ozzie’s slope, the teacher gathers the needed information from the graph above: the score on first probe (4), the score on the last probe (10), the first administration (week 1), and the last administration (week 7). She then uses the following steps to calculate Ozzie’s rate of growth:

Step 1: Subtract the score on the first probe from the score on the last probe.

10 – 4 = 6

Step 2: Subtract the week number of the first administration from the week of the last administration.

7 – 1 = 6

Step 3: Divide the result of Step 1 by the result of Step 2.

6 ÷ 6 = 1

Ozzie’s rate of growth (or slope) is 1. This indicates an average growth of 1 problem correct per week.

n2http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu

 Activity

Progress Monitoring: Calculating Rate of Growth Est. Time: 30 Minutes

The teacher will compare this number to the established criterion to determine whether this is an adequate rate of growth. The criteria for evaluating rate of growth vary depending on the progress monitoring measure being used. These criteria differ for each type of probe and for each grade level. A student’s slope that is equal to or greater than the specified rate of growth indicates that the student is responding adequately to instruction. On the other hand, a student’s slope that is less than the specified rate of growth indicates that student is not responding adequately to instruction.

FYI When calculating rate of growth, it is important to be sure to evaluate the appropriate data. For example, in the graph to the right, if the teacher calculates the student’s rate of growth for the secondary level (i.e., targeted instruction), she would only use information pertaining to this level of instruction. Therefore, she would use 17 as the score on the first probe (not 11, which is the student’s score on the first probe for the primary level). Similarly, she would use Week 7 for the first administration and 12 for the last.

n3http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu

 Activity

Progress Monitoring: Calculating Rate of Growth Est. Time: 30 Minutes

Activity Using the progress monitoring date in the graphs below, calculate the rate of growth for Cheyenne and Sean.

Cheyenne’s Progress Monitoring Scores

Week Score 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

17

19

23

25

21

25

27

31

n4http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu

 Activity

Progress Monitoring: Calculating Rate of Growth Est. Time: 30 Minutes

Primary Level Secondary Level Week Score Week Score

1

2

3

4

5

2

3

5

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

6

8

7

9

11

11

12

n5http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu

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