The data sgp package offers classes and functions that enable educators to compute student growth percentiles and projections/trajectories using large scale, longitudinal education assessment data. Calculations use quantile regression with derived coefficient matrices as input. Growth reports provide educators with invaluable information regarding students’ past achievements as well as growth needs to reach future targets.

These reports are designed to evaluate a student’s achievement relative to that of their academic peers using up to two years’ worth of MCAS test scores from prior years. Utilizing “quantile regression”, current performance can be assessed against an established normative scale and against those identified as academic peers by demographic grouping such as race/ethnicity, gender and economic status; educational program type (e.g. sheltered English immersion or special education); prior MCAS score history as well as recent MCAS score history – ultimately creating a growth report which details progress made towards meeting academic expectations and/or attaining proficiency.

Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) measure how a student’s achievement has changed over time on state-level assessments. Their performance can then be compared with that of other students taking the same test; for example, an SGP of 53 indicates their MCAS test performance as being equal or better than 53% of academic peers.

SGPs can also be averaged to assess school and district growth. While statewide median SGP will always remain approximately 50, individual schools, districts and subgroups may experience variance depending on available historical data.

SGPs not only serve as a baseline comparison scale, but can also identify individual areas of strength or weakness for educators to use to design targeted interventions that help their students reach academic targets while developing deeper insight into which skills are necessary for academic success in each subject.

Though SGPs are crucial in measuring student progress, they should never be used as the sole basis for teacher evaluations. Though we encourage districts to begin learning more about them, current laws mandate they use another measure for educator assessments. You can gain more information by visiting our BAA Secure Site, listening to our podcast below or downloading one of our data tools free.