SLOs in SC - Part IV: Growth Targets

SLOs are being used to measure student growth in "non-tested" grades and subjects. The theory is that educators will be able to look at baseline student achievement assessment data, set a year's growth target that is rigorous and appropriate for a student based upon that data, implement instructional strategies and progress monitoring, collect post-assessment data, and determine whether a student met the growth target. And measures of student achievement must be "comparable" within the district.

Assumptions about setting growth targets include that -

1. A valid, reliable baseline assessment exists that covers the course content standards (and a range of standards above and below that grade level?); 
2. Sufficient information exists about the assessment to determine what one year's growth (or perhaps "typical growth"? Or "rigorous"?) should be for students whose baselines are at varying levels; 
3. A valid, reliable post-assessment exists that covers the course content standards for that grade level (+/- other grade levels?)
4. The course content standards for all grades and subjects are of equal difficulty (is high school World Geography equal to high school Calculus?)

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) have materials posted on the site for the Center for Great Teachers & Leaders that discuss various methods (and pitfalls) for setting growth targets.

• Basic Growth Targets - All students have the same growth target - e.g., increase 20 points between the pre- and post-assessment. 
• Formula Growth Targets - E.g., all students will growth by half the difference between 100 and their pre-assessment score. A student with a baseline of 50 would have a target of 75 (100-50 = 50/2 = 25 + 50 = 75)
• Performance Level Targets - A student's performance level will increase by 1 fall and spring. Although PASS courses will use VAM, and example would be a Below Basic1 student moving to Below Basic 2; or a Below Basic 2 student moving to Proficient. 
• Individualized Targets - For example, NWEA provides various targets on MAP (average expected, comparison groups) based upon a student's pre-test score. 
• Tiered Growth Targets - Students are grouped based on the pre-assessment and given tiered targets. Either similar scores, or similar increases can be used. Advanced Tiered Growth Targets set expectations at a baseline or +X points, whichever is greater. 

• Preassessment - Growth Score
• 0 - 45 points       65
• 46 - 70 points     75
• 70+ points          85

None of these methods for setting growth targets is perfect. For example, an "average" expected growth targets means that half of the students (and therefore teachers with that target) make that target; half  the students (and therefore teachers) do not reach that score. Basic growth targets do not account for closing achievement gaps. Formula targets may not provide enough rigor and "stretch" for top-performing students.

Because SC teachers have (hopefully) a year to get ready for implementing SLOs in SY 15-16, it is highly recommended that during SY 14-15 assessments be reviewed, and data on "typical one year's" growth be collected.  This year when it doesn't "count," why not administer a pre-test, try setting goals, collect post-data, and see how students performed?  That way you'll have at least one year's data on that assessment to inform setting goals for SY 15-16.