Measuring Growth Using the Normal Curve Equivalent NCE MAT-8.

Measuring Growth Using the Normal Curve Equivalent

NCE

MAT-8

New Developments

• MAT-8 vs. MAT-7• NCEs vs. GEs and NPR’s

National Heritage Academies (NHA) will now be using the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Eighth Edition (MAT 8) with Ready Reports software.

This will be the first year NHA will use normal curve equivalents (NCEs) for teacher evaluations instead of grade equivalents (GEs) or national percentiles (NPRs) to measure achievement gains (growth) per class.

Grade Equivelents and NPRs will still be used to report test results to parents and the general public.

Choosing Measurements: SS

Why we use Scaled Scores (SS)• They show absolute growth • They precisely measure how much a child’s

achievement has changed from one testing period to the next

Issues with Scaled Scores (SS)• They do not show a student’s relative standing

within a normative group • They are only relevant to the particular test

being administered

Choosing Measurements: NPR

Why we use National Percentile Rank (NPR)• They show relative standing within a normative

group• They are easily interpreted

Issues with National Percentile Rank (NPR)

• They are non-linear and therefore cannot be used to compute averages

Choosing Measurements: GE

Why we use Grade Equivalent (GE)• They give us a frame of reference that is

meaningful• Provides an approximation of student

achievement

Issues with Grade Equivalent (GE)• They are often misunderstood• Not the best indicator of absolute growth

Choosing Measurements: NCE

Why we use Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE)• They are linear (given in equal intervals) and

therefore they can be used to compute averages and show growth

• They reflect relative standing within a normative group

Issues with Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE)• The general public is not familiar with NCEs

Why NCEs?

Linear vs. Non-Linear

The Key Indicators

GE NPR SS NCE

Indicates student's relative standing within a normative group x x xShows absolute growth xMeasures child's change in achievement from one testing period to the next

x x

Can be averaged to make comparisons between various groups x xReflects achievement levels x xSensitive to small gains x x

SUMMARY: What are you trying to show?

In the past…

• Grade Equivalents and NPRs were used to demonstrate growth

Measuring Growth:

For 2001-2002…

• NCEs will be used to measure growth

Benefits to Teachers…• Adjustments will be made to take into account

initial class standing within the normative group

(Classes will be weighted: Low, Average, High)

• NCEs will provide data that can be appropriately averaged and compared (Provides a more accurate depiction of growth)

Measuring Growth:

Measuring Growth: NCE Growth

What NCE growth looks like…

If growth is…

Equal to “0” = 1 year of growthGREATER than “0” = more than 1 year of growth LESS than “0” = less that 1 year of growth

Measuring Growth: Expectations

What we should expect…• We should expect an average of no less than 1

year growth in a classroom• We will reward teachers who achieve 1 year

growth and above in their classrooms • Appraisal points will be earned relative to the

degree of growth

The Process: Overview

Measuring Growth

STEP 1: Take PreTest Mean

STEP 2: Take PostTest Mean

STEP 3: Compare Pre-Test and Post-Test to determine gain or loss

STEP 4: Find “level” of PreTest Mean (Low, Average, High)

STEP 5: Compare gain or loss to target gain

STEP 6: Evaluate teacher based on percentage of target attained

The Process: Gain or Loss

Step 1-3 - Determining Gain or Loss…

Each class will have an average NCE gain or loss based on its PostTest mean

PostTest NCE – PreTest NCE = NCE Gain (or Loss)

The Process: Levels

Step 4 - Determining Levels…

Each class will be assigned to a “level” based on the PreTest Mean (see Table 1)

GREATER THAN and LESS THAN (or equal to) your LEVEL is:1 46.15 "low"

46.16 53.85 "average"53.86 99 "high"

If your PreTest Mean is:

Each level represents a range of scores based on Mean=50 and SD=3.86 of the sample distribution of means

The Process: Target Gains

Step 5 - Determining Target Gains…

Each class will have a target gain based on the “level” assigned to that class…

1. Each grade will have different target gains for Low, Average, and High categories (see Table 2)

2. EXAMPLE: If your class PreTest NCE Mean is “average” (from Table 1) then your class would be compared to the “average” target NCE gain (from Table 2)

The Process: Conversion

Step 6 - Converting to Percentage…

Each class average is then compared to it’s target gain…

Actual NCE Gain/Loss

Target NCE Gain= % of Target Attained

And a percentage is calculated…

The Process: Teacher Appraisal

Teacher Evaluation…

• The calculated percentage is the percent of goal attained

• Each teacher will be evaluated based on how close they were able to get their class to the Target Gain… 100%

The Process: Teacher Appraisal

Converting to Teacher Appraisal Points

The percentage of the expected growth achieved is then converted into teacher evaluation points using the following scale

The Process: Teacher Appraisal Key

Teacher Appraisal Key

0 = Below 0% NCE score growth = less than 1 year growth

3 = 0% to 49% NCE score growth = 1 to 1.19 years growth

4 = 50% to 99% NCE score growth = 1.20 to 1.39 years growth

5 = 100% and above NCE growth = 1.4 years growth or greater

The Process: Calculating Points

Calculating Teacher Appraisal Points

See the Interactive Spreadsheet

Click Here

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