APS EOY assessments - can’t translate meaning

[Anonymous]

It's a merge issue. I had it for the midyear results and emailed my teacher for the real results. The teachers are off, but the front office will have them.

[Anonymous]

Were you guys able to access ParentVUE? I keep getting this annoying message: We are aware of the issue with ParentVUE Notification Emails and have notified the ParentVUE Vendor. Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the issue.

Wondering how you were able to access the math scores, etc.? TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Were you guys able to access ParentVUE? I keep getting this annoying message: We are aware of the issue with ParentVUE Notification Emails and have notified the ParentVUE Vendor. Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the issue.

Wondering how you were able to access the math scores, etc.? TIA

I was able to get into parent vue.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. Thanks for the confirmation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Were you guys able to access ParentVUE? I keep getting this annoying message: We are aware of the issue with ParentVUE Notification Emails and have notified the ParentVUE Vendor. Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the issue.

Wondering how you were able to access the math scores, etc.? TIA

That message is on the log in screen but nothing prevented me from logging in. Note I use the web version not the app.

[Anonymous]

I continue to be confused by the MI numbers. I thought these were static. A 980 is a 980, or a 1046 is a 1046.

Over the last two years my middle schooler's scores consistently drop from BOY to MOY to EOY. Is he really less proficient in math in June than he was in September? To make it even more confusing, last September's BOY score was higher than the previous spring's EOY score. I actually might have expected a drop-off due to summer slide.

Nothing seems to explain this.

[Anonymous]

A few useful resources that I think APS doesn’t send because they don’t want to deal with Arlington parents but would be so much better if they did:

1) for DIBELS, the composite score breakdowns are here: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/sites/dibels1.uoregon.edu/files/2021-06/DIBELS8thEditionGoals.pdf
As someone else noted, the tests are different year to year so you can’t look at a K 550 and think “oh, my child is hitting the 3rd grade benchmark!” But you can look at the breakdown and see that a EOY 550 for K is “blue” (the step above green/proficient) which means your kid is very unlikely to need any additional support. DIBELS is really just a way of identifying students who need intervention or not.

2) for Math Inventory, the score ranges are here: https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/fgg/4441/Math%20Inventory%203.1%20%20Overview%20for%20Parents.pdf
It’s computer adaptive (which means the questions get harder as a student gets things right). I am not a testing expert, but it makes sense to me that these tests would have more variability across benchmarks (eg from BOY to MOY) because if a kid is having a slightly off day, the assessment will start offering easier questions, and the score would drop, particularly if the child scored very high for the first benchmark.

[Anonymous]

If your kid already took algebra, it will just show a Q/not show an MI score.
As for math placement, it’s done by the central math office based 100% on test scores (unless parents push back), in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few useful resources that I think APS doesn’t send because they don’t want to deal with Arlington parents but would be so much better if they did:

1) for DIBELS, the composite score breakdowns are here: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/sites/dibels1.uoregon.edu/files/2021-06/DIBELS8thEditionGoals.pdf
As someone else noted, the tests are different year to year so you can’t look at a K 550 and think “oh, my child is hitting the 3rd grade benchmark!” But you can look at the breakdown and see that a EOY 550 for K is “blue” (the step above green/proficient) which means your kid is very unlikely to need any additional support. DIBELS is really just a way of identifying students who need intervention or not.

2) for Math Inventory, the score ranges are here: https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/fgg/4441/Math%20Inventory%203.1%20%20Overview%20for%20Parents.pdf
It’s computer adaptive (which means the questions get harder as a student gets things right). I am not a testing expert, but it makes sense to me that these tests would have more variability across benchmarks (eg from BOY to MOY) because if a kid is having a slightly off day, the assessment will start offering easier questions, and the score would drop, particularly if the child scored very high for the first benchmark.

So why do they include the benchmark for the next grade up as well as the current grade? My rising 1st grader's report has their EOY score, and then the benchmarks for EOY 1st grade and EOY 2nd grade. But if it's a totally different test and score range for 2nd grade, how is that even useful information? This was confusing.

Thanks for linking that score breakdown doc, PP, I tracked it down yesterday and found it helpful - especially in trying to figure out the whole grade level thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your 5th grader was placed in pre-algebra for 6th, what was their Math Inventory score at the end of 4th? Trying to get some sense how my rising 5th grader's score stacks up in the context of APS.

There are a million posts on this and barely anyone ever answers lol. Short answer is. They are getting rid of MI next year so those scores won't matter. But they don't just look at MI they look at SOLs and other scores abs classroom performance and class size and a million things apparently. And it will be different depending on which school you go to.

Anyway whenever we get our placement letter I will come back and tell you lol. Should be soon.

Yeah, I've never seen anyone post a number for an
EOY 4th grade score. Just trying to get a sense.

The classroom performance stuff is crazy subjective. My understanding is that some elementary schools liberally place kids in pre-algebra but others don't at all. I've also been told that zero kids from our elementary were recommended for pre-algebra next year because our gifted teacher doesn't believe in math acceleration. But I guess I'll worry about that next year.

That doesn't make sense because it's not all done at the school level. My school's math coach told me it is in part determined by the math office based on scores and teacher feedback. She is a colleague and I don't think she would lie to me.

Apparently the teacher who supplies the feedback for our school states that none of her students are recommended for pre-algebra in 6th. I'm not sure what's so hard to understand. Some kids do still get placed based on scores and parent requests, but none are recommended based on teacher input.

It’s hard to understand why no kids would be placed based on one gifted teacher’s philosophy when they aren’t the one placing people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few useful resources that I think APS doesn’t send because they don’t want to deal with Arlington parents but would be so much better if they did:

1) for DIBELS, the composite score breakdowns are here: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/sites/dibels1.uoregon.edu/files/2021-06/DIBELS8thEditionGoals.pdf
As someone else noted, the tests are different year to year so you can’t look at a K 550 and think “oh, my child is hitting the 3rd grade benchmark!” But you can look at the breakdown and see that a EOY 550 for K is “blue” (the step above green/proficient) which means your kid is very unlikely to need any additional support. DIBELS is really just a way of identifying students who need intervention or not.

2) for Math Inventory, the score ranges are here: https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/fgg/4441/Math%20Inventory%203.1%20%20Overview%20for%20Parents.pdf
It’s computer adaptive (which means the questions get harder as a student gets things right). I am not a testing expert, but it makes sense to me that these tests would have more variability across benchmarks (eg from BOY to MOY) because if a kid is having a slightly off day, the assessment will start offering easier questions, and the score would drop, particularly if the child scored very high for the first benchmark.

Thank you so much for sharing these resources! It helps to have some context for the scores (although what I’m really taking away is not to put too much stock in them)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your 5th grader was placed in pre-algebra for 6th, what was their Math Inventory score at the end of 4th? Trying to get some sense how my rising 5th grader's score stacks up in the context of APS.

There are a million posts on this and barely anyone ever answers lol. Short answer is. They are getting rid of MI next year so those scores won't matter. But they don't just look at MI they look at SOLs and other scores abs classroom performance and class size and a million things apparently. And it will be different depending on which school you go to.

Anyway whenever we get our placement letter I will come back and tell you lol. Should be soon.

Yeah, I've never seen anyone post a number for an
EOY 4th grade score. Just trying to get a sense.

The classroom performance stuff is crazy subjective. My understanding is that some elementary schools liberally place kids in pre-algebra but others don't at all. I've also been told that zero kids from our elementary were recommended for pre-algebra next year because our gifted teacher doesn't believe in math acceleration. But I guess I'll worry about that next year.

That doesn't make sense because it's not all done at the school level. My school's math coach told me it is in part determined by the math office based on scores and teacher feedback. She is a colleague and I don't think she would lie to me.

Apparently the teacher who supplies the feedback for our school states that none of her students are recommended for pre-algebra in 6th. I'm not sure what's so hard to understand. Some kids do still get placed based on scores and parent requests, but none are recommended based on teacher input.

It’s hard to understand why no kids would be placed based on one gifted teacher’s philosophy when they aren’t the one placing people.

Perhaps reread what I wrote.

It's infuriating when upthread people say teacher input matters so you can't look at scores, and then you point out that teacher input varies school to school, only to have people retort that teacher input doesn't matter. I don't know if it does or doesn't, but I am aware that teacher input from our school is uniformly negative re placement in 6th grade pre-algebra and that our elementary traditionally places fewer kids than other elementary schools.

Does anyone have an EOY 4th grade score they can share for a kid who was placed in pre-algebra in 6th? I'm just trying to get a sense. I will not use it as gospel or use it to parent place my student. I promise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few useful resources that I think APS doesn’t send because they don’t want to deal with Arlington parents but would be so much better if they did:

1) for DIBELS, the composite score breakdowns are here: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/sites/dibels1.uoregon.edu/files/2021-06/DIBELS8thEditionGoals.pdf
As someone else noted, the tests are different year to year so you can’t look at a K 550 and think “oh, my child is hitting the 3rd grade benchmark!” But you can look at the breakdown and see that a EOY 550 for K is “blue” (the step above green/proficient) which means your kid is very unlikely to need any additional support. DIBELS is really just a way of identifying students who need intervention or not.

2) for Math Inventory, the score ranges are here: https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/fgg/4441/Math%20Inventory%203.1%20%20Overview%20for%20Parents.pdf
It’s computer adaptive (which means the questions get harder as a student gets things right). I am not a testing expert, but it makes sense to me that these tests would have more variability across benchmarks (eg from BOY to MOY) because if a kid is having a slightly off day, the assessment will start offering easier questions, and the score would drop, particularly if the child scored very high for the first benchmark.

So why do they include the benchmark for the next grade up as well as the current grade? My rising 1st grader's report has their EOY score, and then the benchmarks for EOY 1st grade and EOY 2nd grade. But if it's a totally different test and score range for 2nd grade, how is that even useful information? This was confusing.

Thanks for linking that score breakdown doc, PP, I tracked it down yesterday and found it helpful - especially in trying to figure out the whole grade level thing.

I find this confusing too. My rising 2nd grader's report has the 1st G benchmark and 2nd G benchmark listed for MI. I think this is new, and also only for the lower grades? I have DC in upper elementary and her report only has the benchmark for her grade.

[Anonymous]

I'm the above PP. I just checked the report again and it has two benchmarks (1st and 2nd grades) for DIBELS too. But the 2nd G benchmark is lower than the 1st grade benchmark, so apparently they are different tests. How does this information help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few useful resources that I think APS doesn’t send because they don’t want to deal with Arlington parents but would be so much better if they did:

1) for DIBELS, the composite score breakdowns are here: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/sites/dibels1.uoregon.edu/files/2021-06/DIBELS8thEditionGoals.pdf
As someone else noted, the tests are different year to year so you can’t look at a K 550 and think “oh, my child is hitting the 3rd grade benchmark!” But you can look at the breakdown and see that a EOY 550 for K is “blue” (the step above green/proficient) which means your kid is very unlikely to need any additional support. DIBELS is really just a way of identifying students who need intervention or not.

2) for Math Inventory, the score ranges are here: https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/fgg/4441/Math%20Inventory%203.1%20%20Overview%20for%20Parents.pdf
It’s computer adaptive (which means the questions get harder as a student gets things right). I am not a testing expert, but it makes sense to me that these tests would have more variability across benchmarks (eg from BOY to MOY) because if a kid is having a slightly off day, the assessment will start offering easier questions, and the score would drop, particularly if the child scored very high for the first benchmark.

Is the math inventory the same re: not comparing scores across grade levels? My younger child score higher than my older child on both. I know Dibels tests are different for each grade, but does math translate?