VGA arrived in mail today

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone fallen under the ready to learn at the grade level threshold? I am assuming yes

Yes, my third grader was 25 points under for reading. He reads well, is in Level 3 AAP, and has done well on all his unit tests. Not sure what happened, but I'll be following up with the teacher after break.

Keep in mind this is one data point. It is one that was completed at the beginning of the year by a student who at third grade was likely not familiar with taking such a test. It was taken after much, if not all of the previous year was online. If multiple data points show otherwise, I wouldn’t be concerned.

This. It was an exam they gave at the beginning of the year. How does it line up with the iReady results that you had? Does his Teacher seem to be worried? I would expect that many kids are below the threshold after a year of distance learning but I am hoping that kids are able to catch up, especially in ES. The way the curriculum spirals should allow for kids to catch up.

[Anonymous]

Still didn’t receive ours. Anyone else in the same boat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child scored below High Basic in math, yet is currently in advanced math this year. Should I be concerned?

How is your child doing in advanced math?

While this is important to note, lots of people report kids getting 3s and 4s in subjects the kids truly do not understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a fourth grader

Reading: 1657 (14/17)
Math: 1578 (18/24)


Based on the chart he is good to go until 8th grade. Not sure really what to take away from all of this.

You need to learn to read the chart. You can’t read results from one test against the other test benchmarks.

I am reading the test and the benchmarks that they sent. The Grade 4 benchmark is 1401, my kid scored 1578. The same chart lists a benchmark of 1582 for 8th grade, my kid is just under that. The benchmarks they established, with the scoring the sent, sure seems to indicate that my kid is close to being "ready to learn" 8th grade materials. Their adaptive test could give questions that are above grade level. I have no idea if the questions that he got right were at the 4th grade level and the ones he got wrong are at a higher grade. Did he get questions right that were at a 5,6, and 7 grade level and then he got ones wrong at the 8th grade level? I have no clue. I just know that he got 6 questions wrong and his scaled score is a 1578, which on the PDFs and charts that you can find, is at an 8th grade level.

If the results that they sent shouldn't be read that way, then they need to send something that they 1) explain 2) can't be read that way.

Look, I don't buy that he is ready for 8th grade. Not for a second. But when you send me the results of an adaptive test and provide the percentiles and benchmark for each grade, don't be surprised that a parent looks at those and projects the score out when the kid is well over the benchmark and already at the supposed high score of the test. Send something out that parents can understand and not feel like they are clearly reading something wrong because the graph shows that their 4th grader is at the benchmark for an 8th grader.

Your 4th grader was not tested with the same questions that your 8th grader was tested with. Your 4th grader scored 1578 on the FOURTH GRADE TEST (using 3rd grade standards). An 8th grader is tested using the EIGHTH GRADE TEST (using 7th grade standards).

The test is adaptive so we don't know what grade questions they were answering. He came home this year asking about exponents on his iReady test. His wording was "There were numbers with smaller number to the right and I didn't know what to do." We wrote out some examples, we told him what they were and how to solve them. He was bummed because they are easy enough to do. I doubt that they are working on exponents in third or fourth grade. At least, we have not seen any homework that includes exponents yet. The iReady includes more questions and takes longer but if the adaptive test tosses that out for one exam is it wrong to assume that he might get questions at a higher grade level on the VGA?

The point of the adaptive tests is to ask harder questions until the child gets some number wrong. It is within the range of possible that kids with higher answers would get questions that are in higher grades, which is why their explanation sucks. You are telling me the exam is adaptive but you don't put it in context. Did he get 100% on his grade level questions and then answered questions covering material in what grade? The 6 wrong answers in math were at what level? Because I see 6 wrong answers, three on one particular category, and that makes me worry about what he is learning about geometry. Did they limit the adaptive element to 5th grade material? That would make sense but then the score should only scale to a fifth grade level.

The SOL is pretty straightforward. Your kid scored X, they got a score of X in each section, it means Y. I have no clue why they need an adaptive test like the VGA or even the iReady. They don't seem to do anything with that information.

DP. Maybe I am wrong but I thought the VGA is not adaptive because they tested 1 grade below the current grade. But I have no idea how lower ES kids can get high 8th grade level scores. if the test was at a lower grade. My kid also got high scores beyond 8th grade level and there is no way that is possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child scored below High Basic in math, yet is currently in advanced math this year. Should I be concerned?

How is your child doing in advanced math?

While this is important to note, lots of people report kids getting 3s and 4s in subjects the kids truly do not understand.

My first question is what grade? If it is a third grader then a low rating is probably fine since the test was testing end of third grade knowledge, it is the same test the fourth graders took.

If your child is in fourth or higher, I would look at the iReady results and see where that placed your kid. Do they align? If your kid is low on both of them, I would talk to the Teacher. Heck, email the Teacher after break and ask how your child is doing in general. I do know that in 4th grade we are seeing more tests and graded results so we can see what DS is learning and how he is doing on tests. It makes me feel more comfortable with what he is learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child scored below High Basic in math, yet is currently in advanced math this year. Should I be concerned?

How is your child doing in advanced math?

While this is important to note, lots of people report kids getting 3s and 4s in subjects the kids truly do not understand.

Then yes, that’s a problem. The teacher isn’t accurately reflecting the student’s performance and the student should be in advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone fallen under the ready to learn at the grade level threshold? I am assuming yes

Yes, my third grader was 25 points under for reading. He reads well, is in Level 3 AAP, and has done well on all his unit tests. Not sure what happened, but I'll be following up with the teacher after break.

Keep in mind this is one data point. It is one that was completed at the beginning of the year by a student who at third grade was likely not familiar with taking such a test. It was taken after much, if not all of the previous year was online. If multiple data points show otherwise, I wouldn’t be concerned.

This. It was an exam they gave at the beginning of the year. How does it line up with the iReady results that you had? Does his Teacher seem to be worried? I would expect that many kids are below the threshold after a year of distance learning but I am hoping that kids are able to catch up, especially in ES. The way the curriculum spirals should allow for kids to catch up.

+1

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain how a child is "prepared to learn at grade level" when they missed half the questions for the prior grade's material?

[Anonymous]

So everyone got their results? Anyone not get them???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child scored below High Basic in math, yet is currently in advanced math this year. Should I be concerned?

How is your child doing in advanced math?

My child is in third grade, so this is her first year in advanced math. She’s doing fine in it. She does have to work a little harder in math I notice. It doesn’t come as easy to her. But she’s getting 3s and 4s in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how a child is "prepared to learn at grade level" when they missed half the questions for the prior grade's material?

They are not. But they can't report results saying 90% of kids are not ready to learn at grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how a child is "prepared to learn at grade level" when they missed half the questions for the prior grade's material?

https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/virginia-growth-assessments

For fall 2021, the VGA will focus on identifying potential learning gaps resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most FCPS students in grades 3-8 will take VGAs in the subject areas of reading and mathematics. Students enrolled in a high school level math course will not be assessed in mathematics. VGA are computer-adaptive tests consisting of SOL-type items. Questions cover content that would have been taught in the previous grade level.

They don't say how the questions adapt. The test adjusts based on your child's answer, so if they get answers correct, they are asked harder questions. It could be that your kid missed questions that were harder because they got easier ones correct. It is not a bad thing that they got them wrong, because they were hard questions but they got the easy and medium level questions correct. They are ready to learn new material because they know the basic material but missed the hardest questions. Maybe. we don't know because they have not told us how to read any of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a fourth grader

Reading: 1657 (14/17)
Math: 1578 (18/24)


Based on the chart he is good to go until 8th grade. Not sure really what to take away from all of this.

You need to learn to read the chart. You can’t read results from one test against the other test benchmarks.

I am reading the test and the benchmarks that they sent. The Grade 4 benchmark is 1401, my kid scored 1578. The same chart lists a benchmark of 1582 for 8th grade, my kid is just under that. The benchmarks they established, with the scoring the sent, sure seems to indicate that my kid is close to being "ready to learn" 8th grade materials. Their adaptive test could give questions that are above grade level. I have no idea if the questions that he got right were at the 4th grade level and the ones he got wrong are at a higher grade. Did he get questions right that were at a 5,6, and 7 grade level and then he got ones wrong at the 8th grade level? I have no clue. I just know that he got 6 questions wrong and his scaled score is a 1578, which on the PDFs and charts that you can find, is at an 8th grade level.

If the results that they sent shouldn't be read that way, then they need to send something that they 1) explain 2) can't be read that way.

Look, I don't buy that he is ready for 8th grade. Not for a second. But when you send me the results of an adaptive test and provide the percentiles and benchmark for each grade, don't be surprised that a parent looks at those and projects the score out when the kid is well over the benchmark and already at the supposed high score of the test. Send something out that parents can understand and not feel like they are clearly reading something wrong because the graph shows that their 4th grader is at the benchmark for an 8th grader.

Your 4th grader was not tested with the same questions that your 8th grader was tested with. Your 4th grader scored 1578 on the FOURTH GRADE TEST (using 3rd grade standards). An 8th grader is tested using the EIGHTH GRADE TEST (using 7th grade standards).

The test is adaptive so we don't know what grade questions they were answering. He came home this year asking about exponents on his iReady test. His wording was "There were numbers with smaller number to the right and I didn't know what to do." We wrote out some examples, we told him what they were and how to solve them. He was bummed because they are easy enough to do. I doubt that they are working on exponents in third or fourth grade. At least, we have not seen any homework that includes exponents yet. The iReady includes more questions and takes longer but if the adaptive test tosses that out for one exam is it wrong to assume that he might get questions at a higher grade level on the VGA?

The point of the adaptive tests is to ask harder questions until the child gets some number wrong. It is within the range of possible that kids with higher answers would get questions that are in higher grades, which is why their explanation sucks. You are telling me the exam is adaptive but you don't put it in context. Did he get 100% on his grade level questions and then answered questions covering material in what grade? The 6 wrong answers in math were at what level? Because I see 6 wrong answers, three on one particular category, and that makes me worry about what he is learning about geometry. Did they limit the adaptive element to 5th grade material? That would make sense but then the score should only scale to a fifth grade level.

The SOL is pretty straightforward. Your kid scored X, they got a score of X in each section, it means Y. I have no clue why they need an adaptive test like the VGA or even the iReady. They don't seem to do anything with that information.

I just can’t with you, lady!

[Anonymous]

Mynow 8th grader got a 1326L for reading and is listed as advanced. The math is 924Q, listed as basic.

I recall this all proved the kids did not learn much math last year. My kid has an A in algebra now.

Not sure how to put all of this together.

The scores do not line up to the posted links

[Anonymous]

Still have not received our scores. Anyone else in the same boat?