Reply to I-Ready grade level estimates

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"I'm nevertheless still perplexed as to how a child can be 99th percentile (475Q) in math on I-Ready and be indicated as on grade level and not meeting or having incomplete knowledge of several standards."

The answer is that these are two distinct comparative metrics.  The percentile is comparing your child's performance to other children's performances.  In this metric literally all of the test takers could fail but your child could fail less badly and therefore be 99th percentile in comparison.  The grade level standard is, instead, comparing your child's performance in relation to the grade level goals (broadly defined, as discussed above).

So, the two metrics combined tell you that your child is doing fine in terms of grade level goals, and better than most other test takers, many of whom are not doing fine in relation to grade level goals [/quote]

Thanks. I do understand that. [b]I guess my point is more that it's surprising that the standards are out of reach for so many in the nation, even kids at the 99th percentile.[/b] And DC is doing work well beyond grade level in math so it's unexpected that DC tested as being on grade level for math and not advanced in any area. The reading results make a bit more sense. Was very advanced in some areas that were expected and not so in others.

Are there data indicating that the I-Ready is accurately capturing how well students are doing relative to Common Core or Virginia Standards? I suspect the testing situation is suboptimal at best. DC said kids were sounding off "alarms" by clicking through to get to the end and that the classroom noise and particular kids make it difficult to concentrate. One disruptive kid doesn't have working headphones so everyone has to listen to his loud audio.

I also think kids could use more coaching on how to approach such tests. DC is used to being able to do things over after making a mistake (in Beast Academy, ST Math, chess, etc), which I think results in a more casual approach that backfires in a real testing situation. [/quote]

The grade level standards aren't out of reach for 99th percentile kids.  What's out of reach are standards for the next grade level up that haven't necessarily been taught.   Even a 99th percentile kid isn't going to magically know how to divide fractions or what a box and whisker plot is if they haven't been taught the material.  The score means that your kid has full mastery of the grade level material, but they apparently have some gaps in the above grade level material that they haven't formally been taught.  Even if your kid is working well beyond grade level in math by using things like Beast Academy, there are some fringe topics included in the common core grade level standards that aren't touched upon in BA. [/quote]

Sorry, I'm confused. I'm looking at my child's report and they are 99th percentile in math but showing gaps on standards for the grade level. Unless I'm misinterpreting? For example, this standard:

"MG.1.9.a (measurement and geometry): The student will investigate the passage of time and tell time to the hour and half- hour, using analog and digital clocks".

DC got an 'X' here, indicating "The student likely does not have sufficient understanding of the i‐Ready skills aligned to the standard". And for several other first grade standards got a non-filled (rather than green) checkmark indicating "The student only understands some of the i‐Ready skills aligned to the standard, or the aligned i‐Ready skill is only partially related to the standard, so claims can only be made conservatively."

This to me suggests DC has not achieved first grade standards in several areas (yet is scoring at the 99th percentile...). So doesn't this mean that there are likely many kids who are doing exceptionally (top 1%) but are still not meeting their grade-level standards?

Curious to know what fringe topics are in Common Core or Virginia Standards that are not covered in BA.
[/quote]

The test only knows what your child answered correctly and what they answered incorrectly.  It can't tell the difference between a kid who gets the concepts but makes a careless mistake and one who has no clue how to even approach the question.  So, your kid has some wrong answers on telling time.  Your kid likely had some other wrong answers.  Maybe they don't fully understand the standard being tested.  Maybe they got distracted.  Maybe they reached a point where the test was too long for them and they were just done with it all.  Maybe they have a high conceptual understanding, but a lower executive function.   In K and 1st, they're not looking for kids to flag for enrichment, but they're instead flagging below grade level kids for interventions.

You seem to be taking umbrage at the idea that iready doesn't think your kid is above grade level.  Don't overthink iready, and don't take the grade levels too seriously.  Your kid had some wrong answers for one of the first grade standards, but apparently did quite well overall.  By iready standards, your kid doesn't currently belong in a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom for math, so it doesn't view your kid as "above grade level."  For what it's worth, had your kid taken the 2nd or 3rd grade iready, it would have considered your kid "on grade level" for 2nd and 3rd grade, respectively.  Iready leveling is weird, and there's a lot of overlap in the on grade level bands.   It's not saying that your kid isn't smart or isn't advanced.  Most of the kids in AAP or in advanced math are not considered "above grade level" by iready.  [/quote]

I'm not taking umbrage at anything. Just trying to understand. I know my kid to be above grade level in math so I'm trying to understand why the test says otherwise. Also, I'm an educator and academic, so I don't dismiss testing as readily as others do (I create cognitive measures myself and I'm sure a lot of care went into creating and testing the I-Ready).

It's funny you mention executive function--when kids are sick their EF definitely is not at its best, and certainly if a child isn't savvy about approaching tests they aren't engaging whatever EF they have to respond as best they can.

But re: not looking to flag for enrichment, that doesn't sound correct to me. Teacher said they are going to be making recommendations for level 2 next year and this is part of the data they rely on.[/quote]

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