Revisiting grade 8 algebra placement with grade 7 math CST scores does not necessarily yield more accurate placement outcomes, because predictions from different assessments largely overlap¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Over 80 percent of students predicted to succeed in algebra I based on one assessment were also predicted to succeed based on others, and students with disparate predictions across tests had only about a 50 percent probability of grade 8 success. → Chun-Wei Huang 2016

Evidence¶

Chun-Wei Huang 2016¶

Chun-Wei Huang, Jason Snipes, Neal Finkelstein, WestEd. (2016). Using assessment data to guide math course placement of California middle school students. SREE Spring 2016 Conference. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED567123

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Comparative analysis of placement predictions across grade 6 CST, grade 7 CST, and MDTP scores in the analytic sample; the study reports "The vast majority of students (over 80 percent) who were predicted to succeed in Algebra I based on one assessment were also predicted to succeed based on others."

"The vast majority of students (over 80 percent) who were predicted to succeed in Algebra I based on one assessment were also predicted to succeed based on others. Moreover, the probability of grade 8 success for students with different predictions based on different tests was only about 50 percent."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Using grade 6 math CST scale scores rather than proficiency status increases the accuracy of grade 8 algebra I placement decisions from 69 to 75 percent — related
• Grade 6 math CST proficiency alone is not an effective indicator of algebra readiness: students need a scale score of 367, about 0.27 SD above the cutpoint, to reach a 50 percent probability of grade 8 algebra I proficiency — related
• When scale scores are used, prediction accuracy of grade 8 algebra I proficiency does not vary substantially across grade 6 CST, grade 7 CST, and MDTP assessments (75–78 percent) — related
• MDTP scores on five of seven topics significantly predict grade 8 algebra I proficiency after controlling for grade 6 CST scale score — related
• The Elevate Math summer program significantly improved math achievement of rising grade 8 students, with a treatment-control difference equivalent to 0.7 standard deviation — related