Report achievement score trends by age group rather than by grade when promotion and retention policies change grade composition¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

This strategy shifts score reporting from grade levels to age cohorts, defining age groups by birthdays within six months on either side of April 15, the approximate citywide testing date. Because the promotion policy changes the composition of students within grades over time, the article argues this "reporting Scores by Age Group, Rather Than by Grade" method "may be informative in the future" as grade composition becomes increasingly complex.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Consistent birthday-based age group definitions anchored to the testing date, as the article defines around April 15

Constraints¶

• It is still a cross-sectional comparison; the article notes age groups at different points in time can be more similar to each other than grade groups are, not identical

Target Learners¶

• elementary and middle school students in districts with promotion/retention policies

Target Learning Goals¶

• accurate district-level achievement trend monitoring under changing retention policies

Claims¶

• Removing retained students' scores raises 1998 ITBS scores in grades three, six, and eight, while adding predicted retained-student scores lowers fourth and seventh grade scores [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• John Q. Easton, Brian Jacob, Stuart Luppescu, Melissa Roderick. (1998). Adjusting Citywide ITBS Scores for Student Retention in Grades Three, Six, and Eight. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/adjusting-citywide-itbs-scores-student-retention-grades-three-six-and-eight