The student growth metric released by the state Department of Education is intended to give the public a new look at how Georgia schools are performing. It’s the first time this kind of information has been made available to the public for every school in the state.
What is the measure?
It focuses on how much students at each school learn in a year, rather than whether they pass state tests. It’s part of a larger shift away from grading schools almost entirely on pass/fail rates on state tests.
How is it calculated?
School and district growth scores are based on what are called “student growth percentiles.” Essentially, student growth percentiles are calculated for each student in each tested subject by comparing his or her standardized test scores at the end of one year to the performance of other students who had similar test scores to him or her in the past.
Schools and districts are given a “median growth percentile” that offers a sense of how much a typical student at the school grew in a year compared to his or her academic peers.
How will it be used?
Policymakers intend for student growth percentile data to be used in a number of ways. Parents will be given individual reports that will show how their students are doing and if they are on track to pass state tests in the future, and it is supposed to help teachers and principals improve instructional practices in the classroom. Student growth percentile data also makes up a quarter of schools and districts evaluations, and will make up half of the job evaluation for teachers who teach subjects like math and reading, which are tested by the state.
