Academic Growth in Math High Poverty Students – WASL and MAP

Feng-Yi Hung, Ph.DDirector of Assessment and Program Evaluation

Clover Park School District

Clover Park School District

Concentrated poverty, family instability, homeless situations, and military deployment are but a few hardships typical of growing up in Clover Park School District – Lakewood, WA.

• 40% - Military Families• 50% - Minority Students• 60% - Free/Reduced Lunch

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

• Computerized adaptive tests by Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)

• Educators use the growth and achievement data from MAP tests to develop targeted instructional strategies.

• Growth - Additional Aspect of the Achievement Gap

• 2006-2007 - the first year to implement MAP assessments (grades 6-8)

Data Analysis• Three Criteria for this year’s 8th graders –

– Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch– Participated in 2006 WASL (6th grade) and

2007 WASL (7th grade)– Participated in MAP Fall and Spring

assessments in the 2006-07 school year

• N = 210

WASL - Met Standard WASL - Not Met

Standard

Number of Students 71 (34%) 139 (66%)

RIT Range 38 (218-256) 72 (172-244)

RIT Mean 238 214

National Norm Grade 10 Grades 4-5

7th-Grade WASL and MAP

The NWEA 2005 Norms Study includes results from more than 2.3 million students in 794 school districts, representing 32

states.

Descriptive Statistics

WASL Math Level 1 - Two Consecutive Years (Grade 6, 2006 and Grade 7, 2007)

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250

MAP Spring 2007

Ga

ins

(F

all

20

06

to

Sp

rin

g 2

00

7)

N=86

WASL Math Level 1 - Two Consecutive Years MAP Fall to Spring Growth by Ethnicity

3.7

5.46.0

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

Black (N=30) Hispanic (N=21) White (N=27)

Mean Scale Score

N

Asian/Pacific Islander 389 26

Black 360 50

Hispanic 363 42

White 387 84

Total 376 210

7th-Grade WASL Math

Design: Ethnicity + Gender + Ethnicity*Gender

Results: Significant Effect on Ethnicity, F=5.1, p < .05

Post Hoc Tests - Tukey HSD: Asian vs. Black; White vs. Black; White vs. Hispanic

Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

Mean RIT Score N

Asian/Pacific Islander 225 26

Black 216 50

Hispanic 217 42

White 226 84

Total 222 210

7th- Grade MAP Math

Design: Ethnicity + Gender + Ethnicity*Gender

Results: Significant Effect on Ethnicity, F=4.1, p < .05

Post Hoc Tests - Tukey HSD: White vs. Black & White vs. Hispanic

Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

Gains:

RIT ScoreN

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.7 26

Black 4.6 50

Hispanic 5.5 42

White 6.4 84

Total 5.4 210

7th- Grade MAP Math Gains Fall to Spring

Design: Ethnicity + Gender + Ethnicity*Gender

Results: No Significant Effect

Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

Discussion Math Growth of High Poverty Students

• Improving student learning in math is a highly complex challenge, especially for students in poverty

• Schools and gender are not significant factors in impacting FRL student performance and growth over time.

• White and Hispanic FRL students made more gains in math than their peers

STAY FOCUSED ON THE KIDS!

Questions & Ideas