Feedback in a flash ... computerized tests provide detailed information that helps shape the curriculum and tracks growth in clovis usd. Aligned with district and state standards, the on-demand tests adjust to meet achievement levels of individual students.

When California's assessment system was in a major flux a few years ago, Clovis Unified School District went shopping for its own answers. Regardless of what the state's solution would be, we wanted a system that would provide feedback on student achievement related to district standards, and we didn't want to wait.

Ours is an academically strong district with students consistently scoring above the 50th percentile on the SAT-9, but we wanted to better shape curriculum and track results now and in the future. With school funding increasingly tied to meeting new (and at the time undefined) standards and the prospect of the state's high stakes graduation exams looming, we wanted more detailed information to guide us.

Clovis has always been focused on data-based solutions, so we sought our answers there again. Norm-referenced tests provided percentile rankings for us in the past, but they didn't provide the assessment data we needed to justify program changes or review individual performance. We wanted data to compare year-to-year growth and also track the growth of individual students across time.

While very skilled at identifying the low-performing students and writing individual prescriptions for them, we lacked a sense of what kind of growth average and above-average students were achieving from year to year.

One of our key goals was to be able to address achievement of all students relative to the district standards. Any measurement system we adopted needed to be able to offer us feedback on standards and data that could be used to compare year-to-year growth and rank the growth of individual students across time. Being able to do on-demand testing also was important.

The answer

We found the answer in a testing system developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit organization committed to helping member school districts meet their assessment goals. NWEA's computerized adaptive testing system, called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), is based on an equal-interval interval measurement scale and includes items selected from a large pool that reflect our district standards.

We began our work with the association using paper-and-pencil tests based on the same scale; however, we are now implementing the Web-enabled MAP. We see it as the wave of the future because it streamlines testing mechanics and creates an assessment system more responsive to individual teacher needs.

As a member of the NWEA, our district also receives ongoing help with test administration and scoring and data interpretation, including how to appropriately use the test results to improve learning.

Tests measure individual student achievement

Unlike tests geared to a specific grade level, these tests adjust to meet the achievement levels of the individual student. Real-time computer adaptability means that each subsequent test item is automatically more difficult or easier, based on the student's response to prior items. Student achievement is reported on a continuous achievement growth scale. The scale provides for the measurement of academic growth, normative reporting, and predicting student performance on the state tests.

Clovis is a 32,000-student, K-12 district, but our initial focus is on grades three through eight. We've implemented the tests in those grades in our 25 elementary and four middle schools throughout the city of Clovis and the Fresno County area. Originally, we aligned the test with our district standards but with NWEA's help, we've recently revised the alignment to reflect the new state standards and to measure student progress toward the new High School Exit Exam.

Dick Sparks, director of assessment for Clovis USD, has been enthusiastic about these tests, which provide teachers more flexibility. "The test results give us benchmarks so that we know where kids are relative to our curricular standards," said Sparks. "They also give us the information about student performance we need so we are more in control of our progress toward meeting the state goals."

Scores aligned with standards

Since all test items are aligned to our standards and goals, scores more accurately reflect what a student has learned or needs to learn. In addition, the Rasch Unit (RIT) scale used in the system is more flexible, enabling a host of reporting options for parents, teachers, students, principals and administrators. For example, administrators can use the student achievement data for accountability, program evaluation, growth target setting and other purposes.

"The more we use the data, the more we see the power of the reporting capabilities and the kind of information that we can provide schools, as well as parents and the community," Sparks said. "We try to give our principals and teachers the most useful data possible to effect meaningful change."

With quick turnaround of results, we can use the data to make program changes as needed that will not only help the low-end learners and special education students, but the average and gifted student as well. For example, the RIT scale score is a much better guide for our advanced students in our Gifted and Talented Education program who otherwise have topped out on norm-referenced tests. With more frequent testing we can make sure these students are adequately challenged throughout the year.

Data demonstrates growth of individuals, groups

Since California schools have been challenged by state mandates to pay attention to more than just global groups of students, the ability to break down data has been a real asset. In the past we've only had to demonstrate growth through one identifier, such as a norm reference. Now we must demonstrate improvement on multiple measures.

"It's a great diagnostic tool and a real asset to be able to monitor and project growth," said Patti Hamilton, data control specialist for Clovis. "There's so much we can examine."

Hamilton combines NWEA results with other district-administered tests so that teachers can see a succinct overview of a student's performance. We're also able to look at student achievement and growth by gender or ethnicity to see how they're performing relative to the whole district. This helps us find and correct weaknesses immediately.

Perhaps most importantly at the district level, the test data offer feedback on how Clovis is doing on standards. On an individual student basis, the test data offer feedback about how a child is growing toward those standards.

The results are broken out by specific skill sets that allow us to actually "grid" their progress in different subject areas, which creates a much more informed discussion. The grids allow teachers to easily identify the weaknesses among students in particular skill areas.

Data helps identify special needs

Being able to regularly pinpoint individual student strengths and weaknesses provides teachers and others with the ability to more effectively guide instruction. It is also an impressive tool for follow-up testing to show whether individual student learning has actually improved.

While it remains too soon to assess the long-term impact of the data in all areas, teachers already are using data to group students who need to strengthen specific skill areas. A student who might be put in the "remedial" group in geometry, for instance, may be in the advanced group in number computation. Another student may be very good in literal comprehension and spelling, but weak in vocabulary.

Clovis also has discovered that parents really appreciate the information because it's more useful and easier to comprehend than simply being told that their child is at this or that "number." The test data give us the tools we need to move ahead on every level with students, teachers and parents.

On-demand testing

The system enables us to reassess some students or groups of students every six to 10 weeks -- something that we're interested in doing with low-performing students. In addition, we're able to use the computerized system "on-demand" for students who join the district mid-year. Regardless of when the testing is done, scoring is always available for immediate review, with more detailed reporting available within a week of testing.

Our next step is to integrate the system into our five high schools. The more data we gather, the more teachers will be able to benefit.

Our goal: Accounting for the growth of every child

The California reform movement is moving from the success of the system to the success of every child, and all of the accountability measurements are moving toward a school having to account for the growth of each child. Adopting a measurement device that helps us toward that goal is a proactive effort on our part to hold ourselves accountable in a very meaningful way. This way, we can be judged by growth in student achievement -- which is truly the bottom line in education.

Ginny Boris is associate superintendent for elementary education in the Clovis Unified School District. She also teaches at California State University in Fresno and is an external evaluator for ACSA's California Curriculum Management Audit Center.