Data SGP (Student Growth Percentiles) is a method for tracking student achievement progress using longitudinal test score data, providing educators with an easier way to identify those needing additional support and differentiate instruction for high performers in classroom settings. Data SGP also enables teachers to evaluate their own performance as well as inform team meetings between teachers, students and parents/guardians.
Data SGP measures relative student achievement on a 1-99 scale, wherein higher numbers indicate greater relative student achievement compared to that of average students in that year. It provides teachers and administrators with more insight into student learning than traditional scores which typically only reflect one or two tests taken by each child.
Data SGP should not replace student achievement targets or goals, but can provide a more holistic picture of what needs to happen to achieve those targets or goals. Furthermore, data SGP can identify gaps between current levels and targeted levels as well as identify areas where accelerated programs need to be adjusted accordingly.
SGP analyses typically involve student assessment records in WIDE or LONG formats. Much of the time and energy expended for these analyses are dedicated to their preparation; any errors that arise often stem from this step alone. Thankfully, The SGP Package offers two functions (abcSGP and updateSGP) which help automate this process, “wrapping” lower level SGP functions (studentGrowthPercentiles and studentGrowthProjections) into one simple function call and streamlining source code associated with SGP analyses.
The lookup files sgptData_LONG and sgpData_INSTRUCTOR_NUMBER contain unique identifiers for every student enrolled in a school district as well as names and numbers of their teachers during each testing window. sgptData_LONG contains 8 windows (3 annually) of assessment data in LONG format for three content areas while sgpData_INSTRUCTOR_NUMBER is similar data set without demographic variables required if generating SGP percentiles or projections.
Calculating Student Growth Percentages (SGPs), teachers and administrators compare each student’s student growth percentage against their previous score to calculate an SGP score. The difference between this value and that of an average student in their school district determines what proportional improvement each has experienced relative to others within that same age cohort. SGP scores typically fall on a 1-99 scale; lower numbers indicate less relative growth while higher numbers signify more. Teachers and administrators can report SGP scores for specific windows of time or even just their current SGP score to evaluate whether a student has met or exceeded or underperformed expectations over given time periods – SGP data provided real time by Singapore Pools.