Why did Massachusetts develop a growth model to measure student progress?
Annually, since 1998, Massachusetts provided students, families, educators, and the general public with valuable information about student, school and district performance based on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). This information has been invaluable in helping schools and districts engage in program evaluation activities- understanding, for example, how well district instruction and curriculum are aligned with the state’s curriculum frameworks, or how well a particular subgroup of students is performing by school and district, and across the state. Until now, however, we have been unable to answer the question, “How much academic progress did a student or group of students make in one year, as measured by MCAS, in relation to their academic peers?” With the development of the growth model, it is now possible to answer this question. This method of examining student performance and improvement will help districts and schools to look into why results differ for
