The following is a list of the questions we commonly hear from Teachers, Parents and Administrators about easyCBM.
What is a percentile?
A student’s percentile score shows the percentage of other test takers that scored a lower or equal score. For example, a student who was ranked in the 90th percentile scored equal to or better than 90% of their grade level peers. This is different than percentage, which indicates the number of items a student scored correctly out of a certain total. For example, a student may have scored 18 out of 20 (90%) on the easyCBM Reading Comprehension test, but have a percentile ranking at the 80th percentile. This indicates the student scored better than 80% of their 4J peers on that measure, which gives better information as to the student's relative standing.
Why does a student seem to be developing academically, but their percentile score has not improved?
Percentiles are not static, and they often do not provide an adequate measure of academic growth. A student could show solid growth in terms of raw scores, but little percentile growth, as percentiles are also based on how all other grade-level students have done.
Once the first year of data has been processed, will we be able to use normed benchmarks?
Beginning in Fall 2009, there will be Fall, Winter, and Spring benchmarks available for use with the reading assessments.
These will be fixed points (based on when final scores line up in a normal distribution for this year), per grade level that essentially say, “students should be at this point at this time of the year."
How can we measure academic growth using easyCBM?
Growth can be looked at in a couple of ways. A common measure of growth is to look at the students' raw score. For example, a student may have started the year reading 70 correct words per minute in Passage Reading Fluency and ended the year rading 100 correct words per minute. A preferable way to look at growth is through the use of benchmarks. Having benchmarks enables schools and families to be able to know if a student is at, above, or below grade level targets at certain points, and in specific areas throughout the year. In terms of growth, benchmarks will enable teachers to say things like, "this student was below benchmark in comprehension at the beginning of the year, but is now at benchmark because of a certain intervention or change in instruction." As a school, a measure of growth could be "we had 50% of our 3rd graders at benchmark in fluency in Fall and 80% at benchmark in Spring." This is both quantifiable and at the same time, understandable.
Is easyCBM nationally normed?
EasyCBM is not nationally normed, it is a locally normed assessment based on the performance of 4J students.
We already have OAKS, why do we need another test?
OAKS is a criterion referenced, summative assessment that tests students' knowledge of content standards etablished by the Oregon Dept. of Education. EasyCBM is a formative assessment that is more diagnostic in nature than OAKS, and gives information regarding specific skills related to reading and math. This data can be used to chart student progress over time in relation to these specific skills, and also can give schools information that can be useful in terms of providing interventions for students or differentiating their instruction in the classroom. As schools chart interventions and monitor student growth at the same time, it will become clear whether or not the intervention is working, and if not, make necessary changes.
Further answers to to both academic and technical questions about easyCBM can be found at the project website, by clicking here.
