Should Percentile Rankings in Aimsweb Go Down in Reading Across the Year?

Reading Progress Indicator FAQ

This topic provides answers to some oftentimes asked questions almost using the Reading Progress Indicator assessments. If you still accept questions or concerns, or would like more than information, run across About Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) or contact Scientific Learning Customer Support.

What is Reading Progress Indicator?

Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) is an online assessment that rapidly measures the effects of the Fast ForWord family unit of components by evaluating reading performance as students progress from component to component. Scientific Learning partnered with a third party to develop this research-based and psychometrically sound evaluation tool.

When using assessments to evaluate students, information technology'southward important to annotation that assessment scores only represent a partial snapshot of a student'south performance at a given fourth dimension, which can be influenced by the educatee's psychological or concrete land at the time of testing. As such, assessment tools tin be subject field to errors. Scientific Learning recommends using both a design of test performance over time and multiple assessment tools to provide a more authentic measure out of a student's true operation.

Additionally, please notation that an assessment is considered to be at or below risk if the student scored below 30% on the assessment. Cess scores below 30% correct cannot be distinguished from random guessing, and therefore are not a good basis for a valid evaluation. When reviewing RPI scores for your students, consider whether unexpectedly low scores seem reasonable for those students. If not, you may choose to void the RPI assessment and have the pupil complete a new assessment.

mySciLEARN provides detailed RPI scoring results in the Reading Progress Indicator reports. To learn more see Reports.

What reading skills does RPI measure out?

RPI measures iv skills: phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. These skills are defined as follows:

Phonological sensation – The ability to discriminate, identify, and manipulate the sounds in words; for example, recognizing words that rhyme, or removing the first sound of true cat to make the word at.
Decoding – The power to decipher written words. Decoding requires phonological sensation too every bit an agreement of sound-symbol correspondences.
Vocabulary – The ability to understand a word's significant and syntactical role, and to recognize the individual morphemes in a word. Morphemes are the smallest unit of measurement of meaning in a language and include roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Comprehension – The ability to read text (or listen to spoken communication) and actively construct meaning so as to empathize the author's message.

How does Reading Progress Indicator correlate to known reading assessments?

Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive correlation of Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to nationally normed reading assessments and high-stakes reading tests from various states beyond the nation. Across 23 studies, including data from more than than xiii,000 students, correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 (moderate) to 0.88 (strong), with an boilerplate of 0.69. Collectively, this body of enquiry has established that RPI has a high level of concurrent validity as a reading assessment. Moderate to potent correlations accept been institute between RPI and the following assessments. To larn more than see our whitepaper Overview of RPI Correlation Studies.

Standardized reading assessments

AIMSweb – Curriculum Based Mensurate: Reading (CBM-R)
AIMSweb – MAZE (MAZE)
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills – Oral Reading Fluency (DIBELS-ORF)
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (GMRT)
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (Class)
NWEA: Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI)
Renaissance Learning's STAR (STAR)
Woodcock-Johnson, Third Edition (WJ-III)

State assessments

Arizona'due south Instrument to Measure out Standards (AIMS)
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Examination two.0 (FCAT 2.0)
Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination-3 (IREAD-3)
Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+)
Iowa Tests of Bones Skills (ITBS)
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Organisation (MCAS)
New York State Testing Programme (NYSTP)
Nevada Benchmark Referenced Exam (CRT)
End-of-Grade (EOG; North Carolina)
Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA)
Pennsylvania Organization of School Assessment (PSSA)
South Dakota State Test of Educational Progress (DSTEP)
State of Texas Assessments of Bookish Readiness (STAAR)

While the above studies focused on reading assessments, another study establish a moderate correlation (0.57) between RPI and overall performance on the LAS Links English language proficiency assessment.

Tin RPI supersede whatever clinical, district, or country assessments?

No. RPI is not designed to supercede any other clinical, district, or land assessment.

Can RPI diagnose specific language or reading disabilities?

No. RPI is not designed to be a diagnostic tool.

What if the Individualized Educational activity Program (IEP) calls for accommodations or modifications while taking tests?

If a student'southward IEP calls for specific modifications during testing, accommodations can be implemented for that pupil as necessary. The same modifications should exist in place during each assessment then that RPI can effectively assess the benefits of the Fast ForWord components.

Are the RPI assessments available for iPad?

Yes, students can take assessments on iPad.

How oftentimes are RPI assessments presented?

Reading Progress Indicator presents assessments automatically, based on component usage. To learn more than see How RPI administers assessments. Also, schools can cull to let instructors manually administer RPI assessments, as needed. See Almost Manual RPI.

What's the difference between "Auto" and "Manual" RPI?

The term Auto RPI refers to the entire Reading Progress Indicator feature, which "automatically" administers assessments based on component usage. Encounter Virtually Auto RPI. This descriptor was added to the mySciLEARN software and the Reading Progress Indicator reports to assist differentiate these assessments from manually assigned assessments.

Manual RPI is a feature within Reading Progress Indicator that lets instructors manually administer boosted RPI assessments to students who are already using Reading Progress Indicator. See About Transmission RPI to learn more than.

As far every bit the actual assessments are concerned (the forms, questions, and scoring), there is no difference betwixt Auto RPI and Manual RPI assessments.

What are RPI scores?

For each cess, Reading Progress Indicator assesses national percentile scores and course equivalent scores, forth with the per centum correct in each reading skill area. Gain scores are available for students who have taken at least one follow-up cess. A student'southward overall proceeds score reflects improvement from the initial assessment to the latest follow-up cess.

The scores in Reading Progress Indicator are based on the results of a calibration study in which Reading Progress Indicator was administered to a large, nationally representative sample of students. This sample was selected to include students of unlike ethnicities, and students from all regions of the United States. Fast ForWord product use was not considered in the selection process. Normalized scores were developed based on the performance of the students in this study.

What are grade equivalent scores?

Class equivalent scores provide a general idea of how a student is performing with reference to younger and older students who took the same test. For example, a very advanced third grader might earn a grade equivalent score of 5.3 on the level 2-3 RPI assessment. This score means that the student performed equally well equally an average fifth grader who took the same test iii months into the school yr. A third grader who earns a score of 5.3 is performing well to a higher place boilerplate on third grade level material (at the 83rd percentile, to be precise), yet this does not mean the student is ready for fifth grade level material.

The Reading Progress Indicator form equivalents were developed by a professional psychometrician based on data from the RPI norming study.

What are national percentile scores?

National percentile scores allow you to compare one student's score to the scores of a big national sample. For example, if a student scored in the 70th percentile on an cess, that student performed ameliorate than lxx% of the students in his or her form who took the same assessment as part of the calibration report. In contrast, pct correct scores indicate the proportion of questions that were answered correctly. For case, if a student scored 40% right on a set of ten questions, it means that the pupil got iv correct answers.

Reading Progress Indicator provides a national percentile score for the student'due south performance on the whole test, forth with percent correct scores for the sets of questions on the four skill areas: phonological sensation, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. In addition, percentile scores for Reading Progress Indicator are based on the centre of the year and practice not vary with the flavor. For example, for students in 2d grade, the 50th percentile corresponds approximately to a grade equivalent of 2.5. A second grader scoring at grade level earlier in the year will have a percentile score beneath 50, whereas a 2d grader scoring at grade level afterwards the year will have a percentile score above l.

Because normative data is not available for students beyond tenth grade, the national percentile scores for students in grades eleven, 12, or 13+ are calculated based on tenth grade norms. For those who are familiar with percentiles, please note that percentiles in Reading Progress Indicator range from i to 99.

What are proceeds scores?

Proceeds scores reflect improvement from an earlier assessment to a later assessment. A educatee's overall gain score shows improvement from the initial assessment to the latest follow-up assessment. Gain scores are reported in terms of class equivalent scores and percentile scores. Grade equivalent scores are based on a ten month academic schoolhouse year, so a student who earned an initial assessment score of 2.2 and a follow-upward assessment score of 3.four would have a proceeds score of 1.2 (that is, one year and ii months).

What are reading proficiency levels?

Reading proficiency levels are categories of accomplishment that describe student functioning in the skills measured by Reading Progress Indicator. There are four levels: struggling, emerging, established, and avant-garde. These proficiency levels were established by aligning results from the Reading Progress Indicator calibration study with information from various states regarding the percentage of students that attain proficiency on high-stakes assessments. The levels are divers every bit follows. Occasionally the results are color coded.

Struggling – Indicates minimal success with the fundamental skills assessed by Reading Progress Indicator (students at the 1st to 29th percentile).
Emerging – Indicates a partial mastery of the skills assessed by Reading Progress Indicator (students at the 30th to 54th percentile).
Expert – Indicates a solid understanding of the skills assessed by Reading Progress Indicator (students at the 55th to 79th percentile).
Avant-garde – Indicates a superior functioning demonstrating excellent understanding of the skills assessed by Reading Progress Indicator (students at the 80th to 99th percentile).

Please note that percentiles in Reading Progress Indicator range from 1 to 99.

How are the average scores for a group, schoolhouse, or district calculated?

Neither grade equivalent scores nor percentiles can be mathematically averaged. To report average grade equivalent gains, mySciLEARN averages the students' scaled scores on the initial assessment and the latest follow-up assessment, references the grade equivalent scores respective to those averages, and and so uses those grade equivalent scores to summate the average gain score. To report average percentile gains, mySciLEARN averages the students' normal curve equivalent scores on the initial assessment and the latest follow-up cess, references the percentile scores corresponding to those averages, and then uses those percentiles to summate the average proceeds score.

Some of my students scored at class level on the initial assessment. Should they use the Fast ForWord product?

The Fast ForWord product has been shown to benefit students who are performing at grade level equally well equally those who are performing above and beneath grade level.

One of my students did non show significant gains on the Reading Progress Indicator reports. Is the Fast ForWord product working?

A given test score is just a partial snapshot of a pupil'south power at a given time. Functioning tin can be influenced by a student'south physical or psychological state at the time of the test, and may not always reflect the student's best effort. To determine whether a pupil is benefiting from Fast ForWord employ, carry progress monitoring using a variety of assessments and wait for signs of progress in the student's classroom work and behavior.

My school's average score merely improved from the 3rd percentile to the 6th percentile, but I see improvements in the classroom. What's going on?

Percentile rank is not an equal-interval scale; that is, the difference between any two scores is not the same as the difference between any other two scores. Scores become increasingly spread out as they movement further from the 50th percentile in either direction, so that gains on the far ends of the spectrum are more than difficult to achieve. For case, a student whose percentile score went from 2 to 12 has made a greater improvement in performance than a student whose score went from l to sixty, even though both students had a proceeds score of 10 percentile points. Considering their scores are at the extreme end of the spectrum, students whose percentile scores meliorate from iii to half dozen may indeed be making gains that translate into improved classroom operation.