A study documenting the effectiveness of Acuity®InFormative Assessment solution has been released by CTB/McGraw-Hill. The Bayless School District, in St. Louis County, Missouri, implemented Acuity to support student achievement on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Using data generated by the Acuity Predictive Assessments, teachers developed instructional plans to focus on areas needing improvement.
The Bayless School District achieved notable advances in student performance in Grades 3–8. The number of students performing in the top 50 percent at Tiers 3 and 4 on the Predictive Assessments increased, while the number of students performing in the bottom 50 percent at Tiers 1 and 2 decreased. The complete case study can be viewed at CTB.com/CaseStudies/Bayless.
“We needed an affordable, online solution that would help us predict how students would perform on our state assessment,” said Stephanie True, literacy coordinator for the Bayless School District. “CTB’s Acuity Predictive Assessment met our needs perfectly.”
The Bayless School District is Missouri’s most culturally diverse district. Approximately 40 percent of students are English language learners (ELL), and more than 25 languages are spoken. The MAP, required of all students in Grades 3-8, is a critical part of the curriculum – it is the primary gauge of student performance, and is used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in communications arts, mathematics, and science.
“Acuity guides us in making instructional decisions,” said True. “Teachers use Acuity to identify student strengths and areas of need, so they can hone in on areas where students are experiencing difficulty. Teachers also use Acuity data, along with MAP data from the previous year, to write class and grade level goals in communication arts and math.”
“This year we implemented Acuity Algebra and experienced a leap in our algebra end-of-course scores – students scoring at the proficient and advanced levels increased from 12 percent to 43 percent,” added Stephanie True. “Many factors influence test scores, but we attribute the majority of our success to the pre and post measurements provided by Acuity. These measurements helped us monitor our students’ progress, and target instruction to improve student performance.”
Other districts in Missouri are also reporting improvements in MAP scores of 5 -10% over the 2009-2010 school year, with some schools showing even greater progress. More than 50 districts in Missouri have adopted Acuity to accelerate student achievement and growth on the MAP.
