Approaches to academic growth assessment

There is much interest in assessing growth in student learning. Assessments of growth have important implications and affect many policy decisions at many levels.

In the present article, we review some of the different approaches to measuring growth and examine the implications of their usage.

Samples used in research on growth models typically include students enrolled in public schools that primarily serve kindergarten through the 12th grade.

Definitions of growth and gain are reviewed, and five types of growth models are examined: (1) Student Gain Score Model, (2) The Covariate Adjustment Model, (3) The Student Percentile Gain Model - referred to as single-wave value-added models, (4) Univariate Value-Added Response Models, and (5) Multivariate Value-Added Response Models.

Modelling approaches are vastly different, whereas Student Gain Models are mathematically and conceptually simple, Multivariate Models are highly complex.

Educators assessing growth must make critical decisions about measurement. The type of instrument that is selected and the type of analytic techniques selected are of great importance. Growth must be considered from technical, pedagogical, and policy perspectives.