Interpret Graphs ~ Analyzing Your MSPAP Data

Interpret Graphs Finding meaning from your data is a two-part process. You first need to understand what data the graph or table is representing. Then you need to determine what the data is telling you about your school performance.
Dr. Mark Moody and Dr. William Schafer	To gain background knowledge in how to interpret graphed data, you can listen to the discussion between two Maryland psychometricians as they examine the fifth grade graphed data from one elementary school. Dr. Mark Moody, Assistant Superintendent of Planning, Results, and Information Management at the Maryland State Department of Education, and Dr. William Schafer, Affiliated Professor (Emeritus) in the Department of Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation at the University of Maryland, will walk you through the process of analyzing your graphed data.
What is the purpose of MSPAP? Did we meet state standards this year? Are we making progress toward meeting state standards? How does progress compare across content areas? How close are we to meeting satisfactory standards? At what proficiency levels are my students performing? What are scale scores and what do they mean? What is the distribution of scores on individual outcomes? Are we making progress on individual outcomes? Are we making progress on all three reading outcomes? Are there disparities in group performance? Gender Race Special Education FARMs Can you compare 3rd and 5th grade performance?

To practice your skill in interpreting graphs, you can view a graph, draw your conclusions from the data, and compare your interpretation to our psycometrician's interpretation of the same graph. Choose a set of graphs to interpret: Are we making progress toward meeting state standards? What is the distribution of scores on individual outcomes? Are there disparities in group performance? How does progress compare across outcomes? How close are we to meeting the satisfactory standards?