Comparing the Performance on the MI and SAT/PSAT for the Purpose of Monitoring Student Achievement

Michael Mcdonald,Yulei Pang

doi:10.18178/ijiet.2021.11.12.1569

Abstract

This paper will discuss the correlation between the SAT and the Math Inventory Test. Many school districts adopted the Math Inventory as a tool to measure student growth from grades kindergarten through high school. The Math Inventory is a computer-administered test that gives students math problems spanning from counting to high school level math. When completed, the students are given a quantile measure, much like a Lexile score for reading skill. The purpose of this study is to figure out if success on the Math Inventory is a good indicator for performing well on the SAT. For most high schools around the United States, objectives and lessons are aligned with those of the SAT. The goal of high school teachers is for students to excel on the SAT so that they can go to college, which means the tests used in middle school should be aligned with that goal. If the Math Inventory is not, then it might not be a very good use of school time and resources. Data was analyzed from the 2017-2018 school year from ten different high schools in an urban school district to determine the correlation between Math Inventory score, and the math score/sub scores of SAT/PSAT. The value of the Pearson’s correlation coefficient is used to suggest a fairly moderate positive relationship between these two variables.

Highlights

In 2016, Connecticut changed its high school accountability measure from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) to the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) under the leadership of Governor Dannel Malloy
We found the association was slightly positive between Math Inventory (MI) and PSAT/SAT through all grades in the study
We will give a brief introduction of the linear regression model and apply it to analyze the relationship between MI and PSAT/SAT

Summary

Introduction

In 2016, Connecticut changed its high school accountability measure from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) to the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) under the leadership of Governor Dannel Malloy. The SAT satisfies Connecticut Public Act No 15-238, which requires 11th graders to take a nationally recognized college readiness assessment, approved by the board of education that measures skills in mathematics, reading, and writing [1]. Another incentive for students to succeed on this test is that ―the federal education department approved a new program to allow the state to rate the schools 1-5 based on their performance‖ [2].

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion