Scatterplots
Building a Scatterplot
When you select Scatterplots from the Reports menu, you will be prompted to choose:
- Test and subject
- Grade, if applicable
- Year of data
Once you've made these selections, the scatterplot will automatically populate with the data that are attributed to those selections.
Choose the Axes
By default, Achievement vs. Growth is selected for the axes. To change the X and Y axes, choose from the Axes Selection drop-down menu in the main panel. If you choose a predefined selection, a short paragraph of interpretation is displayed above the graph. You can also create a custom scatterplot. To do so, open the Axes Selection drop-down menu and choose Custom Axis Selections. Two new drop-down menus appear below to select the variable for the vertical axis (Y axis) and the horizontal axis (X axis). |
Growth Index: The growth index indicates how strong the evidence is that the group of students in the division or school exceeded, met, or did not meet expected growth in the selected subject. The growth index is calculated by dividing the growth measure by its standard error. Because the growth index takes the standard error into account, it is a fair way to compare different members of the selected population.
| If the growth index is | Students, on average, made the following type of progress |
|---|---|
Equal to or near 0 | Progress similar to expected growth |
Greater than 0 | More progress than expected growth |
Less than 0 | Less progress than expected growth |
Growth Measure: This value is the growth measure from the division or school growth report for the selected grade and subject or course.
Achievement: This value represents the achievement of students in the division or school in the currently selected year, subject, or course. For assessments analyzed with the predictive model, the expected achievement is the average of the expected achievement for students in the division or school, expressed in scale scores.
Demographic Options: The percentages represent the proportion of students tested in the selected grades who are identified as belonging to that demographic category.
Compare By Selector
By default, the Compare By Selector in the main panel is set to None. Selecting one of the comparison options available will add a Compare By bar above the graph with available comparators listed. For example, if you select Year, other years available for the particular Base Test and Subject will be made available. The Base Year chosen in the Scatterplot Configurations menu will display by default and will be highlighted with a cog icon. Clicking on another year will switch the data points on the graph to the data from that year.
Select Items to Display
Choosing Divisions and Schools
Next you'll need to choose the divisions or schools you'd like to plot on the graph. To do so, you'll work below the graph in the Select Items to Display tab.
Plot: Use this drop-down menu to choose divisions or buildings. If you choose division, each division you select will appear as a data point on the graph above. If you choose schools, each school you select will appear as a data point on the graph. If you choose teachers, each teacher you select will appear as a data point on the graph.
Roll the cursor over the name of a currently selected division or school to locate it.
Filtering by Demographics
Once you have selected divisions or schools, you can limit which ones appear by applying demographic filters listed on the right side of the screen. To apply a filter, check the box next to it and enter a range of values. Then click Apply Filters. Only divisions or schools that fall within the range you defined for the selected demographic appear. For example, if you choose % Economically Disadvantaged and enter a range of 70% to 100%, only divisions or schools that have 70-100% of their students identified as economically disadvantaged are displayed.
You can apply any combination of filters you'd like. To remove a filter, uncheck the box. To remove all filters, click Clear Filters.
On This Graph
This tab lists the divisions or schools you have added to the scatterplot. The number of divisions or schools currently selected appears in parentheses after the tab's name. The list displays the values for each division or school for the variables you've chosen to plot. To see the values for the schools currently plotted displayed, expand the list by selecting the division's name. Roll the cursor over the name of a currently selected division or school to locate it on the scatterplot.
To change the symbol for any division or school, click the symbol in the Point column. You can change the symbol's size, color, or shape. If you choose Apply to School, your changes will be applied only to the symbol for that one school in the graph. If you choose Apply to Division, your changes will be applied to all schools in the division.
Settings
Font Size: Controls the size of the text on the axes and rollovers.
Animations: If you experience performance issues, it can be helpful to turn off the animations.
Rollovers: When enabled, the scatterplot displays the name of each division or school when the cursor moves over the data points. If you do not want to see these rollovers, disable this feature.
Graph Line Depth: This setting controls whether the lines appear above or below the data points.
Graph Lines: The lines mark the origin for the data on each axis. To turn off a graph line, uncheck the box. To change the color of the line, click the dash next to the origin label. In the drop-down menu, select a color, and then click Apply.
Additional Graph Options
Just below the scatterplot, you'll see additional options for displaying the data and interacting with the graph.
Zoom: When this option is selected, you can click and drag the cursor over a portion of the graph or double-click on the graph to zoom in.
Move: Once you have zoomed in, you can click and drag to view sections outside the visible area.
Flip: Click this option to switch the x- and y-axis.
Fullscreen: Click this option to enlarge the graph to fill your browser window.
Restore: This button appears after you have chosen at least one of the graph options. Click Restore to return the graph to its default settings.