Our Students offers insight into individual student performance in Star assessments, Accelerated Reader quizzes, myON reading, and Freckle practice. The students included are those who are enrolled in schools and classes in the current school year on your Renaissance site.
For Accelerated Reader, myON, and Freckle, the data is based on the past 28 days. For each Star category (Reading, Math, and Early Literacy) and each school, this dashboard displays data for the most recent district screening window in which any of the students tested in their current school. (This means that the three categories may be showing data from different district screening windows. Note that Student Growth Percentiles also use test data outside those screening windows.)
On this dashboard, you can sort or filter by students' metrics and/or demographic fields. You can also create custom groups and views, making it easy to track students’ progress over time or quickly run routine reports.
Star Percentile Rank and State Benchmark Level scores include students who have taken a Star test and gotten a benchmark score in a district screening window. Only tests taken in a district screening window are shown, and only for schools that use the district screening windows. If students have taken more than one test in a district screening window, only the most recent test is included for benchmark metrics.
Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) may include tests taken outside district screening windows; for this reason, you may see the total number of students is higher for Student Growth Percentiles than for other scores. In Renaissance Analytics, Student Growth Percentile requires a Fall test score, and the first Fall test is used as the starting point; since Star reports may use other tests as the starting point for Student Growth Percentile, the scores that you see in those reports may differ from those shown in Renaissance Analytics. For more information about Student Growth Percentile and Star, see Student Growth Percentile.
Change Indicators
Next to many scores, you'll see how much the student's score has increased or decreased since the previous district screening window. An arrow pointing up shows an increase; an arrow pointing down shows a decrease; the number next to the arrow shows how much the score changed. If a student doesn't have a test in the previous window, or if the score in the most recent district screening window is the same as the previous score, you will not see a change indicator. In the example below, Gabriel's state benchmark level went up 3 places, and his PR went up 38 points. Taylor's benchmark level and PR both decreased. Jeni's PR went up 3 points, but her benchmark level stayed the same.
Move your mouse over the number to see more information about timeframes and the change in score.
Using the information on the increase or decrease in scores, you can monitor student progress, quickly assess outcomes for critical student groups (such as those who are receiving additional supports), and decide the best next steps to support your students and achieve strategic goals. For example, change indicators could help you see:
- which of your lowest-performing students improved since the last district screening window
- which students in a literacy intervention group made gains on the most recent assessment
- which students in a particular risk category saw further decline in outcomes
Based on this information, you may decide to select a subset of students for additional support. Using the filtering options described below, you can focus on students with specific demographics or those with scores in a specific range and use the changes in scores to inform inquiry and decision-making for individual students, the building, and the district. Using the groups you have set up (see "Groups" below), you can see how scores have changed for students receiving a specific intervention.
Sorting and Filtering
To sort the students listed on this page by any of the metrics for reading or math, select the icon next to the column heading.
Then, choose whether to sort students from low to high score (Sort ASC or ascending), from high to low (Sort DESC or descending), or whether not to sort by the column. You can also select the Filter drop-down list, choose a filter option, and enter the necessary values for the filters. When you're done, select OK.
You can also use the drop-down lists at the top of the page to filter the list of students by school, demographics, and groups and views that have been shared with you or groups and views that you have created (My Lists). (If you select a school, you will also see a drop-down list for teachers and sections.) Each drop-down also includes an option for removing the choices and going back to all students; you can select the Clear All button to the right of the drop-down lists after you select any filters.
Students' demographic information must be set in your Renaissance software to be available in Renaissance Analytics. If your school uses CDI, set grade, gender, ethnicity, and characteristics in the source database. If your school does not use CDI, grade, gender, and ethnicity are set when you add or edit students, and characteristics are set separately in Renaissance software.
Another way to filter the list is by score. For each score type shown, you'll see a bar chart with different color segments. For Star scores, these represent each of the benchmark categories (District or State) or SGP growth categories.
For Accelerated Reader, the Quizzes Taken segments represent 1-2 quizzes taken (yellow), 3-6 quizzes taken (light green), and 7 or more quizzes taken (dark green). The Average Percent Correct segments represent less than 75% (red), 75%-84.9% (orange), 85%-94.9% (light green), and 95% or higher (dark green).
For myON, the Books Read segments represent 1-2 books read (yellow), 3-6 books read (light green), and 7 or more books read (dark green).
For Freckle sessions completed, the segments represent 1-2 sessions in the time period (red), 3-6 sessions (light green), and 7+ sessions (dark green). For accuracy (percent correct), the segments represent 50% or less correct (red), 50%-80% (yellow), or 80%-100% (green).
When you hover over a segment, you will see the number of students who scored in that category and the total number. When you select a portion of the bar, you filter the list to students whose scores are in that category (note that Star scores are limited to the district screening window that is being displayed, and Accelerated Reader, myON, and Freckle data is limited to the past 28 days).
At times, you may notice differences between the number of students you see when you hover over a segment of the bar and the number of students who are listed on the page when you select a segment. This is because the list of students includes only students who are actively enrolled in your schools and classes now, while the numbers you see above the list include all students who were enrolled and tested at the time.
Groups
You can also set up groups of students with similar scores for interventions. Follow the steps below. Note: If you plan to use Student Growth Percentiles, see Using Student Growth Percentile (SGP) to Plan Interventions for more information.
A few examples of groups that may be useful:
- High growth in reading (a view with high growth on Student Growth Percentile)
- Tier 1 ELA (students in urgent intervention whose Star Reading scores are far below grade level on state and district benchmarks)
- Low English Star scores and low Star Spanish scores, or low English scores and high Spanish scores
- Students with low Star proficiency levels on state benchmarks and high growth (Student Growth Percentile), or those with high proficiency levels and low growth
- Students with low percent correct for Accelerated Reader quizzes
- Students who have done little or no myON reading
- Students with low accuracy for a Freckle subject
Groups carry over from one school year to the next - they are not limited to the school year in which they were created. However, groups only display students that are currently enrolled.
There are two ways to create groups of students who meet similar criteria:
- Sort and filter to find the students, then select them and create a group.
- Create the group and set the criteria, then see which students meet that criteria and add them to the group.
Creating Groups by Finding Students First
- In the Our Students view, use the drop-down lists, filters, or sorting as described above to find the students you want to group together.
- Check the students that you want to include in the group. You can either check individual students or check the box at the top of the list to check all students shown. (By default, the list shows 10 students at a time, but you can use the "Students per page" option under the list to show up to 100 students at a time.)
- Select the Group button above the student names. Then, select Create New Group. (The other options add or remove students in existing groups.)
- Enter a Group Name that reflects the purpose of the group. This is the name you will see when the group appears in the My Lists drop-down at the top of the page. You should also enter a Group Description with more information, such as the criteria for including students in the group and the planned intervention.
- Since you have already chosen the students for the group, you do not need to set criteria unless it is helpful to you in choosing other students to add. If you do want to add criteria, follow these steps:
- In the Group Criteria section of the window, use the Criteria drop-down list to choose which metric to base the group on.
- Then, select the Filter drop-down and choose one of the filter criteria, such as "Between" in the example below. Once you make a choice, enter the value(s) for the criteria.
- Select Add Criteria under the Filter value(s).
- You'll see the criteria you entered in the gray box to the right. If you want to remove it, select the Trash icon. Repeat steps a-c above if you want to add other criteria for the group.
- Use the Share section to choose who to share your new group with (if available).
If you choose to share the group with School Leaders, you can choose to share with all School Leaders, all those at specific school levels, or those at specific schools only: - To share with all School Leaders, check the Select All box. All schools will be added to the field, and all school levels will be checked.
- To share with School Leaders whose schools are at specific levels, check the boxes for those levels. (School Levels are set in the Data Configuration Settings.) As you check the boxes, the related schools will be added to the field below the check boxes; to remove a specific school, select the x next to the school name.
- To share with School Leaders from specific schools, click in the Select schools field below the check boxes. A list of available schools will open; you can scroll through the list and click the schools whose School Leaders should have access. You can also type part of a school name to narrow the list to matching schools. As you select each school, it will be added to the field; if you need to remove a school, select the x next to the school name.
Renaissance Analytics District and School Administrators can share views and groups with other Administrators who have access to the same schools.
- Select Save at the top of the window.
Creating Groups by Setting Criteria and Finding Students Who Meet It
- Without checking students, select Group, then Create New Group.
- Enter a Group Name that reflects the purpose of the group. This is the name you will see when the group appears in the My Lists drop-down at the top of the page. You should also enter a Group Description with more information, such as the criteria for including students in the group and the planned intervention.
- In the Group Criteria section of the window, use the Criteria drop-down list to choose which metric to base the group on.
- Then, select the Filter drop-down and choose one of the filter criteria, such as "Between" in the example below. Once you make a choice, enter the value(s) for the criteria.
- Select Add Criteria under the Filter value(s).
- You'll see the criteria you entered in the gray box to the right. If you want to remove it, select the Trash icon. Repeat steps 3-5 above if you want to add other criteria for the group.
- Use the Share section to choose who to share your new group with (if available).
If you choose to share the group with School Leaders, you can choose to share with all School Leaders, all those at specific school levels, or those at specific schools only: - To share with all School Leaders, check the Select All box. All schools will be added to the field, and all school levels will be checked.
- To share with School Leaders whose schools are at specific levels, check the boxes for those levels. (School Levels are set in the Data Configuration Settings.) As you check the boxes, the related schools will be added to the field below the check boxes; to remove a specific school, select the x next to the school name.
- To share with School Leaders from specific schools, click in the Select schools field below the check boxes. A list of available schools will open; you can scroll through the list and click the schools whose School Leaders should have access. You can also type part of a school name to narrow the list to matching schools. As you select each school, it will be added to the field; if you need to remove a school, select the x next to the school name.
Renaissance Analytics District and School Administrators can share views and groups with other Administrators who have access to the same schools.
- Select Save at the top of the window.
- Once you save your group, you will go back to the Our Students dashboard, and the group will be selected in the My Lists drop-down list at the top of the page. You'll see a new Group Status column that shows you which students are in the group and meet all criteria
, which meet criteria but aren't in the group
, and which no longer meet the criteria for the group
. Select the
icon next to that column to choose how to sort students based on that status or to choose which students you want to see in the list based on status; then, select OK.
Using the information in the Group Status column, check the students who are the best candidates for the group. Then select the Group button above the list of students and select Add to Group. You can either check individual students or check the box at the top of the list to check all students shown. (By default, the list shows 10 students at a time, but you can use the "Students per page" option under the list to show up to 100 students at a time.) Repeat this step until you have added all students that you want in the group.
Viewing Group Status and Changing Groups
The Group Status column is there whenever you have a group selected in the My Lists drop-down at the top of the page. When you have a group selected, you can also:
- Select the gear icon next to "My Lists" to change the group name, description, or criteria, or select Change Group Settings to the right of the drop-down lists.
- Check students, select the Group button, and then select Add or Remove to add or remove the students in the selected group.
Exporting Data
If you want to export the list you are viewing to a .csv file, select Export to the right of the drop-down lists; then, select Export in the window that opens. Be sure to protect sensitive student data; refer to your district's policies for using, storing, and sharing the data. Note that exports are limited to 25,000 students.