Stanford 10 Longitudinal Data Analysis Tutorial.pdf - Alex

Stanford 10
Use with Excel 2007
Longitudinal Data Analysis
2011
School Improvement Team
Alabama Department of Education

Purpose:
Why should we use longitudinal data?
One year’s data cannot pinpoint trends. Many factors can cause variations in test scores if we look at
only one year. When a pattern emerges from analysis of several years’ data---this points to curriculum
and/or instruction issues which must be addressed.
How many years of data should be included in a longitudinal data study?
When we review data over a period of 3 to 5 years, we are looking for gaps in curriculum or instruction.
This type of data analysis is valuable when identifying goals for continuous improvement.
What are the benefits of longitudinal data analysis?
Looking at the current year’s data gives a school only a snap-shot of student performance for that one
test, one assessment, or one year’s data. One year’s data cannot pinpoint trends, instructional gaps, or
curriculum and pacing issues. Many factors could be responsible for the variation in test scores.
Longitudinal data gives a school data of how students are achieving over time.
I. Materials Needed
Laptop or computer
Stanford-10 3+ Year Analysis Excel File
o "Stanford 10 3-5 Year Analysis stanines 1 - 3" file
o “Stanford 10 3-5 Year Analysis stanines 7 – 9” file
Stanford-10 Group Reports
Stanford-10 Graphing Instructions for computers using Excel ‘2007
II. Stanford-10 Graphing Instructions
III. Utilizing the Data Charts

Longitudinal Data Analysis
Stanford-10
Graphing Instructions using Microsoft Excel ‘2007
Reports Needed: “Stanford-10 Group Reports”
for the last 3 years for each
grade level tested in your school.
Step One: Inputting the Data
From the Stanford-10 folder:
Open the "Stanford-10 3+ Year Analysis" file. It will have an icon indicating
that it is an EXCEL spreadsheet.
o "Stanford 10 stanines 1 - 3" file
Or
o “Stanford 10 stanines 7 – 9” file
If using the file " Stanines 1 - 3" enter each year's content cluster scores from the 1-3 column of
"percent in each” Stanine range

If using the file " Stanines 7 - 9" enter each year's content cluster scores from the 7-9 column of
"percent in each” Stanine range
Each tab in the Excel Spreadsheet Workbook contains content cluster lists for grades 3-8.
Graphs will be made from this grid.
3rd grade
Workbook
Workbook Tabs
8 th grade
Workbook
Using your “Stanford-10 Group Report” for one grade at a time; enter the percent
correct from the “below average” (Stanines 1-3) or “above average” (Stanines 7-9)
column for each content cluster.
6th grade
Workbook

Step Two: Making the graphs in Microsoft Excel ’2007
Highlight the EXACT area of each Content Cluster
on the spreadsheet that contains any words or
numbers starting in the A1 column on the left.
Click on the "Insert” Tab on the toolbar
at the top of your screen.
Click on the “Column” Icon
A “Chart Tools” tab will appear at the
top of your screen.
Choose the type graph you like best.
o A small graph will appear
on your screen.

Choose the Tab: “Lay Out”
Click on "Chart Title"
Choose “Above Chart”
Type your chart name
(Ex. “ Grade Level and Content Cluster”)
Choose the Tab "Legend"
Decide where you best like the
legend to be placed.
Choose the Tab "Data Labels"
(decide if you like it with or without the numbers)
Choose the Tab “Design”
Decide which color scheme
You like best.

In the Tab “Design”
Click on “Switch Row/Column”
Decide which format you like best
Click on "Move Chart Location” (top right corner of the screen)
A “Move Chart” box will appear on your screen.
Click on "New Sheet" Type the name of your chart again.
Click “OK/finish”
Step Three: Viewing the final Graph
Workbook Tabs
Look back at your Excel Workbook Tabs at the bottom of the screen. You should now
see the the title of your graph that you created.
Click on the title

Do you see the graph that you created?
Drawing the 23 rd percentile line
Click on the Tab “Insert” and “Shapes”
Choose the “Line” shape
Place the cross on the left side of the graph border.
Click and drag the line across all bars shown at approximately the 23 rd percentile mark.
Options for a line color and to make a thicker line is in the “Shape Outline”
What do the bars mean in a Stanford 10 graph of Stanines 1-3? Since the bars indicate the percent of
students scoring in Stanines 1-3…bars at or below the 23% mark is good. Bars that are tall in this case
(above the 23% mark) indicate that too many students are performing in the lower three stanines for a
particular content cluster.
What do the bars mean in a Stanford 10 graph of Stanines 7-9? Since the bars indicate the percent of
students scoring in Stanines 7-9…bars at or above the 23% indicate good representation in those stanines
in the testing population.

Utilizing the Data Charts
What are some of the issues revealed through longitudinal data analysis?
Academic progress from grade to grade.
Effectiveness of school programs.
Strengths and weaknesses in school programs (high performing areas and low-performing areas)
Best practices that significantly impact student achievement.
Effects of teacher preparation and professional development on student achievement.
Curriculum or achievement gaps in the instructional program.
Data is compiled and placed in Excel spread sheets by grade levels/standards. Graphs are made from
the spreadsheets in order to provide teachers useful visual displays of strengths and weaknesses by
content clusters on the Stanford 10. Analysis questions are completed from the graphs in order to
develop specific actions to address the hole(s).
This represents a sample from the Stanford 10 3-5 Year Longitudinal analysis using Excel.
The Stanford 10 scores are reported in clusters. Each cluster represents a content area. Data can be
compiled in stanines to assess improvement of specific sub-groups. This chart represents the bottom
three stanines and represents students who have scored in stanines 1-3. The red bar represents the
statistical limit for this data. On a standard Bell Curve, no more than 23% of students should be placing
in the bottom 3 stanines. This data shows that a disproportionate number of students are scores in the
bottom 3 stanines. This should raise the question as to why these students are not achieving and what
steps need to be taken to move the students forward.

Longitudinal Data Analysis questions:
These questions can be used to help study the graphs and to draw purposeful conclusions from the
information represented in the data and graphs. NEXT STEPS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE
LONGITUDINAL DATA ANALYSIS AND SHOULD NOT BE LEFT OUT OF THE PROCESS.
Longitudinal Data: Guiding Questions:
What do you notice?
What are our “holes” in the curriculum?
What time of year are these standards normally taught?
What resources do you use when teaching these standards?
Are you teaching the standards how they are tested? (Are you aligning instruction and practice with
the Item Specifications?)
From the identified strengths and weaknesses, next steps are created to address the weaknesses.
Next Steps:
Talk with your grade level and/or content cohorts about the following:
o Instructional strategies focused on engaging students
o Resources that align with the Item Specifications
o Intervention for non-mastery students
Develop a grade level and/or a department plan of action to improve student learning based on
your longitudinal data analysis.
o Pacing of standards
o Resources
o Method of instruction/strategies
o Alignment to Item Specifications
o Intervention
o Other data (student/teacher attendance, discipline referrals, grade level/departmental
planning, common assessments, etc.)

Longitudinal Data Analysis Questions
What do you notice?
What are our "holes" in the curriculum?
What time of year are these standards normally taught?
What resources do you use when teaching these standards?
Are you teaching the standards how they are tested? (Are you
aligning instruction and practice with the Item Specifications?)