Abstract

A vertical scale is an extended score scale that spans a series of grades and allows the estimation of student growth along a continuum. As states and school districts report on the adequate yearly progress of student performance as required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), there is increasing emphasis on documenting student progress within selected subject areas. Using a vertical scale can meet this need for a common interpretive framework for test results across grades and yield important information that informs individual and classroom instruction.