Creighton School District proposes new benchmark cut scores, to present interim measures to board for vote

Creighton Elementary District staff presented a proposal to replace the district'wide 40/60/80 cut-score model with new, grade-level interim cut scores normed on local student data and vendor mimics. The presentation argued the change will raise the statistical correlation between benchmark results and the Arizona state assessment (AASA), giving teachers and families a more accurate early-year picture of likely year-end outcomes.

District staff told the board they asked Renaissance (the vendor for the district's Benchmark/DNA assessments) to analyze Creighton'specific data. The vendor study on Creighton eighth-grade math showed higher correlations when the district'specific cut scores were used than under the old 40/60/80 approach. Staff described the target correlation threshold as about 0.6'a level they said is considered a meaningful relationship between interim measures and state…