How do Achievement Levels based on scale scores differ from Achievement Levels based on developmental scale scores (DSS)?
Achievement Levels based on scale scores are no different from Achievement Levels based on Developmental Scale Scores. These two scores are conversions of one another and do not change the meaning of the Achievement Levels. Scale Scores range from 100 to 500 for each grade level, while Developmental Scale Scores place the scores of students on a scale ranging from 0 to 3000 for all grade levels tested. Based on their Scale Scores (or, after conversion, Developmental Scale Scores), students are assigned one of five Achievement Level classifications. The levels range from lowest level (Level 1) to the highest level (Level 5). Level 3 indicates that a students performance is on grade level. Developmental Scale Scores were introduced in 2002 to track student progress over time and across grade levels to indicate student growth, or learning gains. For this reason, they are the scores students and parents receive on their FCAT Reading and FCAT Mathematics Student and Parent Reports. By using
FCAT Reading and Mathematics student results are reported by Achievement Levels based on their scale scores, and, after conversion, their developmental scale scores. Scale scores, ranging from 100 to 500 for each grade level, are converted to developmental scale scores, which place the scores of students on a scale ranging from 0 to 3000 for all grade levels tested. Based on their scale scores (or, after conversion, developmental scale scores), students are assigned one of five Achievement Level classifications. The levels range from lowest level (Level 1) to the highest level (Level 5). Level 3 indicates that a students performance is on grade level. Developmental scale scores were introduced in 2002 to track student progress over time and across grade levels to indicate student growth, or learning gains. For this reason, they are the scores students and parents receive on their FCAT Reading and FCAT Mathematics Student and Parent Reports. By using FCAT developmental scale scores, par
