Modern life has made us very familiar with ‘big data’ – large datasets too large to be analysed using traditional techniques. SGP research, on the other hand, tends to involve smaller-scale studies; however, that does not make its analyses any less complex; most work goes into gathering and understanding the data prior to its analysis; only a portion is dedicated directly towards conducting it.

The SGP analysis utilizes a wide-format database of student assessment scores (sgpData). Each row in this table represents one student and their unique ID number over five years; with 5 columns representing their assessments scores at each grade level over that same timeframe. From here, this data is converted into growth percentiles to measure each student’s relative academic performance within their cohort of peers; helping teachers and administrators assess how well their students are faring compared with peers while also pinpointing areas requiring improvement.

Therefore, teachers and administrators need access to reliable sources of data on student academic performance. Furthermore, they should use only up-to-date data sets so they can be sure they’re using accurate information when making decisions on behalf of their students.

Education professionals find SGP information an invaluable asset, as it allows them to easily monitor the development of their students over time. This data is displayed in two formats: Window Specific SGP and Current SGP. Window Specific SGP is meant for teachers and administrators to view how students grew from Fall to Winter testing window while Current SGP serves as an ongoing snapshot of growth progression for each student.

SGP data can be overwhelming to interpret for teachers new to teaching; especially newcomers unfamiliar with terminology and how it pertains to their classrooms. Luckily, there are several resources available that can assist newcomers.

One of the most valuable tools available online is the SGP Educator’s Guide, which offers an explanation of SGP concept as well as step-by-step instructions on how to utilize its data for student learning improvement. Furthermore, this resource also offers tips for using SGP data effectively in education settings.

Finally, the SGP website features a glossary of terms to assist new teachers unfamiliar with its concepts. This glossary defines common terms used in SGP data as well as providing examples on how the term is being applied in sentences.

The SGP website features an FAQ list to address frequently asked questions regarding its data and website. Although accessing it is free, additional reports incur fees.