The Rhode Island Growth Model

The Rhode Island Growth Model (RIGM) is a statistical model that provides a different way of looking at student achievement. The Growth Model enables us to look at growth in addition to proficiency to get a fuller picture of student achievement.

Using this model, we will be able to calculate students’ progress relative to their academic peers using the RICAS (Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System) and SAT School Day results for mathematics and English language arts. Two years of student results are needed to complete the growth calculations.

Academic peers are students who have scored similarly on these assessments in the past. The Growth Model provides students, parents, teachers, districts, and the state with another piece of data that contributes to a fuller, more descriptive picture of student achievement. Because all students’ scores are compared only to those of their academic peers, students at every level of proficiency have the opportunity to demonstrate growth in their achievement. 

Rhode Island Growth Model Resources

The resources below explain how various components of the RIGM are calculated and how data can be aggregated for groups of students (e.g., schools, districts).  These resources also highlight some of the useful features of the RIGM. 

NOTE: The documents below remain resources as the model and calculations they describe remain unchanged. Because two years of student data are needed to complete the growth calculations, these resources will be updated every two years.