Disaggregated Assessment Results for 2007/2008

Test Data File Descriptions

Revised: September 22, 2008

The disaggregated Mississippi assessment results are available as comma-delimited data files and as Excel spreadsheets. The following files are available on the 2007/2008 Mississippi Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) Assessment Results page.

Mississippi Curriculum Test, 2nd Edition (MCT2) for grades 3-8
      MCT2_08-RC.TXT = Comma-delimited File
      MCT2_08-RC.XLS = Excel Spreadsheet

Subject Area Testing Program (SATP) for certain courses
      SATP08-RC.TXT = Comma-delimited File
      SATP08-RC.XLS = Excel Spreadsheet

Alternate Assessment (MAAECF)
      MAA-08.TXT = Comma-delimited File
      MAA08-RC.XLS = Excel Spreadsheet

DISAGGREGATION BY SUBGROUP

All test data are disaggregated by subgroup as required by federal law. The codes used to label the columns/fields containing data for each subgroup are listed below followed by additional information about test data disaggregation.

      ALL=All students in the state, the district, or the school
      NDO=Non-Disabled Students Only
      DO=Only Students with Disabilities under IDEA
      MAL=Male
      FEM=Female
      BLK=Black
      WHT=White
      ASI=Asian
      HIS=Hispanic
      NAM=Native American
      ELL=English Language Learner
      ED=Economically Disadvantaged
      NED=Not Economically Disadvantaged
      MIG=Migrant

DATA LAYOUT INFORMATION

The data from the different statewide testing programs are contained in separate data files and Excel spreadsheets, as indicated at the top of this page. However, within each separate data file there may be data records for several different tests, sections of tests, or grade levels, and different records for certain kinds of test data.

Each record in each file begins with six columns/fields that identify the data contained in the remainder of the record. These fields are:

(1) 4-character District Code (0000 on state level data records)
(2) 3-character School Code (000 on district and state level records)
(3) 3-character RECORD TYPE INDICATOR (described later for each test)
(4) 4-character Testing Program Code (the same throughout each file)
(5) 4-character Subject Area/Test Section Code (described later for each test)
(6) 3-character Grade/Test Level Code (described later for each test)

Test results for all students and the disaggregated subgroups begin in the seventh column/field. The number of data columns varies depending on the test. Following the data column for the last sugroup is the name of the school (or the text, "District Level Data" or "State Level Data"). The next column contains the name of the school district ("Mississippi" on state level records). The last data column in each record is the character, "#".

Although all the data files are comma-delimited and can easily be imported into most computer applications (spreadsheets, database applications, etc.), the fields are all of fixed length and the data records are all the same length. This format allows the data to be read easily by applications expecting fixed length records and fixed field lengths (e.g., some mainframe statistical analysis systems).


A separate section for each testing program follows:

MISSISSIPPI CURRICULUM TEST, 2nd Edition (MCT2)

(1) All records contain the test code "MCT2".
(2) The content areas are identified as follows:
      LANG=Language Arts
      MATH=Mathematics
(3) The grade levels are identified as follows:
      GR3=Grade 3 (same format used for grades 4-8)
(4) For the "all students" group and for all subgroups, there are two separate data values. The first number indicates the percentage of students with scores in the proficiency levels "Basic and Above". The second number indicates the percentage of students with scores in the proficiency levels "Proficient and Above". The percentage of students in the lowest proficiency level (Minimal) can be determined by subtracting the percentage at "Basic and Above" from 100%. The percentage of students in the highest proficiency level (Advanced) cannot be determined from the data in the file.
For student confidentiality purposes, extreme percentages are "fuzzed" -- values from 0 through 4 are all reported as 04; values from 96 through 100 are all reported as 96.
(5) If data values are blank, there were no students in that category, or the number of students tested in that category was between 1 and 9 and the data were suppressed for reasons of reporting reliability and/or student confidentiality.
(6) Data records for all grade levels and content areas appear in the file sorted within the appropriate school district and school. The third field in the record is the RECORD TYPE INDICATOR. It can be used to filter the records in the file to allow appropriate analyses. The MCT2 record type codes are as follows:
      117=Grade 3 Language Arts
      121=Grade 3 Math
      129=Grade 4 Language Arts
      133=Grade 4 Math
      141=Grade 5 Language Arts
      145=Grade 5 Math
      153=Grade 6 Language Arts
      157=Grade 6 Math
      165=Grade 7 Language Arts
      169=Grade 7 Math
      177=Grade 8 Language Arts
      181=Grade 8 Math

SUBJECT AREA TESTING PROGRAM

(1) All records contain the test code "SATP".
(2) The subject area tests are identified as follows:
      ALG1=Algebra I (Note: New test based on 2007 Mathematics Curriculum Framework)
      BIOL=Biology I
      ENGL=English II
      HIST=U.S. History from 1877
(3) The components of the English II assessment are identified as follows:
      RLC=Multiple-Choice (Note: New test based on 2007 Mathematics Curriculum Framework)
      INF=Informative essay
(4) For the "all students" group and for all subgroups, there is a single data value. For all tests except the narrative and informative English II essays, that value is the average scale score. For the English II essay, the value represents the average writing rubric score (raw score).
(5) If the data value is blank, there were no students in that category, or the number of students tested in that category was between 1 and 9 and the data were suppressed for reasons of reporting reliability and/or student confidentiality.
(6) Data records for all the subject area tests and data for all components of the English II test appear in the file sorted within the appropriate school district and school. The third field in the record is the RECORD TYPE INDICATOR. It can be used to filter the records in the file to allow appropriate analyses. The SATP record type codes are as follows:
      303=Algebra 1
      307=Biology
      311=U.S. History
      315=English II Multiple Choice
      323=English II Informative Essay

ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT (MAAECF)

(1) All records contain the test code "MAA ".
(2) The subject codes are "LA " for the language arts assessment and "MATH" for the mathematics assessment.
(3) Alternate assessments are reported for grades 3 through 8 as indicated in the grade field.
(4) For the "all students" group and for all subgroups, there are two separate data values. The first number indicates the percentage of students with scores in the proficiency levels "Basic and Above". The second number indicates the percentage of students with scores in the proficiency levels "Proficient and Above". The percentage of students in the lowest proficiency level (Minimal) can be determined by subtracting the percentage at "Approaching Proficiency and Above" from 100%.
The percentage of students in the highest proficiency level (Advanced) cannot be determined from the data in the file. (5) If data values are blank, there were no students in that category, or the number of students tested in that category was between 1 and 9 and the data were suppressed for reasons of reporting reliability and/or student confidentiality.
(6) The MAAECF data records appears in the file sorted within the appropriate school district and school. The third field in the record is the RECORD TYPE INDICATOR. It can be used to filter the records in the file to allow appropriate analyses. The MAAECF record type codes are:
      113=Grade 3 Language Arts
      117=Grade 3 Mathematics
      125=Grade 4 Language Arts
      129=Grade 4 Mathematics
      137=Grade 5 Language Arts
      141=Grade 5 Mathematics
      149=Grade 6 Language Arts
      153=Grade 6 Mathematics
      161=Grade 7 Language Arts
      165=Grade 7 Mathematics
      173=Grade 8 Language Arts
      177=Grade 8 Mathematics