Cut Scores

Wyoming Department of Education > For District Leadership > Assessment – State System > Cut Scores

WY-TOPP

From July 10–12, 2018, AIR (now CAI) facilitated standard-setting workshops for grades 3-10 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and for grade 10 in Science. The 84-member panel was composed of Wyoming teachers, curriculum specialists, education administrators, and other stakeholders. The members were selected from large and small Wyoming school districts, ensuring diverse perspectives throughout the standard-setting process. 

Because the 2016 Science Standards were first assessed in the spring of 2022, new standards had to be set for science. In June 2022, standard setting panels were convened to determine the new scale score proficiency-level ranges for science in grades 4, 8, and 10. 

 WY-TOPP FAQ

WY-TOPP PROFICIENCY-LEVEL SCORES

WY-TOPP SCALE SCORE PROFICIENCY-LEVEL RANGES FOR GRADES 3-10 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Grade Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced
3 ≤563 564-591 592-627 ≥628
4 ≤579 580-612 613-648 ≥649
5 ≤600 601-626 627-667 ≥668
6 ≤613 614-639 640-688 ≥689
7 ≤616 617-643 644-691 ≥692
8 ≤625 626-652 653-707 ≥708
9 ≤628 629-655 656-708 ≥709
10 ≤630 631-666 667-712 ≥713

WY-TOPP SCALE SCORE PROFICIENCY-LEVEL RANGES FOR GRADES 3-10 MATHEMATICS
Grade Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced
3 ≤416 417-437 438-460 ≥461
4 ≤441 442-465 466-490 ≥491
5 ≤465 466-493 494-532 ≥533
6 ≤489 490-520 521-559 ≥560
7 ≤515 516-551 552-587 ≥588
8 ≤542 543-584 585-626 ≥627
9 ≤572 573-616 617-667 ≥668
10 ≤602 603-652 653-713 ≥714

WY-TOPP SCALE SCORE PROFICIENCY-LEVEL RANGES FOR GRADES 4, 8, 10 SCIENCE
Grade Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced
4 ≤376 377-400 401-424 ≥425
8 ≤776 777-803 804-828 ≥829
10 ≤979 980-1000 1001-1027 ≥1028

 


WY-ALT

From July 16–18, 2019, AIR (now CAI)  facilitated standard-setting workshops for grades 3-10 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and for grades 4, 8, and 10 in Science. The 72-member panel was composed of Wyoming teachers, curriculum specialists, education administrators, and other stakeholders. The members were selected from large and small Wyoming school districts throughout the state, ensuring diverse perspectives throughout the standard-setting process.

Because the 2018 Science Extended Standards were first assessed in the spring of 2022, new standards had to be set for science. In June 2022, standard setting panels were convened to determine the new scale score proficiency-level ranges for science in grades 4, 8, and 10.

WY-ALT FAQ

WY-ALT PROFICIENCY-LEVEL SCORES

WY-ALT SCALE SCORE PROFICIENCY-LEVEL RANGES FOR GRADES 3-10 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Grade Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced
3 ≤275 276-299 300-314 ≥315
4 ≤277 278-299 300-336 ≥337
5 ≤274 275-299 300-326 ≥327
6 ≤284 285-299 300-335 ≥336
7 ≤280 281-299 300-344 ≥345
8 ≤279 280-299 300-324 ≥325
9 ≤283 284-299 300-327 ≥328
10 ≤283 284-299 300-327 ≥328

WY-ALT SCALE SCORE PROFICIENCY-LEVEL RANGES FOR GRADES 3-10 MATHEMATICS
Grade Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced
3 ≤282 283-299 300-317 ≥318
4 ≤278 279-299 300-324 ≥325
5 ≤285 286-299 300-323 ≥324
6 ≤286 287-299 300-319 ≥320
7 ≤272 273-299 300-323 ≥324
8 ≤285 286-299 300-322 ≥323
9 ≤282 283-299 300-314 ≥315
10 ≤282 283-299 300-314 ≥315

WY-ALT SCALE SCORE PROFICIENCY-LEVEL RANGES FOR GRADES 4, 8, 10 SCIENCE

GRADE BELOW BASIC BASIC PROFICIENT ADVANCED
4 ≤276 277-299 300-328 ≥329
8 ≤270 271-299 300-335 ≥336
10 ≤263 264-299 300-324 ≥325

ACCESS for ELLs PROFICIENCY-LEVEL SCORES

Composite Scale Scores for a Composite Performance Level of 4.6 by Grade Level

To be deemed proficient and to exit Active EL Status, a student must have both of the following:

  • Composite Performance Level of 4.6 and a literacy performance level of 4.3. 
  • When students meet both of these, they are English Proficient.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT (ELPA)
Grade Composite Performance Level of 4.6
Kindergarten 313-315
1 333-335
2 347-349
3 359-361
4 370-372
5 378-380
6 386-388
7 393-395
8 399-401
9 405-408
10 411-414
11 417-419
12 422-424

ALT ACCESS for ELLs PROFICIENCY-LEVEL SCORES

Composite Scale Scores for a Composite Performance Level of P1 

To be deemed proficient and to exit Active EL Status, a student must have an overall composite performance level of P1 or higher.

Grade Composite Performance Level of P1
1 – 12 938-960

CUT SCORE PROCESS

Cut scores are specific scores selected by educator committees that represent the overall knowledge a student showed based upon their answers to questions on the test. Educators determine the lowest score a student can have and still meet the definition of each performance level – Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. These definitions are based on the Wyoming Content and Performance Standards and Performance Level Descriptors. Educators and parents can utilize the information in the tables below in conjunction with the scale score shown on a student score report to gain an understanding of how the student performed on the test in relation to the content expected to be taught in their enrolled grade-level. Each performance level is represented by a range of scores due to the complex nature of each content area and the varying levels of understanding that can be had by a student in that level. The WY-TOPP cut scores are not vertically scaled, meaning they are not on a common scale, from grade to grade. Careful consideration should be made when making comparisons between scores in different grade-levels. Performance levels are a more accurate representation when making these between grade comparisons.

As students answer a variety of questions designed to assess their knowledge of the content standards, the computer algorithm assigns a scale score for their answer. In Wyoming, the Department of Education convenes a committee of educators from across the state to determine these cut scores using the “Bookmark Method,” the most common procedure used throughout the country and for previous Wyoming assessments. Educators are given a booklet of items ordered by level of difficulty. During the process, the educators reference the Wyoming College and Career Readiness Standards, the Performance-Level Descriptors (PLDs), and student performance data from the previous summative assessment (and the general assessment during the alternate assessment workshop). The educators bookmark items representative of minimum performance of Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. There are multiple rounds of bookmarks and resolution during a three-day workshop. The cut scores are used to determine the four performance levels – Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.