PVAAS Help

School Diagnostic

How This Report Helps You

This report enables you to select data and view results for different groups of students. To customize the report, choose a Base Test and Subject, a Measurement Option, and a Student Grouping Option. You can also limit results to specific students. The tabs above the graph enable you to add comparisons.

Use diagnostic reports to assess the growth of students for different grouping options or by student group.

Examine a variety of metrics or measures and grouping variables. With two ways to select grouping variables, you can make comparisons across different groups.
Compare the base test and subject to additional years, tests and subjects, LEAs/districts and schools (if your account allows for that), or other custom comparisons of your choice.
Set priorities for improving the instructional program to meet the needs of students at all achievement levels.
Use the expanded student list to create a custom diagnostic report.
Reflect on how your instructional programs are supporting the growth of all students.

Student information is not available when one or more of the following is true:

The Base Test and Subject that you selected is from a prior year
You do not have access to student reports
The number of selected students exceeds 1,500

About Diagnostic Reports

Diagnostic reports offer important information about the growth of student groups. The reports provide the ability to compare growth of student groups by achievement group, expected performance level, or other characteristics.

Selecting Data

Use the filter panel, on the left side of the report, to select the types of data to display in the chart. Compare years, tests and subjects, or LEAs/districts and schools. View up to four results at a time.

Year. The year determines which tests and subjects are displayed.

Base Test and Subject. The test and subject that you want to investigate and compare to other tests and subjects.

Measurement Options (Y Axis). These are plotted on the vertical axis. For more information see Understanding Measurement Options

Student Grouping Options (X Axis). These are plotted on the horizontal axis. For more information see Understanding Student Grouping Options.

When you use Limit by, the chart displays only the students with the characteristic that you select. Use Student Grouping Options to compare students with a characteristic to those without it.

Making Comparisons

Use options above the chart to add data from other years, tests and subjects, LEAs/districts and schools, and more. Your options might be limited to the data that you have access to.

After you add comparison data, the option to compare data separately appears. For example, if you add one or more years, the option to Compare Years Separately appears. You can view up to four results at a time on separate graphs.

Viewing, Selecting, and Downloading Student Data

Users with access to student reports can view data for individual students and click Expand Student List to view more data and select specific students for custom graphs.

Click Expand Student List to view more data for all students.

If you cannot see the student list, contact your PVAAS admin about your account permissions. Access to student data is controlled by local policies.

In the expanded student list, you can:

Sort data by clicking on column headings.
Download the student data in an Excel file.
Create custom reports by selecting the checkboxes for students of interest and submitting. Custom reports cannot be saved.
Click Minimize Student List to return to the report.

Differences in student counts within each year can cause slight shifts in the NCEs for prior years. For more information see Why Students' NCEs Might Change.

More Information

Diagnostic and Projection Summary Reports: Using Together for Decision Making