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Content Focus Reports

"Content focus" is a term that defines the specific content measured by each test item. These are generated after reporting is completed for each assessment administration. Content Focus Reports should not be used to make decisions about instruction at the individual student level. Some reporting categories have too few test items to report reliable or meaningful scores at the student level. While well-intended, providing remedial instruction in a specific reporting category may not be justified and may be an inefficient use of instructional time. Content focus data should not be used as sole indicators to determine remedial needs of students.

When interpreting content focus data, the following cautions and information should also be considered:

  • The number of items in a reporting category may vary from one year to another. Consequently, users should not compare performance data such as mean percent correct.
  • The number of items in a reporting category will vary by grade level. Consequently, users should not compare content area scores across grade levels.
  • The difficulty of the items measuring each benchmark will vary from one year to the next. Consequently, users should not compare content area scores across years.
  • The analysis is based on state-level data that are not intended to provide specific classroom, school, or district interpretations.
  • Scale score values cannot accurately be determined using Content Focus Reports for a number of reasons. For instance, test scores are generated from students’ performance on the entirety of the test, which accounts for the difficulty (also called cognitive complexity) of test items.

For the proper use of content area scores, see Guidance on Content Area Scores. 

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