Exact Path is an online program, developed by Edmentum, that includes a computer-adaptive assessment (the diagnostic assessment) and instructional supports to supplement a teacher’s daily instruction. MCCSC is using the Exact Path diagnostic assessment to assist teachers in identifying students’ strengths and needs.  Edmentum identifies Exact Path as an assessment-driven math, reading, and language arts instructional tool that is paced to your student needs and aligned to your instruction goals.” Exact Path learning path provides the opportunity for remediation and enrichment of grade-level skills. With the learning path, teachers can monitor the progress of students and adapt instruction. Currently, grades 3-8 are using Exact Path

According to Edmentum, “The Exact Path diagnostic assessment development process is highly rigorous and iterative. Scale development adheres to AERA (American Educational Research Association) standards and protocol. The ADA is a valid assessment to determine student placement in the learning progression.”

The diagnostic measures a student’s mathematics, reading and/or language arts ability, including real-time progress and academic growth.

Currently, teachers in grades 4 through 8 are asked to give the assessment up to two times, during the Fall and Winter.  It is up to individual principals and the professional judgement of the teacher on whether a second diagnostic will be given in the winter in those grade levels.  In grade 3, the diagnostic will be given at the beginning of the year and again in the winter.  Exact Path suggests that the diagnostic assessment can be given up to three times a year.

Students with IEPs follow the same participation requirements as all other students for the diagnostic assessment, including students with moderate/severe disabilities.  The Case Conference Committee can address concerns regarding the appropriateness of participation of an individual student. 

The read aloud accommodation follows the same guidance as state testing (ILEARN/I AM). Students should be given the accommodations as designated in their IEP/504 Plan.

The Exact Path diagnostic assessment does not have a time limit for completion.  However, in the fall of 2018, students in MCCSC spent on average, 45 minutes on the reading diagnostic and 40 minutes on the math diagnostic assessment.

Teachers provide a certain amount of time during the day for the diagnostic assessment.  Because it is important that a student is able to complete the assessment, teachers will provide additional time that day or week so the child can finish if additional time is needed.  In the fall of 2018, students in MCCSC spent on average, 45 minutes on the reading diagnostic and 40 minutes on the math diagnostic assessment.

Parents and students can access Exact Path at home. Parents are able to see what lessons and activities their child is currently working on in their learning path. During conference time, teachers will often go over the results of the diagnostic assessment.

The Exact Path diagnostic assessment should not be used as a grade.  The information gained from the assessment helps teachers identify areas to focus instruction for individual students. 

The Exact Path Diagnostic is administered as a variable-length computer adaptive test (CAT) exam, which means that students may receive a different number of questions. The reason for selecting the variable-length CAT is the urgency of more efficient testing with uniform precision (reliability) for all learners.  Please view the following video for more information: Making Sense of Computer Adaptive Tests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbuiwdBl8RU Exact Path does not differentiate between types of incorrect responses (whether a minor mistake or a conceptual error).  The program adapts based on incorrect errors.

Currently, growth data from Exact Path will be used for third grade teachers’ evaluations.

Throughout all stages of the development process, internal content experts used processes that ensured the following from the Edmentum Fairness, Bias, and Sensitivity Guidelines:

1. The content reflects respect and sensitivity toward people in all their diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, culture, age, physical characteristics, and physical and cognitive abilities.
2. The content is fair to all learners. Content should not impede a student’s success due to student’s personal characteristics, experiences, or emotional responses to details that are unnecessary to meeting the learning objective.

To meet the bias and sensitivity guidelines, content experts used several internal quality steps. Edmentum provides a thorough training to item developers and item reviewers on how to write, review, and edit items for bias and sensitivity. This training includes specific sensitivity examples including, but not limited to race and ethnicity, gender, disabilities, economic status, clothing, images and videos, politics, hand gestures, and stereotypes in gender, people with disabilities, and older people. The training also provides an overview of several topics to avoid. Some examples avoided are accidents, natural disasters, emergencies, advocacy, alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, bullying, mocking, or shaming, gun control, immigration, junk food, and slavery.

During the diagnostic assessment, students do not know if they get a question correct or not.  However, once the assessment is done, via the learning path, students receive personalized lessons and activities on areas where they performed poorly.

Edmentum is a leading provider of e-learning solutions. It completed the initial phase of the beta program in 2017 for Exact Path.  During the 2017-18 academic year, 80,000 to 113,000 students nationwide used Exact Path (depending on the subject).  Exact Path is currently used by almost 1000 districts.

Using Exact Path is not mandated by the state.

Edmentum states that “learning paths are a series of lessons to cover the skills a learner is ready to learn, displayed in a set of four skills at a time in the learning progression. These lessons can be from one domain or several domains, depending on what level a student is working in each domain area. Each skill can have one or more lessons associated with it, and a lesson can also be associated with more than one skill in some cases.”

Edmentum’s most recent research study by Century Analytics, Inc., found that when students engage in and show progress through the completion of lessons – at least 8, but not “in just 8” – students do better academically in that subject area than students not using Exact Path. 

Impacts of Edmentum’s Exact Path on Student Language Arts Achievement: https://www.edmentum.com/resources/efficacy/impacts-edmentum%E2%80%99s-exact-path-student-language-arts-achievement

Impacts of Edmentum’s Exact Path on Student Reading Achievement: https://www.edmentum.com/resources/efficacy/impacts-edmentum%E2%80%99s-exact-path-student-reading-achievement

Impacts of Edmentum’s Exact Path on Student Mathematics Achievement: https://www.edmentum.com/resources/efficacy/impacts-edmentum%E2%80%99s-exact-path-student-mathematics-achievement

Exact Path should not be used as a grade for the report card.  However, it may be used as a formative assessment to help the teacher identify skills where your child struggles or excels.

The program is not designed to replace classroom teaching.  It is a supplemental resource tool.  Results of external studies suggest that students who use Exact Path and complete lessons on the learning progression assigned to them by the program will make gains in achievement relative to students who do not complete any lessons.

Impacts of Edmentum’s Exact Path on Student Language Arts Achievement: https://www.edmentum.com/resources/efficacy/impacts-edmentum%E2%80%99s-exact-path-student-language-arts-achievement

Impacts of Edmentum’s Exact Path on Student Reading Achievement: https://www.edmentum.com/resources/efficacy/impacts-edmentum%E2%80%99s-exact-path-student-reading-achievement

Impacts of Edmentum’s Exact Path on Student Mathematics Achievement: https://www.edmentum.com/resources/efficacy/impacts-edmentum%E2%80%99s-exact-path-student-mathematics-achievement

Though the results from the diagnostic assessment place students on the learning path, teachers have the ability to use their professional judgment to dictate where a student should be on the learning path. Either based on current performance on the learning path or other data points, teachers have the ability to adjust learning path placements manually, when desired.

The Exact Path assessment and information provided from their learning path is one point of reference (or snapshot) of a student’s ability.  Teachers have other evidence of student performance and may adjust the student’s placement on the learning path at any time.

Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, Exact Path is only being used with grades 3 through 8.  Please consult with your child’s teacher regarding accelerated activities your child can use.

Students are able to access the learning path at home via a tablet or computer.  They can access the program by using their Clever login from the student resources page of the MCCSC website.  Parents can see what their child is doing and they are encouraged to speak with their child about the work they are doing on the learning path.  Please note, there is no expectation that students use the program at home as part of homework. 

Students with IEPs follow the same participation requirements as all other students for learning path work, including students with moderate/severe disabilities.  If you have concerns regarding the appropriateness of participation of an individual student please contact the student’s teacher. 

Edmentum adapted the product significantly during the beta testing based on direct customer feedback and will continue to make adjustments in response to input from educators going forward.

Edmentum content experts developed the CCSS-aligned Learning Path by sequencing between 282 and 364 skills per subject within each grade-level, based on typical instructional sequencing within a school year.  For each of the three subjects – language arts, mathematics, and reading – the learning progression or “Learning Path” represents an instructional sequence for skills from kindergarten through grade 11 or 12.  Progressions of learning are construct maps that serve to ground the assessments in concrete skills that students can learn and demonstrate.  See for example Briggs et al. (2015), National Research Council (2001), and Wilson (2009).

References:
Briggs, D. C., Diaz-Bilello, E., Peck, F., Alzen, J., Chattergoon, R., Johnson, R., National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc. (NCIEA). University of Colorado at Boulder, Center for Assessment Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE). (2015). Using a learning progression framework to assess and evaluate student growth. National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.colorado.edu/education/node/1799/attachment.

National Research Council. 2001. Knowing what students know: The science and design of educational assessment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10019.

Wilson, M. (2009). Measuring progressions: Assessment structures underlying a learning progression. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 46(6), 716–730.

It is important that students are continuing to work on grade level curriculum with their class.  However, some students still need remediation in skills previously taught and the learning path provides a personalized way for each child to work on skills that they need without others knowing they are behind.  The same is true for students who may benefit from extra challenging lessons and enrichment. 

If the student does not retain information from the most recent 3-4 lessons, it is possible to fail the progress check and be asked to repeat a lesson or complete a lesson at a lower level for remedial instruction on a skill.

There is audio on all K-1 diagnostic items in math and language arts.  Audio settings on the reading diagnostic depend on the skill needs.  For example, if the skill is about reading and comprehension, the “read aloud” option is not available. If the skill is about “metaphors”, for example, the audio is available since the skill is not about reading or comprehension.  In the learning path, not everything is read aloud to students.  Students also have options to click the automatic audio feature off.

Students can work independently on their learning path.  Most teachers have students use the program as part of a station or center while they are meeting in small groups with students in the classroom.  Teachers then review their progress via the teacher dashboard.

Student information is shared with Edmentum for the purposes of rostering and product access for students. Information we share with Edmentum is rostered via Clever, a Single-Sign On and rostering tool used to securely pass our Skyward Student Information System rosters over to a vendor.  MCCSC is selective with specific data passed through Clever depending on the product and the level of data analytics desired by the school district. MCCSC chooses and selects which pieces of information get passed over to Edmentum for the Exact Path program.  This information is limited to directory information including first and last name, school, grade, gender, social-economic status, and ethnicity.  It is then stored on Edmentum’s servers and governed by Edmentum’s customer privacy policy https://www.edmentum.com/privacy. Edmentum’s customer privacy policy differs significantly from their general privacy policy https://www.edmentum.com/privacy-policy. As an Edmentum customer, MCCSC staff and students are governed by the customer privacy policy and the contract signed with Edmentum. 

Teachers have access to the data for their own classes.  School administrators and instructional coaches have access to schoolwide data to assess trends, review data, and assist teachers as needed.  Identified staff in IT and the Office of Curriculum and Instruction also have access to review data and assist with technical issues should they arise. 

According to Edmentum, all customer data is securely stored on their servers and are governed by Edmentum’s customer privacy policy, https://www.edmentum.com/privacy.  Edmentum may use data in technical reports and for ongoing research.  Student data is anonymized and does not contain any personally identifiable information. 

Our teachers meet in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) weekly to discuss what we want our students to know and to review data and prepare classroom instruction to respond accordingly.  Improving upon our already strong system of PLCs is a focus at our schools this year.

Exact Path assessments provide summative assessment information.  CFA’s provide formative assessment information.  Teachers use both kinds of assessments to understand individual student strengths and areas for improvement.  This ongoing information helps teaches to deliver targeted instruction in order to raise student achievement.

Unlike standardized tests given by the state, results of the diagnostic are available to teachers immediately.  As a result, teachers can use the information to target instruction based on each student’s needs right away.

Data from Exact Path should be used for classroom instructional decisions (e.g., grouping students, reteaching particular skills, etc.)

Exact Path is one resource that teachers can use to determine student groupings within classrooms. 

No.

Between testing windows, students can spend time completing learning activities in their learning paths.  This program, along with other resources will be used to support yearly academic goals for each student.

This program is used to help personalize instruction to each individual student’s needs.  However, teachers can use the data to group students who scored similarly on specific skills. 

Teachers will often have conversations with students to set goals based on their assessment results, learning path, and other classroom instruction.

Expectations regarding the use of Exact Path have been shared with school administrators, instructional coaches, and schools at the beginning of this school year.  Based on feedback and data, future adjustments will be made as needed.

We are able to see data on how long a student spends on a specific area of the learning path or any other area of the program.

Students are able to access the learning path at home via a tablet or computer.  They can access the program by using their Clever login from the student resources page of the MCCSC website.  Parents can see what their child is doing and they are encouraged to speak with their child about the work they are doing on the learning path.  Please note, there is no expectation that students use the program at home as part of homework. 

Edmentum’s most recent research study by Century Analytics, Inc., found that when students engage in and show progress through the completion of lessons – at least 8, but not “in just 8” – students do better academically in that subject area than students not using Exact Path. 

Note: It is important to note that quality of effort to complete and master skills is more important than mandated time.

Edmentum’s most recent research study by Century Analytics, Inc., found that when students engage in and show progress through the completion of lessons – at least 8, but not “in just 8” – students do better academically in that subject area than students not using Exact Path. 

Note: It is important to note that quality of effort to complete and master skills is more important than mandated time.

In the elementary school grades, teachers often have students use Exact Path as a center or station during small group instruction rotations.  During this time, the teacher meets with small groups of students for approximately 20 minutes at a time to work on specific skills while the remaining students work independently or with partners/groups in different work stations/centers.  In middle school, the program is a supplement to other instructional supports.  If you have specific questions about how/when your child is using Exact Path, please feel free to ask their teacher for more specific information on their classroom use.  

Students are able to access the learning path at home via a tablet or computer.  They can access the program by using their Clever login from the student resources page of the MCCSC website.  Parents can see what their child is doing and they are encouraged to speak with their child about the work they are doing on the learning path.  Please note, there is no expectation that students use the program at home as part of homework. 

We are able to see data on how long a student spends on a specific area of the learning path or any other area of the program.

Expectations regarding the use of Exact Path have been shared with school administrators, instructional coaches, and schools at the beginning of this school year.  Based on feedback and data, future adjustments will be made as needed.

At this time, no local money has been used to pay for Exact Path.  Due to technical concerns experienced during the 2018-2019 school year and the feedback we were able to provide Edmentum to improve on their product, we were not charged for use during that school year.

No.

Teachers are able to discuss the results of the diagnostic assessment and where their child is on the learning path with parents.

This program is designed to provide immediate feedback to teachers and quickly determine the interventions needed for a student.   Due to the variety of written responses that might be given, it would not be efficient to teach writing.  However, there is a language portion of the program that teachers may choose to use.  This would address some of the grammar and vocabulary standards used as part of writing instruction.

Students with IEPs follow the same participation requirements as all other students for the diagnostic assessment, including students with moderate/severe disabilities.  The Case Conference Committee can address concerns regarding the appropriateness of participation of an individual student. 

 Exact Path provides skills from grades K-12.  If you have concerns about the appropriateness of your child’s use of the program due to the child’s individual needs, such as their cognitive level, please contact the Teacher of Record for further review and guidance.

If a parent has concerns, they should speak with the student’s teacher or building principal.

If your question relates specifically to how the program is used in the classroom or how it affects your child’s instruction, please contact your child’s teacher.  If you have other questions, please email Susan Reynolds, Digital Learning Coach, at sreynold@mccsc.edu.

Edmentum completed the initial phase of the beta program in 2017 for Exact Path. During the initial phase of beta testing, over 6,300 students participated, 24,000 assessments were taken, and over 100,000 instructional content launches occurred.

MCCSC piloted Exact Path in the 2017-2018 academic year.  In the spring of 2018, the Office of Curriculum and Instruction surveyed teachers regarding Edmentum products, usage, and usability. Those results indicated a teacher preference to continue the use of Exact Path. This, combined with our corporation needs for a diagnostic and progress monitoring tool, drove the decision to continue to use Exact Path in the 2018-2019 academic year.  Another teacher survey was completed at the start of the 2019-2020 school year.  Based on feedback from that survey, we decided to continue the use of Exact Path with some modifications to the previous use.  For example, fewer grade levels are now using the program and we have reduced the number of diagnostic assessments we will give each year.

Exact Path utilizes adaptive diagnostic assessment data to form a competency-based progression of skills for students, and adaptive tools that offer targeted instruction paced to your students’ needs.  Edmentum states that, “Extensive psychometric analysis of our adaptive diagnostic assessments ensures that all students receive a unique testing experience that precisely pinpoints their instructional level, strengths, and needs.”

Exact Path offers individualized learning paths aligned to Indiana standards.

Students are able to access the learning path at home via a tablet or computer.  They can access the program by using their Clever login from the student resources page of the MCCSC website.  Parents can see what their child is doing and they are encouraged to speak with their child about the work they are doing on the learning path.  Please note, there is no expectation that students use the program at home as part of homework. 

Exact Path should not be used as a grade for the report card.  However, it may be used as a formative assessment to help the teacher identify skills where your child struggles or excels.  It also should not be used as a mandatory homework assignment.

All students in grades 3 through 8 should be taking the diagnostic assessment for reading and math. However, it is not mandatory that students use the learning path portion of the program if the diagnostic does not show they are in need of remediation in any skills in those two subjects.