THE QUANTILE

FRAMEWORK
The Quantile Scores…

• Will be reported on WESTEST 2 score reports

WESTEST 2 Sample Score Report

• What is it?
The QUANTILE FRAMEWORK
is…
Like a “gauge” or a “yardstick”
It’s a way to measure the development of:
a student’s mathematical knowledge
AND
the difficulty of math skills & topics
The Quantile Framework…

• A Developmental Scale that locates

mathematical skills and concepts within a
taxonomy.
• Characterizes the problem-solver (student) with
a measure on the same developmental scale
Skills are Rated by Q-
Taxons…
• What is a Q-Taxon?
A Mathematical skill or concept
• Where does the list of Q-Taxons come from?
National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM)
State Curriculums
• How are the strands determined?
Based on content strands from NCTM and
state standards
The QUANTILE MAP
• Offers a snapshot of the skills & concepts (Q-
Taxons) within a curriculum of 5 content
strands.
• Offers insight into the developmental framework
of the Quantile Framework.
• Offers information about the level of difficulty of
the skills and concepts (Q-Taxons).
The Quantile Framework…

• How were Quantile measures for Q-Taxons

developed?
• Identifying items that met psychometric criteria
• Identifying items that are representative of the
Q-Taxon and match what is typically taught
during a first lesson on that subject
• Relationships with both precursory and
impending Q-Taxons
Knowledge Clusters
QT 210
QT 655 QT 622
QT 308
QT 644
QT 263
QT 275

QT 208:
Solve one-step linear equations and inequalities
and graph the solutions of the inequalities on a
number line.
QT 97
QT 180
QT 132 QT 605
QT 623
QT 604
QT 548
QT 218
Quantile Scale Development

• Field Study February 2004

• Tests for Grades 2 through Algebra II
• Ancillary Materials: rulers, protractors,
calculators, and reference sheets
• Sample of 9,847 students in 34 schools across
6 states
What does the Measure
Mean?
• A range for the quantile measure of a student
identifies the learning frontier of mathematics
skills in which a student can have success after
some introductory instruction.
• A Quantile measure for the skill offers insight
into its difficulty for a student to initially learn
that concept.
Instructional Implications…

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
• Understand content progression
• Determine student readiness
• Differentiate instruction by linking students with
appropriate instruction at their level
Instructional Implications…

INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS OF THE STUDENT

• How does the range of ability levels in the
classroom match with the targeted Q-Taxon
Quantile measure?
• How will we help to prepare the students who
are not ready for the topic?
• Are there students who might need
enrichment? How can their needs be
addressed?
The Quantile Website

www.Quantiles.com
Applications of the Quantile
Measure on the website…
• Textbooks
• Websites & Games
• Worksheets & Other Downloadables
• Math Literature Connections
• Other Instructional Products
QUANTILE WEBSITE
Q-TAXON SEARCH
MATH AT HOME
The Quantile Framework is
NOT:
• An indicator of mastery of a specific skill
• A list of mathematics skills
• A curriculum for mathematics
• A mathematics program
• A grade equivalent
• A measure for a worksheet or test
The Quantile Framework
does help:
• Predict readiness
• Monitor student math progress
• Adapt instructional methods
• Understand pre-requisite skills for advanced
concepts
• Match students to appropriate materials at their
level
• Link big math concepts to state curriculum
• Forecast student performance on end-of-year
tests