The SGP data project is an ongoing, collaborative effort designed to give geologists access to comprehensive multi-proxy sedimentary geochemical data spanning both Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic periods worldwide. Organized into working groups addressing specific research topics of interest for its members, all collected and shared as one standardized dataset that can be downloaded by other researchers for their investigations.
At SGP, our focus lies primarily in data preparation and processing for analysis. Once data have been properly prepared for analysis, running SGP analyses should be relatively straightforward; our assistance extends across many analyses while all following a two-step approach.
Typically, data are presented either in WIDE or LONG formats, both supported by the SGP package and utilized by its higher level wrapper functions (studentGrowthPercentiles and studentGrowthProjections) depending on their needs and the complexity of analyses being run. Deciding between WIDE or LONG formats depends on a number of factors including the nature and purpose of analyses being run as well as whether they will run operationally each year; typically for most SGP analyses we recommend choosing WIDE format as it offers optimal flexibility. For most analyses we recommend WIDE format as it offers best support by its capabilities versus LONG for long runs of analyses run annually by using higher-level functions (studentGrowthPercentiles or studentGrowthProjections) functions that utilize both formats when reporting analyses run annually by analysts; for most SGP analyses we suggest WIDE format as it allows flexibility when reporting.
An SGP score provides information about a student’s relative progress relative to other students with similar MCAS score histories. It measures relative growth on a scale from 1-99; lower numbers signifying less relative growth while higher ones signal more. SGP scores can help teachers monitor trends over time as well as understand the amount of development occurring within any one subject area.
Data sgp can also serve as an excellent way for teachers to assess how effectively current instruction compares with past instructional experiences for individual students, helping teachers determine how much progress has been made over the course of a year and plan for future instruction. The sgpData data set contains SGP scores from past school years as well as current year assessments; in addition, growth projections based on Damian Betebenner’s catch-up and keep-up growth models are provided as part of its comprehensive data set.
The SGP package’s sgpData dataset also features an anonymized teacher lookup table called sgpData_INSTRUCTOR_NUMBER that allows instructors to be associated with each student record. This table is updated each time that sgpData() in SGP package is called (typically once annually).
Long-term data preservation is of utmost importance for geochemical researchers of future generations. To accomplish this objective, our working groups must remain committed to sharing their data and metadata freely with the community despite having different goals than large databases like Genbank or EarthChem.
