Damian Betebenner’s work currently focuses on the development, implementation, integration and reporting/communication of state level growth analyses. He is the architect of the student growth percentile (SGP) model, which began in Colorado and has since been adopted in more than two-dozen other states. The National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) recognized the model with its prestigious annual award for Outstanding Dissemination of Educational Measurement Concepts to the Public, given at the Annual Conference in May 2010 in Denver. Damian is also the primary architect for interactive Colorado Growth Model data visualization software that was recognized by Adobe Software as a Max Award Finalist at its 2009 Adobe Max convention for innovative uses of Adobe technology. Damian supports many state clients in implementing SGPs and applying SGP results to accountability determinations. Further, Damian conducts effective knowledge transfer of SGP implementation with his client states by supporting them as they eventually learn to implement the open-source SGP statistical package.
Prior to joining the Center for Assessment, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Research Measurement and Evaluation, Lynch School of Education, Boston College.
Damian has earned two doctorates. He received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Wyoming and a Ph.D. in Educational Measurement from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Damian Betebenner is the architect of the student growth percentile (SGP) model and his current work focuses on the development, implementation, integration and reporting/communication of state level growth analyses.
Recent and Relevant Publications
Betebenner, D. W., Iwaarden, A. V., Domingue, B., & Shang, Y. (2019). SGP: Student Growth Percentiles & Percentile Growth Trajectories. (R package version 1.9-0.0)
Shang, Y., VanIwaarden, A., & Betebenner, D. W. (2015). Covariate measurement error correction for student growth percentiles using the simex method.
Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 34 (1), 4–14.
Betebenner, D. W. (2012). Growth, standards, and accountability. In G. Cizek (Ed.), Setting performance standards: Foundations, methods, and innovations (pp. 439–450). New York: Routledge.
Betebenner, D. W. (2009). Norm- and criterion-referenced student growth. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 28 (4), 42–51.
Betebenner, D. W. (2008). Toward a normative understanding of student growth.
In K. E. Ryan & L. A. Shepard (Eds.), The future of test-based educational accountability (pp. 155–170). New York: Taylor & Francis.
