Happy Numbers assessments are powered by The Quantile® Framework for Mathematics, and Quantile measures for test results are available for each student. While still supported by the Quantile Framework, starting from the 2023-2024 school year, Happy Numbers has introduced a new scoring system intended to provide another perspective on student math growth and achievement. Let's explore the key differences between these scales.

The Quantile scale measures students’ skills and concepts using the same common framework, enabling educators and parents to match mathematics materials to individual student needs.

While showing what the student is capable of understanding, the Quantile measures do not translate specifically to grade levels. Our goal was to design a scale that would correspond clearly with grade levels and still enable accurate placement in the Happy Numbers curriculum for each student.

To design such a scale, we combined the following data:

Having taken all these factors into account, we translated the results into a simple scale that corresponds clearly with the grade levels in the Happy Numbers curriculum.

Understand students' math level at a glance.

The key difference between the two formats is that Happy Numbers scores translate specifically to grade levels, while the Quantile measures help to track student growth in mathematics regardless of grade level.

Looking at the Happy Numbers score, you can determine the grade level at a glance from the first letter(s) of the score. The subsequent two digits indicate the percentage of the grade level achieved by the test results.

For more information about how to read the Happy Numbers scores, please follow the link.

For example, let's compare the Placement Test results for the same Grade 2 students given in the Happy Numbers scoring system (on the left) and in Quantile measures (on the right). Observing the left columns, we can see that Adhara scored at the middle Kindergarten level, while Hanna's result corresponds to early Grade 1. Caleb is at the early Grade 2 level, and Emmе’s level is at the middle of Grade 2.

The Quantile measures on the right may be used to determine the complexity of math concepts these students are ready for. To interpret them, you can use the tools provided by Metametrics.

Let's take a look at how the growth from the BOY test to the EOY test will be shown, comparing the Happy Numbers and the Quantiles scales.

The Growth column shows the difference between the EOY and the BOY test results. In the Happy Numbers scoring system (on the left), a growth of +100 indicates one grade level of growth. So, Hanna showed significant growth, progressing 1.5 years from the early Grade 1 level to the middle of Grade 2 level. Adhara and Caleb both exceeded 1 year of growth. Adhara's journey started at the middle of Kindergarten and advanced to the late Grade 1 level. Meanwhile, Caleb moved from the early Grade 2 level to the early Grade 3 level, meaning that he is ready for the next grade level based on the EOY test result.

Though Emma showed comparatively lower growth in Happy Numbers scores (+55) and only +10Q in Quantile measures, it is still a significant improvement as she progressed from the middle of Grade 2 level to the beginning of Grade 3 level, also showing next grade level readiness at the end of the year.

Starting from the 2023-2024 school year, the new scores for your students will be shown on the Yearly Dashboard and Assessment Report in your account. If you want to see the results in Quantiles, just reach out to us at support@happynumbers.com. Please note that specific Quantile measures are available only to Premium users.