Read the full report «Assessing the Utility of
State Academic Indicators for Measuring Performance in 58 California Charter Schools» (Note: school names are redacted for confidentiality).
The state academic indicator gambit works like this.
Obviously, there is a big disconnect between the color - coded
state academic indicator and actual student performance on the state Math Test.
Not exact matches
For instance,
states might assign separate ratings to each of the five
indicator types the law requires:
academic achievement, student growth, graduation rates, progress toward English language proficiency, and other
indicators of school quality and student success.
The new law also requires
states to use, as part of their rating systems, an
indicator of
academic achievement «as measured by proficiency on the annual assessments.»
ESSA also requires
state accountability systems to include «a measure of student growth, if determined appropriate by the State; or another valid and reliable statewide academic indicator that allows for meaningful differentiation in school performance.&r
state accountability systems to include «a measure of student growth, if determined appropriate by the
State; or another valid and reliable statewide academic indicator that allows for meaningful differentiation in school performance.&r
State; or another valid and reliable statewide
academic indicator that allows for meaningful differentiation in school performance.»
States could also create entirely separate accountability systems for alternative schools, weighting existing measures differently (e.g. placing less emphasis on proficiency and placing more emphasis on
academic growth) and using different
indicators, such as high school completion rates instead of cohort graduation rates.
ESSA requires
state accountability systems to include an
indicator of
academic achievement «as measured by proficiency on the annual assessments.»
Any reading of ESSA leaves one wondering what exactly Congress meant when it asked
states to «meaningfully differentiate» among schools, when it required that
states give «substantial weight» to each
indicator, or when it stipulated that
academic indicators count for «much greater weight» than non-
academic ones.
In addition to four
academic indicators, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires
state accountability systems to include one other
indicator, such as student engagement, educator engagement, access to and completion of advanced coursework, postsecondary readiness, or school climate and safety.
Specifically, the proposed regulations provide that the additional K — 12
indicator (s) that a
state uses can not «change the identity of schools that would otherwise be identified» unless a school is making «significant progress» on at least one of the
academic indicators — test scores, graduation rate, additional K — 8
academic indicator, and EL progress.
The Act (Section 1111 (c)(4)(B)(i)(I)-RRB- requires
states to use an
indicator of
academic achievement that «measures proficiency on the statewide assessments in reading / language arts and mathematics.»
Annually measures, for all students and separately for each subgroup of students, the following
indicators:
Academic achievement (which, for high schools, may include a measure of student growth, at the State's discretion); for elementary and middle schools, a measure of student growth, if determined appropriate by the State, or another valid and reliable statewide academic indicator; for high schools, the four - year adjusted cohort graduation rate and, at the State's discretion, the extended - year adjusted cohort graduation rate; progress in achieving English language proficiency for English learners; and at least one valid, reliable, comparable, statewide indicator of school quality or student succ
Academic achievement (which, for high schools, may include a measure of student growth, at the
State's discretion); for elementary and middle schools, a measure of student growth, if determined appropriate by the
State, or another valid and reliable statewide
academic indicator; for high schools, the four - year adjusted cohort graduation rate and, at the State's discretion, the extended - year adjusted cohort graduation rate; progress in achieving English language proficiency for English learners; and at least one valid, reliable, comparable, statewide indicator of school quality or student succ
academic indicator; for high schools, the four - year adjusted cohort graduation rate and, at the
State's discretion, the extended - year adjusted cohort graduation rate; progress in achieving English language proficiency for English learners; and at least one valid, reliable, comparable, statewide
indicator of school quality or student success; and
The proposed regulations are significantly more prescriptive than the statute in describing how
states must satisfy the requirement to assign «much greater weight» to the
academic indicators § 200.18 (d).
ESSA in § 1111 (c)(4)(B)(i)(I) requires
states to use an
indicator of
academic achievement that «measures proficiency on the statewide assessments in reading / language arts and mathematics.»
The bill replaces AYP standards with a requirement for
states to annually measure all students and individual subgroups by: (1)
academic achievement as measured by
state assessments; (2) for high schools, graduation rates; (3) for schools that are not high schools, a measure of student growth or another valid and reliable statewide
indicator; (4) if applicable, progress in achieving English proficiency by English learners; and (5) at least one additional valid and reliable statewide
indicator that allows for meaningful differentiation in school performance.
The
Academic Indicator (PDF) A
state indicator that measures district and school performance on the Smarter Balanced English Language Arts / Literacy (ELA).
They show that 1) Different
academic indicators measure very different aspects of school performance, suggesting that
states should be allowed and encouraged to make full use of multiple measures to identify schools in the way they see fit instead of reporting a summative rating; 2) The ESSA regulations effectively restrict the weighting of the non-
academic «School Quality and Student Success»
indicators to zero, which is not in the spirit of the expanded measurement; and 3) The majority of schools will be identified for targeted support under the current regulations, suggesting the need for a clarification in federal policy.
In the absence of the specific regulatory definition,
states would therefore have substantial discretion in developing methodologies that give the
academic indicators «much greater weight» than the additional
indicator (s).
Establishes a system of meaningfully differentiating all public schools on an annual basis that is based on all
indicators in the
State's accountability system and that, with respect to achievement, growth or the other
academic indicator for elementary and middle schools, graduation rate, and progress in achieving English language proficiency, affords: Substantial weight to each such
indicator; and, in the aggregate, much greater weight than is afforded to the
indicator or
indicators of school quality or student success.
States can use the
Academic Achievement
indicator to give schools partial or extra credit, via an achievement index, for students that are either approaching or exceeding proficiency.
Figure 2 shows the correlations between school - average social - emotional skills and key
indicators of
academic performance (GPA and
state test scores) and student behavior (the percentage of students receiving suspensions and average absence rates) across CORE district middle schools.
«Measuring Up» covers several key
indicators of the
state of higher education, including
academic preparation for college in high...
States must use the same n - size for all accountability purposes, ensuring that a different n - size can not be selected for including English learners in the English language proficiency
indicator than for the
Academic Achievement
indicator or Graduation Rate
indicator.
Superintendents acknowledge that federal and
state standards and accountability systems have created a situation in which district and school personnel can not ignore evidence about students who are struggling or failing to meet mandated standards for
academic performance, as reflected in test results and other
indicators of student success (e.g., attendance, graduation rates).
So far, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, and Tennessee, and other
states «can use science test scores,» but «they just can't be part of the «
academic achievement»
indicator.»
On the most important measure — student performance — Arizona's public charter students have outperformed their statewide peers for the past three years, topping
state and national
indicators of
academic success.
However, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence can also recommend
state intervention if a school district has been unable or unwilling to carry out the agency's recommendations to improve, and persistently poor
academic performance alone, regardless of other
indicators, warrants intervention.
View data —
state assessments, national assessments, local measures, including both
academic and behavioral
indicators — from multiple disparate systems to provide real - time insight, and enable action to be taken when needed.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires
states to have, apart from four
academic indicators of school success, an additional nonacademic
indicator (the so - called «Fifth
Indicator») that assesses school quality or student success.
Under ESSA,
state accountability plans have to include four
academic indicators.
«The proposed changes in the
academic indicator accountability measure are significant; yet, they are being brought to the board at the last minute and were made behind closed doors, without any public input,» the letter
states.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that each
state meaningfully differentiates its schools based at least on the following
indicators: Academic achievement; Another academic indicator (growth and / or graduation rates); English Learner Language proficiency; and An indicator of school quality or student success — The indicator of school quality or student success (SQ / SS), should be Read more about What are states using as School Quality and Student Success I
indicators:
Academic achievement; Another academic indicator (growth and / or graduation rates); English Learner Language proficiency; and An indicator of school quality or student success — The indicator of school quality or student success (SQ / SS), should be Read more about What are states using as School Quality and Student Success Ind
Academic achievement; Another
academic indicator (growth and / or graduation rates); English Learner Language proficiency; and An indicator of school quality or student success — The indicator of school quality or student success (SQ / SS), should be Read more about What are states using as School Quality and Student Success Ind
academic indicator (growth and / or graduation rates); English Learner Language proficiency; and An
indicator of school quality or student success — The
indicator of school quality or student success (SQ / SS), should be Read more about What are
states using as School Quality and Student Success
IndicatorsIndicators?
Tennessee plans to use a variety of
academic indicators from both its
state assessment and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to meet ESSA requirements.
Arizona's ESSA plan proposes using both proficiency and growth on the
state assessment as
academic indicators of success.
ESSA allows
states a great deal of flexibility in designing their data weighting system with the only guidance being that
academic indicators must receive a greater overall weighting than other
indicators.
And elementary and middle schools must use one other
academic indicator, which could be student growth on
state exams.
The federal law that replaces the No Child Left Behind Act requires
states» accountability systems to include at least one «nonacademic»
indicator of «school quality or student success» that «allows for meaningful differentiation in school performance» and «is valid, reliable, comparable, and statewide» alongside
academic data (Ujifusa, 2016).
In this blog, we'll look at what various
states are proposing in key areas:
academic indicators, school - quality
indicators, graduation rates, English - language acquisition, and
state report cards.
Arizona's public charter students have outperformed their peers for the past three years, topping
state and national
indicators of
academic success.
Despite an early push to adopt at least one new
indicator for measuring high school success this summer, it's likely the California
State Board of Education won't take action on revamping the
Academic Performance Index until September at the earliest.
Because of the research associated with strong social and emotional skills as they relate to
academic performance, we believe that this is a strong
indicator of student improvement and should be considered as part of a
state's implementation plan.
During the pilot period,
states should meet individually with representatives from each preparation program to discuss data on accepted applicants, broken out by
academic and demographic
indicators.
In addition to measuring
academic achievement, ESSA will also require schools to address at least one non-
academic «other
indicator» beyond traditional measures such as
state exam scores or graduation rates.
Feedback being gathered from the education community is expected to inform a recommendation to the
State Board of Education for adding non-assessment based
indicators to the
Academic Performance Index.
Each
state's accountability plans need to include four
academic indicators as well as a fifth
indicator that may come from a group of suggested areas that include school culture and climate as well as student and educator engagement.
States are required to choose one
indicator other than
academic achievement to evaluate schools and NYS chose chronic absenteeism, which refers to how many kids missed 15 or more days in a year.
States will now have the responsibility of designing an accountability framework incorporating and giving the most weight to
academic factors, including student performance on
state assessments and high school graduation rates, in addition to
state - chosen
indicators of school quality or student success, which can include measures of educator engagement and school climate / safety.
In describing the specific ways in which they use data from other nations,
states most frequently pointed to the role of international
indicators in comparing student achievement and developing
academic - content standards.
Ultimately, three in four
states chose chronic absenteeism as their non-
academic indicator, but many
states adopted «a distinctly
academic measure» in the form of college and career readiness.