ABCs and AYP in North Carolina

&

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools

Christopher I Cobitz, Ph.D.Director of Assessment

March 2009

Three issues to cover

• ABCs Accountability

• NCLB Accountability

• CMS Progress Reports

ABCs Accountability

• Accountability

• Basic Skills with high educational standards

• Control (at the local level)

NC Testing Program

• Based on the NC Standard Course of Study – the State’s Curriculum

• End-of-Grade (Grades 3-8)

• End-of-Course (High School and some Middle Schools)

• Alternate Assessments

• Other tests

Percent of Students’ Scores At or Above Achievement Level III in:

– EOG Science (Grades 5, 8), – Reading and Math (Grades 3-8)– 10 EOC Tests– Alternate Assessments (NC CLAS,

NCEXTEND2, NCEXTEND1)– Writing 10 (with confidence interval)– Computer Skills at grade 8 (as percent of

8th graders)

Performance Composite 08-09

Proficient

• In NC– Based on pass rate in first year of a test

(usually)– Tests are Global knowledge– Average student is a mid level III– Level I for math is almost worse than

guessing

• Does include retest1 for EOG’s• Includes alternate assessments• Only true level III or IV

Reading 2008

• 52% state pass rate in 7th grade

• 43.2% AYP target

• Used a new method (bookmark method)

Growth

• In NC– How the typical child with this test

history does– Average child meets expected growth– Expectation is also the predicted

score

• Each child has a specific target– Each child is different

Details

• Alternate assessments are not included in growth

• Growth is calculated per student using newer formulas

• High growth requires greater than 60% of scores meeting the growth standard

• Only Full Academic Year students– 140 days for EOG or year long EOC– 70 days for 4x4 EOC

Growth 08-09

• Only includes the 5 exit standard EOC’s

• Only EOG reading and EOG Math (no EOG Science)

• No Alternate assessments

ABCs Awards and Recognition Categories

Performance LevelBased on Percent of

Students’ Scores at or above Achievement Level III

Academic Growth

Schools Making Expected Growth or

High Growth

Schools Making Less than Expected

Growth

90% to 100% Met AYP- HonorNot met –School of

Excellence

No Recognition80% to 89% School of Distinction

60% to 79% School of Progress

50% to 59% Priority School

Less than 50% Priority School Low-Performing

Incentive Awards

Financial awards based on Growth

Expected Growth ($750)

High Growth ($1,500)

Not enough money in 07-08

No Child Left Behind

• All or none model

• School and specific groups

• Other Academic Indicator

• Reporting requirements

• Sanctions not rewards

Participation vs. Proficient

• Participation– 95% in each group having at least 40

students on the day of testing– HS -10th graders using banked scores

• Proficiency– Only tested FAY (140 day) students count– Only groups with 40 or more tested FAY

students– HS – 10th graders using banked scores

AYP Targets

Year 3-8 10

Reading Math Reading Math

04 68.9 74.6 52.0 54.9

05 76.7 81.0 35.4 70.8

07 76.7 65.8 35.4 70.8

08 43.2 77.2 38.5 68.4

14 100 100 100 100

2006-07 AYPDisaggregations

Analysis of number of AYP targets and percent of schools

meeting AYP reveals no major trend

CMS Progress ReportsA Framework

• AYP is a noble Goal• ABCs measure using tests• Not all schools start with the same clientele

– Some students know enough to pass a

test on day one!– Some students can make 3 years

progress and still not be proficient

How do we handle this?

• In addition to providing some plain information about the school:– Provide information that measures what

the school does for and with their students

– Generally does not measure who comes

to the school

Some Examples

• A school does not control the ethnicity of its students– The progress reports focus on how the

school is serving its students

• A School does not control the level of poverty of its students– The progress reports show how well

the school is helping the poor students

The Progress Report Measures

• Growth of all the students• Growth of the lowest achieving group

of students (elementary and middle schools)

• Percent of students making at least a year’s growth

• AP test pass rate– For students who show the skills to be

successful

Unusual measures

• Percent of students that feel safe at school• Percent of students that feel engaged by the

school• Percent of students that feel encouraged by the

school• Participation in weighted courses

– Of those students who enter at grade level

• Participation in AP or IB course– Of those students who show the skills to be successful

• Graduation Rate (high schools only)

Graduation Rate

• Federal guidelines

• All States agree

• NC does the calculations

• Those students who graduate in 4 years or less– Compared to the students who come

into the school over the 4 years

Questions?