• Growth --  The interesting thing about this index system is that it combines a pass/fail system with a growth system.  For decades we have lived in a pass/fail world in education.  The question we all must ask ourselves is do we add value daily in the classroom. This system is going to place great emphasis on students getting better over time.  Index 2 has the potential to help schools with students who come to them from poverty and or lack the academic language necessary to be successful in Index 1.  Cultivating a growth mindset in schools is going to be necessary and perhaps challenging. 

• STAAR IS DIFFICULT!!---  Look at where Commissioner Williams set the "met standard" marks for each index! This is a demanding assessment that does in fact challenge students and communication with parents about this will be difficult.

• 2013 is a Transition Year --The 2013 ratings criteria and targets will stand alone because the performance index framework cannot be fully implemented in 2013. To receive a Met Standard rating all campuses and districts must meet the accountability targets on all indexes for which they have performance data in 2013.

• Districts and campuses with students in Grade 9 or above must meet targets on four indexes:

  • Index 1: Student Achievement
  • Index 2: Student Progress
  • Index 3: Closing Performance Gaps
  • Index 4: Postsecondary Readiness
    
    
    
• Districts and campuses with a high grade of Grade 8 or lower must meet targets on three indexes for which they have performance data in 2013:

  • Index 1: Student Achievement

  • Index 2: Student Progress 

  • Index 3: Closing Performance Gaps

 

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Commissioner Final Decisions

2014 and beyond (final Level II performance is not included in accountability in 2013) Assessment results include all assessments

STAAR English (Grades 3-8) and Spanish (Grades 3-5) at final Level II performance standard forassessments administered in the spring

• EOC at final Level II performance standard for assessments administered in the spring and the previous fall and summer

• STAAR Grades 3-8 and EOC Modified and Alternate at final Level II performance standard
  Retest results: Grades 5 and 8, best result from primary administration and first retest
  EOC for each test, best result from first administration and retest results of tests administered in the current accountability year

• English language learner assessments (proposed)
  o English test version results

• Students in U.S. schools Year 1 through Year 4 excluded

• Students below Grade 9 taking EOC courses: Administrative rules for the assessment program will require that students be administered the EOC test rather than the STAAR grade level assessment for the subject

• Subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies

• Cap on use of modified and alternate assessment results: caps not applied to performance results; limit on use of modified and alternate assessments included in System Safeguards

Accountability subset: Same as Index 1

Grade 9-12 Graduation Rate:

 

• Definition: state definition with statutorily required exclusions beginning with the class of 2011 (with the change fully phased in for the class of 2014).
• Campuses/districts with four-year graduation rate indicators: Four-year graduation rates are calculated for campuses and districts with students in Grade 9 and either Grade 11 or 12 in both year 1 and year 5, or with Grade 12 in both year 1 and year
• Campuses/districts with five-year graduation rate indicators: Five-year graduation rates follow the same cohort of students for one additional year; therefore, most campuses and districts that have a four-year graduation rate in one year will have a five-year graduation rate for that cohort in the following year. The five year graduation rate lags behind the four-year graduation rate by one year.
• Student groups: All Students, ELL student group, special education student group, and seven race/ethnicity student groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, Two or More Races
• ELL student group is defined as students who were ever identified as limited English proficient since entering Grade 9 in the Texas public school system.
• Minimum size criteria: All Students – none, small numbers analysis if fewer than 10 students, student groups >= 25, applied to number of students in the graduating class (graduates, continuing students, GED recipients, and dropouts
• Methodology: The four-year graduation rate follows a cohort of first-time ninth-graders through their expected graduation three years later. (The five-year graduation rate follows the same cohort of students for one additional year.) Students who later enter the Texas public school system after Grade 9 in the grade level expected for the cohort are added. Students who transfer out of the Texas public school system over the four or five years for non-dropout reasons are removed from the cohort. Only students who receive a regular high school diploma from a Texas public school count as graduates. Students, including those served in special education, are awarded diplomas following satisfactory completion of all curriculum, credit, and assessment requirements. The graduation rate calculation is below.

 

Grade 9-12 Annual Dropout Rate

• Definition: The state dropout definition used for graduation rate is also used for annual dropout rate.
• Campuses/districts with annual dropout rate indicators: An annual dropout rate is calculated for campuses and districts with students in Grade 9, 10, 11, or 12.
• Student groups: All Students, ELL student group, special education student group, and seven race/ethnicity student groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, Two or More Races
• ELL student group is defined as students identified as limited English proficient during the reported school year.
• Minimum size criteria: All Students – none, small numbers analysis if fewer than 10 students;
• student groups >= 25, applied to number of students enrolled during the school year in Grades 9-12
• Methodology: The annual dropout rate is calculated by dividing the number of students in Grades 9-12 designated as dropouts by the number of students enrolled in Grades 9-12 at any time during the school year.

Recommended/Distinguished Achievement (Advanced) High School Program (RHSP/DAP)

• Methodology: The RHSP/DAP graduates annual rate is percent of prior year graduates who were reported as having satisfied the course requirements and EOC cumulative score requirements for the Recommended/Distinguished Achievement (Advanced) High School Program. [Before 2015 most graduates will graduate under the TAKS assessment program].
• Campuses/districts with RHSP/DAP annual rate indicators: The RHSP/DAP annual rate indicator is calculated for campuses and districts regardless of whether they have a longitudinal graduation rate.
• Student groups: All Students and seven race/ethnicity student groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, Two or More Races
• Minimum size criteria:
  • All Students – none, small numbers analysis if fewer than 10 students
  • Student groups >= 25, applied to number of prior year graduates

Index Construction for Index 4:

Index Construction for Index 4 is a two step process because campuses will vary in the number of separate indicators that contribute points to the index. Each indicator contributes from 0 to 100 points to the index for All Students and for each student group that meets minimum size criteria. The maximum number of points depends on size and student demographics, and for campuses on the campus type. The final index score is total points divided by maximum points. The examples below represent 2014 when all of the indicators are included in the index.

For high schools with a graduation rate the index produces two separate scores, a graduation score and a STAAR score; the final index score is an average of the two scores. Consequently, for most high schools and districts, STAAR final Level II performance and graduation rates weigh equally in the index.

Graduation Score: combined performance across the graduation rates and RHSP/DAP diploma indicator

Grade 9-12 Four-Year Graduation Rate for All Students and all student groups OR Grade 9-12

Five-Year Graduation Rate for All Students and all student groups, whichever contributes thehigher number of points to the index
− one of the two rates is used, not a mix of Four-Year Graduation Rate for one student group and Five-Year Graduation Rate for another student group

RHSP/DAP Graduates for All Students and race/ethnicity student groups

STAAR Score: STAAR Percent Met final Level II on One or More Tests for All Students and race/ethnicity student groups (2014 and beyond)

For high schools that do not have a graduation rate, the annual dropout rate and RHSP/DAP rate contribute points to Graduation Score combined with STAAR final Level II performance for total points toward the index. For elementary and middle schools, only STAAR final Level II performance contributes points to the index.

 
Issues:

• Please remember 2013 in Index 4 is different from 2013 as we cannot use the College Readiness Componenent in the calculation.  This leaves primarily about graduation.
• House Bill 5 has the potential to change Index 4 dramatically as it will change graduation plans and thus force ATAC and APAC to change Index 4 to meet new statutory requirements.
• The goal of this whole system is post secondary readiness.  Index 4 is flexible enough to deal with any changes that come about as a result of legislation.

Click here to download all documents that outline the details of the plan!

Technical Description

Overview (One Page)

PowerPoint Slides

Commissioner Final Decisions


Index 3

 STAAR Weighted Performance

• 2013 and beyond.  The STAAR weighted performance rate calculation must be modified for 2013 because STAAR Level III performance cannot be included in the indicator until 2014.  See Methodology description below.
• Assessment results include all assessments:
• STAAR English (Grades 3-8) and Spanish (Grades 3-5) at phase-in Level II and Level III
• performance standards for assessments administered in the spring
• EOC at phase-in Level II and Level III performance standards for assessments administered in the spring and the previous fall and summer
• STAAR Grades 3-8 and EOC Modified and Alternate at phase-in Level II and Level III performance standards
• Retest results:  Grades 5 and 8, best result from primary administration and first retest;
• EOC for each test, best result from first administration and retest results of tests administered in the current accountability year
• TAKS
  • 2013:  Grade 11 results at Met Standard performance standard
  • 2014 and beyond:  None
• English language learner results     
  • 2013: excluded (English and Spanish test versions
  • Proposed 2014 and beyond:
•  English test version results 
  • Students in U.S. schools Year 1 excludents
  • Students in U.S. schools Year 2 through Year 4: included using STAAR ELL Progress 
  • Measure for Level II standard and Level III performance standards
  • Students in U.S. schools Year 5 and beyond included at phase-in Level II and Level II performance standards
  • Exception: asylees/refugees in U.S. schools Year 1 through Year 5 exclude
• Spanish test version results
  • Students in U.S. schools Year 1 excluded
  • Students in U.S. schools Year 2 and beyond included at phase-in Level II and Level III performance standard
  •  Exception: asylees/refugees in U.S. schools Year 1 through Year 5 excluded
• Subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
• Cap on use of modified and alternate assessment results:  caps not applied to performance results; limit on use of modified and alternate assessments included in System Safeguards
• Accountability subset:  Same as Index 1
• Grades 3-8 – fall enrollment snapshot date

 Student groups:

• Socioeconomic:  Economically Disadvantaged
• Lowest Performing Race/Ethnicity: The two lowest performing race/ethnicity student groups on the campus or district based on prior year assessment results
• If the campus or district has three or more race/ethnicity student groups that meet minimum size criteria, performance of the two lowest performing race/ethnicity groups is included in the index.
• If the campus or district has two race/ethnicity student groups that meet minimum size criteria, performance of the lowest performing race/ethnicity group is included in the index.
• If the campus or district has only one race/ethnicity student group that meets the minimum size criteria, the race/ethnicity group is not included in the index.
• Lowest performing groups are determined by comparing performance of race/ethnicity groups on the Index 1 student achievement indicator of the prior year.  (Race/ethnicity groups are not included in Index 1 but the disaggregated student group rates will be calculated for reporting.  Index 1 combines performance across subjects so the groups identified as lowest performing will be the same for all subjects in Index 3.)
• Minimum size criteria:  Economically disadvantaged – none, small numbers analysis if fewer than 10; race/ethnicity student groups >= 25

• Phase-in Level II – 2013 and beyond – one point for each percent of students at the phase-in
• Level II performance standard and above (includes students at Level III Advanced)
• Level III Advanced – 2014 and beyond – one additional point for each percent of students at the Level III performance standard.

Click here to download all documents that outline the details of the plan!

Technical Description

Overview (One Page)

PowerPoint Slides

Commissioner Final Decisions