Senate Bill 795 School Report Card Grade Analysis
NC Senate Bill 795 proposes grading all K-8 public schools in North Carolina on an A to F scale
determined largely by student proficiency scores. The current version of the legislation, passed by the
Senate on June 4, 2012, reads as follows:
“SECTION 3.(e) The State Board of Education shall award school performance scores and
grades as required by G.S. 115C-12(9)c1. as follows:
(1) The State Board of Education shall calculate school performance scores by totaling the
sum of points earned by the school and converting the sum of points to a 100-point
scale. Subsections (2) and (3) of this section provide the school performance elements
for schools serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Subsection (4) of this
section provides the school performance elements for schools serving grades nine
through twelve. The school performance score shall be used to determine the school
performance grade based on the following scale:
a. At least 90 performance grade points for an overall school performance grade of A
b. At least 80 performance grade points for an overall school performance grade of B.
c. At least 70 performance grade points for an overall school performance grade of C.
d. At least 60 performance grade points for an overall school performance grade of D.
e. A school that accumulates less than 60 points shall be assigned an overall school
performance grade of F.”
Using “performance grade points” calculated based on proficiency scores,1 we have assigned all North
Carolina schools with End-of-Grade scores in grades three through eight a letter grade in accordance
with S795. The overall distribution of these scores, shown below, divides schools between the grade
categories.
1
Performance grade point figures drawn from DPI Accountability Services data.
Significant inequities arise in the grading system when various other factors are taken into account. For
instance, the percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch has a large and statistically
significant impact on a school’s grade, as shown in the chart below.
*Schools with 75% or more students qualifying for free and reduced-price
lunch must be served by Title I funding.
Alternative schools2 are also far less likely to receive high scores under the S795 grading rubric. Once
again, the relationship shown in the graph below is dramatic and statistically significant.
2
An alternative school is defined as an option for an alternative learning program. Alternative schools serve at-risk
students and have an organizational designation based on the DPI assignment of an official school code. They
differ from traditional public schools in teaching methods, hours, curriculum, or sites, and are designed to meet
individual student learning needs. For the majority of students, the goal is to return to the traditional public
school.
Appendix A – Methodological Notes
School grades were calculated using information on school “grade points” calculated by DPI
Accountability Services Division in accordance with S795. Schools with 90 or more grade points received
an A, schools with 80 or more points, but less than 90, received a B, etc.
Data on alternative schools and the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches was
also provided by DPI School Business Division. Categories for classifying percent of students receiving
free and reduced-price lunches were based on two factors. One category tracks schools with 75% or
more of students receiving subsidized lunches, since that cutoff point automatically qualifies the school
for Title 1 funding. The remaining two cutoff points were chosen to create three categories of
approximately equal size.
Appendix B – Statistical Output
Grade by Free and Reduced-Price Lunch
FRL Category
> 75%
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Total
60.01% to
45.01% to
75%
60%
≤ 45%
Total
5
13
22
137
177
.8%
2.9%
5.5%
29.8%
9.1%
47
100
174
245
566
7.3%
22.6%
43.6%
53.3%
29.1%
136
188
169
63
556
21.2%
42.5%
42.4%
13.7%
28.6%
210
115
29
6
360
32.8%
26.0%
7.3%
1.3%
18.5%
243
26
5
9
283
37.9%
5.9%
1.3%
2.0%
14.6%
641
442
399
460
1942
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Gamma = -.751 (Prob. = .000)
Grade by School Type
School Type
Traditional
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Total
Alternative
Total
177
0
177
9.4%
.0%
9.1%
565
1
566
30.1%
1.5%
29.1%
554
2
556
29.6%
2.9%
28.6%
356
4
360
19.0%
5.9%
18.5%
222
61
283
11.8%
89.7%
14.6%
1874
68
1942
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Cramer’s V = .406 (Prob. = .000)