School Accountability in Florida:
Grading Schools and
Measuring Adequate Yearly Progress
Prepared by:
Research Services and
Student Assessment & School Performance
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Two Accountability Systems


School Grades are a component of
Florida’s A++ Plan
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is a
component of the Federal No Child
Left Behind legislation
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School Grades
Schools are graded by earning points based on the
percentage of students who reach specific criteria in
each of 8 measures.
First four components: Percent Achieving High Standards
• Level 3 and above in reading (grades 3-10)
• Level 3 and above in math (grades 3-10)
• Essay Level 3.5 and above in writing (grades 4, 8, and 10)
• Level 3 and above in science (grades 5, 8, and 11)
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School Grades
Next four components: Learning Gains
• Learning gains in reading (grades 3-10)
• Learning gains in math (grades 3-10)
• Learning gains of lowest 25% in reading (grades 3-10)
• Learning gains of lowest 25% in math (grades 3-10)
Retained 3rd graders & students in grades 4-10 with FCAT
scores for two consecutive years are included in learning
gains computations, regardless of LEP or ESE status.
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How Are Learning Gains Defined?
•
•
•
Improving from one FCAT
Achievement Level to the next Level
(example: Level 3 to Level 4)
Maintaining FCAT Achievement Level
within Levels 3, 4, or 5
Remaining within FCAT Levels 1 or 2
and achieving more than one year’s
growth on the FCAT developmental
scale
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Developmental Scale
Score Learning Gains
Cutpoints
Grade Level
3 to 4
4 to 5
5 to 6
6 to 7
7 to 8
8 to 9
9 to 10
Reading
230
166
133
110
92
77
77
Math
162
119
95
78
64
54
48
Students must register a gain of one point more than
the numbers listed above.
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Learning Gains
•
•
Students who drop a level (Level 4 to
3 or Level 5 to 4) are not be counted
as learning gains
Retained students who are Level 1 or
Level 2 must improve at least one
level in order to be counted as making
learning gains
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Writing
•
Achievement Levels were provided for first time in
2006-07.
•
As of now, achievement levels will not be incorporated
into the grade computation for 2007-08.
•
If a school tests 30 or fewer students in Writing or
does not have grade 4, 8, or 10, the District average
score for Writing is substituted. This includes schools
who do not serve one or more of the tested grade
levels.
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Science
•
Achievement Levels were provided for first time in
2005-06.
•
Science Achievement Levels were incorporated in
school grades for first time in 2006-07.
•
If a school tests 30 or fewer students in Science or
does not have grade 5, 8, or 11, the District average
score for Science is substituted. This includes schools
who do not serve one or more of the tested grade
levels.
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Grade Scale
Grade
Points
A
525-800
B
495-524
C
435-494
D
395-434
F
0-394
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School Grade Computation
Reading Mathematics Writing Science
High Standards
67
75
Learning Gains
71
78
Lowest 25%
72
75
Grade
93
Total
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557
A
11
Adequate Progress
At least 50% of students in the bottom 25% must demonstrate
learning gains in reading and math
“A” Schools
•
Must register adequate progress in the current school year
“B” and “C” Schools
•
Must register adequate progress in the current or prior school year
Failure to make Adequate Progress for two consecutive years results
in reduction of letter grade, regardless of number of points earned.
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Bonus Points (High Schools)
High Schools are eligible for 10 bonus
points added to their total school
grade points, if at least half the 11th
and 12th grade students in the school
retaking the FCAT meet the graduation
requirement (score of 300).
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Participation Rates
“A” Schools
•
Must test at least 95% of students
“B”, “C”, and “D” Schools
•
Must test at least 90% of students
Failure to test at least 90% of students results in an “I”
pending investigation and may result in a lowering of
the letter grade.
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Who Counts for School Grades?
•
•
Students enrolled during the October and
February FTE surveys
Included for all components:
– Standard Curriculum Students
– ESE: Gifted, Hospital/Homebound, Speech
Impaired
– LEP: Enrolled in a ESOL program for more
than 2 years prior to testing
•
Other ESE and LEP categories included in
percent tested and learning gains.
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No Child Left Behind
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)


Includes all students who took the FCAT
and were enrolled during the October and
February FTE surveys
Performance by Subgroup
– Total
– White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, American
Indian
– Economically Disadvantaged
– Limited English Proficiency
– Students With Disabilities
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Subgroups


Must test at least 95% of each
subgroup
Subgroups count if:
– 30 students and 15% of the school
population
OR
– 100 students

Students can be in more than one
subgroup
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Reading
Mathematics
2013-14
2012-13
2011-12
2010-11
2009-10
60
58
2008-09
70
2007-08
2006-07
2005-06
2004-05
2003-04
2002-03
2001-02
Annual Raising of the Bar
100
90
80
62
50
40
30
20
10
0
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Three Ways to Make AYP
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1. Meeting Standard
Criteria

Each Subgroup:
– 95% of students tested in Reading and Math
– 58% at level 3 or above in Reading
– 62% at level 3 or above in Math

Total Group:
– 1% increase OR 90% in Writing scores at 3.0+
– 1% increase OR 85% in graduation rate

School Grade “A”, “B”, or “C”
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2. Safe Harbor



School-wide Participation rates,
Writing, Graduation, and School Grade
requirements met.
Subgroup Participation rates, Writing,
and Graduation requirements met.
Decrease of at least 10% in the
percent of non-proficient students.
– A school has 50% of a subgroup level 1
or 2 in 2007-08. If that school had 55%
or more in levels 1 and 2 during 2006-07,
that school would make Safe Harbor for
that subgroup and subject.
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3. Growth Model



School-wide Participation rates,
Writing, Graduation, and School Grade
requirements met.
Subgroup Participation rates, Writing,
and Graduation requirements met.
Percent of students on track to be
proficient in 3 years or less
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3. Growth ModelOn Track to Proficiency



A trajectory is developed for each
student.
Developmental Scale Scores
Student must reduce the gap between
their prior year score and proficiency
by at least 33% per year.
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3. Growth ModelOn Track to Proficiency
2000
1800
1715
1600
1400
1245
DSS
1200
On Track Trajectory
Student 1
973
1000
800
775
600
601
400
Student 2
305
305
200
0
4
5
6
7
Grade
Intermediate on track trajectory scores represent one third of the
difference between the baseline and proficient score.
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3. Growth ModelOn Track to Proficiency
Grade Of Test Used As
Enrollment
The Basis
For
Trajectory
Test Used As
Target For
Proficiency
Years In
Trajectory
Percent Of
Difference
Closed Per
Year
3
3
6
3
33%
4
3
6
3
33%
5
4
7
3
33%
6
5
8
3
33%
7
6
9
3
33%
8
7
10
3
33%
9
8
10
3
33%
10
9
10
2
50%
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Correlation Between
School Grades and AYP



School Grades and AYP are based on
separate computational methods.
In prior years, “Provisional AYP” status
was awarded to schools that did not meet
AYP criteria, but earned an “A” or “B”
designation. These schools still have
same consequences as schools that do
not meet AYP.
“D” or “F” schools cannot make AYP, even
if all AYP criteria are met.
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For Additional Information
Florida Department of Education
http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/
Student Assessment & School Performance
http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/studentassessment/
Research Services
http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/research_evaluation/ResearchServices.htm
School Improvement
http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/schoolimprove/
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