Understanding the
North Carolina
School Report Card
School Report Cards
 Local School
 District
 State
 Website: www.ncreportcards.org
Presentation Objectives
 Create awareness of information
available on the NC School Report Card
 Generate interest in using data found on
the Report Card to promote school
improvement
 Familiarize audience with NC School
Report Card website
What We’ll Cover
 Using the NC School Report Card
website
– Student and school performance
– Teacher qualifications
– School climate and resources
 District and state Report Card overview
 Using Report Cards in your community
Using the NC School
Report Cards Website
Using the NC School
Report Cards Website
Using the NC School
Report Cards Website
Let’s look at a SchoolLevel Report Card
 Contact and general information provided
in header
 Use header to link to district or state
Report Cards
 Use tabs to find data
Is Your School
Making the Grade?
 The Report Cards contain two types of
student performance data:
– Student academic performance by grade and
demographic group, and
– School performance by ABCs standards.
Reading Data for
Students in Grades 3-5
Performance of Students in Each Grade on the ABCs End-of-Grade Tests
 Reading scores are above the district and state
averages for similar schools
Performance Data
by Student Groups
 Achievement gaps are differences that can
be seen when student performance is
viewed by demographic subgroup
Performance Trends
for End-of-Grade Tests
 Performance trends are important
 Look for upward progress
Is Your School Meeting
Performance Standards?
 Student and school achievement
measured with end-of-grade and end-ofcourse tests
 School’s evaluation based on
– Percentage of students scoring at or above
grade level, and
– Growth, or increase, in percentage of students
performing at or above grade level from one
year to the next
ABCs Designation
and Growth Levels
School Designation: School of Distinction, Expected Growth
 Yellow highlighted bar shows ABCs performance level
 Check mark shows growth level
What Are Your
School’s Resources?
 Access to information
through books and
technology can
influence students’
learning opportunities.
How is Your
School Climate?
 School climate contributes to students’
educational experiences.
– Track safety incidents.
– Keep attendance rates as high as possible.
Reading Teacher
Qualification Data
 Objective measures on the Report Cards
– Fully licensed
– Advanced degrees
– National Board Certification
– Years of experience
– “Highly Qualified” under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (also known as No
Child Left Behind)
Reading Teacher
Qualification Data
 Full licensure - teacher meets
professional standards set by
the State Board of Education
 The percentage of classes
taught by teachers who meet
the requirements of Highly
Qualified as defined by the
Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (also known
as No Child Left Behind)
Reading Teacher
Qualification Data
 Other areas to consider:
– Teachers with advanced degrees
 Advanced degrees can indicate content expertise
beyond regular requirements.
– National Board Certification
 Voluntary certification that recognizes teachers’
advanced teaching skills.
– Years of teaching experience
 Look at the distribution of teaching experience to
see if the experience levels are balanced.
Looking at the
District Report Card
District Report Cards contain information
similar to the school Report Cards, plus
additional information about student and
teacher demographics districtwide, district
financial information and principal
qualifications and credentials.
Looking at the
District Report Card
 Data elements are similar to school-level Report Card
 Data can be displayed at elementary, middle, high
school levels, or combinations of grade levels
Looking at the
District Report Card
 District Report Card
looks at the source
of funds.
 And how those funds
are used.
Looking at the
District Report Card
 District Report Cards look at principal
data in addition to teacher data.
– Principals by demographic groups
– Principals with advanced degrees
– Year of experience
– Principal turnover
What’s on the
State Report Card?
 The state Report Card examines
statewide data for student performance,
AMO (Annual Measurable
Objectives)results and teacher
qualifications.
 ESEA School Status lists are available for
schools in each district and charter
schools
What’s on the
State Report Card
 The state Report Card compares changes
from current year data to previous year’s data
Data Is Only
Part of the Picture
 Use data to inform discussions.
 Draw conclusions carefully.
 Some success factors can’t be measured
by data.
 Outside factors can influence data.
Using Data for
Comparisons
 Report Cards are useful, but for making
general comparisons only.
 The School Report Cards are not
designed to serve as an absolute ranking
of schools.
 Carefully read the Report Cards guide for
details about how data comparisons are
structured.
Using Report Card Data
for School Improvement
 School Report Cards data can start
community conversations about schools
and school improvement.
 Data can act as a road map & tool for
school improvement.
 View less favorable Report Cards data as
a reason to get involved in schools.
Ideas for Parents
and Communities
 Start conversations and use data to target
areas of interest and concern.
 Ask teachers, principals, district office
administrators questions.
 Align priorities and compare current data
with school and district goals.
Discussion
 Who needs to know about the Report Cards
in your community?
 How can you raise awareness about the
Report Cards?
 How can you collect community feedback?
 How might you use the Report Cards to
improve your school?
Report Card Resources
 Visit “Links” under “Resources for
Understanding Your Report Card” on the
homepage http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/
www.ncreportcards.org