School accountability ratings are based on the percent of students passing the TAKS, percent of SDAA tests that met ARD expectations, high school completion rate, and dropout rate for grades 7 & 8. Standards for TAKS, completion rate, and dropout rates must be met for All Students as well as for student groups (African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged). Performance on SDAA must be met for All Students.
Gold Performance Acknowledgment: Some schools may also qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgments for high performance on Advanced Courses, AP/IB, Attendance, Commended Performance on TAKS, SAT/ACT, Recommended High School Program, or TAAS/TASP Equivalency.
Paired Schools: Schools that reported enrollment but did not have grades in which the TAKS test is given (such as K-2 schools), were paired with schools with which they had a "feeder" relationship to determine accountability ratings.
TAKS Met 2004 Passing Standard: The TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) is a standardized test that students in grades 3 through 11 must take. TAKS measures the extent that a student has learned, understood, and is able to apply the important concepts and skills expected at each tested grade level. Students are assessed in English language arts (grades 10 & 11), reading (grades 3-9), mathematics (grades 3-11), writing (grades 4 & 7), science (grades 5, 10 & 11), and social studies (grades 8, 10 & 11). Results shown include only the performance of those students who were enrolled at the campus by October 31, 2003. Results are summed across grades for all grades tested at the school.
SDAA Examinations: The State-Developed Alternative Assessment is for special education students in grades 3-8 who are receiving instruction in the curriculum (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) but for whom the TAKS test is not an appropriate measure of their academic progress. SDAA tests are given in reading, writing, and mathematics. The SDAA is designed to measure growth based on the student's ARD (Admissions, Review, and Dismissal) committee expectations. Results are summed across grades and subject areas. This is a single measure showing the percent of SDAA tests taken that met ARD expectations, summed across grades (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and/or 8th) and subjects (reading, writing and/or mathematics)
TAKS/SDAA Exemptions: The report shows the percent of students who were exempted on every test, by exemption category. A student may be exempted from a test if he or she has received a special education (ARD) exemption or a limited-English proficiency (LEP) exemption.
Progress of Prior Year TAKS Failers: This measure shows the percent of students who failed the TAKS in 2003 but passed in 2004.
Student Success Initiative (SSI): In 1999, as part of the mandate for the new TAKS tests, the Texas Legislature included new grade advancement testing requirements. For tests administered in the spring of 2005, students in 3rd grade needed to pass the reading portion of the TAKS in order to be promoted to the 4th grade, and students in 5th graded needed to pass both the reading and mathematics portions of the TAKS in order to be promoted to 6th grade. Students were given three opportunities to pass each required test. In addition to promotion based on passing the test, some students were promoted based on the recommendation of their grade placement committee (GPC), given the committee members unanimously decided that the student was likely to perform on grade level after receiving accelerated instruction. The AEIS report shows four measures for this indicator:
(1) Students Requiring Accelerated Instruction. For each subject and grade, this shows the percent of students who did not pass the first administration of the TAKS. Students who did not pass the test during the first administration must be provided accelerated instruction in preparation for the second administration: number of eligible students who did not meet the standard
divided by
number of eligible students. The number of eligible students is calculated from the test answer documents and includes all students who were tested, students who should have been tested but were absent, and students who were not tested for other reasons. (The count of eligible students does not include students who have a special education or LEP exemption.) Students who were absent during the first administration or were not tested for other reasons are included in the counts of students requiring accelerated instruction.
(2) TAKS Cumulative Met Standard: For each subject and grade, this shows the cumulative (and unduplicated) percent of students who took and passed the tests in the first and second administrations combined: number of students who passed the test in either of the first two administrations
divided by
cumulative number of students who took the test in either of the first two administrations. The values shown for this measure are the ones used in determining state accountability ratings. In most cases, this value will not match the TAKS performance shown by grade in the first few pages of this AEIS report. The "by grade" results are based on the first administration of each test only.
(3) TAKS Failers Promoted by Grade Placement Committee: This shows the percent of grade 3 students who failed all attempts to pass the reading test but were promoted to the next grade by their grade placement committee: number of students promoted by their GPC
divided by
cumulative number of students who failed all administrations of the grade 3 reading TAKS. Because 2005 is the first year grade 5 students are subject to SSI requirements, this indicator is only available for grade 3.
(4) TAKS Met Standard (Failed in Previous Year): This presents two calculations for students who failed all administrations of the grade 3 reading test in 2004. For those who were promoted to fourth grade, the first measure shows the percentage that passed the grade 4 reading test in 2005: number of students promoted by their GPC who passed grade 4 reading in 2005
divided by
number of students who were promoted by their GPC and took the grade 4 reading. For those who were retained in third grade, the second measure shows the percentage that passed the grade 3 reading test in 2005: number of students retained who passed grade 3 reading in 2005
divided by
number of students retained and took grade 3 reading. Because 2005 is the first year grade 5 students are subject to SSI requirements, this indicator is only available for grade 3. The values include results from both the English and Spanish versions of the TAKS. Note also that the student's standard for passing the TAKS increased in difficulty from 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation (in 2004) to Panel Recommendation (in 2005).
Students in grade 8 will have to pass the reading and mathematics tests beginning in 2007-08.
Attendance Rate: The report shows the attendance rate for the entire school year for students in grades 1-12.
Annual Dropout Rate (gr. 7-8): The report shows what percent of grade 7-8 students dropped out in the 2002-03 and 2001-02 school years.
Completion: This indicator takes students who started 9th grade in 1999-2000 and shows their status in 2003. Two measures are provided: (1) Completion/Student Status Rate shows the percent of students who graduated, received a GED, continued high school, or dropped out. (2) Completion Rate (Accountability Indicator) sums the percent of students who graduated or received a GED. The same information is given for the class of 2002.
Recommended High School Program Graduates: The report shows the percent of graduates for the class of 2003 and 2002 who satisfied the requirements for the Texas State Board of Education Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished Achievement Program.
TAAS/TASP Equivalency: This shows the percent of graduates in the class of 2003 and 2002 who did well enough on the exit-level TAAS to have a 75% likelihood of passing the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test. The TASP test measures reading, writing, and mathematics skills.
College Readiness - Texas Success Initiative: The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a program for improving student success at colleges and universities. This indicator shows the percent of students who scored high enough on the TAKS to be exempted from the TSI requirements.
SAT/ACT Results: The report provides four measures: (1) Tested shows the percent of graduates who took either the SAT or the ACT. (2) At/Above Criterion shows the percent of graduates who scored at or above the "Criterion Score" (criterion score is 1110 for SAT and 24 for ACT). (3) & (4) Mean SAT Score and Mean ACT Score show the average score on the SAT and ACT. Information is shown for the class of 2003 and 2002.
Class Size Averages by Grade and Subject: Class sizes are calculated from teacher class schedules. For example, the number of students in science is summed and divided by a count of the science classes. Elementary classes are shown by grade; secondary classes are shown by subject.
Number of Students per Teacher: The report shows the total number of students in membership, divided by the total number of teachers (expressed as full-time equivalents) at the school.
Instructional Staff Percent: This new measure indicates the percentage of the district's full-time equivalent employees whose job function was to directly provide classroom instruction to students during the 2003-04 school year.
Instructional Expenditure Ratio: This new measure shows the percent of the district's total actual expenditures for the 2002-03 fiscal year that were used to fund direct instructional activities.
Expenditures per Student: This value shows actual 2002-03 expenditures for groups of functions divided by the total number of 2002-03 students. Note that the number shown is not the amount actually spent on each and every student, but rather a per-pupil average of the total. Per pupil expenditures are shown for total expenditures and for three groupings of operating categories.
For each indicator, the report shows the performance for all students in the state (State Average), the district (District Average), the school group (School Group Median) and the school (School - All Students). The school "group" is a set of 40 other Texas schools that are similar to this school.
