Education is politics. Why? Because it is all about the money.
Administrators should be required to go back to school and teach for a year after a few years at a leadership position to do what they are mandating and see if it really works.
2013 Accountability Ratings System
Campus Distinctions Based on Four New Index Scores
- Index 1: Student Achievement
- Index 2: Student Progress
- Index 3: Closing Performance Gaps
- Index 4: Post Secondary Readiness
Index 1: Student Achievement
The former state accountability system, which rated schools and school districts as" exemplary," "recognized," "acceptable," etc., are all now part of the "Student Achievement" index. Everything considered in the former ratings system represents just one-fourth of the new accountability system.
The 25 passing rates for five subjects (reading, math, writing, science and social studies) and five student groups (all, African American, Hispanic, white and economically disadvantaged) in the former accountability system are now all combined into one overall passing rate.
Index 2: Student Progress
Student progress is based on growth, which is measured at two levels. If students reached one target, they are considered to have "met expectations." If they met a higher target, they are considered as "exceeding expectations."
A campus can have a passing rate of 60% and have a very high growth rate. And, a campus can have a 95% passing rate and still have a very high growth rate. This is all new in accountability system reporting.
In addition to meeting index score standards, percent of students exceeding growth standards are included as part of the new distinction system.
Index 3: Closing Performance Gaps
The index measuring "closing performance gaps" is targeted to historically under-performing groups of students. The target set for this group was 55%. Plano ISD's rating for this index was 79%. Student groups in this index include economically disadvantaged, African-American and Hispanic students.
Index 4: Post Secondary Readiness
This index is measured on the school district's graduation rate, drop-out rate and the percentage of students who are in the Recommended and Distinguished graduation plans.
System Safeguards
The disaggregated performance results of the state accountability system serve as the basis of safeguards
for the accountability rating system to ensure that poor performance in one area or one student group is
not masked in the performance index.
The disaggregated performance measures and safeguard targets will be calculated for performance rates,
participation rates, and graduation rates of eleven student groups: All Students, Seven Racial/Ethnic
groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, and Two or More
Races; Economically Disadvantaged, Students with Disabilities, and English language learners (ELLs).
The former state accountability system, which rated schools and school districts as" exemplary," "recognized," "acceptable," etc., are all now part of the "Student Achievement" index. Everything considered in the former ratings system represents just one-fourth of the new accountability system.
The 25 passing rates for five subjects (reading, math, writing, science and social studies) and five student groups (all, African American, Hispanic, white and economically disadvantaged) in the former accountability system are now all combined into one overall passing rate.
Index 2: Student Progress
Student progress is based on growth, which is measured at two levels. If students reached one target, they are considered to have "met expectations." If they met a higher target, they are considered as "exceeding expectations."
A campus can have a passing rate of 60% and have a very high growth rate. And, a campus can have a 95% passing rate and still have a very high growth rate. This is all new in accountability system reporting.
In addition to meeting index score standards, percent of students exceeding growth standards are included as part of the new distinction system.
Index 3: Closing Performance Gaps
The index measuring "closing performance gaps" is targeted to historically under-performing groups of students. The target set for this group was 55%. Plano ISD's rating for this index was 79%. Student groups in this index include economically disadvantaged, African-American and Hispanic students.
Index 4: Post Secondary Readiness
This index is measured on the school district's graduation rate, drop-out rate and the percentage of students who are in the Recommended and Distinguished graduation plans.
System Safeguards
The disaggregated performance results of the state accountability system serve as the basis of safeguards
for the accountability rating system to ensure that poor performance in one area or one student group is
not masked in the performance index.
The disaggregated performance measures and safeguard targets will be calculated for performance rates,
participation rates, and graduation rates of eleven student groups: All Students, Seven Racial/Ethnic
groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, and Two or More
Races; Economically Disadvantaged, Students with Disabilities, and English language learners (ELLs).
School Accountability Ratings explained (2011)
State accountability rating issued to the campus are as follows:
- Exemplary
- Recognized
- Academically Acceptable
- Academically Unacceptable
- Not rated: Other
- Exemplary
- Recognized
- Academically Acceptable
- Academically Unacceptable
- Not rated: Other
Source: TEA website