The 2015 State Accountability System: A Quick Primer (Part II)

On Aug. 7, the Texas Education Agency will release preliminary 2015 state accountability ratings for the more than 1,200 school districts and charters, as well as more than 8,600 campuses statewide.

As we lead up to the release of these ratings (and as part of an ongoing series this week), here are some additional questions and answers on our accountability system.

  What are the rating labels in the accountability system?

• Met Standard indicates acceptable performance and is assigned to districts and campuses that meet the targets on all required indexes for which they have performance data.

• Met Alternative Standard indicates acceptable performance and is assigned to eligible charter districts and alternative education campuses (AECs) that are evaluated by alternative education accountability (AEA) provisions.

• Improvement Required indicates unacceptable performance and is assigned to districts and campuses, including charter districts and AECs evaluated under AEA provisions, that do not meet the targets on all required indexes for which they have performance data.

 What data determine whether a district, campus or charter receives a Met Standard or Improvement Required rating?

The 2015 ratings are based on a system that uses a range of indicators to provide greater detail on the performance of a district or charter and individual campuses throughout the state. The performance index framework includes four areas:

•  Student Achievement – Provides a snapshot of performance across all subjects

• Student Progress – Measures year-to-year student progress by subject and student group

• Closing Performance Gaps – Emphasizes the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students and the lowest performing racial/ethnic student groups

• Postsecondary Readiness – Emphasizes the importance of earning a high school diploma that provides students with the foundation necessary for success in college, the workforce, job training programs, or the military

 Does everyone get a rating?

In a few specific circumstances, a district or campus does not receive a rating. When this occurs, a district or campus is given one of the following two labels.

• Not Rated indicates that a district or campus did not receive a rating. Some (but not all) reasons for this could include the following: the district or campus serves only students enrolled in early education; the district operates only residential facilities; the campus is a juvenile justice alternative education program; the campus is a disciplinary alternative education program; the campus is a residential facility; or the test documents for either the district or campus were lost in transit between the district and the test contractor.

• Not Rated: Data Integrity Issues indicates that data accuracy and/or integrity have compromised performance results, making it impossible to assign a rating. The assignment of a Not Rated: Data Integrity Issues label may be permanent or temporary pending further investigation.

 How many of the indexes does a district, campus or charter have to meet to get a Met Standard rating?

Unlike in previous years, districts and campuses will not be required to meet the target on all four indexes for 2015 accountability. To receive a Met Standard or Met Alternative Standard rating, districts and campuses must meet the performance index target on the following indexes if they have performance data for evaluation:

• Index 1 (Student Achievement) or  Index 2 (Student Progress)

PLUS

• Index 3 (Closing Performance Gaps)and  Index 4 (Postsecondary Readiness)

 
Districts, charters and campuses have had to meet all four indexes in previous years. Why the change for 2015?

In April, I announced that results of 2015 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) in mathematics for grades 3–8 would be excluded from the 2015 state accountability system. I reached this decision following numerous discussions with math teachers, parents and superintendents across the state regarding new curriculum standards in mathematics. New rigorous math standards were adopted by the State Board of Education in April 2012 with implementation for grades K–8 in the 2014–15 school year.

  Are there any other exclusions for 2015?

Results from STAAR Accommodated (STAAR A) and STAAR Alternate 2 (a redesign of the original STAAR Alternate) were also excluded from the 2015 state accountability system.

Why is that?

The U.S. Department of Education no longer allows Texas to use modified assessments (such as the STAAR Modified), which had been used for students receiving special education services that met certain participation criteria. Those students were administered the STAAR Accommodated this year. In addition, House Bill 5 passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013 required TEA to redevelop the STAAR Alternate test which is designed for the state’s most cognitively disabled students. STAAR Alternate 2 was administered for the first time this school year.

To get a better understanding of the 2015 state accountability ratings for districts, charters and campuses (as well as review all the ratings beginning Aug. 7), I encourage you to visit the Texas Education Agency website at https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/perfreport/account/2015/index.html.

Read my previous blog posting on the 2015 state accountability system at http://tea.texas.gov/Collections/Commissioner_Blog.

Commissioner of Education Michael Williams

Aug. 5, 2015