The purpose of Index 1 is to provide a snapshot of performance across subjects. In 2015, Index 1 is based on the STAAR results at the phase-in 1 Level II passing standard, English Language Learners (ELL) progress measure at or above expectations, and state approved substitute assessments.

2. What is the purpose of Index 2: Student Progress?

The purpose of Index 2 is to provide a measure of student progress by student group across all subject areas independent of overall student achievement levels. In 2015, growth is evaluated using a STAAR weighted progress rate across all subjects (reading, Algebra I only in 2015, and writing). Results are reported for all students combined and for nine student groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, two or more races, special education, and ELL.

3. What is the STAAR Progress Measure?

The STAAR progress measure quantifies a student’s year-to-year improvement by comparing current- and prior-year scores on STAAR. By comparing the change in his or her score to growth expectations, each student is assigned to one of three categories: did not meet growth expectations, met growth expectations, or exceeded growth expectations.

More information about the STAAR progress measure is available on the TEA website at http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment.

4. What is the ELL Progress Measure?

The ELL progress measure accounts for the time needed to acquire the English language and to fully demonstrate grade-level academic competency in English. Year-to-year performance expectations for the STAAR content-area tests identify ELL student progress as meeting or exceeding an individual year-to-year expectation plan. An ELL student's plan is determined by the number of years the student has been enrolled in U.S. schools and the student's Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) composite proficiency level.

More information about the ELL progress measure (including how it is calculated and an ELL progress measure-specific FAQ) is available on the TEA website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell.

5. What is the difference between academic performance standards and scale scores?

Academic performance standards represent the degree to which students have learned the content and skills required by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as demonstrated by performance on STAAR assessments. Three levels describe student performance:

Level III: Advanced Academic Performance
Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance
Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance

A scale score allows direct comparisons of student performance between specific sets of test questions from different test administrations. Taking into account the difficulty of each set of questions, it converts the raw score into one that is common to all test forms for that assessment.

6. What is the difference between academic performance standards and performance index targets? How are they related?

An academic performance standard is the cut score that indicates a student has achieved Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance or Level III: Advanced Academic Performance on a STAAR assessment.

Each of the four performance indexes that comprise the accountability system has a specific target that districts and campuses must meet in order to demonstrate acceptable performance for an index. These are the performance index targets

See Chapter 2 – Ratings Criteria and Index Targets in the 2015 Accountability Manual for 2015 performance index targets.

7. Are STAAR and ELL progress measure results for high schools and K–12 campuses included in Index 2 for districts?

All districts and campuses—including AECs and charter districts evaluated under AEA provisions—are evaluated on Index 2. The aggregated district-level Index 2 results include progress measure results for all campuses within the district.

8. What is the purpose of Index 3: Closing Performance Gaps?

The purpose of Index 3 is to emphasize advanced academic achievement of the economically disadvantaged student group and the lowest performing racial/ethnic student groups at each district and campus.

9. Does Index 3 compare the lowest-performing student group to the highest-performing student group?

No, Index 3 is designed to compare the performance of the lowest-performing student groups to an absolute target, rather than the relative target of the performance of another student group. Using an absolute target ensures that a narrowing of the performance gap is the result of improved performance by the lowest-performing student group. Using a relative target (the performance of another student group) would introduce the possibility that a narrowing of the performance gap is the result of a decline in performance of the highest-performing group, rather than improved performance of the lowest-performing group.

10. How are the two lowest racial/ethnic groups determined?

A two-step process is used to identify the lowest performing racial/ethnic group from the previous year:

Identify the racial/ethnic student groups that have 25 or more tests in both ELA/reading and mathematics in the previous year (minimum-size criteria).
From the racial/ethnic student groups that meet minimum-size criteria, select the lowest-performing group(s).

If three or more racial/ethnic student groups meet minimum-size criteria, the performance of the two lowest-performing groups is included.
If two racial/ethnic student groups meet minimum-size criteria, performance of only the lowest-performing group is included.
If only one racial/ethnic student group meets the prior-year minimum-size criteria, the racial/ethnic group is not included and Index 3 is evaluated using the economically disadvantaged group only.

11. In Index 3, can special education and ELL student groups be considered in the lowest performance student groups?

No, the special education and ELL student groups are not included in Index 3 as a potentially lowest performing student groups.

12. What is the purpose of Index 4: Postsecondary Readiness?

The purpose of Index 4 is to measure student preparedness for success in college, the workforce, job training programs, or the military. Elementary and middle schools are rated on their ability to prepare students for high school (the percentage of students who achieve the postsecondary readiness standard on STAAR). High schools are rated on the percentage of students who achieve the postsecondary readiness standard on STAAR, graduation rates, graduation plans, and a new college and career readiness component. See Chapter 4 – Performance Index Indicators in the 2015 Accountability Manual for more information.

13. For the graduation plan component of Index 4, will Foundation High School Plan (FHSP) graduates be included along with the Recommended High School Program (RHSP) and Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) graduates in the 2014 longitudinal cohort or 2014 annual rate?

No, for 2015, FHSP graduates will not be included in the graduation plan component of Index 4.

14. The STAAR component of Index 4 requires students to meet Final Level II on two or more subjects. What about a student who only takes only one exam?

A student who takes only one exam is counted if he or she meets Final Level II on that exam. Following are a few examples showing the application of the STAAR component of Index 4.

1. An 11^thgrade student takes only the U.S. History EOC and scores at Final Level II. Since this student scored at Final Level II on their sole EOC, this student is included in the numerator and denominator for the STAAR component of Index 4.

2. A 9^thgrade student takes EOC exams for three subjects and scores at Final Level II in two of the subjects. Because students taking multiple subject exams must score at Final Level II on two or more subjects, this student is included in the numerator and denominator for the STAAR component of Index 4.

3. A 10^thgrade student takes EOC exams for two subjects and scores at Final Level II on only one of them. Because this student did not score at Final Level II on both of exams, he or she is included in the denominator but not in the numerator.

15. What is the source of the CTE coherent sequence status used in the calculation of the Index 4 Postsecondary Component: College and Career Readiness?

The CTE coherent sequence status comes from the summer 2014 PEIMS 400 record that includes basic attendance data. See Appendix K – Data Sources of the 2015 Accountability Manual or the PEIMS Data Standards at http://tea.texas.gov/Reports_and_Data/Data_Submission/PEIMS/PEIMS_Data_Standards/PEIMS_Data_Standards for more details.

Section 2: Alternative Education Accountability (AEA)

16. What are alternative education campuses (AECs), and how are ratings assigned under AEA provisions?

Alternative education campuses (AECs) are those that serve students at risk of dropping out of school as defined in Texas Education Code §29.081(d). Accountability ratings for AEA campuses and charter districts are assigned similarly to non-AEA districts and campuses, but the targets are modified, and an AEC’s Index 4 score is based on fewer components and weighted differently than is the score of a non-AEC.

17. How do campuses qualify to be evaluated under AEA provisions, and when does registration occur?

To be eligible to be evaluated under AEA a provisions, an AEC must meet two criteria:

At least 75% of its students are considered at risk as verified by current-year PEIMS fall enrollment data. Campuses with less than 75% at-risk student enrollment may use prior-year PEIMS data to qualify.
At least 50% of its students are enrolled in grades 6–12

Registration occurs in spring of the school year for which a charter district or campus wishes to be rated under AEA provisions. Eligible districts and campuses file an AEA Campus Registration Form using the TEASE Accountability website. Filing an AEA Campus Registration Form is required for each AEC not on the list of registered AECs that wishes to be evaluated by current-year AEA provisions. AECs rated under AEA provisions the previous year are pre-registered. A charter district or campus that was evaluated under AEA provisions the previous year and does not wish to be evaluated under AEA provision in the current year should file an AEA Campus Rescission Form using the TEASE Accountability website. The current-year registration process occurred April 2–16, 2015.

See Chapter 6 – Other Accountability System Processes in the 2015 Accountability Manual for additional details.

Section 3: STAAR Retests and Mobility (SSI)

18. How are the STAAR grades 5 and 8 results for students with Student Success Initiative (SSI) requirements included in the performance index results?

Because of the transition to revised statewide curriculum standards in mathematics in 2015, STAAR assessments for grades 5 and 8 mathematics will be administered only once in the 2014–15 school year. As a result, the Student Success Initiative (SSI) requirement that students in grades 5 and 8 must pass the STAAR mathematics assessment in order to move to the next grade level is suspended for the 2014–15 school year. As stated above, the mathematics test results for grades 5 and 8 are excluded from accountability in 2015.

For students in grades 5 and 8, the performance index includes reading test results from the first and second administration. The best test result (that is included in the accountability subset) is used. The accountability subset is all test results of students who were enrolled in the district or campus on both the fall PEIMS snapshot date (last Friday in October) and the testing day.

19. Are grade 5 and 8 reading STAAR results from the May retest administration included in accountability?

Yes.

20. Since STAAR A assessments are excluded from accountability in 2015, what will happen with the SSI grade 5 or 8 reading results for a student whose Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee switches them from STAAR in the initial reading administration to STAAR A for the May reading retest?

All STAAR tests, including STAAR A, are used to determine the best test for SSI. If the best test selected from the SSI reading process is STAAR A, the STAAR A result is identified as their record for accountability and then excluded from the index calculation.

21. A student is enrolled in District A on the PEIMS October snapshot date, moves to District B, and fails the first administration of an exam. The student moves back to District A and passes the retest of that exam. How is the retest counted?

The retest is used for District A’s accountability. The failed test from the first administration at District B is not used for accountability for District A or B.

Section 4: District Posting Requirements

22. What does the district need to provide to the public regarding the ratings?

Each district must post its ratings on its website. They must also provide information directly to parents regarding school performance. For detailed information on what is required, see the Posting FAQ .

Section 5: STAAR Retests and Mobility (EOC)

23. How are STAAR EOC retest results included in the performance index results?

Each district and campus is accountable for three EOC test administrations: 1) summer results for students enrolled on the prior-year fall enrollment snapshot date (October 25, 2013), 2) fall results for students enrolled on the fall enrollment snapshot date (October 31, 2014), 3) spring results for students enrolled on the fall enrollment snapshot date (October 31, 2014). The table below describes the 2015 subset criteria for EOC tests and retests.

If a student was enrolled in a district/campus on this date,	these results are included in that district’s/campus’s accountability subset.
October 25, 2013 enrollment snapshot	EOC summer 2014 administration
October 31, 2014 enrollment snapshot	EOC fall 2014 administration
October 31, 2014 enrollment snapshot	EOC spring 2015 administration

Please see the Subset Scenarios for detailed scenarios regarding retests.

Section 6: English Language Learners (ELL)

24. Are ELL students’ test results included in system safeguards?

Yes. The system safeguards use the performance results calculated for Index 1.

25. Are STAAR L results included in the 2015 accountability ratings?

Yes, but only for ELL students by way of an ELL progress measure and only in Index 1 and Index 2. STAAR L results are not included in Index 3 or Index 4.

26. For grades 3–8 under Performance Index 4, if an ELL student takes one test in Spanish and one test in English, which test is considered? In this instance, would the student have to meet Final Level II standard to count?

ELL students in U. S. schools less than five years are included in Index 4 and credit the STAAR Postsecondary Readiness Standard based on the Spanish test version only. Please refer to Appendix I - Inclusion of ELLs in 2015 and Beyond of the 2015 Accountability Manual for more information.

27. If an ELL student does not have an ELL progress measure because his or her years in U.S. schools exceed his or her ELL plan year, how will the student’s results be counted?

An ELL student without an ELL progress measure solely because his or her years in U.S. schools exceeds his or her ELL plan year will be treated the same way as an ELL student with parental denials. Please refer to Appendix I - Inclusion of ELLs in 2015 and Beyond of the 2015 Accountability Manual for more information.

Section 7: Special Issues

28. Are STAAR results for foreign exchange students used in accountability?

Yes, if a foreign exchange student takes the STAAR and is in the accountability subset, his or her performance counts toward the school’s accountability rating.

Section 8: Minimum Size

29. What are the minimum size requirements for a student group to be included in the performance index calculations?

The minimum size for the All Students group for each of the indices is 10. Small-numbers analysis is conducted to determine the accountability rating of districts and campuses between one and nine in the All Students group. Indices 2, 3, and 4 have a minimum size requirement of 25 students for each student group.

30. What is small-numbers analysis and when is it used?

Three-year average performance is used at the indicator level to calculate indicators for small districts and campuses that do not meet minimum size criteria using current-year data. See the 2015 Accountability Manual and the Small Numbers Analysis flowcharts for more details.

31. When determining if the ELL student group meets the minimum size requirement for System Safeguards, are the monitored first-year (M1) and second-year (M2) ELL students included, or are only current ELLs included?

For Systems Safeguards, the minimum size is based on the count of current ELL students.

Print