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About the 2006-2007 Report Card for K-12 Public Schools The Governor's Office of Student Achievement provides answers below to frequently asked questions about the 2006-2007 Report Card. Users should find answers regarding content of the Report Card, sources of data, definitions and rules for reporting, how data was disaggregated, etc. Data is divided into seven sections: Accountability, Georgia Tests, National Tests, Indicators, Student & School Demographics, Personnel and Fiscal, and Comparisons. For more information, please visit http://www.gadoe.org/sia_account.aspx..
Data Sources, Rules and Definitions:
What is included in the “Accountability” section? This section contains the Accountability Profile, Performance Index Details (school level only), Accreditation Information, Non- Highly Qualified Teachers (as defined by NCLB and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission) , and Emergency & Provisional Certificates. Georgia’s Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) is in compliance with Georgia law and the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Georgia’s SSAS is comprised of three components: Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), a Performance Index, and Performance Highlights. For more information about the SSAS, review the State Board of Education’s rules 160-7-1-.01, 160-7-1-.02, 160-7-1-.03, and 160-7-1-.04 at http://www.gadoe.org/pea_board.aspx?PageReg=PEABoardRules. What is included in the "Georgia Tests” section? This
section provides student performance results from
Special Note : The report includes the number of students participating on the GAA since it is individualized for each student. Students who take the GAA are not included in the results for the regular assessments on the Report Card as they are for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). However, a description of the GAA instrument is included under the Georgia Tests: FAQ. What is included in the "National Tests” section? This section includes ACT, SAT, NAEP, and AP test results. ACT & SAT (three year comparisons) are available at the school, system, state & national levels. NAEP results are only available at the state level as NAEP is only sampled at the state level. AP exam results are available at the school, system & state levels., AP course participation by race/ethnicity and the number of participants & percentage of enrollment by course is provided for the 2006-2007 Report Card What is included in the "Indicators” section? This section contains information on school performance indicators: HOPE Scholarship eligibility, Post-Secondary Data, Retained Students, Graduation Rates (three-year comparison), 7-12 Dropouts (three-year comparison), 9-12 Dropouts (three-year comparison), Attendance (three-year comparison), & High School Completer Credentials.
What is included in the "Student and School Demographics” section? This section contains Community Data, Compensatory
Programs, Selected Programs, & Enrollment by Demographics. Community Data
includes key socio-demographic variables such as county background information
for schools and districts. Compensatory Programs includes enrollment data for
special education, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Early
Intervention Program (EIP), and remedial education. Selected Programs includes
enrollment data for the Gifted program, Vocational Labs, & Alternative
Programs. Enrollment by demographics shows fall & spring enrollment for 3
academic years.
What is included in the “Personnel and Fiscal” section? This section contains certified personnel & revenues and expenditures. Certified personnel information includes personnel data for administrators, support personnel & PK-12 teachers. Revenues and expenditures include the FTE count, K-12 revenues, K-12 expenditures, & salaries and benefits as percentages of revenues and expenditures.
What is included in the "Comparisons" section? This section contains: Compare Schools, Select a New School
System, & Download Other Data. Compare Schools provides 2 websites that
provide additional information about
Data Sources, Rules and Definitions: What is meant by "All Students"? "All Students" refers to all students who were tested in a grade level or to all students for which an indicator (i.e., graduation rate) is applicable. However, there is one exception to this rule. "All Students" on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) and the Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) refers to all grade 11 first-time test takers. Why do I see "Too Few Students"? Information is not reported on student groups with fewer than 10 students for reasons of confidentiality and statistical reliability. What is meant by "No Data Available"? "No Data Available" appears when a school or system has no data to report. Why can’t I always get 100 when I sum percents? Figures do not always add to 100 percent due to rounding. However, the sum of percents will always be either 99, 100, or 101. The K-12 data is provided to GOSA by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE). In addition, several other organizations and agencies provided information to GOSA or to GaDOE, to be used in this year’s Report Card, includingthe University System of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, the Georgia Department of Labor, the Georgia Department of Human Resources, The College Board, the American College Testing Program, the Georgia Student Finance Commission, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, , the Professional Standards Commission, and the Georgia Accrediting Commission What disaggregated data is included in the Report Card? The report provides
disaggregated data (when available) on the basis of race/ethnicity, gender,
disability, poverty level, migrant and English proficiency. For the Georgia
tests, student results are reported in
15categories:
These categories are used for reporting indicator data as well. For some test results (e.g., SAT and ACT), results by disability and limited English proficiency were not available, and race categories may differ slightly. How is the report able to disaggregate student performance data and school-level indicators?
Beginning with the 2002-2003 Report Card, GOSA’s Report Card reflects the merging
of How are students designated as "Students with Disabilities"? "Students with Disabilities" refers to those students who were coded with a state required code corresponding to a specific exceptionality or disability on the 2006 Student Record. Categories of eligibility include: autism, deaf/blind, deaf/hard of hearing, emotional and behavioral disorder, mild intellectual disability, moderate intellectual disability, severe intellectual disability, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, significant developmental delay, specific learning disability, speech-language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment. Students with disabilities are eligible to receive special education services via an Individualized Education Program (IEP). ACCOUNTABILITY SECTION DETAILS: FAQ Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is one of the cornerstones of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). It is a measure of year-to-year student achievement on statewide assessments. Schools, school districts, and states must demonstrate a certain level of performance on reading and/or language arts and mathematics assessments. The major components of AYP are (1) to show 95% Test Participation, (2) to meet Annual Measurable Objectives based on assessment results, and (3) to meet criteria for a Second Indicator. Schools that do not demonstrate AYP for two consecutive years in the same subject area are designated as schools in Needs Improvement. To learn more, visit the GaDOE website at http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/support/plan/nclb/ayp_faq.asp. Accreditation is a voluntary process by which schools seek a certification that they comply with the accrediting agencies educational standards or criteria. There are two agencies that provide accreditation to Georgia schools.
What is a highly qualified teacher? As part of the No
Child Left
Behind
Act of 2001 (NCLB),
states are to implement plans for ensuring that students receive instruction
from a highly qualified teacher. The
In Georgia, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC) has the full responsibility for the preparation, certification, and conduct of the certified, licensed, or permitted personnel employed in the public schools of the state of Georgia. Its mission is "to provide a qualified teacher in every classroom by setting and applying high standards for the preparation, certification, and continued licensing of Georgia public educators." To learn more about the GAPSC and teacher certification in Georgia, visit: http://www.gapsc.com GEORGIA TESTS SECTION: FAQ What are the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT)? The Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) are state-mandated end-of-year assessments. These tests are designed to measure how well students have mastered the content and skills that are unique to Georgia's Performance Standards (GPS) and to Georgia’s Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) in the areas of reading, English/language arts, and mathematics in grades 1 through 8 and in science and social studies in grades 3 through 8. The CRCT item format is selected-response. Based on performance, students are classified as: For GPS based assessments:
For QCC based assessments:
What is the Eighth Grade Writing Assesment? The grade 8 writing assessment
is administered each January. Students demonstrate their writing ability by
responding to an expository or persuasive writing topic. Student writing is
assessed analytically on four domains: Ideas, Organization, Style, and
Conventions. Performance is described by a scale score that can range from 100
to 350. Scores from 200 to 249 “Meet Expectations” and scores greater than 250
“Exceed Expectations.”
What are the Currently, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) administers the GHSGT to evaluate student performance at the high school level. The tests include assessments in the areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Current high school diploma requirements mandate that a student must achieve a passing score in each subtest of the GHSGT as well as on the Georgia High School Writing Test. If a student does not pass a subject’s test, then he/she is retested in that subject area. A student has multiple opportunities to take each subject’s test. The four core subject tests are scored Fail, Pass, and Pass Plus. The scale scores on the GHSGT can range from 400 to 600; the cut-points for the levels of performance vary by subject. The following chart shows the scales and performance levels.
What is the Currently, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE)
administers the GHSWT to evaluate a student’s writing performance at the high
school level. Current high school diploma requirements mandate that a student
must achieve a passing score on the GHSWT as well as on each subject area test
of the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. If a student does not pass the
writing test, then he/she is retested. A student has multiple opportunities to
take each subject’s test. The writing test is scored as Fail (for scales scores
between 400 and 499) or Pass (for scale scores of 500 to
600). What are the End-of-Course Tests? The A+ Education Reform Act of 2000, O.C.G.A. §20-2-281, mandates that the State Board of Education adopt end-of-course assessments in grades nine through twelve for core subjects to be determined by the State Board of Education. With educator input, and State Board approval, the End-of-Course Testing (EOCT) program is currently comprised of eight content area assessments:
The EOCT is administered three times each school
year in the fall, spring, and summer. Performance on the EOCT is
described as a scale score and performance level as indicated
below:
For GPS based EOCT (science and language
arts):
For QCC based assessments (mathematics and social
studies):
What is the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA)? The Georgia
Alternate Assessment (GAA) is a key component of the Georgia Student Assessment
Program. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states must ensure that all students,
including students with significant cognitive disabilities, have access to a
general curriculum that encompasses challenging academic standards. States must
also ensure that all students are assessed for their progress toward meeting
academic standards. Students with significant cognitive disabilities may be
assessed via an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards,
as determined by the students’ IEP team. The US Department of Education (USED)
defines an alternate achievement standard as one that “sets an expectation of
performance that differs in complexity from a grade-level achievement standard.”
Alternate achievement standards must be aligned to state academic content
standards, although they may reflect prerequisite or entry-level skills.
Beginning in the fall of
2006, a portfolio of student work samples was used to capture student learning
and achievement/progress in the four content areas (English Language Arts,
Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies). The focus is on academic content and
skills.
The GAA portfolio entries were scored for four discrete
dimensions:
Portfolio Collection
Periods:
·
Achievement/Progress is
documented in two collection periods during a school year. The first collection
period will provide evidence of a student’s entry-level performance (initial
performance of the skill); the second collection period will provide evidence of
a student’s achievement/progress to date.
· The collection period window between the first collection period and the second collection period is a minimum of three weeks to a maximum of five months. How is GOSA able to disaggregate student performance data and school-level indicators? Beginning with the 2002-2003 Report Card, GOSA’s Report Card reflects the merging of Georgia test files with the Student Record for purposes of standardizing the identification of students by various group factors. The Student Record contains information on the race/ethnicity, gender, English proficiency, disability status, free/reduced meal eligibility status, and migrant status on every student enrolled in a Georgia public school during any period of an academic year. Test results on years prior to 2002-2003 in previous Report Cards were based on the student self-reported coding on the test answer documents. Results on the SAT, ACT, and NAEP are reported by using the race/ethnic categories and other student demographic information from the actual answer documents, and therefore, the student groupings may differ slightly. Why do academic
performance results on the Report Card look different than those in the Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) reports? The No Child Left
Behind
Act of 2001 (NCLB) distinguishes between the requirements for AYP
purposes and Report Cards. The differences in reporting occur because of the
following:
Why do the 2006-2007 Report results on the GHSGT test performances are reported on the 2006-2007
Report Card as three discrete categories: Fail, Pass, and Pass-Plus. This is
slightly different from actual reports received by schools and systems in which
the Pass and Pass-Plus categories were combined. This means that the sum of
the NATIONAL TESTS SECTION: FAQ The SAT is a college admissions test developed by The College Board Entrance Examination Board and Educational Testing Service. The SAT has a verbal component, a math component and a writing component. Scores range from 200 to 800 on each section; when the three scores are combined for a total score, the range is from 600 to 2400. Many students take the SAT multiple times. The College Board releases SAT scores annually by reporting on the scores for seniors from their most recent administration. Some colleges, however, may take into consideration for college admission, a student’s highest verbal and highest math score regardless of the administration. GOSA presents SAT results in both ways. Only school, system, and state scores based on the most recent administration can be compared to the national scores. It should also be noted that the national scores released by The College Board include both private as well as public school students. The ACT is a college admissions test developed by The American College Testing Program. The ACT results are based on student scores from their most recent administration so that they are comparable to the national averages released by The American College Testing Program. The report includes the composite scores from the 2007 graduating seniors who took the ACT Assessment as sophomores, juniors, or seniors. An ACT composite score is a combination of the subtest scores in the areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Scores on the composites as well as each subtest range from 1 to 36. Disaggregated results for the ACT are only available at the state level.The school and system ACT data are for public schools in Georgia. The state results are for all Georgia schools, public and non-public. What are the Advanced Placement Exams? The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a cooperative educational endeavor between secondary schools and colleges and universities. The AP Program offers students an opportunity to be exposed to challenging content at the college level. By taking the AP exams, students can demonstrate their mastery of the course material. Each AP exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 5. A student who earns a score of 3, 4, or 5 is generally considered eligible to receive credit for the equivalent course at one of the colleges or universities that gives credit for AP exams. There are 38 AP courses and exams offered across 19 subject areas. The AP Program is sponsored by the College Board. For more information on AP courses and exams, visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html The National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only national representative and continuing
assessment of what
The most recent NAEP results for Georgia are included in the 2006-2007 Report Card. The report includes:
State and national comparisons for these tests are reported under the National Tests section for all students and for students by race/ethnicity and gender. Why does the report present the SAT results by University System of Georgia (USG) institution type? The graph entitled "Percent of High School Seniors Scoring At or Above the Average Total SAT Score of 1st-Time College Freshmen Entering Board of Regents Higher Education Institutions in the Fall" shows how seniors who took the SAT performed as compared to the average scores for college freshmen at the various types of University System of Georgia (USG) institutions. For example, the state level summary for 2007 shows that 14% of the high school seniors in 2006-2007 across the state had a SAT score at or above the average SAT of 1223 for college freshmen entering Research Universities in fall 2006. USG institutions use multiple criteria including high school course selection, grade point average, and SAT/ACT scores for college admission. While the university system has set minimum SAT requirements, individual institutions may set higher admissions standards. The average SAT score by type of institution better represents the typical freshmen class at those colleges. The average SAT score for college freshmen entering a sector can vary from one year to the next, but in most cases the average has increased. For example, the average SAT for freshmen at State Universities in Fall 2003 was 1010, in Fall 2004 the average was 1016, and in Fall 2005 the average was 1020. It should also be noted that these percentages are based on
duplicated counts and should not be summed. For example, a student with a SAT
score at or above the average (1223) for a For more details on USG admission requirements, visit http://www.usg.edu. What is the University System of Georgia (USG)? The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia is the governing body of the institutions of higher learning. These institutions are divided into 5 types: research universities, regional universities, state universities, state colleges, and two-year colleges. For more information about the Board of Regents and the University System of Georgia, access http://www.usg.edu. School Performance Indicators: FAQ How is the graduation rate calculated? To comply with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), Georgia has defined a graduate as a student who leaves high school with a Regular Diploma (this does not include Certificates of Attendance or Special Education Diplomas) in the standard time (i.e., 4 years). In prior years, Georgia has reported a completion rate that allowed the inclusion of students receiving a Certificate of Attendance or a Special Education Diploma. Because of the NCLB timeline for reporting information, graduation rate is calculated by using information in the relevant Student Records. The actual graduation rate calculation is a proxy calculation; in other words, the lack of unique statewide student identifiers does not allow for tracking of individual students across the four high school years. The graduation rate reflects the percentage of students who entered ninth grade in a given year and were in the graduating class four years later. The 2006-2007 K-12 Report Card provides the 2005, 2006, and the 2007 graduation rates. A brief description of how the graduation rate for 2007 is calculated follows:
Denominator: # of dropouts in 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th from appropriate years + graduates + other completers What is meant by high school completers, graduates, and exit credentials? Completers are those students who exit from high school with some credential. Some exit with regular diplomas and others exit with either a Special Education Diploma or a Certificate of Attendance. Graduates are a special group of completers. Graduates are students who have met course and assessment criteria. Graduates have completed a high-school program of study with a minimum of 22 units and have passed the four subject areas (English, mathematics, science, and social studies) of the Georgia High School Graduation Test and the Georgia High School Writing Test. Graduates may earn one of several kinds of endorsements:
Other Completers include those students who exit high school with either a Special Education Diploma or a Certificate of Attendance.
How is the dropout rate calculated? To comply with the No Child Left
Behind
Act’s (NCLB) timeline for reporting information to the
public, the process for identifying dropouts had to be adjusted to rely solely
on the Student Record collection. The In response to the nationwide
focus on high schools and its mission to increase school completion, GOSA has
made a reporting policy change. Beginning with the 2005 Report Card, GOSA
began reporting two dropout rates for those schools with grade configurations
covering both 7-12 and 9-12 grade spans. In the past, such schools had
either a 7-12 dropout rate or a 9-12 dropout rate depending upon the school’s
grade configuration. GOSA has
recalculated both rates for 2004 and 2005 in order to provide stakeholders a
trend line. System and state level reports will continue to show both a
7-12 dropout rate and a 9-12 dropout rate.
How does GOSA report Hope Scholarship eligibility? HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils
Educationally) Scholarship eligibility data is reported bythe Georgia Student
Finance Commission (GSFC). The report includes the number and
percent of students eligible for the HOPE scholarship at the school, system, and
state levels.
Beginning in school year
2006-2007, the new HOPE scholarship eligibility law went into effect. Under this standard, schools are no
longer required to calculate grade point averages but will transmit transcript
and grading scale data for all seniors to the GSFC. As required by law, all high
school attempted grades must be reported, whether or not credit was earned. GSFC
calculates student eligibility for the HOPE scholarship using un-weighted grades and will apply a 3.0 scholarship eligibility standard for college
preparatory students and a 3.2 scholarship eligibility standard for students
receiving other diploma types, both on a true 4.0 scale (no grades regardless of
weighting will exceed 4.0). Earned Advanced Placement (AP) and International
Baccalaureate (IB) course grades will be un-weighted by GSFC, if weighted by the
local school, and then uniform weights will be added by the GSFC to these
courses before GSFC calculates each student’s grade point average. Note that
only courses for which a grade was earned will be counted in the GPA
calculation; thus “incomplete” or “withdrawn” courses will not be
considered.
Eligible students may use the HOPE
scholarship to attend a postsecondary school in Georgia. The HOPE scholarship
program is funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education. The percentage of
graduates is computed using the number of reported eligible-for-HOPE graduates
divided by the number of 2006-2007 graduates. For more information, please visit
http://www.gsfc.org/publishing/pdf/2006/hope_changes_2007.pdf. . Student and School Demographics: FAQ What is the data source for enrollment figures? Enrollment graphs show both
fall and spring counts for an academic year. The
Georgia Department of Education collects enrollment counts from school systems
periodically throughout the year. These collections are known as FTE (Full-Time
Equivalency) counts. Fall enrollment figures are based on the October 2006 FTE
count and the spring enrollment figures are based on
the March 2007 FTE count. The enrollment figure presented at the top of each
page for a school, system, or the state reflects the October 2006 FTE.
Previous years’ information is based on the corresponding FTE
counts.
What is the source of the percentage of economically disadvantaged students? This percentage is calculated by dividing the number of students eligible to receive free- or reduced-priced meals (as reported to the Georgia Department of Education in October 2006 Nutrition Count) by the total school enrollment (as reported by the October 2006 FTE count). Previous years’ information is based on the October FTE collections from the corresponding years. What is the data source for the percentage of students with disabilities? The percentage of students with disabilities is based on the December 2006 FTE (Full-Time Equivalency) count divided by the total enrollment from the Fall 2006 FTE count. These students must also be enrolled during FTE 1. The December FTE has been declared the official count of students with disabilities (special education. What is the data source for the percentage of students with limited English proficiency? The percentage of students who are English Language Learners (ELL) is based on the 2007 Student Record. GaDOE calculates this percentage from the count of students identified as ELL divided by the count of students identified at that school, system, or state anytime during the academic year according to the 2007 Student Record. What is the data source for the percentage of migrant students? The percentage of migrant students is based on the 2007 Student Record. GaDOE calculates this percentage from the count of students identified as enrolled in the Migrant Education Program divided by the count of students identified at that school, system, or state anytime during the academic year according to the 2007 Student Record. A retained student is one who is reported in the October 2006 FTE as being in the same grade for the 2006-2007 school year as he/she had been in the 2004-2005 school year. The report shows numbers for each race/ethnicity category and for male/female. The percent is based on the disaggregation group. What is included under Community Data? With the exception of the
migrant education eligibility information, all community data are collected and
reported at the system level only. Data reported for city school systems are the
figures for the county in which the city system resides. Such data are provided to the community served by a school system
and its schools. Community data include the following data
elements:
This section of the Report Card shows data on programs in which students may enroll. The following briefly describes the various selected programs:
The Report Card reports selected program data as a number and as a percent of student population. The number of students enrolled in a selected program divided by the total number of students reported in the October 2006 FTE count as enrolled in the grades served by this program. What are Compensatory Programs? This section of the Report Card shows data on programs in which students receive special services that target areas of student needs.
The Report Card reports compensatory program data as a number and a percent of student population. The number of students enrolled in a compensatory program divided by the total number of students reported in the October 2006 FTE count as enrolled in the grades served by this program. For example, the Early Intervention Program serves only students in grades K-5. The percent of student population reports the percentage of students enrolled in EIP in grades K-5 compared to the total number of students in grades K-5 in the school. PERSONNEL AND FISCAL SECTION: FAQ What is reported for certified personnel? Certified Personnel data are compiled from information reported by local school systems on the Certified/Classified Personnel Information (CPI) Report. The CPI is used to gather information regarding school system employees. The Report Card includes only those employees who hold a valid Georgia certificate. For each category of personnel, the number of positions and the number of certified personnel are reported. The number of positions is reported as a decimal number designating the certified positions at that location, with partial numbers representing part-time positions, while the number of personnel is an actual head count of full-time and part-time certified employees. For example, two full-time teachers and one teacher who works for half of the day is reported as 2.5 teacher positions and 3 certified personnel. A full-time certified employee serving more than one school is counted as a part-time employee at the respective schools but as a full-time employee in the system-wide totals. Years experience refers to the total number of approved years of service as an educator.
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