Accountability: Maximizing Your Performance

1. Accountability: Maximizing Your Performance Terry Wyatt Executive Director, Tri-County SSA June 2010

2. Contact Information • Terry Wyatt • Executive Director, Tri-County SSA • 120 S. Swenson • Stamford, Texas 79553 • 325-773-3637 • twyatt@tricty.esc14.net • http://www.tricountyspecialed.net/ • Updates to this presentation posted there. • Free spreadsheet posted there. • The example spreadsheets used in this presentation are available there.

3. Session Agenda • 1) BRIEF review of accountability system demands • 2) Orientation to free spreadsheet tool operation • 3) Extended discussion regarding analysis of your data as it exists and develops over time using this tool.

4. In a Perfect World . . . • Individual ARDC design high quality, appropriate, and challenging instructional programs for each student. • Those programs are appropriately close to the mainstream setting. • Every student is well taught, personally committed, and supported by a home environment. As a result academic progress is made for each student, including passing an appropriately selected statewide assessment.

5. Perfect World Continued . . . • Even though each ARDC acts individually, the resulting patterns of instructional setting, student eligibility characteristics, and statewide assessment participation do not show any tendencies toward data issues that the SEA monitors on behalf of USDE or the state itself. • The district has in place: 1) policies and procedures, 2) operating guidelines, and 3) staff training to develop and maintain the environment which makes the above possible.

6. Consequently • Discussions in this setting and more importantly in your district setting need to recognize the critically important nature of the independent role the ARDC must be allowed to play to meet the individual needs of each particular student. • At the same time, the district can and should review data patterns and consider/plan for how the district can affect instruction to help students make academic progress.

7. Accountability Review • AEIS – Academic Excellence Indicator System • AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress • PBMAS – Performance Based Monitoring & Analysis System • SPP – State Performance Plan • Data Quality Measures

9. Performance Subgroup • In AEIS and AYP: • Students must be enrolled on snapshot day & • Students must be enrolled on test day and take the test in such a way that it results in the test being scored.

13. AEIS Analysis Issues • AEIS does not measure the SE subgroup. • All SE tests will be combined into the one AEIS test measure. • Schools may fall into the trap of thinking that moving sets of students toward TAKS-M from TAKS and/or TAKS-Acc will tend to increase their over-all passing percentage. • AEIS – Academically Acceptable standard for math and science continues to rise. • All grades, all subjects measured

14. AYP • 1% and 2% Caps still apply • The higher your district’s percentage of special education students, the fewer of them fit inside these caps. • Grades 3 – 8 & 10 • Reading and Math • Minimum size for all subgroups 50 and 10% up to 200.

17. PBMAS • Test Participation Measures • SE TAKS Performance by subject

19. State Performance Plan • AYP Special Education Subgroup Performance • AYP SE Subgroup Participation

20. Dimensional Analysis • Download the spreadsheet to your computer. • Save the spreadsheet on your computer. • Copy the spreadsheet into a working folder and start entering data. • Save your work regularly. • Develop a structure for saving your data. (first run, by date, proposed changes, etc.)

21. Entering Information • Start at any time near the beginning of the year. • Instructions tab is worth reading • District Summary TAB – Only enter district name. • AYP TAB – Enter district name • Student Count TAB – Enter District Name & Enter district wide count of # of students by grade. This is ALL STUDENTS, all campuses combined.

22. Grade Tab (G3) • Enter the names of all special education students in the district who are in grade 3 • In the campus column, put their campus number (3 digit) • To enter their test, you put the number in column D, E, F, G, & H. (As appropriate by grade.)

23. Test Selection Numbers • 1 – TAKS • 2 – TAKS-Accommodated • 3 – TAKS-M • 4 – TAKS-Alt • You cannot enter data into columns I through M. You must enter the above numbers in columns D through H. • The spreadsheet posts the test name for you.

24. G3 Continued • The spreadsheet automatically: • Evaluates the test pattern and highlights – blue for TAKS-M only and yellow for TAKS/TAKS-Acc only. • Places a “1” in the appropriate column TAKS-M only or TAKS/TAKS-Acc only based on the student’s test pattern. • Counts how many special education student are in the grade based on the number of reading tests that are not blank. • Counts how many TAKS-M takers you have by subject. • Counts how many TAKS-Alt takers you have.

25. G3 Continued • You may track/chart the decision status of each student. • In other words, has the ARD committee met yet to determine the student’s testing? • Early in the year you will have to estimate what ARDC decisions will be. As time goes, ARDCs will have made testing decisions on more and more kids.

26. Break Points TAB • This tab has reference information from the PBMAS system. • It has the standards which will be used in the fall 2010 PBMAS reports that will be coming. • This data is one of your main references for determining if your testing pattern is where you want/need it to be.

27. 8-9 AIES TPM TAB • On this tab you enter your AEIS scores for all subjects. • You enter the percentage of students who mastered their test, including the use of TPM. • The spreadsheet handles the color coding. • If a subgroup is below the minimum size criteria, and not close, then you would not want to include that number. • Generally, if the subgroup is within 10 students, I include it. Or if you know it will be growing.

28. 8-9 AIES Base TAB • On this tab you enter your AEIS scores for all subjects. • You enter the percentage of students who mastered their test, using only the base scores. • The spreadsheet handles the color coding. • If a subgroup is below the minimum size criteria, and not close, then you would not want to include that number. • Generally, if the subgroup is within 10 students, I include it. Or if you know it will be growing.

29. 8-9 AYP TAB • On this tab you enter your AYP scores for reading and math. • You enter the percentage of students who mastered their test, using only the base scores. • The spreadsheet handles the color coding. • If a subgroup is below the minimum size criteria, and not close, then you would not want to include that number. • Generally, if the subgroup is within 10 students, I include it. Or if you know it will be growing.

30. Data Analysis Issues I have my data entered, now what does it mean?

31. Analysis Issues • What do my AEIS scores from last year tell me? • Are there any subjects which: • Are critically low and must make improvement? • Are comfortably high and could stand some SE TAKS-Acc testers? • Keep in mind, what is the critical level of performance for the district.

32. Example Critical Level of Performance Statement • Our district is committed to efforts to achieve recognized status for the 2010-2011 school year. • In making recognized happen, we insist that the following also happen: • We meet AYP. • We get no 3’s on PBMAS. • We avoid 2’s on PBMAS.

33. Critical Performance Areas • Based on district goals, what are the critical performance areas? • Science? • Math? • PBM TAKS-Acc participation? • Based on past district performance and current district goals, where does the district have some breathing room? • Social Studies? • Writing?

34. Analysis Continued – AYP TAB • Based on our current plan for testing: • Does the SE subgroup meet the minimum size criteria? • How many TAKS-M testers do we have and how does that match up to 2%, 3%, 3.5% counts? • How many TAKS-Alt testers do we have and how does that match up to the 1% count? • ROW 34 – What does the spreadsheet tell us with respect to how our testing matches up with the plan?

35. Analysis Continued – AYP TAB • Rows 35 & 36 • Based on your student population, these rows give you some numeric reference points: • 1% - This is the cap on the number of TAKS-Alt passers you can have. • 2% - This is the cap on the number of TAKS-M passers you can have. • 3% - The is the combined cap on the maximum number of TAKS-M & TAKS-Alt passers you can have. • 3.5% - This is a TW planning number for TAKS-M participation in reading and in math. • 4.5% - This is a TW planning number for the maximum number of TAKS-M & TAKS-Alt testers to have.

36. Analysis Continued – AYP TAB • Rows 37 – 47 • Column C is a list of how many testers you have by test and by subject. • Column F is very valuable. Cell F38 (45) subtracts your TAKS-M count from the 3.5% count. The result tells you this: • A positive number is space you still have. • A negative number means you have exceeded the TW planning number. • Cell F39 (46) subtracts your (Alt+M) count from the 4.5% number. Meanings are the same as above.

37. Analysis – Student Count Tab • Row 16 tells you how many students your district has testing in all AEIS grades combined. • Row 17 tells you how many students your district has testing in all AYP grades combined. • Things to remember about this tab: • This count can stay current with your enrollment all the way to test day. (Participation counts are all based only on test day.)

38. District Summary TAB • First: Rows (3 – 11, columns B – F) this section details how many TAKS-M testers you have in each grade by subject. • Column G tells how many students are TAKS/TAKS-Acc only students you have by grade. • Column I tells how many TAKS-M only students you have by grade. • Column K tells how many TAKS-Alt students you have by grade. • Column L gives a special education student count by grade. • Column M tells how many students you have marked as having ARD decisions complete. • Column N gives a TAKS-M planning limit by grade.

39. District Summary TAB • Cell G:16 – Tells the percentage of students who are TAKS/TAKS-Acc only. This percentage matches the PBMAS calculation. • Cell G:18 – Tells the PBM Performance Level (PL) you would receive based on your percentage in G:16. • Cell I:17 – Tells the percentage of students whoare TAKS-M only. This percentage matches the PBMAS calculation. • Cell I:18 – Tells the PBM PL you would receive.

40. District Summary TAB • Row 19 – 22 • A brief bit of data on AYP Numbers • Row 19 is your student count from grades 3 – 8 & 10. • Row 20 is your 2% cap number. (Max TAKS-M passers who count.) • Row 21 is your count of projected exceeders by subject. • Row 22 tells you if your have unused cap space.

41. District Summary TAB • Row 24 – Tells the percent of your tested students who are taking TAKS-Alt. (Column B & K are the same information repeated.) • Row 25 – reports either a “0” or a “3”. PBMAS will return a PL Review if your district is over 10% on TAKS-Alt. The spreadsheet shows this as a 3.

42. District Summary TAB • Row 31 – This is a way that TEA will look at your data. How do the numbers compare between subjects?

43. Review Meetings • Once you have this spreadsheet filled out with real data for your district: • Hold a meeting of campus principals and other district personnel, including some teachers. • Review what your data looks like. • Consider: Have you met your data goals? Are you positioned properly to meet your performance goals? • Project the spreadsheet on the wall. Review grade by grade. What changes could be made to improve data?

44. Accountability Changes Supplement to Presentation

45. Accountability Change Sources • March 23, 2010 TAA Letter: Student Assessment program Reporting Updates for 2010 • April 19, 2010 TAA Letter: New testing and accelerated instruction requirements under the student success initiative • July 8, 2010 TAA: Update on the Implementation of New Assessment and Accountability provisions • July 1, 2010 TAA: Expedited Waiver Related to the Timeline for New Accelerated Instruction Requirements under the Student Success Initiative

46. March 23 • In grades 3-8 for reading and math, the vertical scale score will be the only score provided on CSR. • 6th and 8th grade reading had their vertical scale score for “Met Standard” increased.

47. 2010 Scale Scores by Subject

48. March 23 Continued: TPM • TPM reported for first time in grade 8 science • TPM calculation will include, for the first time, the prior year score for the student. • A projection to TAKS Commended Performance will be included for all subjects for which TPM is calculated. • Changes have been made to when TPM will be available for students who take TAKS in both English and Spanish across various subjects.

49. March 23 Continued: TPM • TPM will be calculated for TAKS-M • Student must take TAKS-M in all applicable subjects in order for TPM to be calculated.

50. March 23: TAKS-Alt • TAKS-Alt growth measure will produce: • Stage change • Change in student’s score from prior year. • On Track • Student is “on track” to meet standard at next high stakes grade based on the stage change the student made from the prior year to the current year.