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 Education
Community Invited to Comment on Proposed School District Report
Cards
The following information is from Jeremy Hughes, Chief
Academic Officer, Michigan Department of Education, September
17, 2004
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DISTRICT
REPORT CARDS
NCLB requires the state to issue an adequate yearly progress (AYP)
report card for a school district as well as individual schools
within the district. We did not do so in 2003 because of
incomplete data. We are prepared to do so now, but need to
define on what basis we will compute a district’s AYP.
Like individual schools, the district report card must be based
on the elements of:
Minimum size of 30 students for the district, in the grades
tested, using the same rules as are applied to individual
schools.
Overall student achievement – whether all 4th graders in the
district, for instance, met or exceeded the state targets in
English Language Arts and Mathematics (or qualified for the
“safe harbor” provision).
Whether all subgroups in the district met or exceeded the state
targets (or “safe harbor”).
Whether a minimum 95% of the district’s students were assessed,
at each grade level tested, and within each student subgroup in
the district.
Whether the district’s elementary and middle school students met
or exceeded the state’s target for attendance, and whether the
district’s high school(s) met the state’s graduation target.
Achievement
Some states have set a single achievement target for English
Language Arts (ELA) or Mathematics that is the same for all
levels (example: 45% is the Math target for elementary, middle,
and high schools). These states can compute a district AYP
simply by determining if all three levels met the target.
In Michigan, we have set different achievement targets for the
three levels. The three scores can therefore not be combined
into a single score for the district. In discussions we have had
so far, it appears that we have three options:
Option 1 – A district makes AYP if:
1. The combined achievement scores of its elementary schools
meet the elementary targets in Mathematics and English Language
Arts, AND
2. the combined achievement scores of its middle schools meet
the middle school targets in Mathematics and ELA, AND
3. the combined achievement scores of its high schools meet the
high school targets in Mathematics and ELA.
(In other words, the district must make AYP at all three
levels).
Option 2 – The district makes AYP at two of the above three
levels.
Option 3 – The district makes AYP at one of the above three
levels.
95% Tested
In order for a district to make AYP on this measure, the
district would need to have tested a minimum of 95% of the total
students in the district enrolled in the grades tested, in both
Mathematics and English Language Arts. For this purpose, all
tested grades would be combined. For example, the total number
of student tested in grades 4, 7, 8, and 11 would be totaled,
then divided by the total number of students enrolled in those
same grades, in order to determine the total district percent
tested.
Attendance
In order for a district to make AYP on this measure, the average
attendance for the students enrolled at elementary and middle
school, combined, would need to exceed the state target of 85%.
To calculate this, the days-in-attendance by middle and
elementary students in the district would be combined, and this
total divided by the total combined enrollment of the district’s
elementary and middle schools.
Graduation Rate
The Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI)
already calculates a graduation rate for each district. The most
recent calculated rate is for 2003. This CEPI rate will be used
to determine whether the district met the 80% graduation rate
target for the state.
In graphic summary, a district would have meet AYP targets in
the following four areas (see attachment for graphic):
Careful explanation will need to surround the issuance of
district report cards. In determining whether a district makes
AYP in elementary Math, for instance, the Math scores of all the
district’s 4th graders are combined, as if the district were one
big school. This combination includes subgroups of students as
well. It is possible that a particular subgroup of students may
cause a district not to make AYP, whereas its individual schools
did (because the individual schools each had fewer than 30
students in the subgroup but, combined, the district has 30 or
more in the subgroup). Because of factors like this, we can
anticipate some school districts, historically viewed as
performing well, may be classified as not making AYP.
The above items were presented to the State Board of
Education at its meeting on September 14, 2004. The Board
authorized this proposal to be shared with the education
community, with an invitation to comment. We are particularly
interested in comments regarding the three Achievement options
described above. The Board will be considering this issue again
at its meeting on October 12. To comment or make suggestions,
please write or email MaryAlice Galloway
(gallowaym@michigan.gov).
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