2015 Explanation of Masking Rules

Updated August 7, 2015

The 2015 Accountability Reports and Downloads employ masking in order to comply with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Generally, the term "masking" refers to the use of special symbols to conceal the performance results.

The tables below show each of the masking situations that are possible on the reports. Different rules apply for the STAAR indicators compared to other performance indicators.

Symbols Used for Masking STAAR Performance: Note that Indices 1, 2, and 3 are based on total tests, whereas Index 4 is based on total students (total test takers).

Scenarios
Numerator
Denominator
Percent
Meaning
Case 1
*
*
*
  • For Indices 1 and 4, the numerator is less than 5 and the denominator is greater than 0. For Index 2, the Met or Exceeds Progress or the Exceeds Progress numerator is less than 5 and the denominator is greater than 0. For Index 3, the Phase-in Satisfactory Standard or Advanced Standard numerator is less than 5 and the denominator is greater than 0.
Examples
4
4
100%
  
3
30
10%
0
45
0%
Case 2
**
**
Percent Shown
  • When only one racial/ethnic group is masked, then the second smallest racial/ethnic group's numerator and denominator are masked (regardless of size) with double asterisk. The rate remains unmasked.
Smallest Group:
3
4
75%
  
Next Smallest Group:
190
200
95%
Case 3
-
-
-
  • The denominator is 0.
Example
0
0
-
  

The above rules will mask Index 1 and 3 at Phase-in Satisfactory Standard or above as well as at Final Level II or above and at Advanced Standard. If at Phase-in Satisfactory Standard or above is not masked, then the other two performances are not masked, regardless of size.

Symbols Used for Masking the Graduation and Dropout Rates:

Scenarios
Numerator
Denominator
Percent
Meaning
Case 1
*
*
*
  • The denominator is 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Examples
4
4
100.0%
  
3
4
75.0%
0
4
0.0%
Case 2
-
-
-
  • The denominator is 0.
Example
0
0
•
  
Case 3
**
**
Percent Shown
  • When only one racial/ethnic group is masked, then the second smallest racial/ethnic group's numerator and denominator are masked (regardless of size) with double asterisk. The rate remains unmasked.
Smallest
Group:		 3 4 75.0%  
Next
Smallest
Group
150
200
75.0%
Case 4
n/a
n/a
n/a
  • Data are not available.

Symbols Used for Masking Downloads

Data available for download are also masked:

Masking Symbol in Download
Masking Symbol on Data Table
What is Masked
-1
*
  • Small numbers
-3
**
  • Next smallest racial/ethnic group
•
-
  • Data are not available.

Distinction Designations:

   
Numerator
Denominator
Percent
Meaning
Attendance Rate Indicator Download
•
•
•
  • The denominator (days membership) is less than 1800.
 
 Example
800
1700
47%
 
Other Distinction Indicators Download
•
•
•
  • The denominator is less than 10.
 
 Example
3
9
33%
 

Blank values for a Quartile occur if there are fewer than 20 campuses in the campus comparison group for each qualifying indicator.

 

2015 Accountability | Performance Reporting