The 2016 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 Level II 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
-
-
-
Denominator is
0.
Example
0
0
-
Symbols Used for Masking
the Graduation and Dropout Rates:
Scenarios
Numerator
Denominator
Percent
Meaning
Case 1
*
*
*
Denominator is 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Examples
4
4
100.0%
3
4
75.0%
0
4
0.0%
Case 2
-
-
-
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.
