The 2017 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
*
*
*
Indices 1 and 4, the numerator is less than 5 and the denominator is greater than 0.
Index 2, the Met or Exceeded Progress numerator or the Exceeded Progress numerator is less than 5 and the denominator is greater than 0.
Index 3, the Approaches Grade Level Standard numerator or Masters Grade Level 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.
