Accreditation/Accountability Rating: This refers to the 1996 district and campus ratings assigned by the 1996 accountability system. Districts and campuses are evaluated on performance on the TAAS, the dropout rate, and the attendance rate. Districts receive an accreditation status and campuses receive a rating. The four levels of accreditation status and ratings are:
Campuses may also be designated as Alternative Education or Not Rated. Those with a rating of Alternative Education operate alternative education programs and are evaluated under an alternative education accountability system. Not Rated campuses include those that do not serve students within the 1st- through 12th-grade span, such as pre-kindergarten centers and early education through kindergarten schools, as well as schools that serve only students in special education.
For a more detailed explanation of the accountability system, see the 1996 Accountability Manual, Part 1. A copy of the manual was provided to each superintendent and principal in March 1996. It is also available on TEA's Website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us. For a detailed explanation of the accountability system used for alternative education schools, see the Alternative Accountability System Manual, available from the TEA Office of Accountability.
Additional Acknowledgment: This refers to the campus or district's performance on the additional indicators in the accountability system. For 1996, performance on the college admissions tests is the only additional indicator. High schools and districts are eligible for a Recognized or Exemplary rating for high performance on this additional indicator. For a more detailed explanation of how the additional indicator is assigned, see the 1996 Accountability Manual, Part 1. A copy of the manual was provided to each superintendent and principal in March 1996. It is also available on TEA's Website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us.
Advanced Courses: This indicator is based on a count of the number of students who complete and receive credit for at least one advanced academic course in grades 9-12. Appendix C lists all the advanced courses plus all the Advanced Placement (AP) courses included in this measure. Course completion information is reported to the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) at the end of the school year. The values, expressed as a percent, are calculated as follows:
number of students who completed at least
|
divided by |
number of students who completed at least one course in 1994-95 |
Advanced course completion rates are shown for 1993-94 and 1994-95. Note that counts of special education students are excluded from the results shown for the campus or district, and the individual student groups. See Appendix C: List of Advanced Courses. (Source: PEIMS, June 1995, June 1994)
Advanced Placement Exams (from District Performance Section): This refers to the results of the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations taken by Texas public school students in a given school year. (These examinations are purchased from the Educational Testing Service, a College Board contractor.) High school students may take these examinations, ideally upon completion of AP courses, and may receive advanced placement or credit, or both, upon entering college. Generally, colleges will award credit or advanced placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on AP examinations.
Three values were calculated for this indicator:
(1) The percent of students in grades 11 and 12 taking at least one AP exam:
number of 11th and 12th grade students taking at least one AP exam |
divided by |
number of 11th and 12th grade students |
(2) The percent of AP scores 3, 4, or 5:
number of grade 11 and 12 AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5 |
divided by |
number of grade 11 and 12 AP exam scores |
(3) The percent of examinees with at least one AP score of 3, 4, or 5:
number of grade 11 and 12 AP examinees with at least one score of 3, 4, or 5 |
divided by |
number of grade 11 and 12 AP examinees |
Note that "number of 11th and 12th graders" in the denominator of equation (1) does not include 11th and 12th grade students served in special education; however, all students who took at least one AP exam are included in the numerator.
This indicator is provided on district reports only. For purposes of year-to-year comparison, information is provided for students taking AP examinations in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 school years. (Sources: Educational Testing Service, a College Board contractor; and PEIMS, Oct. 1995, Oct. 1994)
Attendance: Attendance rates reported in AEIS are based on student attendance for the entire school year. Attendance is calculated as follows:
total number of days students were present in 1994-95 |
divided by |
total number of days students were in membership in 1994-95 |
Attendance rates are shown for 1993-94 and 1994-95. Only students in grades 1-12 are included in the calculations. (Source: PEIMS, June 1995, June 1994)
Auxiliary Staff (from District Profile Section): This shows the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) count of staff reported without a role but with a PEIMS employment and payroll record. Counts of auxiliary staff are expressed as a percent of total staff. For auxiliary staff, the FTE is simply the value of the percent of day worked expressed as a fraction. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Average Actual Salaries (excluding supplements): For each professional staff type, the total salary is divided by the total FTE count of staff who receive that salary. The total actual salary amount is base pay for regular duties only and does not include supplements. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Average Teacher Salary by Years of Experience (excluding supplements): Total base pay for teachers within each experience group is divided by the total teacher FTE for the group. The total actual salary amount is base pay for regular duties only and does not include supplements. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Average Years Experience of Teachers: Weighted averages are obtained by multiplying each teacher's FTE count by years of experience. These amounts, when summed for all teachers and divided by the total teacher count, result in the averages shown in the profile section. Average years experience refers to the total number of years of professional experience for the individual, while average years experience with a district refers to tenure, i.e., the number of years employed in the reporting district. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Budgeted Instructional Operating Expenditures by Program: These are budgeted instructional operating expenditures categorized by the individual program (regular, special, compensatory, career and technology, bilingual/ESL, and gifted and talented) for which they were budgeted. Values shown are the percent of total instructional operating expenditures. Instructional operating expenditures include those activities which deal directly with the instruction of pupils (Function 11, 16). Instructional administrative expenditures are not included. See Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Campus Group: The methodology used for determining campus comparison groups for the 1995-96 AEIS is different from what was used in the past. The new methodology provides smaller and more demographically similar groups.
Each school has a unique comparison group of 40 schools that closely match the target school demographically. Six demographic variables are used:
Schools are first grouped by type (elementary, middle, high school, or K-12). Then the group is determined on the basis of the most predominant features at the target school. For example, imagine a school that has 0% African American, 70% Hispanic, 30% White, 100% economically disadvantaged, 50% limited English proficient, and 20% mobile students. Of these characteristics, the most predominant (i.e., the largest) is the percent of economically disadvantaged students. Next is the percent of Hispanic students, then the percent of LEP students, then the percent of White students, then mobile students, and finally, the percent of African American students. The final group of 40 campuses is identified by starting with 100 schools and eliminating the 60 schools least like the target school, starting with the most predominant characteristic and working down to the least predominant characteristic.
In the performance section of the AEIS report, the value given in the Campus Group column is the median. (The median is defined as that point in the distribution of values, above and below which one-half of the values fall.) However, on the profile section of the report, the value given in the Campus Group column is the mean, or average value. If a report contains question marks (?) in the Campus Group column, this means there were too few schools in the comparison group (specifically, fewer than 25 schools) to have confidence in the median values. Such small numbers are considered too unstable to provide an adequate comparison group value. Note that group values for prior year (e.g., 1995 TAAS results) are based on the prior year (100 schools) grouping methodology.
For a more detailed explanation of Campus Groups, see the 1996 Accountability Manual, Part 2. A copy of Part 2 was provided to each superintendent and principal in May 1996. It is also available on TEA's Website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us. See Economically Disadvantaged, Ethnic Distribution, Limited English Proficient, and Mobility. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, June 1995)
Class Size by Subject Area (from District Profile Section): This value shows the number of classes and the average class size for elementary and selected secondary classes. Class size averages are determined by summing the number of students served and dividing by a calculated count of classes. Only classes identified as serving "regular population" students are included in these counts and averages. The method for estimating the number of classes differs depending on whether the class is elementary or secondary due to different reporting practices. For secondary classes, each unique combination of teacher and class time is counted as a class. For elementary classes, the teacher's FTE value is considered when counting classes. Class size for sixth grade elementary courses that are departmentalized are calculated using the methodology applied to secondary classes. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
College Admissions Tests: These include the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the Enhanced ACT of the American College Testing Program. Both testing companies provide the agency with testing information each fall on the test participation and performance of the most recent graduating class at all Texas public schools. Only one record is sent per student. If the student took a test more than once, the agency receives the record for the most recent test taken. Three values are calculated for this indicator:
(1) The percent of graduates who scored at or above the criterion score on either test (1000 on the SAT, or 24 on the ACT):
number of graduates who scored at or above criterion |
divided by |
number of graduates |
(2) The percent of graduates who took either college admissions test:
number of graduates who either took the SAT or the ACT |
divided by |
number of graduates |
(3) The average score for each (SAT total and ACT composite), calculated as follows:
total score for all students who took the SAT |
divided by |
number of students who took the SAT |
and
total score for all students who took the ACT |
divided by |
number of students who took the ACT |
Note that "graduates" in the denominator of equations (1) and (2) does not include special education graduates; however, special education graduates who took either the SAT or ACT are included in the numerator. For purposes of year-to-year comparison, information is provided for the Class of 1995 and the Class of 1994. (Source: Educational Testing Service (SAT); American College Testing Program (ACT); and PEIMS, Oct. 1995, Oct. 1994)
Cooperative Information (from District Profile Section): Staff: Individuals are identified as participants in a cooperative if their assigned campus number belongs in a district different from their employing district, or if they are reported with a campus number of 701. Only the portion of a person's total FTE amount associated with the campus in another district (or with the 701 record) are counted as cooperative. Cooperative auxiliary staff are those auxiliary staff with payroll amounts reported in the Trust and Agency Fiduciary Fund Group. None of these staff counts are included in any other profile statistics. Budgeted Financial: Cooperative information is categorized into two groups, total revenues by source and total expenditures by object. None of these financial amounts are included in any other profile statistics except those reported as an exclusion in the adult program category. Total revenues: The total for all revenues budgeted with fund codes indicating Local, State, or Federally Funded Cooperatives. Total Expenditures: The total for all expenditures budgeted with fund codes indicating Local, State, or Federally Funded Cooperatives. Instructional Operating Expenditures: Expenditures budgeted with Local, State, or Federally Funded Cooperatives fund classifications. See Appendix B (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Criterion Score: This refers to the college admissions tests. The criterion score values are 24 on the ACT (composite) or 1000 on the SAT (total).
Dropout: A student is identified as a dropout if the individual is absent without an approved excuse or documented transfer and does not return to school by the fall of the following year, or if he or she completes the school year but fails to re-enroll the following school year.
Students in the following categories are identified as dropouts:
Students in the following categories are not included in the dropout count:
(Source: TEA, 1994-95 Texas Public School Dropout Report. This report is available on the TEA Website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us)
Dropout Rate: The dropout rate is the number of dropouts summed across all grades, 7-12, divided by the number of students summed across all grades 7-12. It is calculated as follows:
number of students who dropped out during the school year |
divided by |
number of students who were in membership at any time during the school year |
Annual dropout rates are shown for 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Note that a cumulative count of students is used in the denominator as well as the numerator. This method for calculating the dropout rate neutralizes the effects of mobility by including in the denominator every student who enrolled at the school throughout the school year. See Dropouts and Dropout Recovery Process. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, June 1995, October 1994, and June 1994)
Dropout Recovery Process: In the fall of each year, districts report students who dropped out the previous year or failed to re-enroll the following school year. This information is sent to TEA in Submission 1 of the annual PEIMS data collection. In March, after the data submission process is complete, several other statewide databases are searched to determine if any of the reported dropouts were erroneously reported. Students found through this process are considered "recovered" and removed from the district's and campus' list of dropouts if the reported dropouts:
For 1994-95 dropouts (reported in fall 1995), the dropout recovery process was expanded to include students who:
(Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, June 1995, Oct. 1994, June 1994, Oct. 1993, and Oct. 1992; General Education Development Information File; and TEA, 1994-95 Texas Public School Dropout Report)
Economically Disadvantaged: The percent of economically disadvantaged students is calculated as the sum of the students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or eligible for other public assistance, divided by the total number of students:
number of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or other public assistance |
divided by |
number of students |
See Campus Group. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, Oct. 1994; and TEA Division of Student Assessment)
Educational Aides: Educational aides are staff who are reported
with a role of 033 or 035. Educational aides are sometimes referred to as
paraprofessional staff. FTE counts of educational aides are expressed as
a percent of the total staff FTE. (Source: PEIMS,
Oct. 1995)
End-of-Course Examination: Students completing a Biology I or Algebra I course must take an End-of-Course exam. The AEIS shows the percent of students who took the test in either December or May of the 1995-96 school year (summer school test takers are not included). For Biology I, the percent of students who took the test in grades 8-12 is reported. For Algebra I, the percent of students who took the test in grades 7-12 is reported.
For example, the percent tested in Biology I is calculated as follows:
number of students in grades 8-12 who took the Biology I End-of-Course exam |
divided by |
number of students enrolled in grades 8-12 |
(Source: TEA Division of Student Assessment; and PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Enrollment: See Total Students.
Ethnic Distribution: Students are reported as White, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American. In the profile section, both counts and percentages of the total number of students are shown. See Campus Group. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, Oct. 1994; Educational Testing Service; American College Testing Program; and TEA Division of Student Assessment)
Exclusions (from District Profile Section): These are selected revenue and expenditure amounts omitted from the other financial information presented. These amounts are separated to provide a more equalized financial picture. Total Capital Projects Fund Revenues is the total of all revenues budgeted in the capital projects fund. Total Capital Projects Fund Expenditures is the total of all expenditures budgeted in the capital projects fund. Adult Program Funds (state and federal) Revenues is the amount budgeted in the adult basic education fund and other adult program funds. Adult Program Funds (state and federal) Expenditures is the amount budgeted in the adult basic education fund and other adult program funds. An exclusion is also made for tuition transfer payments, where a K-6 district transfers students to a K-12 district. See Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Expenditures by Function (from District Profile Section): Expenditures for groups of functions are expressed as a percent of total expenditures. Instruction: all activities dealing directly with the instruction of pupils, including instruction aided with computers. Instructional Administration: the management and improvement of the quality of instruction and curriculum. Campus Administration: the operation and management of a school. Central Administration: the general administration activities of the district, the development of personnel and curriculum, and data processing services. Support: instruction-related services such as media and library materials, and pupil services such as counseling, promotion of attendance, and health services. Plant Services: physical plant maintenance and operation. Other Operating: pupil transportation, food services, and cocurricular activities. Debt Service: bond and lease/purchase principal, and all types of interest. Capital Outlay: facilities acquisition/construction not made from the capital projects fund. Community (Ancillary) Services: activities involving all the community. Operating expenditures are comprised of the instructional, instructional administration, campus administration, central administration, support, plant services, and other operating categories. Non-operating expenditures consist of debt service, capital outlay, and community service functions. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Expenditures by Object (from District Profile Section): Budgeted expenditures for groups of objects are expressed as a percent of total expenditures. Payroll: these are payroll expenditures for instruction, support, administration, plant services, and other staff functions. Other Operating: purchased and contracted services, supplies and materials, and all other operating expenditures. Non-Operating: debt service and capital outlay not made from the capital projects fund. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
FTE: Full-Time Equivalent.
Fund Balance Information (from District Profile Section): The amount of unencumbered surplus fund balance that existed at the end of the 1994-95 school year is reported for each district. The percent of the total budgeted expenditures (for the general fund) for the current year (1995-96) is also shown. (Source: Financial Audit Report, Dec. 1995)
Graduates (Class of 1995): This is the total number of graduates (including summer graduates) for the 1994-95 school year, reported in the fall of 1995. The value includes 12th graders who graduated as well as graduates from other grades. Special education graduates are included in the totals and reported as a separate group; counts of graduates receiving advanced seals are also shown. A portion of the graduates of the Class of 1995 completed the Recommended High School Program, which is a new indicator in the performance section of the 1995-96 AEIS. See Recommended High School Program. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
LEP (Limited English Proficient): These are counts of students identified as limited English proficient by the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) or a designated professional. Pupils identified as LEP do not necessarily receive bilingual or English as a second language instruction, though most do. Percentages are computed by dividing the number of LEP pupils by the total number of students in the school or district. See Campus Group. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Mobility: A student is considered to be mobile if he or she has been in membership at the school for less than 83% of the school year (i.e., has missed six or more weeks at a particular school).
number of mobile students |
divided by |
number of students who were in membership at any time during the school year |
See Campus Group. (Source: PEIMS, June 1995)
n/a: This indicates data that are not available or are not applicable.
n/i: This indicates data that are not included in the report for the year shown.
Number of Students per Teacher: This shows the total number of students divided by the total teacher FTE count. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Paired Schools: Schools that reported enrollment but do not have grades in which the TAAS test is given (e.g. 9th grade centers, K-2 schools, etc.) are paired with schools with which they have a "feeder" relationship to determine accountability ratings. For example, Travis 9th Grade Center feeds its students into Navarro High School, a 10th-12th grade high school, so the district paired these two schools for accountability purposes. The accountability ratings for these two schools are determined as follows: Travis' attendance rate and dropout rate are used along with Navarro's TAAS pass rates to determine Travis' rating. Navarro High School, on the other hand, used its own attendance rate, dropout rate, and TAAS pass rates to determine its rating. For this reason, two schools that are paired can receive different ratings.
Permits by Type (from District Profile Section): This indicates the number of permits issued by permit type. Individuals may be issued more than one permit; for that reason only counts are shown, not percentages. Permit types are emergency (for certified personnel), emergency (for uncertified personnel), nonrenewable, temporary classroom assignment, district teaching, and temporary exemption. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Per Pupil Expenditures: Budgeted expenditures for groups of functions divided by the total number of students in the district or school. On the district report, per pupil expenditures are shown for total expenditures and for various groupings of operating and non-operating categories. See Expenditures by Function for definitions of each functional group. Because only operating expenditures are budgeted at the campus level, per pupil amounts for various categories of operating expenditures are shown. See Total Campus Budget by Function for definitions of each functional group. In the per pupil tables on both the district and campus reports, instructional administration is combined with the instruction category in order to comply with legislative mandates that instructional costs per pupil and administrative costs per pupil be reported. Please note that when comparing averages for school-level expenditures, the state and district averages include all types of schools. To illustrate, comparing one high school's per pupil expenditures to the state average for per pupil expenditures may be misleading. The state average shows the average per pupil expenditure of all schools in the state, including elementary and middle schools, which typically have lower per pupil expenditures than high schools. See Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Professional Staff: This is a full-time equivalent (FTE) count of teachers, professional support staff, and campus administrators. (On the district profile this count also includes central administrators.) Staff are grouped according to the PEIMS roles reported for them. Each type of professional staff is shown as a percentage of the total staff FTE (professional and paraprofessional). See Appendix A. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Recommended High School Program: This indicator reports the percentage of graduates who satisfied the course requirements for the Texas State Board of Education Recommended High School Program. It is calculated as follows:
number of graduates reported with a graduation
code of |
divided by |
number of graduates |
1995-96 AEIS reports will show results for the Class of 1995, the first
year for which
this information is available. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Retention Rates by Grade: The retention rate, which is reported in the profile section, shows the percent of students in Texas public schools who enrolled the following year in the same grade as their grade in the last reported six-week period of the prior year. It is calculated as follows:
number of students not advanced to the next grade |
divided by |
number of students advanced to the next grade
+ number of students |
This methodology differs from that of previous years, which used the year-end status record. This record has been dropped from the PEIMS data collection. Note that special education retention rates are calculated and reported separately from the rates of non-special education students because local retention practices appear to differ greatly between these two populations of students. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, June 1995)
Revenues by Source (from District Profile Section): Budgeted revenues for groups of object categories are expressed as a percent of total revenue. Local Tax: district income from ad valorem property taxes. Other Local and Intermediate: payments for services to other districts, tuition and fees from students, transfers from within the state, revenue from cocurricular and enterprising activities, all other local sources, transfers from intermediate sources (county), and transfers from outside the state. State: per capita and foundation program entitlements, revenue from other state-funded programs, and revenue from other state agencies. State revenue includes a new object code, Teacher Retirement System benefits paid by the State of Texas on behalf of employees in the district. For both the revenue and expenditure sections of the AEIS report, a footnote indicates the dollar amount budgeted by each district for this new object code. Federal: revenue received directly from the federal government and distributed by TEA for career and technology education, programs for educationally disadvantaged children (Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act), food service programs, and other federal programs. See Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995 )
School Type: For purposes of demographic grouping, schools are divided into four classifications based on lowest and highest grades in which students are enrolled at the school: Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and both Elementary/Secondary (K-12).
Special Education: This refers to those students who are served through a special education program. Performance of special education students on TAAS, the End-of-Course exams, and the TAAS/TASP Equivalency is reported separately and not included in the calculation of campus or district-level values. This is true as well for the Advanced Course Completion indicator. Information on the performance of special education students on college admissions tests and on Advanced Placement exams is not available. For all other indicators where special education information is available, values for these students are included in the calculation of campus-level values. Note that in the profile section of the report, retention rates are shown separately for special education and non-special education students. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, Oct. 1994, and TEA Division of Student Assessment)
Standardized Local Tax Base (Comptroller Valuation) (from District Profile Section): This shows the district's total taxable property value as certified by the Comptroller's Property Tax Division (Comptroller Valuation). Value per Pupil: total taxable property value divided by the total number of students. This per pupil figure is often referred to as "wealth." Value by Category: shows aggregates of individual property tax categories expressed as a percent of the total market or taxable value of all property. NOTE: Values shown are final for tax year 1995. (Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, July 1996)
Standardized Tax Rates (Comptroller Valuation) (from District Profile Section): Sometimes property values are not judged equivalently across appraisal districts. For this reason the Comp-troller conducts a study each year which re-evaluates the property values within school districts. Standardized, or equalized, tax rates are the result of dividing the taxes collected by districts by the Comptroller's re-evaluated values. Standardized rates are more comparable across districts than the locally adopted rates because the standardized rates are based on equalized property values. The total standardized rate is the sum of the school district maintenance and operation rate (M&O) and debt service (Interest & Sinking fund) rates. Rates are expressed per $100 of taxable value. (Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, July 1996)
Student Enrollment by Program: Students are identified as served through the special, career and technology, bilingual/ESL, or gifted and talented education programs. The percentages may reflect duplicate counts, as a student may be enrolled in more than one program. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Students by Grade: Percentages are calculated by dividing the number of students in each grade by the total number of students.
TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills): This criterion-referenced test measures student achievement in reading and mathematics at grades 3-8 and 10, writing at grades 4, 8, and 10, and science and social studies in grade 8. The tests are given in the spring of each year.
The AEIS report calculates TAAS passing rates in two ways:
number of students who passed the reading test in grades 3, 4, & 5 |
divided by |
number of students who took the reading test in grades 3, 4, & 5 |
Although "All Tests Taken" is not used in the accountability system, it is shown on the AEIS report. When summing across all grades for "All Tests Taken," science and social studies results are not included.
Note that not all test takers are included in the values shown on the AEIS report:
TAAS Exit-level Cumulative Pass Rate (from District Performance Section): This new indicator reports the cumulative percent of students passing all tests taken on the exit-level TAAS. Results are provided for the Class of 1995 cohort (i.e., those students who started testing in spring 1993 and finished testing in the same district by May 1995) and the Class of 1996 cohort (i.e., those students who started testing in spring 1994 and finished testing in the same district by May 1996). This indicator also includes those students who began testing in spring 1993 or spring 1994 but were not in Grade 10. For example, a Grade 12 student who moved to Texas and took the test for the first time in spring 1993 will be included in the Class of 1995 cohort. Demographic information for this indicator is limited to the students' sex and ethnicity, as coded on the most recent answer document submitted. Special education students are included in the cumulative pass rates and are not reported separately. This indicator is calculated as follows:
cumulative number of students passing all
tests taken |
divided by |
number of students taking the exit-level TAAS in the same district |
(Source: TEA Division of Student Assessment)
TAAS Exemptions: This is the percent of students exempted from taking the TAAS reading, writing, or mathematics tests shown according to exemption category. A student may be exempted from the test if he or she (1) has received a special education exemption as determined by an admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee and specified in the student's individual education plan; or (2) has received a limited English proficiency exemption, as determined by a language proficiency assessment committee and documented in the student's permanent record file. The limited English proficiency exemption is not an option for exit-level students. For example, the percent exempted from taking TAAS reading due to a special education exemption would be calculated as follows:
number of students exempted from the TAAS
reading test |
divided by |
total number of students in the grades given the TAAS reading test |
"Total number of students in the grades given the TAAS reading test" is based on the number of answer documents submitted. An answer document is required for every child enrolled in the grades tested. Note that all special education students are included in the denominator, whether they took the TAAS or not. (Source: TEA Division of Student Assessment)
TAAS Passing Standard: The standard for passing (or meeting minimum expectations on) the exit-level TAAS test is equivalent to correctly answering 70% of the items based on the October 1990 exit-level test. In the spring of 1994, the passing standards in reading and mathematics at grades 3-8 were aligned with the exit-level standard in order to measure student achievement across time. Students in grades 3-8 and 10 achieving a Texas Learning Index (TLI) score of 70 or higher meet minimum expectations in reading and mathematics. On the writing test, students must achieve a scale score of 1500 or higher to meet minimum expectations. (Source: TEA Division of Student Assessment)
TAAS/TASP Equivalency: This indicator shows the percent of graduates from the Class of 1995 who did well enough on the exit-level TAAS to have a 75% likelihood of passing the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test. This year the method for calculating this indicator has changed due to changes in the TASP assessment program and the movement (which occurred in the 1992-93 school year) of the exit-level TAAS administration to the spring semester of the sophomore year from the fall semester of the junior year. To be counted for this indicator a student must have achieved a scale score of 1610 or higher or a TLI of X-81 or higher on the TAAS reading test, and achieved a score of 1590 or higher or a TLI of X-77 or higher on the TAAS mathematics test. On the TAAS writing test, a scale score of 1540 or higher is required. Because the method for computing the TAAS/TASP rates is different from that used in past AEIS reports, values are reported for the Class of 1995 only. Students included in this indicator are the Class of 1995 graduates who were first tested as grade 10 students in spring 1993, grade 11 students who were first tested in October 1993 or spring 1994, or grade 12 students who were first tested in October 1994 or spring 1995. See TAAS and TASP. (Source: TEA Division of Student Assessment)
TASP: The Texas Academic Skills Program test is a basic skills test of reading, writing, and mathematics. It is required of all persons entering Texas public institutions of higher education for the first time.
Teachers by Ethnicity and Sex: These are counts of teacher FTEs by the major ethnic groups and by sex. Counts are also expressed as a percent of the total teacher FTE. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Teachers by Highest Degree Held (from District Profile Section): This shows the distribution of degrees attained by teachers in the district. The FTE counts of teachers with no degree, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees are expressed as a percent of the total teacher FTEs. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Teachers by Program (population served): Teacher FTE counts are categorized by the type of student populations served. Regular, special, compensatory, career and technology, bilingual/ESL, gifted and talented, and miscellaneous other populations served are shown. Teacher FTE values are allocated across population types for teachers who serve multiple population types. Percentages are expressed as a percent of total teacher FTEs. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Teachers by Years of Experience (from District Profile Section): This is the FTE count of teachers with years of professional experience that fall into the ranges shown. Experience in these categories is the total years of experience for the individual, not years of experience in the reporting district or campus. Teacher counts within each range of experience are expressed as a percent of total teacher FTEs. A beginning teacher is a teacher reported with zero years of experience. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Total Adopted Tax Rate (1995) (from District Profile Section): This is the locally adopted total tax rate set by the school district to be in effect for the 1995 calendar year. Taxes based on this rate were to be paid by taxpayers in early 1996. (Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, July 1996)
Total Campus Budget by Function (from Campus Profile Section): Instruction: budgeted expenditures for all activities dealing directly with the instruction of pupils, including instruction aided with computers. Instructional Administration: budgeted expenditures for the manage-ment and improvement of the quality of instruction and curriculum. Campus Administration: budgeted expenditures for the operation and management of a school. Other Campus Costs: budgeted expenditures for support services, pupil transportation, food services, and cocurricular activities, and expenditures for the development of personnel and curriculum. The information in the campus group, district, and state columns show the total and average costs of these expenditures for campuses in the group, campuses in the district, and all campuses in the state. Other costs not found in campuses-such as central office administrative expenditures-are not included. See Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Total Minority Staff (from District Profile Section): Minority staff is measured as the sum of the FTE counts for all non-white staff groups (African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American). This FTE count is expressed as a percent of the total staff FTE. Total staff includes teachers, professional support, administrators, educational aides, and on the district report, auxiliary staff as well. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Total Revenues (from District Profile Section): This includes the total for all revenues budgeted in the General Fund, the Special Revenue Fund (excluding Adult Basic Education), and the Debt Service Fund. Total Revenues per Pupil is total revenue divided by the total number of students. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Total Students (from District Profile Section): This is the total number of students who are reported in membership as of October 27, 1995 at any grade, from early childhood education through grade 12 on public school campuses. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995)
Turnover Rate for Teachers (from District Profile Section):
This shows the total FTE count of teachers not employed in the district
in the fall of 1995-96 who were employed in the district in the fall of
1994-95, divided by the total teacher FTE count for the fall of 1994-95.
Social security numbers of reported teachers are compared from the two semesters
to develop this information. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 1995, Oct. 1994)
Who to Call
Information about the calculation of all Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) data elements is provided in this Glossary. Information on the calculation of accountability ratings and comparable improvement is included in the 1996 Accountability Manual, Parts 1 and 2. If, after reading these documents, you have questions about the calculation of AEIS indicators, accountability ratings, or comparable improvement, contact the Division of Performance Reporting at (512) 463-9704.
Questions related to programs and policies for the following subjects should be directed to the contacts listed below. All telephone numbers are in the (512) area code.
| Subject | Contact | Number |
| Accreditation of Schools | Accountability & School Accreditation | 463-9495 |
| Alternative Education Accountability | Non-Traditional School Account. & Development | 463-9716 |
| Advanced Placement (AP) Programs | Advanced Academic Services | 463-9455 |
| Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) | College Board, Southwestern Regional Office | 472-0231 |
| American College Testing (ACT) | ACT Regional Office | 345-1949 |
| Copies of AEIS Reprts (paper, disk, tape) | Communications and Public Information | 463-9000 |
| Performance Objectives | Accountability and School Accreditation | 463-9495 |
| Principal Incentive Awards Program | Policy Planning and Research | 463-9701 |
| Public Education Grant Program | State Finance | 463-9238 |
| Public Edu. Info. Mgt. System (PEIMS) | Help Desk & Data Standards | 463-9800 |
| Public Hearings | Accountability and School Accreditation | 463-9495 |
| Recommended High School Program | Curriculum | 463-9087 |
| Retention Policies | Elementary Education, Region XIII ESC | 919-5486 |
| Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) | Educator Appraisal | 463-9525 |
| Texas Assess. of Academ. Skills (TAAS) | Student Assessment | 463-9536 |
| Texas Learning Index | Student Assessment | 463-9536 |
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