School accountability ratings are based on the percent of students
passing the TAKS, percent of SDAA II tests that met ARD expectations,
high school completion rate, and the annual dropout rate. Standards
for TAKS, completion rates, and dropout rates must be met for
all students as well as for student groups (African American,
Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged). Performance
on SDAA II must be met for all students.
Gold Performance Acknowledgment:
Some schools may also qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgments
for high performance on Advanced Course/Dual Enrollment, AP/IB,
Attendance, Commended Performance on TAKS, Comparable Improvement,
SAT/ACT, Recommended High School Program, or TAAS/TASP
Equivalency.
Paired Schools: Schools
that reported enrollment but did not have grades in which the
TAKS test is given (such as K–2 schools), were paired with
schools with which they had a “feeder” relationship
to determine accountability ratings.
TAKS Met 2005 Passing Standard:
The TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) is a standardized
test that students in grades 3 through 11 must take. TAKS measures
the extent that a student has learned, understood, and is able
to apply the important concepts and skills expected at each tested
grade level. Students are assessed in English language arts (ELA)
(grades 10 & 11), reading (grades 3-9), mathematics (grades
3-11), writing (grades 4 & 7), science (grades 5, 10 &
11), and social studies (grades 8, 10 & 11). Results shown
include only the performance of those students who were enrolled
at the campus by the last Friday in October. Results are summed
across grades for all grades tested at the school.
TAKS Progress Measure: This
measure is shown only for alternative education campuses rated
under alternative education accountability (AEA) procedures. The
TAKS progress measure is based on the number of tests taken. It
sums performance results across grades 3 though 11 and across
all subjects to provide a single measure. Test results that do
not meet the TAKS passing standard but show sufficient growth,
and exit-level TAKS retest results are included in this measure.
SDAA II Examinations: State-Developed
Alternative Assessment II is for special education students in
grades 3-10 who are receiving instruction in the curriculum (Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills) but for whom the TAKS test is
not an appropriate measure of their academic progress. SDAA II
tests are given in reading/ELA, writing, and mathematics. Students
are assessed at the appropriate instructional levels, as determined
by their ARD (Admissions, Review, and Dismissal) committee. This
is a single measure showing the percent of SDAA II tests taken
that met ARD expectations, summed across grades (3rd, 4th, 5th,
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and/or 10th) and subjects (reading/ELA, writing
and/or mathematics).
TAKS/SDAA II Exemptions:
The report shows the percent of students who were exempted on
every test, by exemption category. A student may be exempted from
a test if he or she has received a special education (ARD) exemption
or a limited-English proficiency (LEP) exemption.
Progress of Prior Year TAKS Failers:
This measure shows the percent of students who failed the TAKS
in the previous year but passed in the current year.
Student Success Initiative (SSI):
Students in grade 3 must pass the reading TAKS in order to be
promoted to grade 4, and students in grade 5 must pass both the
reading and mathematics TAKS in order to be promoted to grade
6. Students are given three opportunities to pass each test. Depending
on the school, up to four measures are shown: 1) Students
Requiring Accelerated Instruction: For each subject and grade,
this shows the percent of students who did not pass the first
administration of the TAKS. Students who did not pass the first
administration must be provided accelerated instruction in preparation
for the second administration. 2) TAKS Cumulative Met Standard:
For each subject and grade, this shows the cumulative (and unduplicated)
percent of students who took and passed the tests in the first
and second administrations combined. 3) TAKS Failers Promoted
by Grade Placement Committee: This shows the percent of grade
3 students who failed all attempts to pass the reading test but
were promoted to the next grade by their grade placement committee.
4) TAKS Met Standard (Failed in Previous Year): This
presents two calculations for students who failed all administrations
of the grade 3 reading test in 2004: For those who were promoted
to fourth grade, the first measure shows the percentage that passed
the grade 4 reading test in 2005; and for those who were retained
in third grade, the second measure shows the percentage that passed
the grade 3 reading test in 2005. The same information is presented
for the previous year.
Attendance Rate: The report
shows the attendance rate for the entire school year for students
in grades 1-12.
Annual Dropout Rate: Two
indicators are shown: 1) Annual Dropout Rate (Gr 7-8):
This shows what percent of grade 7-8 students dropped out in the
2003-04 and 2002-03 school years; and 2) Annual Dropout Rate
(Gr 7-12): This shows what percent of grade 7-12 students
dropped out in the 2003-04 and 2002-03 school years.
Completion Rate: This
indicator takes students who started 9th grade in 2000-01 and
shows their status in 2004. Two measures are provided: 1) Completion/Student
Status Rate shows the percent of students who graduated,
received a GED, continued high school, or dropped out; and 2)
Completion Rate sums the percent of students who graduated,
received a GED, or continued high school. The same information
is given for the class of 2003.
Recommended High School Program Graduates:
The report shows the percent of graduates for the class of 2004
and 2003 who satisfied the requirements for the Texas State Board
of Education Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished
Achievement Program.
TAAS/TASP Equivalency:
This shows the percent of graduates in the class of 2004 and 2003
who did well enough on the exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic
Skills (TAAS) to have a 75% likelihood of passing the Texas Academic
Skills Program (TASP) test. The TASP test measures reading, writing,
and mathematics skills and prior to 2004 was required of students
entering Texas public institutions of higher education.
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) –
Higher Education Readiness Component: The Texas Success
Initiative (TSI) is a program to improve student success in college.
This indicator shows the percent of students who scored high enough
on the TAKS to be exempted from the TSI requirements.
SAT/ACT Results: The report
provides four measures: (1) Tested shows the percent
of graduates who took either the SAT or the ACT. 2) At/Above
Criterion shows the percent of graduates who scored at or
above the “Criterion Score” (criterion score is 1110
for SAT and 24 for ACT). 3) & 4) Mean SAT Score and
Mean ACT Score show the average score on the SAT and
ACT. Information is shown for the class of 2004 and 2003.
Class Size Averages by Grade
and Subject: Class sizes are calculated from teacher
class schedules. For example, the number of students in science
is summed and divided by a count of the science classes. Elementary
classes are shown by grade; secondary classes are shown by subject.
Number of Students per Teacher:
The report shows the total number of students in membership, divided
by the total number of teachers (expressed as full-time equivalents)
at the school.
Instructional Staff Percent:
This measure indicates the percentage of the district’s
full-time equivalent employees whose job function was to directly
provide classroom instruction to students during the 2004-05 school
year.
Instructional Expenditure Ratio:
This measure shows the percent of the district’s total actual
expenditures for the 2003-04 fiscal year that was used to fund
direct instructional activities.
Expenditures per Student:
This value shows actual 2003-04 expenditures for groups of functions
divided by the total number of 2003-04 students. Note that the
expenditures shown are not the amounts actually spent on each
and every student, but rather a per-pupil average of the total.
Per pupil expenditures are shown for total operating expenditures
and for six groupings of operating categories.
