Explanation of 2014–15 TAPR Masking Rules
The 2014–15 Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) and Downloads employ masking of performance data 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
| Examples |
Numerator |
Denominator (all tests) |
Percent |
What
is Shown on Report |
What is Stored on Data
Download |
Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a |
4 |
4 |
100% |
* |
-1 |
Numerator is less than 5 and denominator is > 0. |
3 |
30 |
10% |
* |
-1 |
||
0 |
45 |
0% |
* |
-1 |
||
b |
0 |
0 |
0% |
– |
• |
Denominator is 0. |
Symbols Used for Masking Attendance
Examples |
Numerator |
Denominator |
Percent |
What
is Shown on Report |
What
is Stored on Data Download |
Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a |
100 |
400 |
25.0% |
* |
-1 |
Denominator (days membership) is less than 900 (excluding 0). |
0 |
200 |
0.0% |
* |
-1 |
||
800 |
800 |
100.0% |
* |
-1 |
||
b |
0 |
0 |
– |
– |
• |
Denominator is 0. |
Symbols Used for Masking Graduates Enrolled in TX Institution of Higher Education (IHE) **
| Numerator |
Denominator |
Percent |
What
is Shown on Report |
What
is Stored on Data Download |
Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
4 |
25.0% |
* |
-1 |
Number of graduates or number of enrolled in IHE or number not enrolled in IHE < 5 |
** All information for Graduates Enrolled in Higher Education is provided to TEA by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). For questions regarding these data, please contact the THECB at (512) 427-6153.
Symbols Used for Masking Other Performance Indicators (Annual Dropout, Longitudinal Graduation, Advanced Courses, RHSP/DAP Graduates, AP/IB, SAT/ACT, College-Ready Graduates, College and Career Ready Graduates, and CTE Coherent Sequence Graduates)
Examples |
Numerator |
Denominator |
Percent |
What
is Shown on Report |
What
is Stored on Data Download |
Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a |
1 |
4 |
25.0% |
* |
-1 |
Denominator is less than five (excluding 0). |
0 |
2 |
0.0% |
* |
-1 |
||
3 |
3 |
100.0% |
* |
-1 |
||
b |
0 |
0 |
– |
– |
• |
Denominator is 0. |
c |
> 0 |
0 |
– |
? |
-2 |
Denominator is 0 and |
d |
– |
– |
– |
n/a |
• |
Data reporting is not applicable. |
e |
8 |
6 |
133.0% |
? |
-2 |
Denominator is five or more; and, Percentages are statistically improbable, or were reported outside a reasonable range. |
35 |
30 |
117.0% |
? |
-2 |
For there to be no masking of other performance data, both of the following conditions must be met:
- Denominator is five or more; and,
- Percentages are statistically probable or are reported within a reasonable range.
Symbols Used for Masking Profile Values
If values reported on school and district staff, and student demographics are outside a reasonable range, a question mark (?) is printed on the report and a -2 is stored on the download file.
Advanced TAPR Download: Additional Masking Symbols for Numerator and Denominator
Data available for download:
- Small numbers: Numerator is less than 5 and denominator is > 0.
- Next smallest group
- Data are not available.