School Grades Webinar

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Understanding and Updating School Grades for Florida’s Future

Jacksonville Public Education Fund March 10, 2014

www.jaxpef.org/SchoolGrades

About the Jacksonville Public Education Fund

The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent nonprofit organization that works to inform and mobilize the community to advocate for universally high-quality public education for all children in Duval County.

Presenters

•  Trey Csar, President

•  Dr. Jason Rose, Director of Data & Research

•  Deirdre Conner, Director of Advocacy & Communications

•  Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent, Duval County Public Schools

Background

o  School grades were introduced in Florida in 1999, the first A-F model for reporting school accountability in the nation.

o  Numerous changes to the standards, tests, and formula over time have caused confusion over what school grades actually mean.

o  Florida is implementing new standards and adopting a new assessment, making this the right time to update the school grading system.

Why is this important?

o  In a recent survey conducted by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund through UNF Survey Research Center, 42% of respondents polled said school grades would be the most important thing to them in considering a school to enroll a child in – more than personal recommendations or any other factor.

o  Significant rewards and accountability sanctions are tied to school grade performance for schools and districts.

o  Numerous changes have caused confusion and mistrust over what grades mean. Now is the time to make grades stable and meaningful moving forward.

inBRIEF: Winter 2014 Understanding and Updating

School Grades for Florida’s Future

Download at www.jaxpef.org/SchoolGrades

What’s happening at the Florida Department of Education

o  January 8: Florida Education Commissioner, Pam Stewart, introduces outline for planned changes to school accountability model at Senate Education Committee meeting.

o  February 18: Commissioner presents more detailed proposal for changes to school accountability model at state Board of Education meeting. Board also approves new Florida Standards at same meeting.

o  February 20: Commissioner presents new plan to House Education Committee.

o  March 18: Commissioner expected to select new statewide assessment.

Proposed transition timeline

Source: Florida Department of Education

Florida Department of Education Proposal

o  Focus on student success measures such as student achievement, graduation rate and learning gains

o  Report A-F grades based on the percentage of total points earned rather than a point total

o  Reset grading scale to require a rigorous standard be met and avoid compression issues in current scale

o  Periodic review of the scale

o  Release grades for all schools in the summer

Current & Proposed (FLDOE) School Grades Formula: Elementary Schools

Category Current Formula* FDOE Proposed Formula**

Proficiency (Reading - All)*** ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Proficiency (Math - All) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Proficiency (Writing – All) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✖

Proficiency (Science – All) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Learning Gains (Reading – All)*** ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Learning Gains (Math – All) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Learning Gains (Reading – Lowest 25%)*** ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Learning Gains (Math – Lowest 25%) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Total Scale 0 - 800 pts. 0 – 100% (x/700)

* - School is lowered one letter grade below below what point total indicates if: •  Fewer tham 50% of Lowest 25% demonstrate gains in reading and mathematics (or show annual improvement) •  Fewer than 25% of students are reading at or above grade level •  Fewer than 95% of eligible students are tested, and school earned enough for an “A”

** - No additional rules *** - Reading & Writing combined as “English/Language Arts” in new assessment

Current & Proposed (FLDOE) School Grades Formula: Middle Schools






Proficiency (Social Studies – All) ✖ ✔ (0 – 100%)





Accelerated Coursework (Participation) ✔ (0 - 50 pts.) ✖

Accelerated Coursework (Performance) ✔ (0 - 50 pts.) ✖

Total Scale 0 - 900 pts. 0 – 100% (x/800)

* - School is lowered one letter grade below below what point total indicates if: •  Fewer tham 50% of Lowest 25% demonstrate gains in reading and mathematics (or show annual improvement) •  Fewer than 25% of students are reading at or above grade level •  Fewer than 95% of eligible students are tested, and school earned enough for an “A”

** - No additional rules *** - Reading & Writing combined as “English/Language Arts” in new assessment

Current & Proposed (FLDOE) School Grades Formula: High Schools






Proficiency (Social Studies – All) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)





Accelerated Coursework (Participation) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✖

Accelerated Coursework (Performance) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Graduation Rate (Overall, 4-year) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✔ (0 – 100%)

Graduation Rate (Overall, 5-year) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✖

Graduation Rate (At-risk, 4-year) ✔ (0 - 50 pts.) ✖

Graduation Rate (At-Risk, 4-year) ✔ (0 - 50 pts.) ✖

College Readiness (Reading) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✖

College Readiness (Math) ✔ (0 - 100 pts.) ✖

Total Scale 0 - 1600 pts. 0 – 100% (x/1000)

* - Ibid. ** - Ibid. *** - Ibid.

FLDOE Proposal: Feedback

Positive Steps o  Resetting grade scale to improve

stability, meaningfulness of grades

o  Acknowledging need to establish scheduled, periodic review of scale and components

o  Elimination of extraneous bonuses and penalties

o  Suspension of sanctions attached to “baseline grades” in first year.

Concerns o  Insufficient transition time to calculate and

communicate baseline grades in new system

o  Lacks consideration about improving measurement & use of growth

o  Elimination of individual components: o  College readiness (Reading) o  College readiness (Math) o  Accelerated coursework (Participation) o  Graduation rate (At-risk students)

o  Potential use of old data for HS grades

State Legislative Updates

o  Senate Education Committee bill (SB 1642) mostly reflects Florida Department of Education proposal. o  Amendment to return credit for middle school accelerated

coursework participation & performance added.

o  Alternate bill (SB 1368) filed Feb. 27 by Sen. Montford seeking to implement a three year transition plan, delaying school grades until 2017-2018.

o  House Education Committee held School Accountability workshop on March 6. Expected to file bill for approval at March 12 meeting.

What’s next?

o  Formula Issues: o  Return increased focus on college readiness & at-risk

graduation to school grades

o  Reconsider options how student growth is measured and used as an emphasis in school accountability

o  Implementation & Alignment Issues: o  Establish review “window” (ideally 5 years)

o  How will alignment of teacher, school & district evaluation measures be addressed?

What’s next?

o  Transition Issues:

o  How will learning gains will be calculated for proposed “baseline year” grades without two administrations of the new assessment?

o  Implement a full one-year transition period

o  Increase public understanding and trust

o  Time to improve the way growth is measured and used, and better align teacher and school accountability systems

o  Ensure the transition to measuring growth on a new assessment is meaningful and sound

o  Graduation rates, scores, other data would continue to be released

o  Consider approaches used in other states facing similar transitions such as Texas

Questions

How to Get Involved

o  Be informed: o  Download the brief

o  Stay abreast of current developments on the blog

o  Be heard: o  Write your elected lawmakers – visit the site to connect to an easy-

to-use tool

o  Share this information with your friends, neighbors and coworkers

Find all of these resources and more online at www.jaxpef.org/SchoolGrades

Thank You!

www.jaxpef.org/SchoolGrades