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TEA has released its final accountability plan for rating districts and campuses for 2007, which will remain in effect until a new accountability system is implemented. During the 80th legislative session, SB 1031 established a select committee to review the state accountability system and make recommendations by Dec. 1, 2008, regarding how the system should be structured to align with the new end-of-course assessments. The Legislature will be required to approve the new system for implementation by Sept. 1, 2011.

Generally, the state accountability system is reviewed annually, with input from an Educator Focus Group, the Commissioner’s Accountability Advisory Committee (CAAC) and others, and the Commissioner makes final determinations based on this input. The 2007 Accountability Manual and a full account of TEA’s final accountability decisions are available on the TEA website, with new accountability ratings scheduled for release in August.

2007 TAKS standards

The 2007 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) standards needed for “academically acceptable” and “recognized” ratings will increase by 5 percentage points for all subjects. For an “academically acceptable” rating, the 2007 passing standards will increase to 65% for reading/English language arts (ELA), writing and social studies; 45% for mathematics; and 40% for science. The 2007 “recognized” standard will increase to 75% for all subjects.

Hurricanes

Note that the 2007 performance results of students who were displaced in 2005 due to the hurricanes will now be included in the 2007 accountability data.

Use of SDAA II in 2007

The State-Developed Alternative Assessment II (SDAA) standards for 2007 are set at the same level as in 2006, as shown in the table below. These standards do not increase as the TAKS standards do. The SDAA II will be administered for the last time in 2007.

 
Academically
Acceptable
Recognized
Exemplary
SDAA II Indicator
50%
70%
90%

 

Grade 8 science

Grade 8 science results will be included in the accountability system beginning in 2008, and 8th grade students must meet the Panel Recommendation (PR) standard. Although state statute does not require the use of grade 8 science in the accountability system until 2009, this decision reflects the strong consensus among Educator Focus Group and CAAC members to follow the plans published in the accountability manuals since 2005 to incorporate it in the rating system beginning in 2008.

Incorporating TAKS-Inclusive (TAKS-I)*

TAKS-I results will be used in the accountability system beginning in 2008, and will be combined with TAKS results to create a single indicator in 2008 and 2009 for certain grades and subjects. Combining the TAKS and TAKS-I results into a single indicator is appropriate for several reasons. Both TAKS and TAKS-I have the same “met standard” and “commended performance” student passing standards. According to TEA, the inclusion of TAKS results for special education students is not new. Special education students taking the regular state assessment tests on grade level have been included in the state rating system since 1998-99. In addition, combining TAKS-I and TAKS results maintains the same number of measures in the state accountability system. Inclusion of TAKS-I with TAKS parallels the use of the combined TAKS/TAKS-I results in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) system beginning in 2007-08. Since there are relatively small numbers of special education students taking TAKS-I, particularly in 2008 and 2009 when only partial grades and subjects will be included, the TAKS-I results are more likely to be evaluated in a combined indicator, than if they were evaluated separately as a stand-alone indicator.

*The TAKS-I is an alternate assessment based on grade level achievement standards designed for students receiving special education services. Special education students who receive instruction on grade level, but need an accommodated version of the TAKS, with, for example, more white space, larger font size, and no embedded field-test questions, may take TAKS-I tests at their enrolled grade level. TAKS-I is initially given at grades and subjects where SDAA II is not. After the SDAA II is last given in 2007, TAKS-I expands in 2008 to include the SDAA II-tested grades and subjects. TAKS-I uses the TAKS “met standard” and “commended performance” student passing standards.

TAKS/TAKS-I Indicator Standards—2008 and Beyond

In 2008, the “academically acceptable” standards increase by 5 percentage points to 70% for reading/ELA, 50% for mathematics and 45% for science. The writing and social studies standards remain stable between 2007 and 2008 at 65%. According to TEA, reading is critical to doing well in other subjects, so increasing the standard in the accountability system is one way to push improved performance in this critical area. Therefore, the reading/ELA standard was increased one year prior than originally planned.

Annual Dropout Rate (Grade 7-8) Indicator

Standards. The 2007 standards for the Grade 7-8 Annual Dropout Rate are ≤ 1.0% for “academically acceptable”; ≤ 0.7% for “recognized”; and ≤ 0.2% for “exemplary.” These standards were adopted in rule as part of the 2006 Accountability Manual.

Over the past 12 years, standards have been set based on the state definition of a dropout, but now will be based on the more rigorous National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) dropout definition, which will have a significant impact on dropout rates for a number of years. For this reason, the standards will remain the same in 2008, and standards for 2009 and beyond will be developed once data collected under the new definition are available for analysis.

School Leaver Provision for 2007. For 2007 only, a School Leaver Provision will be added to the system so the leaver indicators (either alone or in combination) cannot be cause for a lowered campus or district rating. This provision applies to the Annual Dropout Rate (Grade 7-8), the Completion Rate (Grade 9-12) and the Underreported Students Data Quality Indicator.

This is being done because certain events and changes have caused and will continue to cause the Annual Dropout Rate to increase for campuses and districts, including use of the new NCES dropout definition and fluctuations in enrollment due to Hurricane Katrina.

Completion Rate (Grade 9-12) Indicator

The completion rate evaluated under standard procedures is the Completion Rate I, which includes graduates and continuers as completers, but does not count GED recipients as completers. The 2007 standards for the grades 9-12 completion rate are 75% for “academically acceptable,” 85% for “recognized” and 95% for “exemplary.” These standards, adopted as part of the 2006 Accountability Manual, will be held constant in 2008, with recommendations to remain constant through 2010.

Gold Performance Acknowledgment (GPA) System Standards—2007-2010

The 2007 standards for all GPA indicators will remain the same as in 2006, except for “commended performance” and the Recommended High School Program/ Distinguished Achievement Program (RHSP/DAP). The standard for the “commended performance” for all subjects will increase by 5 percentage points in 2007 to 25%, and the standard for RHSP/DAP will increase by 10 percentage points to 80% in 2007. In 2008, the standards for the two Texas Success Initiative (TSI) indicators will increase from 50% to 55%. Beginning in 2008, the standard for the TSI in ELA and mathematics will increase by 5 percentage points per year until 2010 when these standards reach 65%.

Web posted: 06/14/07