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Why do we have a Report Card?
Tennessee created one of the most comprehensive accountability
measurement tools long before the advent of the federal
act, No Child Left Behind. In 1992, Tennessee began assessing
each public school on variables of success such as English
and math proficiency, drop out rates, and attendance.
The Report Card allows members of a community to consider
all of the strengths and weaknesses of the schools in
their district. It is also a valuable tool for the schools
themselves to plan programs for improvement.
What do the grade levels mean, A, B, C, D, and
F?
Just like in school, the grades used in the state
Report Card reflect whether a school is adequately meeting
the requirements for learning among students. A grade
of C means that school/system has met the standards for
average performance in that area. A grade of A or B represents
exemplary or above average performance for that school.
A D is a below proficient score, while an F deems that
area of the school is deficient in meeting the students’ needs.
What are the criteria for the grades?
Tennessee schools are measured on a wide range of
criteria for success, broken out by individual scores
throughout the card. Standards are established for a
minimum acceptable performance for each variable measured.
These standards are listed in the card and are further
explained in the “What’s This?” links.
Generally, how are the state’s schools performing?
Each year gains are made in many schools. Because
the Report Card measures so many variables of success
in Tennessee’s schools, it is difficult to compare
the overall report on a yearly basis. Instead, it is
important to review your school or system’s card
to look for areas of high achievement and/or improvement.
What is the process involved in computing scores?
All of the variables measured in the Report Card are
derived from individual school districts. Statewide tests
are administered by schools and sent to the state for
scoring. Tennessee sends their test data to CTB/McGraw
Hill and Measurement, Inc. for processing. Then SAS in
North Carolina analyzes all historical and current individual
student scores simultaneously to produce value-added
results for systems and schools, which are added to the
Report Card.
When do schools receive their test scores?
Schools receive their scores for individual students
as soon as they become available throughout the year.
The scores are compiled to determine federal compliance,
and this information is released in August. The Report
Card serves as a format to easily communicate this information
that the schools already have received.
What happens to schools that aren’t performing
well?
The state is combining its previous accountability
system with the federal No Child Left Behind requirements.
Schools which fail to meet the minimum federal proficiency
requirements receive designation as a ‘Target’ school.
There are no sanctions/penalties with this status. However,
if that school fails to increase performance scores the
second year in the same category, they are designated
as a ‘High Priority School.’ Various measures
are required at this point, including free tutoring,
a choice to change schools, or eventually, restructuring.
For more information, visit http://www2.state.tn.us/k-12/ayphpschprimer.pdf.
How does the state assist schools in need of improvement?
The Report Card is a diagnostic tool for educators
to do school improvement planning around their school’s
strengths and areas of need. Specifically, the state
Blueprint for Learning coordinates curricula benchmarks
with student performance to help educators determine
what areas of instruction need attention and what areas
of instruction are really working well in that classroom.
Also, the state provides technical assistance through
the use of the Exemplary Educator Program, Urban Education
Office, regional field service centers, and other departmental
resources for identified schools.
The department has many programs for professional
development, which gives teachers the training and resources
that they need to improve student learning and to demonstrate
their qualifications under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Grants are also frequently issued to schools to assist
in funding educational priorities, such as the Reading
First and Ed Tech grants.
How have the components of the Report Card changed
over time?
For about a decade, Tennessee’s accountability
system has released statewide data on school performance.
While many of the variables are the same, the standards
have changed. For example, state standards for success
have been modified to match the goals established under
NCLB. The format of the result has also changed to make
the Report Card more useful to school districts. Disaggregated
data allows teachers and principals to target populations
in their schools who would benefit from specific instruction
enhancements.
Why aren’t all teachers “highly qualified”?
Many “highly qualified” teachers have
not yet reported their status to the state. The deadline
for reporting is the end of the 2005-2006 school year.
The current numbers represent those that have received
their designation in advance of that date. Under NCLB,
there are courses/classes that are required to be taught
by a highly qualified teacher. This percentage is a reflection
of the match between NCLB highly qualified courses/classes
and the teacher actually teaching them who is identified
as highly qualified.
What is TVAAS?
TVAAS is the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System.
This system measures the academic progress of students.
By following the progress of individual children over
time in all tested subjects, the value-added results
provide a good indication of the growth students make
year-to-year in otherwise equal circumstances. Unlike
raw test scores, the analyses provided in this process
minimize the influence of factors outside of the school
setting. In a value-added assessment of schooling influences,
all students count, regardless of their prior achievement.
How does TVAAS relate to the Report Card?
TVAAS was established to be part of Tennessee’s
accountability system under the Educational Improvement
Act of 1992. Value-added scores are a crucial tool for
educators to track student performance and estimate future
success in school. By identifying students who are not
making appropriate progress early in their education,
TVAAS allows school districts to proactively work to
develop curriculum techniques that will improve students’ chances
for success.
What are NRT and CRT?
Norm Referenced Testing (NRT) and Criterion Referenced
Testing (CRT) are two different ways of measuring student
performance. In the past, Tennessee has relied on NRT.
This means Tennessee’s students’ scores are
compared to a national sample population to determine
how well the students have performed. With CRT, Tennessee
students’ scores are compared to a proficiency
level for passing that area of the state’s measurements.
This year, Tennessee begins an emphasis on CRT reporting,
so you’ll note some differences in how the numbers
are displayed.
Why aren’t value-added results on this Report
Card?
Until 2004, value-added results were provided using
NRT composite scores for math, reading, and language.
In 2004, Tennessee students were tested with both NRT
and CRT questions, allowing for a perfect equating opportunity
so that NRT’s could be mapped into the CRT scales.
This allows Tennessee to have value-added reporting based
on CRT’s for the first time, but this has been
a time consuming process:
- Tennessee educators had to establish new standards
for proficiency to apply to CRT.
- Once the standards were set, the testing contractors
began “scaling” the tests that were administered
this year.
- The results from both the NRT and CRT test questions
allowed the mapping of the present NRT onto the CRT
scale of 2004.
The methodology for providing the value-added results
has not changed, but the reporting format will be slightly
different. This year’s value-added results will
be added to the Report Card as soon as they are complete.
How reliable is your data?
The 2004 Report Card data are current as of October
2004. The test suppliers have provided the best results
possible regarding student performance and SAS will provide
the most precise estimates of student progress available
from the individual student data in the 2004 processing.
Reported data may change due to a number of factors,
such as: districts correcting errors in demographic data;
the Tennessee Department of Education (TDE) reviewing
and identifying additional data errors; the application
of safe harbor calculations; and schools being identified
as having incomplete data.
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