1999-2000 performance report: executive summary [2000]

1999-2000
Performance Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Office of Education Accountability

PURPOSE
The Office of Education Accountability (OEA) was established July 1, 2000 to improve student achievement and improve school
completion in Georgia. OEA's major purpose is to establish performance-based
accountability standards for Georgia's education system.

A message...
Over the last year, I have traveled the state extensively asking for help in structuring a fair K-12 accountability process for schools. The response to my request from the education community has been overwhelming and many of the ideas in this report reflect advice that was provided to me in the field or to the Office of Education Accountability (OEA) through our Report Card Working Group. I am honored to present the State of Georgia with a performance report of all students based on 1999-2000 school year assessment information. For the first time in Georgia, school-level student data will be reported by sex, race/ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency. This 1999-2000 Performance Report is a shorter version of a more comprehensive OEA Report Card that will be released in December for the 2000-2001 school year. It is my hope that the information contained in this report and future reports will be used to make positive changes in education that will support teachers and help parents and students. In addition, the report will identify both successful student performance trends and school-level achievement problems that need to be addressed. Michael F. Vollmer Executive Director
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Development of OEA's Performance Report and OEA's First Report Card
1999-2000 School Year Performance Report
Providing schools and the citizens of Georgia with detailed information regarding the performance of all students and subgroups of students will help educators implement instructional strategies that address the needs of individual students. While the Office of Education Accountability (OEA) is not mandated to issue its first Report Card on K-12 schools until December 2001, the office believes it is important to provide schools with information about the achievement status of students. Therefore, a Performance Report reflecting test results for all students and for subgroups of students at the school, system, and state level is being distributed. OEA's 19992000 Performance Report includes student performance results from Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) in grades 4, 6, and 8, the Middle Grades Writing Assessment (MGWA), and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGTs). Student performance results for these various assessments are presented for all students as well as for subgroups of students based upon sex, race/ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency. Information at the school, system, and state level is provided in the full report that can be viewed on OEA's website: www.ga-oea.org. This executive summary report provides a capsule of the full report and focuses on state-level data.
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Future Report Cards
OEA will pursue a careful, deliberate, five-year phased-in process to develop graded Report Cards, benchmarks and standards. As the Department of Education (DOE) implements new tests based on Georgia curriculum, data will be captured and incorporated into future Report Cards - for informational purposes only for several years. Additional achievement results will be included in the December 2001 Report Card that were not available for inclusion in the Performance Report.
OEA will issue the first "accountable" school Report Cards in Fall 2004 for schools with grades K-8 and in Fall 2005 for schools with grades 9-12. According to House Bill 1187 (A Plus Education Reform Act), enacted in 2000, schools receiving grades of A or B will receive monetary awards while schools receiving a grade of D or F will be eligible for support services and interventions that are provided by DOE. Please refer to OEA's website for further information about development timelines and processes.
Although the issuance of the first accountable school Report Card is a few years away, OEA will deliver the 2000-2001 Report Card in December 2001 for two reasons. First, OEA recognizes that schools need time to request and receive school improvement assistance from DOE and Regional Education Service Agencies in order to address local achievement goals. Secondly, although this Report Card will not result in any ramifications on local schools, it will provide notice that the accountability system is in place and working.
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TESTING
The Office of Education Accountability's (OEA) Performance Report reflects student performance on some tests administered by the Department of Education (DOE) during the 1999-2000 academic year. DOE is responsible for developing, administering, and grading all tests in all grades, K-12. A description of the assessments that are included in this executive summary follows:
GRADES K-8
Grades 1-8 Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs)
CRCTs are designed to measure how well students have mastered the content and skills that are unique to Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum at each grade level. These tests are currently being phased-in by DOE and eventually all students in grades 1-8 will be tested. For the school year 1999-2000, students in grades 4, 6, and 8 only were administered CRCTs in reading, English/language arts, and mathematics.
Based on performance, students are classified as:
Level 1 scores below 300 "Does Not Meet Standard" Level 2 scores from 300 to 349 "Meets Standard" Level 3 scores at or above 350 (450 maximum)
"Exceeds Standard"
Grade 8 Middle Grades Writing Assessment (MGWA)
At grade 8, the Middle Grades Writing Assessment (MGWA) is administered in winter. Students demonstrate their writing ability by responding to a state-selected topic. The students' papers are scored at the state level in accordance with scoring guidelines as being at one of three stages of mastery: Below Target, On Target, or Exceeding Target.
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GRADES 9-12
Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGTs)
Currently DOE administers the Georgia High School Graduation Tests to evaluate student performance at the high school level. The tests include assessments in the areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and writing. Current high school diploma requirements mandate that a student must achieve a passing score in each of the five areas included on the GHSGT. If a student does not pass a subject's test, then he/she is retested in that subject area. A student has multiple opportunities in Grades 11 and 12 to take each subject's test before graduation for his/her class.
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STATEWIDE SUMMARY OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE RESULTS
Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs)
READING (Number of Students Tested: 104,003 in 4th grade; 105,084 in 6th; 98,883 in 8th)

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Reading

100

80

60 40

65

71

75

20

0

4th

6th

8th

Grades

Test Analysis Test results indicate that 65% to 75% of the students in grades 4, 6, and 8 met or exceeded performance standards set for the CRCT in reading.
Student Impact At least one in four students did not meet performance standards in reading for grades 4, 6, and 8.

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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS (Number of Students Tested: 104,003 in 4th grade; 104,927 in 6th; 98,610 in 8th)

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in English/Language Arts

100

80

60

71

40

61

65

20

0

4th

6th

8th

Grades

Test Analysis Test results indicate that 61% to 71% of the students in grades 4, 6, and 8 met or exceeded performance standards set for the CRCT in English/language arts.
Student Impact More than one in four students did not meet the performance standard in English/language arts for 4th grade. At least one in three students did not meet performance standards in English/ language arts for grades 6 and 8.

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MATHEMATICS (Number of Students Tested: 103,730 in 4th grade; 104,725 in 6th; 98,129 in 8th)

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Mathem atics

100

80

60 40

62

66

54

20

0

4th

6th

8th

Grades

Test Analysis Test results indicate that 54% to 66% of the students in grades 4, 6, and 8 met or exceeded performance standards set for the CRCT in mathematics.
Student Impact
At least one in three students did not meet performance standards in mathematics for grades 4 and 6. Almost half of 8th graders did not meet the standard in mathematics.

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Middle Grades Writing Assessment (MGWA)
(Number of Students Tested: 91,083 in 8th grade)

Percentage of Students

Results for All Students on the MGWA

100

80

60 58
40

20

28

0 Below Target

On Target

13 Exceeds Target

Perform ance Level

Test Analysis Test results indicate that 71% (58% + 13%) of students were on target or exceeded target with respect to the writing objectives tested on the MGWA for grade 8.
Student Impact More than one in four students did not meet the performance standard set for writing.

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Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGTs)
(Number of Students Tested: in English/Language Arts, 71,990; in Mathematics, 72,016; in Social Studies, 71,969; in Science, 72,035; and in Writing, 76,048)

Percentage of Students English/ Lang. Arts Mathematics
Social Studies Science Writing

Students Passing the GHSGT by Subject (11th-Grade First-time Test Takers*)

100

80

94

90

83

89

60

71

40

20

0

* Writing results are based on 11th and 12th grade first-time test takers.

Test Analysis Test results vary according to the subject area from a high 94% pass rate in English/language arts to a low 71% pass rate in science.
Student Impact Students generally performed best in the areas of English/ language arts, mathematics, and writing. However, nearly one in six students did not pass the social studies GHSGT on the first administration. More than one in four students did not pass the science GHSGT on the first administration.

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STATEWIDE STUDENT PERFORMANCE RESULTS BASED UPON SUBGROUPS
Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) Reported by Sex

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Reading by Sex

100

80

60

60

65

69

40

76

80

70

20

0 Male

Female

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in English/Language Arts by Sex

100

80

60

65

54

58

40

76

74

68

20

0 Male

Female

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Mathematics by Sex

100

80

60

60

63

40

51

70 64
56

20

0 Male

Female

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

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Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) Reported by Race/Ethnicity

Percentage of Students
Asian/Pacific Islander African Amer./NonHispanic Hispanic Multiracial Native
Amer./Alaskan Native White/NonHispanic

100 80 60 40 20 0

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Reading by Race/Ethnicity

81 84 75

57 62 51

55 59 47

76 80 68

62 59 66

81 83 76

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

Percentage of Students
Asian/Pacific Islander African Amer./NonHispanic Hispanic Multiracial Native
Amer./Alaskan Native White/NonHispanic

100 80 60 40 20 0

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in English/Language Arts by Race/Ethnicity

82 78 76

59 48 53

52 43 46

74 71 65

66 55
48

80 71 75

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

100 80 60 40 20 0

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Mathematics by Race/Ethnicity

83 88 78

47 51 36

49 51 38

66 69 57

58 54 46

74 77 64

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8
15

Percentage of Students
Asian/Pacific Islander African Amer./NonHispanic Hispanic Multiracial Native
Amer./Alaskan Native White/NonHispanic

Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) Reported by Various Groupings

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in Reading by Various Groupings

100

80

60

69 75 79

69 76 80

40

20 29 30 32
0 With Disabilities Without Disabilities Including LEP

22 28 28

Without

Limited English

Disabilities

Proficiency

Excluding LEP

(LEP)

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

Percentage of Students

All Students Meeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in English/Language Arts by Various Groupings

100

80

60

40

20

33

0

17 17

With Disabilities

74 65 71
Without Dis abilities Including LEP

76 66 71

29 20 16

Without Dis abilities Excluding LEP

Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

Percentage of Students

All Students M eeting or Exceeding CRCT Standard in M athematics by Various Groupings

100

80

60

65 71

67 71

40

58

58

20

27 24

0

13

31 36 24

With Dis abilities

Without

Without Limited English

Dis abilities

Dis abilities

Proficiency

Including LEP Excluding LEP

(LEP)

Grade 4 Grade 6 Grade 8

16

Middle Grades Writing Assessment (MGWA) Reported by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Various Groups

Percentage of Students

Percentage of Students

All Students On or Exceeding Target on MGWA by Sex

100

80

60

40

64

20

0

Male

79 Female

All Students On or Exceeding Target on MGWA by Race/Ethnicity

100

80 81
60 58
40

20

0

Asian/Pacific

African

Islander

Amer./Non-

Hispanic

56 Hispanic

79

80

59

Multiracial Native Amer./ White/NonAlaskan Native Hispanic

All Students On or Exceeding Target on MGWA by Various Groupings

100

80

60

76

76

40

20

26

28

0

With Disabilities Without Disabilities Without Disabilities Limited English

Including LEP

Excluding LEP Proficiency (LEP)

Percentage of Students

17

Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGTs) Reported by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Various Groups

Students Passing the GHSGT by Sex (All 11th-Grade First-time Test Takers*)

100

80 60

92 90 84

86

74

40

20

0

Male

95 90 82

92

68

Female

English/Language Arts Mathematics Social Studies Science Writing

Percentage of Students

Percentage of Students

Students Passing the GHSGT by Race/Ethnicity (All 11th-Grade First-time Test Takers*)

100 80 60
40 20
0

96 89 85 85
71

88 80

82

69

51

A sian/P acific Islander

A frican A mer./Non-
Hispanic

81 84

77

69

55

Hispanic

97 93 89 94 78
M ultiracial

91 84 83 83 75

97 95 91 95 83

Native A mer./ A laskan Native

Whit e/ N o nHispanic

English/Language Arts Mathematics Social Studies Science Writing*

Students Passing the GHSGT by Various Groupings (All 11th-Grade First-time Test Tak ers*)

100

80

60 67

40

55 48 54

20

37

0 With Disabilities

95 92

91

84

73

Without Disabilities Including LEP

95 92 85

91

73

Without Disabilities Excluding LEP

72 50 41 45
23
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

English/Language Arts Mathematics Social Studies Science Writing*

* Writing results are based on all 11th and 12th grade first-time test takers.

Percentage of Students

18

Office of Education Accountability
101 Marietta Street, NW, Suite 2500
. Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404.463.1150 phone 404.463.1163 facsimile www.ga-oea.org