Pilot indicators, 1994-95 [1995]

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Council for School Perormance
Pilot Indicators 1994 -1995
Gary T. Henry, Director Applied Research Center College of Public and Urban Affairs Georgia State University

MEMORANDUM
September14,1994

TO: FROM: SUBJECT:

Georgia School Superintendents Gary T. Henry, Project Director The Council for School Performance

Over the last eight months, the Council for School Performance has worked diligently to implement the legislation that created the Council. The mission given to the Council is to "enhance the public's access to information concerning the performance of public schools and public school systems."
The indicators that will be used to evaluate the performance of Georgia's schools and school districts were recommended to the Council by educators throughout the state in a research and development initiative. Teachers, principals, school board members, superintendents, and community leaders all worked together to select indicators they believe will provide important information regarding the performance of our schools. The indicators are designed to measure student outcomes whenever possible.
Much of the data we will be reporting is currently collected in some form by the Department of Education. The educators who serve on the workgroups that developed the indicators believe that the additional data that will be collected from local school districts can be gathered easily and without undue burden on local school systems.
We will be continuing to work with local schools and school districts during this pilot year to make the implementation of the initiative as smooth as possible.
The development of the indicators has been done through an open participation process. We would appreciate your comments and thoughts. Please feel free to contact me or Mr. Thad Hall, who is the project manager, at (404) 651-3523. Our address is on the back cover of this report.

Questions and Answers About The Council for School Performance

Q:

What is thepwpose ofthe Council for School Performance?

A:

The purpose of the Council is to provide all Georgians with accurate

and impartial information regarding the performance of public schools

and public school systems. The Council is also required to show how

public schools and school systems spent lottery proceeds.

Q:

Who created the Council for School Performance?

A:

The Council was created by legislation passed by the Georgia General

Assembly in 1993.

Q:

Is the Council for School Performance a part ofthe State Department of

Education?

A:

No. The Council is an independent body attached to the Office of

Planning and Budget for administrative purposes only. However, the

Council does work cooperatively with the Department of Education in

the collection of data.

Q:

What framework was used for the development ofthe indicators that

will be used to measure school system and schoolperformance?

A:

The eight National Education Goals are providing the framework for

the indicators.

Q:

Who decided to use the National Education Goals as the framework?

Five workgroups -- consisting of superintendents, school board members, principals, teachers, and community leaders -- decided to use the National Education Goals as the framework for the indicators. The legislation creating the Council states that national, state and local education goals will be used to measure school performance.

Q:

JiVho developed the indicators that will be used to evaluate schools and

school districts?

The five workgroups met often during the Summer 1994 to develop the indicators. All of the workgroup members worked together to prioritize the indicators and make recommendations to the Council. The Council then chose the indicators that are to be piloted during the 1994-1995 school year.

Q:

JiVhat types ofindicators will be used to evaluate schools and school

districts?

The indicators are designed to measure student performance whenever possible. However, these indicators go beyond test scores. The indicators also measure new areas, such as leading indicators of students dropping out of school and the percentage of high school students taking advanced placement courses and passing advanced placement tests.

There are also indicators that measure how communities are supporting education. These include measuring the number of adults without high school diplomas receiving their GED, and the opportunities students have to receive prekindergarten services.

Q:

On what timetable will the indicator system be implemented?

A:

The indicator system will be piloted during the 1994-1995 school year

at the school system level. During this first year, we will be ensuring

that the data are available and can be collected without posing an

undue burden on local school systems. Piloting the indicators will also

allow us to ensure that the indicators selected are appropriate and are

technically sound.

During the 1995-1996 school year, we will continue measuring the performance of school systems, and begin measuring the performance of high schools as well.

During the 1996 -1997 school year, we will continue measuring the performance of school systems and high schools, and begin measuring the performance of middle schools as well.

During the 1997 - 1998 school year, we will continue measuring the performance of school systems, high schools and middle schools, and begin measuring the performance of elementary schools as well. The system will be issuing reports on all public schools and school districts at this time.

Q:

How willlocalpublic schools and school systems benefitfrom the

Coundl's work?

For the first time, schools, school districts and the public will have access to easy understand reports that show how both schools and the community are doing to support education. These reports will go beyond the two indicators the public uses now to measure the performance of public schools - SAT scores and standardized test scores. The reports will show how schools and the community are performing on a very broad range of indicators of performance. Armed with this information, schools and school systems can present areas of success and target areas needing improvement.

Q:

Will local school districts be required to provide the Council with all of

the information they need to create these reports?

No. The Council is using data available from state sources, such as the Department of Education and the Board of Regents, whenever possible. However, there will be some indicators that will require the Council to request data directly from local school systems, but this will be kept to a minimum.

The superintendents, principals and teachers on the workgroups recommended the indicators we are using and suggested this data could be collected without posing an undue burden on local school systems and local schools.

The Legislatively Stated Purpose For THE COUNCIL FOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
Statutory Authorization
0.C.G.A. 20-2-184
Legislative Intent
The General Assembly finds that a Council for School Performance would enhance the public's access to information concerning the performance of public schools and public school systems. Such information shall measure outcomes of the state's investment in each public school and public school system. Such information shall also specifically describe how each public school and each public school system has utilized moneys derived from the Georgia Lottery for Education.
The council shall not be a part of the Department of Education but shall be an independent entity attached to the Office of Planning and Budget for administrative purposes only.
The Department of Education shall cooperate fully with the council. Specifically, the Department of Education is directed to collect and provide to the council information regarding individual public schools and individual public school systems which the council deems necessary to discharge its duties under this Code section.
Duties of the Council
The Council for School Performance shall issue an annual report no later than December 1 of each year, commencing December 1, 1994. The report shall be an impartial evaluation of the progress made by each public school and each public school system in meeting national, state, and local educational goals.
The report shall include information concerning outcomes of the state's investment in each public school and each public school system utilized moneys derived from the Georgia Lottery for Education. The report shall be published in a format that can be easily understood by parents and other members of the community who are not professional educators. Copies of the report shall be provided to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairperson of the Education Committees of the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives.

Principles of the Research and Development Implementation Process
There are five principles that guide our implementation process.
1. The process is important. We believe that the success of this program lies in having clear, open and constant communications. We would like to have the comments and opinions of all parties, so we can continuously improve the indicator process.
2. Performance data represents change. It is critical that we measure educational performance accurately and appropriately. This means we must ensure that the data used are reliable and accurate. Additionally, all indicators used will be developed carefully and piloted to ensure they are feasible and effective.
3. Additional paperwork must be minimized. We already collect large amounts of data on education in Georgia. We will try to use existing data sources whenever feasible.
4. Indicators must be dearly communicated. Education does not improve through surprises. The indicators we use will not be a surprise to anyone. We will work to clearly communicate the indicators to everyone with an interest in education prior to implementing the indicators. We will study all indicators during the pilot year to determine if there are any problems associated with the indicators selected. We will communicate the indicator data to schools, communities, and the media in the most understandable way possible.
5. We will not change the indicators in the middle of a collection cycle. There will be no changes in the educational performance system in the middle of a school year. All changes will be made before the beginning of the school year, with input from educational and community leaders.

Research and Development Implementation Steps Taken to Date
We have worked at a rapid pace to implement the mission put to the Council by the General Assembly. The following is a synopsis of our activities to date.
1. We have created five workgroups, comprised of community leaders, principals, school board members, school superintendents and teachers. These groups have met numerous times over the summer to develop both the organizing framework for the indicator process and the indicators we will be using in our pilot year.
2. Following the legislation that created the Council, we are using the eight National Education Goals as the framework for measuring school and school system performance.
3. We have developed 64 indicators that will be piloted during the 1994-1995 school year. These indicators were developed by the workgroup members in meetings throughout the summer.
4. We have attempted to raise awareness of the Council's work around the state. We have spoken at several education conferences this summer, and will be speaking to numerous groups throughout the fall and into 1995. We will be speaking at the Bootstrap Conference in October, and at several other education oriented meetings in Georgia.
5. Equally as important, we have sent information regarding the development of this process to the staff members of the House and Senate Research Offices, the Legislative Budget Offices and the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.
During the fall and winter, we will continue to meet with the five workgroups and closely analyzing two issues. The first issue the workgroups will discuss is how can the data be reported so the general public and educators can best understand their meaning. The second issue is the most important long-term issue: what do school systems need to know and do in order to put this data to the best use possible for improving schools?

The Pilot Indicators
The five workgroups established by the Council met numerous times over the summer to discuss possible indicators for measuring the performance of Georgia's schools and school systems. The 64 indicators they selected are the indicators they felt best measure student performance. These indicators measure outcomes whenever possible; there are very few process indicators.
There are two types of indicators that will be piloted over this school year, school indicators and community indicators.
School indicators measure outcomes that the workgroups felt could be directly impacted by schools and school systems. For example, a the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses and passing AP tests is a school indicator. Schools can directly affect the number of students who take the course, and the passing rate on the AP examination shows how effectively the students were taught.
Community indicators measure how well the community is working with citizens to improve the quality of education in their area. For example, by measuring the number of people in a community receiving GEDs as a percentage of the total population without a high school diploma is a community indicator. This indicator shows how effectively the community is in attracting individuals without a diploma to come back into the an effective educational setting.
The following eight pages list each National Education Goal and the indicators that will measure how well schools and school systems are attaining these goals.

GOAL ONE
"By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn."
Community Indicators
Percentage of economically disadvantaged 3-5 year-olds served by Head Start and state funded pre-kindergarten programs
Percentage of kindergarten students who attended a preschool or childcare program
Percentage of kindergarten students successfully demonstrating capability on all sections of the GKAP
Birth rate per 1,000 to individuals under age 18 Percentage of students who were granted a temporary waiver for not meeting
state vaccination or health requirements Percent of babies born with low birthweight (under 5.5 pounds) Percentage of children under age 7 who are victims of confirmed abuse and
neglect Percentage of Limited English Proficiency Students in the first grade Percentage of children vaccinated, ages 0 - 2
School Indicators
Percentage of students two or more years overage entering the third grade

GOALTWO
"By the year 2000, the high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90 percent."
Schoo1 Indicators
Percentage of students entering the ninth grade graduating from high school 4 years later
Percentage of students entering the ninth grade graduating from high school within 6 years
Percentage of students two or more years overage by the fifth grade Percentage of students two or more years overage by the eighth grade Percentage of students dropping out of school -- grade 7 - 12 cohort group Percentage of students missing 10 or more days of school per year at the
elementary grades Percentage of students missing 15 or more days of school per year at the middle
grades Percentage of students missing 20 or more days of school per year at the high
school grades

GOAL THREE
"By the year 20001 all students will leave grades 41 81 and 12 having demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including English, math, science, foreign languages, civics, economics, arts, history, and geography; every school will ensure all students learn to use their minds as well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, future learning, and productive employment in our Nation's modem economy."
School Indicators
Percentage of students taking AP courses or Post-secondary Options Number of students passing AP tests (scoring a three or above) as a percentage
of total students taking AP courses Percentage of students scoring above the state standard at grades 8 and 11 on the
writing component of the curriculum-based assessments Percentage of students scoring above the national median at grades 31 5, 81 and
11 on nationally-normed achievement tests (combined score) Percentage of students performing above standards at grades 31 51 81 and 11 on
curriculum-based assessment in all content areas (English, Social Studies, Math, and Science) Percentage of students receiving both the CPC and vocational endorsements Percentage of students taking remedial courses at a Georgia public college (College Preparatory Students and all students) Percentage of students scoring above the national average on the SAT as a percent of students taking the SAT Percentage of eligible Limited English Proficiency students K-5 being served Percentage of vocational graduates enrolling in a state technical institution

GOALFOUR
"By the year 2000, the Nation's teaching force will have access to programs for the continued improvement of their professional skills and the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all American students for the next century."
School Indicators
Percentage of budget devoted to staff development Ratio of hours of staff development or academic coursework that furthers the
school improvement plan to the total staff development hours Percentage of teachers receiving release time to take part in staff development Percentage of school level administrators receiving release time to take part in
staff development Percentage of time teachers have during the school day for collaborative
planning Percentage of teachers involved in activities outside of their traditional role
community collaboration school governance activities mentoring student teacher supervision Percentage of teachers with a masters degree or higher Percentage of teachers teaching out of field one or more classes per day Number of teacher hours of staff development that addresses curriculum collaboration technology instructional strategies Percentage of teachers earning more SDUs over five years than are needed for recertification

GOAL FIVE
"By the year 2000, United States students will be first in the world in mathematics and science achievement."
School Indicators
Number of students passing scien~e and math AP tests (scoring 3 or above) as a percentage of the total number of students taking AP courses
Percentage of students scoring above the top quartile on the math section of the SAT by the percentage of students taking the test
Percentage of students taking math or science AP courses Percentage of students scoring above the quality standard at grades 3, 5, 8, and
11 on the math component of nationally-normed achievement tests Percentage of students scoring above the top quartile at grade 11 on the science
component of nationally-normed achievement tests Percentage of students scoring above the quality standard at grades 3, 5, 8, and
11 on the math and science parts of a curriculum-based assessment

GOAL SIX
"By the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship."
School Indicators
Percentage of 12th graders completing school receiving a vocational endorsement, a college prep endorsement, or a special education diploma
Percentage of students passing the required components of the high school graduation test
Percentage of students passing a course requiring basic computer skills including keyboarding
Community Indicators
Ratio of the number of individuals taking and passing the GED program over the total population without degrees
Percentage of citizens voting in the last election Percentage of adults over age 25 with a high school diploma

GOAL SEVEN
"By the year 2000, every school in the United States will be free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning."
Schoo1 Indicators
Number of disciplinary actions and unduplicated counts of students involved in disciplinary actions by category drugs or alcohol related violence firearms destruction of school property
In-school suspensions as a percentage of total suspensions Percentage of tribunal referrals placed in alternative schools Percentage of students expelled
Community Indicators
Percentage of 12-17 year-olds involved with juvenile court system Violent crime rate for the county/city per 1,000 population

GOAL EIGHT
"By the year 2000, every school will promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children."
School Indicators
Percent of parents/caregivers who meet with their child's teacher in a conference Local school advisory group with parental/caregiver participants Opportunities for parent/caregiver - teacher contact and interaction
flexible conference schedules; home visits (a comprehensive listing will be included)
Schools cooperating with communities for broader use of school facilities Percent of schools offering or participating in before-school, after-school and
summer school programs
Community Indicators
Hours of public agency or community involvement per student Number of volunteer hours served by business partnership or community
partnership members in structured settings

APPENDIX ONE
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
AND
MEMBERS OF THE FIVE WORKGROUPS

The Council for School Performance
Ms. Patricia L. Willis, Chair Director - Corporate and Education Affairs BellSouth Corporation Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Buford Arnold Bremen, Georgia
Ms. Dorothy Cottom, Principal Jordye Bacon Elementary School Hineville,Georgia
Ms. Leena Johnson Athens, Georgia
Melvin Kruger, President L. E. Schwartz & Son, Inc. Macon, Georgia
Mr. Dean Swanson, President Standard Telephone Company Cornelia, Georgia
Ex Officio:
Dr. Werner Rogers Superintendent of Schools State of Georgia

Community Leaders Workgroup
Mr. Robert Adams Latin American Association
Stacy Alston Decatur Family Connection
Laurie Dopkins Georgians for Children
Iris Smith Department of Children and Youth Services
Ellen Whitlock Department of Human Resources
Tom Upchurch, Executive Director Georgia Partnership for Excellence in
Education
Albert Abrams, Executive Director Middle Georgia Consorti.um
Carolyn Collins, President Corporate Connections
Sally FitzGerald League of Women Voters
Janice West Georgia PTA
Sherrie Gibney-Sherman Director of Special Projects Clarke County Schools

Principals Workgroup

Rick Freeman, Principal Screven County High School Sylvania, Georgia

Allen Fort, Principal Statesboro High School Statesboro, Georgia

Frank Brown, Principal Rumble Middle School Warner Robins, Georgia

Mike Campbell, Principal Daniell Middle School Marietta, Georgia

Herb Burrell, Principal Grayson Elementary School Grayson, Georgia

Marie DeRamus, Principal Baker Middle School Columbus, Georgia

Keith Cowne, Principal Washington-Wilkes High School Washington, Georgia

Ann Flowers, Principal Washington Middle School Cairo, Georgia

Pat Mahon, Principal Meadow Creek High School Norcross,Georgia

Dale Wilkinson, Principal Mattie Lively Elementary School Statesboro, Georgia

Dennis Tipton, Principal Coffee County High School Douglas, Georgia

Gary Cullens, Principal Garrison-Pilcher Elementary Thomasville, Georgia

Dexter Mills, Principal Harrison High School Kennesaw, Georgia

School Board Workgroup

Clarence Billups GSBA President Elect Waycross,Georgia

Cullen Larson Board Member Dahlonega, Georgia

Tricia Smith GSBA District Director St.Marys,Georgia

Cathy Lipsett Board Member Marietta, Georgia

Helen Fay Lewis GSBA District Director Carrollton, Georgia

Ms. Jerry Plowden Board Member Albany, Georgia

Wendy Martin GSBA District Director Leesburg, Georgia

Ms. Pat Mitchell Board Member Suwanee, Georgia

Dr. Hal Henderson GSBA District Director Tifton, Georgia

Anne L. Harper Board Member Atlanta, Georgia

Ronald Jackson GSBA Director Bartow, Georgia

Superintendents Workgroup

Mr. Patrick Russo, Superintendent Chatham County Schools

Dr. Glenn Keebler, Superintendent Decatur County Schools

Dr. Betty Brown, Superintendent Emanuel County Schools

Mr. David Luke, Superintendent Coffee County Schools

Dr. Debra Harden, Superintendent Oconee County Schools

Dr. Charles Warnock, Superintendent Dublin City Schools

Mr. H.F. Johnson, Superintendent Hall County Schools

Dr. Thomas Madison, Superintendent Bibb County Schools

Mr. Frank W. Thomason, Superintendent Dalton Public Schools
Dr. Allene H. Magill, Superintendent Paulding County Schools
Dr. Terry Jenkins, Superintendent Troup County Schools

Dr. Hoyt Washington, Superintendent Baldwin County Schools
Dr. E. Wendell Clamp, Superintendent Newton County Schools
Mr. George Thompson, Superintendent Gwinnett County Schools

Mr. Hosie Waters, Superintendent Macon County Schools

Teachers Workgroup

Mrs. Carol Bradley Kennesaw Elementary Cobb County

Mrs. Penelope Medders Oglethorpe County Elementary School Oglethorpe County

Mrs. Maria T. Brannon Chattahoochee County Ed. Center Chattahoochee County

Mrs. Hillary Miller Lin Elementary School Atlanta City

Mr. James Wesley Cavender Boddie Middle School Baldwin County

Ms. Johnnie Miller Dunwoody High School DeKalb County

Capt. A. Tise Eyler Brunswick High School Glynn County

Mr. Omar Nunez Cartersville Elementary School Cartersville City

Dr. Myra Holland Crabapple Elementary School Fulton County

Mrs. Donna Powers Dacula High School Gwinnett County

Mrs. Helen P. Kelley Conley Hills Elementary School Fulton County

Mr. Walter A. Rhyner Hutto Middle School Decatur County

Mrs. Janet E. Kelley Harmony Leland Elementary School Cobb County

Mrs. Marion K. Tims Monte Sano Elementary School Richmond County

Mr. Daniel W. WrightJr. East Cobb Middle School Cobb County

APPENDIX TWO
VITA OF GARY HENRY PROJECT DIRECTOR

GARY T. HENRY DIRECTOR
APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4039
404-651-2343

PBQEESSJQNAI EXPERIENCE

Director, Applied Research Center; Associate Professor, School of Public Administration and Urban Affairs, Georgia State University, September 1991 to present

Associate Professor, Public Administration Department & Institute for Statistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, September 1988 to September 1991

Deputy Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Virginia, May 1986 to September 1988

Chief Methodologist, Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, Virginia General Assembly, May 1980 to May 1986

EDIICATION

PhD
MA
BA Other

University of Wisconsin
University of Kentucky University of Kentucky Williams College University of Michigan

Quantitative Research Methods Speciality: Policy analysis and evaluation Political Science; Statistics Political Science; Latin American Studies NEH Fellow ICPS Research Fellow

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Deputy Superintendent of Education (on contract), reorganized Virginia Department of Education, 1990-91; Principal Investigator, Educational Outcome Indicator Project, 1988-1991; Visiting Professor, Department of Psychology and Education, University of Liege, Belgium, 1991;
American Studies Department, Huange He University, China, 1989; Faculty, National Conference of State Legislatures, 1984-present; Consultant, numerous state legislatures and agencies

RECENT 5EI ECTED PURI ICAIIQNS BEi ATED TO EOllCATIQNAI INDICATOR SYSTEMS

Graphing Data Tecbniques for Display and Analysis. SAGE Publications, 1994.

"Measuring Socio-economic Status at the School Level", Educational Measurement Issues and Practice, forthcoming 1994 (co-authored).

"Performance Data: Three Comparison Methods," Evaluation Beview, December 1993 (co-authored).

"Implementing Performance Monitoring: A Research and Development Approach", Public Administration Review, May/June 1993 (co-authored).

"Using Graphical Displays for Evaluation Data", Evaluation Review, February 1993.

"Establishing Benchmarks for Outcome Indicators: A Statistical Approach to Developing Performance Standards", Evaluation Review, April 1992 (co-authored).

"Stakeholder Participation in Educational Performance Monitoring" Educational Fvah,ation and Policy Analysis, Summer 1991 (co-authored).

Practical Sampling, SAGE Publications, 1990.

(404) 651-3523

Applied Research Center College of Public and Urban Affairs
Georgia State University P.O. Box 4039
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4039

Fax: (404) 651-3524