1. A Brief History Data-Based School & District Improvement
What every educational leader needs to know….

2. Traditionally, Data-Based Decisions Have Been Made at the Classroom and School Level
1983: A Nation at Risk Report
1980s and 1990: ”Standards-Based Education” moves states to develop academic standards and corresponding assessments. Primary focus--improved student achievement and closing achievement gaps, not evaluating/ranking schools.
Late 1990s: Great variety among state standard, state assessments, and testing procedures leads calls for a national measuring stick.

3. No Child Left Behind, 2002
Mandates that States evaluate the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) of districts and schools in the areas of:
Student Attendance
Participation on State Tests
Student Achievement on State Tests of Reading and Math

4. Attendance Target
Elementary and Middle Student Attendance Rate of 90%+ or improvement
HS Student Graduation Gate of 80%+ or improvement

5. Participation Target (% of students Taking the State Test)
95% within each subgroup must complete the State test (PSSA in PA).
PA also offers the PASA—PA Alternative School Assessment for students with more profound disabilities.

6. AYP Performance Targets (% of students Scoring Proficiently)
2011: Reading— Math—67%
2012: Reading Math--78%
Reading—91% Math—89%
Reading--100% Math--100%

7. Subgroups=40 students Count for AYP
IEP
ESOL
Economically Disadvantaged
Racial/Ethnic Subgroups
Performance and Participation targets apply to subgroups as well

8. AYP Status Level for Schools
Made AYP—students overall and each subgroup met all of the targets 
Warning
Making Progress
School Improvement I
School Improvement II
Corrective Action I
Corrective Action II, etc.

9. From President Bush (NCLB) to President Obama (RTTT), 2009
Race to the Top
Moving to a purer “growth model” based upon the number of students who made a “year’s worth of progress in a year’s worth of time.”
“School Turnaround Standards”
Support of Charter Schools, Flexibility
Using Student and School Performance Data in Teacher Evaluation Systems (PA Act 82)

10. School Performance Profile (SPP) in 2013
In Pennsylvania– Race To The Top led to the
School Performance Profile (SPP) in 2013
Provides an annual “Building-Level Score” (out of 100) that is derived
from:
50% of the score = Indicators of PSSA
Achievement Levels
40% Indicators of Overall Growth--Value-Added
Scores (derived from PSSAs, Keystone Exams)
10% Other Academic Indicators
Plus Extra Credit!

11. The Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015 (ESSA)
Narrows the federal government's role in elementary and secondary education for the first time since the 1980s. The ESSA retains the hallmark annual standardized testing requirements of NCLB, but shifts the law's federal accountability provisions to states. Under the law, students will continue to take annual tests between third and eighth grade

12. ESSA in PA: The Future Ready PA Index A More Balanced Scorecard
Increases emphasis on student growth measures, which incentivizes a focus on all learners and is less sensitive to demographic variables.
Measures English language acquisition among ELL students, not simply performance on a test of grade level ELA standards.
Provides indicators of student success after graduation.
Increases the emphasis on student access to course offerings such as AP, IB, college credit, and CTE programs of study.
Allows LEAs to include locally-selected reading assessments (Grade 3) and math assessments (Grade 7) as additional snapshots of student progress.
Incentivizes schools to offer career pathways that culminate with high value, industry recognized credentials.
Recognizes schools for reducing the percent of students scoring at the Below Basic level.