Superintendents’ Quarterly Meeting: October 16, 2003

1. Superintendents’ Quarterly Meeting:October 16, 2003 • Testing, NCLB & • Accountability Issues • Lou Fabrizio • Director of Accountability Services • NC Department of Public Instruction

2. Items to Review • SBE Action • Update on Writing • Other Testing Updates • NCLB Issues • SBE Items Needing Input

3. SBE Action • SBE voted to remove ELPS test results from ABCs for 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years (going through APA process) • Alternative schools must have an academic indicator as one of the three local options selected starting with the 2004-05 school year although a school can do so this year • Some charter schools will be allowed to use the revised Alternative Schools Model for ABCs evaluation

4. Update on Writing • SBE adopted new achievement level cut scores for new writing assessments • Writing results will not be included in the performance composite (PC) of ABCs for 2003-04 school year but must be reported • Writing results will be used as a screen for the Student Accountability Standards policy • Writing results will be in the PC for 2004-05 school year for grades 4 & 7. • SBE Ad Hoc Writing Committee will meet to make recommendations for timeline for grade 10 and possibly revise the Student Accountability Standards (SAS) policy to include results from the grade 10 test. The committee will meet on November 20, 2003.

5. Other Testing Updates • Testing studies: • NCCATS (for students taking NCAAAI) • Online Computer Skills (voluntary) • Both may have connectivity issues • Privacy Issues with FRL information • Computer Skills Test issue of “protected cells”

6. Issues Related to AYPReconsideration • Raising minimum “n” for SWD and LEP subgroups to 45 or 50 • Using confidence intervals around percentages of scoring scoring proficient • Changing recognition categories to require schools of excellence to meet AYP

7. Issues Related to AYPReconsideration • Require missing a target in the same subject by the same racial/ethnic group two years in a row before a Title I school goes into school improvement status • Establish a process to allow for medical exclusions • Continue pursuit of using EOC tests in Algebra I and Biology for HS tests of mathematics and science for AYP

8. Raising the Bar? • Is it time to raise the bar for the proficiency levels on the EOG tests? • Is it time to revise the ABCs growth formulas? • Apparent conflict with NCLB and its intent to have all students score proficient by the 2013-14 school year.

9. Questions? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?