Senate Bill 1908

1. Senate Bill 1908 • Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, 50% of the school’s grade will be based on the existing FCAT-related factors and the remaining 50% will be based on factors that include: • A school’s graduation rate; • As valid data become available, the performance and participation of students in AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, AICE, and industry-certification; • The postsecondary readiness of the students as measured by the SAT, ACT, or CPT; • The high school graduation rate of at-risk students; • The performance of a school’s students on statewide standardized end-of-course assessments, when available; and • Growth or decline in the data components from year to year.

2. Timeline

3. New Component #1: Graduation Rate Proposal: • Use Florida High School Graduation Rate calculation that excludes GEDs (NGA rate) • Use “current year” rate; not lagged measure. • For example, 2010 School Grade would use the graduation rate for the Class of 2010.

4. Insert Note: Florida’s High School Graduation Rate Calculation: Implications for the Standardized National Calculation

5. Secretary Spellings: Uniform Graduation Rate Proposal • Defines HS graduate rate as the number of students who exit in the standard number of years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who entered 9th grade four years earlier – adjusted for transfers in and out. • Calculation must include disagreggations by race, gender, and low income status. • States must implement by 2011-2012; interim formula may be used for states lacking the capability to account for all elements of the formula. • GED recipients would be considered “non-graduates”. • Proposal to permit states to propose an alternate definition of “standard number of years” for limited categories of students under certain conditions.

6. Graduation Rate Calculations • Florida’s regular rate includes all diploma recipients. This includes standard and special diplomas as well as regular and adult GEDs. • The NCLB graduation rate includes standard diplomas and regular GEDs but excludes the special diplomas and the adult GEDs. • The USDOE proposed rate (NGA Compact) includes standard and special diplomas but excludes all GEDs, regular and adult.

7. Florida Rates: Regular High School Graduation Rate and the NGA Compact Graduation Rate Source: Education Information and Accountability Services

8. Florida’s Adjusted Cohort High School Four Year Graduation Rate Illustrated for 2006-2007’s Graduates Transfers into Each Grade Level 2003-04 9th graders 2004-05 10th graders 2005-06 11th graders 2006-07 12th graders = Adjusted Cohort Transfers from Each Grade Level The Denominator - Students not graduating - Dropouts during the 4 years Adjusted Cohort Total Graduates = The Numerator

9. Florida’s Adjusted Cohort High School Four Year Graduation Rate Illustrated for 2006-2007’s Graduates Total Graduates Four Year Graduation Rate 70.3% = Adjusted Cohort NGA Compact Rate- Education Information and Accountability Services, Florida DOE

10. Calculation Issues • Documenting Transfers Out: • Charter School, Home School & Private School • Transfers out of state • Adult Education • Transfers In: • New Enrollees • What is the definition of a “graduate”?

11. New Component #2: Performance & Participation in Accelerated Coursework Initial Proposal • Separate Measures for Participation and Performance • Base measures (i.e., percent participating/performing) on all 9-12th graders at the school in a given year – capturing student participation/performance throughout their high school careers. • Goal: Increase the number of students graduating from high school earning at least some postsecondary credit. • This method holds schools accountable for all their graduating students; not just those who enroll in accelerated courses. • Weight the different types of accelerated coursework based on credits earned…

12. New Component #2: Performance & Participation in Accelerated Coursework Proposal • Industry certification will be included in the formula in 2009-10; not phased-in a year later as previously proposed. • For the participation measure, there will be no weights applied for different types of accelerated coursework. • For the performance measure, a weighting method is proposed based on the logic used to award postsecondary credit by exam (as approved in rule).

13. New Component #2: Performance in Accelerated Coursework Successful Completions defined as:

14. New Component #3: Postsecondary Readiness Proposal: • Number of students scoring “ready” (as defined by state approved cut scores) on the ACT, SAT, or CPT divided by the total number of students who scored at achievement level 3 or higher on required FCAT graduation tests. • Separate measures for Reading, Writing, and Math • If student takes multiple tests (ACT, SAT, or CPT), the students highest score by subtest is used. • This is consistent with the Bright Futures considerations and the current calculation of readiness.

15. New Component #4: Graduation Rate for At-Risk Students Proposal • Use Florida High School Graduation Rate calculation that excludes GEDs (NGA rate) • Subset of overall cohort – including only those students that earned a Level 2 or lower on both FCAT Reading and Math in 8th Grade. • If a school does not have at least 30 students in that subgroup, the school’s overall graduation rate will be substituted for this measure. • This is consistent with what is done currently in school grades in regard to the learning gains of the lowest performing students (bottom quartile).

16. New Component #5: Growth or Decline in components Proposal: • Schools earn an escalating number of bonus points based on the magnitude of their improvement. • Bonus Points would be awarded based on the following improvements (growth from prior year):