Growth Model for Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

1. Growth Model for Adequate Yearly Progressunder theNo Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Indiana Education Roundtable December 6, 2005

2. Secretary of Education announced on November 21 that ten states could propose accountability pilot models that measure improvements in student achievement (i.e., "growth models") as a tool to help schools meet the requirements of NCLB.

3. Limited Focus of Percent Passing Model • If 65% of students pass ISTEP at a particular grade level, only 35% of students (perhaps those close to passing) can contribute to improvement the next year. • If a student passes ISTEP at Grade 3 and continues to pass, the student cannot contribute to the improvement of any school the student attends (even though the student continues to improve).

4. Limited Focus of Percent Passing Model • If student does poorly at Grade 3 but improves steadily every year and finally passes at Grade 10, the student contributes to the improvement of only one of the schools the student has attended (even though all schools have helped the student improve).

5. Broadened Focus of Growth Model • Schools can be credited with moving students from Below Basic to Basic level on their way to Proficient. • Schools can be credited with moving students from Proficient to Advanced level. • Individual student gains toward becoming Proficient (and beyond) can be measured and credited to schools.

6. P.L.221-1999 Supports Growth Model • Statutory language includes: • "continuous improvement measures" • "comparing each student's results for each grade with the student's prior year results"

7. ISTEP Supports Growth Model • Tests in Grades 3 -10 are linked by vertical scale so that longitudinal growth may be measured from grade level to grade level. • Two years of results will be available when next AYP decisions are made.