State and Federal Requirements
As you may know, all schools must now meet rigorous state and federal accountability requirements:
State
Our state’s requirements are called the Academic Performance Index (API). The index is divided into three components:
• Oklahoma School Testing Program: Reading/language arts and math results from all state-mandated tests
• School Completion: Includes attendance, dropout and graduation rates
• Academic Excellence: ACT scores and percent of students participating, Advanced Placement credit and college remediation rates in reading and math.
Federal
The federal requirements called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under NCLB focus on four indicators of educational success including:
• Math achievement
• Reading/Language Arts achievement
• Student participation in testing
• Student attendance rates or graduation rates, as applicable.
Mustang's Academic Performance Index
1500 = Perfect Score |
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| API scores since 2002 |
AYP gives all or nothing results.
For each indicator, a specific statewide performance target was established. According to NCLB regulations, AYP is an “all-or-nothing” determination; in other words, schools and districts must meet all targets for all measurable student groups in order to meet AYP. There is no in between. It is as if the only two grades are “pass” and “fail.” A school can be very close to meeting its goals, but it will get the label of not making AYP, just as if the school did not get close to meeting the goals at all. Schools or districts may have a very high overall API score, but still need to make improvements in specific student groups (e.g. race, IEP, ELL, or economically disadvantaged students).
Regarding testing, eleven student groups are required to meet the statewide performance targets.
• All Students
• Regular Students
• Major Racial/Ethnic Groups
• Black
• American Indian
• Hispanic
• Asian/Pacific Islander
• White
• Other
• Economically Disadvantaged Students
• English Language Learners (ELL)
• Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
What are the challenges of AYP?
Every group counts separately under AYP. To make Adequate Yearly Progress, schools must make sure that every group of students, including students who have learning disabilities or who do not speak fluent English, meet the same AYP goals. That is a very tough challenge. If even one group does not meet the goals, our schools cannot make AYP.
How we are helping our students achieve
We are working harder than ever to help all of our students achieve. Following are some of the initiatives we are undertaking this year:
• Quality professional development
• Curriculum alignment
• Implementing remediation strategies
Please call me if you have more questions about how we can help your child achieve.
Sincerely, Belinda Rogers,
Deputy Superintendent of Mustang Public Schools |
