All data reported in this section are based on student performance on the North Carolina End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests. Students in grades 3-8 must take annual end-of-grade tests in reading, mathematics and science (grades 5, 8). Students enrolled in any of the following courses must take end-of-course tests: English I, Algebra I, and Biology.

There are four levels of performance on the state's End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests ranging from Levels I-IV. A general description of each achievement level follows. More detailed definitions may be found on the NC Department of Public Instruction's ABCs website.

• Level I: Students performing at this level do not have sufficient mastery of knowledge and skills in this grade level or subject area to be successful at the next grade level or at a more advanced level in this subject area.
  
  
• Level II: Students performing at this level demonstrate inconsistent mastery of knowledge and skills in this grade level or subject area and are minimally prepared to be successful at the next grade level or at a more advanced level in this subject area.
  
  
• Level III: Students performing at this level consistently demonstrate mastery of this subject matter and skills and are well prepared for the next grade level (EOG) or for a more advanced level in this subject area (EOC).
  
  
• Level IV: Students performing at this level consistently perform in a superior manner clearly beyond that required to be proficient in this grade level or subject matter and are very well prepared for the next grade level or for a more advanced level in the subject area.

Students are considered to be at or above grade level if they receive a score of Level III or IV on the state's tests.

End-of-Grade percentages are based on the number of a school's reading and mathematics tests scored at Level III or above in the 2010-11 school year. End-of-Course percentages are based on the number of a school's End-of-Course tests scored at Level III or above in the 2010-11 school year. Scores for non-high school students enrolled in courses subject to ABCs testing requirements are reported.

Results for students with disabilities taking alternate assessments, including NCEXTEND1 or NCEXTEND2 are included in the reported percentages.

Student Performance Trend Data graphs display the percentage of students at or above Level III on the End-of-Grade mathematics tests in the 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-12 school years.

Additional information is provided on the web-based version of the NC School Report Cards. Tables display the number and percentage of students at each of the four achievement levels on the End-of-Grade reading test. This information also is displayed for students of each racial/ethnic category, gender, economic status, disability status, migrant status, and for English language learners. Detailed achievement level results for each grade level and course tested are available online in the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Reports of Supplemental Disaggregated State, School System (LEA) and School Performance Data for 2011-12. Data on the number of students taking the ABCs End-of-Grade reading and mathematics tests also are provided on the web-based Report Card.

The North Carolina ABCs program and federal No Child Left Behind legislation require schools to test at least 95 percent of their students. Students with disabilities taking alternate assessments, including the NCEXTEND1 or NCEXTEND2, are credited as having been tested. Where the number of students is too small (less than five) to ensure that student test results aren’t personally identifiable, a N/A (not available) will appear. In any group where the percentage of students at a grade level is greater than 95% or less than 5%, the actual values may not be displayed because of federal privacy regulations. In these cases the results will be shown as >95% or <5% for the group.

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, Reporting Section, "Reports of Disaggregated State, School System (LEA), & School Performance Data for 2011-12."

High Student Performance Data Reported by Student Groups
All data reported in this section are based on student performance on the North Carolina ABCs End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests. For each student group, the percentage of scores at Level III or above is reported. Percentages for schools with students in grades 3-8 are based on the number of students scoring at or above Level III in both reading and mathematics on the ABCs End-of-Grade tests. Scores of students who did not take both the ABCs reading and mathematics tests are omitted from the reported percentages. Percentages for schools with students taking End-of-Course exams are based on the total number of End-of-Course tests scored at or above Level III. End-of-Course percentages are weighted by the number of test takers.

Data are reported for the following six student groups:

• Gender: Male and Female
  
  
• Racial/Ethnic: White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races. The one exception to Two or More Races is the combination of Hispanic with any other race/ethnicity: Hispanic overrides the other race/ethnicity and the student is identified as Hispanic.
  
  
• Economically disadvantaged students were identified for 2011-12 analysis in accordance with a Memorandum of Agreement between the Child Nutrition Services Section and the Division of Accountability Services.
  
  
• Limited English Proficient (L.E.P.): LEP students are students whose first language is not English and who need language assistance to participate fully in the regular curriculum. Students who have exited LEP identification during the last two years are included in AYP calculations for the LEP group only if that group already met the minimum number of 40 students required for a group.
  
  
• Migrant Students: To be considered a "Migrant Student," a child must engage in or have parents or guardians who engage in migrant agricultural work. The child also must have moved within the preceding 36 months to accommodate temporary or seasonal agricultural work. There is a formal certification process to identify migrant students.
  
  
• Students with Disabilities (SWD): Students with Disabilities” includes all children who, because of permanent or temporary mental, physical or emotional handicaps, are in need of special education services. Section 504 students are not included. Students who have exited SWD identification during the last two years are included in calculations for the SWD group only if that group already met the minimum number of 40 students required for a group.

Where no scores are reported or the number of students is too small (five than fewer) to ensure that student test results remain anonymous, a N/A (not available) is displayed. In any group where the percentage of students at a grade level is greater than 95% or less than 5%, the actual values may not be displayed because of federal privacy regulations. In these cases the results will be shown as >95% or <5% for the group.

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, Reporting Section, "Reports of Disaggregated State, School System (LEA), & School Performance Data for 2011-12."

SAT
The most recent version of the SAT, which was first administered in March 2005, consists of multiple-choice questions, sentence completions, and a student-written essay. The test’s critical reading section, formerly known as the verbal section, examines sentence completion and passage-based reading. The test’s mathematics section examines a student’s ability to solve arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis problems.

The writing section consists of two subsections: short essay and multiple-choice. The short essay subsection measures a student’s ability to effectively communicate a viewpoint and define and support a position. The multiple-choice subsection examines a student’s ability to improve sentences and paragraphs and to identify errors. Each of the SAT’s three sections is scored on a scale of 200-800, with a highest possible total score of 2400.

When comparing SAT total scores from examinations administered in 2006 to the present with SAT total scores from examinations administered prior to 2006, only critical reading and mathematics scores are used, with a highest possible total score of 1600.

Average SAT scores and participation rates are provided. Participation rates represent the percentage of high school membership in the class of 2011 who took the SAT. When comparing average SAT scores across schools, participation rate might be a factor, because the larger the test-taking population, the smaller SAT changes tend to be from year to year.

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, Reporting Section, The North Carolina SAT Report, Fall 2012.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Scoring Process
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) uses a combination of multiple-choice and constructed-response items (questions) as part of its assessment instruments. For multiple-choice items, students are required to select an answer from a list of options; responses are electronically scanned and scored. For constructed-response items, students are required to provide their own answers; responses are scanned and then scored by qualified and trained scorers using a scoring guide and an electronic image-processing and scoring system..

Scoring all NAEP items in an objective, consistent, and valid fashion is a key program goal. There are a number of steps in the NAEP scoring process that occur during three general phases: scoring guide development and pilot, first operational scoring (or pre-calibration), and subsequent operational scoring.

NAEP data are collected using a closely-monitored and standardized process. The tight controls that guide the data collection process help ensure the comparability of the results generated for the national and the state assessments.

Results
NAEP provides results about subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment and reports these results for populations of students (e.g., fourth-graders) and groups within those populations (e.g., male students or Hispanic students). NAEP does not provide individual scores for the students or schools assessed. The NAEP results included on the state Report Card are the results of the 2011 NAEP reading and mathematics assessments. The data included on the state Report Card reflects results from a sample of students in the public schools of North Carolina and the nation.

Subject-matter achievement is reported in two ways—scale scores and achievement levels. NAEP scales are developed independently for each subject. Achievement levels categorize student achievement as Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Below Basic is also reported for this scale but not considered an achievement level.

NAEP scales are developed independently for each subject, scale score and achievement level results, which cannot be compared across subjects. See more information about NAEP in North Carolina at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/naep/naep

NCLB Attendance Rate
The measurement used for NCLB is is Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs). AMOs specify targets for school performance by groups of students. Targets are set for student performance on the state standardized tests in reading and mathematics (grades 3-8, and grade 10) as well as for what is termed “Other Academic Indicators” (OAI).

Attendance is the OAI for elementary and middle schools in North Carolina. In 2011-12, progress was considered to be at least a 0.1 percentage point increase up to the 90% threshold for attendance. Any fluctuations above the threshold for attendance met the requirement for progress. For schools that have both elementary/middle grades and high school grades, the Other Academic Indicator is the Cohort Graduation Rate if the school graduates seniors, and attendance rate if the school does not. (There are special conditions that may apply when either of the grade spans has fewer than 40 students.)

In the table that displays a breakdown by student group where the number of students is too small (less than five), a N/A (not available) is displayed. This ensures that student information remains anonymous. In any group where the percentage of students is greater than 95% or less than 5%, the actual values are not displayed because of federal privacy regulations. In these cases, the results are shown as >95% or <5%.

More detailed information is available on the NC Department of Public Instruction’s No Child Left Behind website.

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, Demographics Data Collection, 2011-12.

Cohort Graduation Rate
The graduation rate reported here complies with the No Child Left Behind federal education law.

Since July 2005, all 50 states have signed the National Governors Association’s Graduation Counts Compact on State High School Graduation Data. In the compact, governors agreed to take steps to implement a standard, four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. States agree to calculate the graduation rate by dividing the number of on-time graduates in a given year by the number of first-time entering ninth graders four years earlier. Graduates are defined as those receiving a high school diploma. The denominator can be adjusted for transfers in and out of the system, and data systems track individual students with a longitudinal student unit record data system.

Beginning in 2009-10, the requirements for cohort graduation rate changed so that the rate of improvement from one year to the next must be as least two percentage points on a four-year cohort graduation rate or at least three percentage points on a five-year cohort graduation rate for a school to make progress. A four-year rate (or five-year rate) of at least 80 percent also meets the target for the Other Academic Indicator (OAI) at the high school level.

In the breakdown by student group where the number of students is too small (less than five), a N/A (not available) is displayed. This ensures that student information remains anonymous. In any group where the percentage of students is greater than 95% or less than 5%, the actual values are not displayed because of federal privacy regulations. In these cases, the results are shown as >95% or <5%.

For more information visit National Governors Association Compact:
http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0602GRADGUIDANCE.PDF

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, Demographics Data Collection, 2011-12.

School Performance on the ABCs
Each year, schools in North Carolina may receive several designations based on their performance on the state's ABCs tests. These designations are awarded on the basis of the percentage of students performing at grade level and on whether the school attained the ABCs growth standards. The designations are defined as follows:

• Honor School of Excellence: At least 90 percent of students' scores are at or above achievement Level III and the school makes or exceeds its expected growth goal. Additionally, the school has met all of its Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) targets.
  
  
• School of Excellence: At least 90 percent of students' scores are at or above achievement Level III and the school makes or exceeds its expected growth goal.
  
  
• School of Distinction: 80-89 percent of students' scores are at or above achievement Level III and school makes or exceeds its expected growth goal.
  
  
• School of Progress: 60-79 percent of students' scores are at or above achievement Level III and school makes or exceeds its expected growth goal.
  
  
• School Receiving No Recognition: School fails to reach its expected growth goals but has at least 60 percent of its students performing at or above achievement Level III.
  
  
• Priority School: School has less than 60 percent of its students' scores at or above achievement Level III, irrespective of making its expected growth status, and is not identified as a Low-Performing School.
  
  
• Low-Performing School: School fails to reach its expected growth goal and has significantly less than 50 percent of its students performing at or above achievement Level III.
  
  
• High Growth: School made expected growth & at least 60% of the students achieved their growth expectations.
  
  
• Expected Growth: School makes its expected growth goal.
  
  

K-2 schools have no students in the tested grades. The ABCs designations for these schools reflect the designation of their receiving schools’ (third grade and above) that enroll the greatest percentage of the K-2 feeder students.

With the elimination of the Grade 3 Pretest in reading and mathematics in 2009-10, K-3 schools have no pretest information upon which to base a growth calculation, but they do have EOG scores for the end of third grade. These schools inherit their ABCs growth status from the school (with a fourth grade) that receives the largest percentage of the students from the K-3 school. K-3 schools are assigned ABCs designations by combining their inherited growth status with the performance composite computed from their third grade EOG scores, with one exception--if their status would be Low-Performing, they are assigned to the Priority School category.

Special Schools, including Vocational and Career Centers, Special Education Schools, and Hospital Schools, are eligible for participation in the ABCs and may receive prorated incentive awards based on the status (High or Expected Growth) attained by the schools whose students they serve. Special Schools cannot be recognized as Honor School of Excellence, School of Excellence, School of Distinction, School of Progress, Priority School, or Low-Performing School.

Each Report Card provides the designations given to each school and the percentage of schools with the same grade span in the district and state receiving each designation.

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, “2010-11 ABC/AMO Report.”

Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)
For Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) the reported groups are:

• School as a Whole;
• White;
• Black;
• Hispanic;
• Native American;
• Asian;
• Pacific Islander;
• Two or More Races;
• Economically Disadvantaged Students;
• Limited English Proficient Students; and
• Students With Disabilities.

Most schools will not have all groups represented at their school. A student can be in as few as one group (School as a Whole) if he/she is part of a group represented by less than 40 students across the tested grades in a school, or a student could be in as many as five groups. LEAs are held to the same participation and Other Academic Indicators target goals for students in reading/language arts and mathematics that are established for schools.

For elementary and middle schools (grades 3-8) additional targets include

• 95 percent participation rate in end-of-grade reading or alternate assessments;
• 95 percent participation rate in end-of-grade mathematics or alternate assessments;
• proficiency or above in end-of-grade reading or alternate assessments; and
• proficiency or above in end-of-grade mathematics or alternate assessments.
• In addition, the School as a Whole must show progress on the Other Academic Indicator, which is attendance for schools in grades 3 to 8.

For high schools (grades 9-12) additional targets include:

• 95 percent participation rate on the English I and Grade 10 writing or alternate assessments;
• 95 percent participation rate on the Algebra I or alternate assessments;
• proficiency or above on the English I and Grade 10 writing or alternate assessments; and
• proficiency or above on the Algebra I or alternate assessments.
• In addition, the School as a Whole must show progress on the Other Academic Indicator, which is the cohort graduation rate if the school graduates seniors and the attendance rate if it doesn’t.

Each student group at a school, district or the state level must meet or exceed the proficiency target goals outlined in the chart below on the designated assessments. For instance, in 2011-12, for economically disadvantaged students at an elementary school to meet the AMO, at least 61.4 percent of students must score at Level III or IV on the end-of-grade reading assessment or its alternate. Through the use of safe harbor, the confidence interval or the trajectory growth standard, a school still might be able to meet the AMO target even if it misses its proficiency target goals.

NEW ANNUAL MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES (AMO) TARGETS
Based on Assessments Administered in the 2010-2011 School Year

Other Academic Indicator (OAI) – Attendance & Four-year Cohort Graduation Rate
If a school contains a combination of elementary, middle and high school grade ranges, all available targets will be used for determining AYP status. Progress on the OAI is defined as follows. For elementary and middle schools, progress is based on attendance and is defined as a .1 percentage point increase or more up to a threshold of 90% or any fluctuation at or above the 90 percent threshold. For high schools, progress is based on the cohort graduation rate and is defined as a 2 percentage point increase or more on the four-year cohort graduation rate, or a 3 percentage point increase or more on the five-year cohort graduation rate, or any fluctuation at or above an 80 percent threshold. For schools that have both elementary/middle grades and high school grades, the OAI is the cohort graduation rate if the school has 12th grade and graduates seniors, and attendance rate if the school does not. (There are special conditions that may apply when either of the grade spans has fewer than 40 students.)

Districts are held accountable for meeting all targets measured in the district, including the attendance rate and cohort graduation rate. It is possible for a district to enter district improvement under NCLB even if all schools make AYP. A group must have at least 40 students, with the exception of the School as a Whole. As few as five students’ data will be calculated to determine the OAI and three students’ data to determine if proficiency targets have been met. For proficiency and attendance targets, only students in membership a Full Academic Year (FAY) are calculated at the school level. FAY is defined as 140 days in membership as of the first day of spring testing.

Source: NCDPI, Accountability Services Division, “2011-12 ABCs/AMO Report.”

ESEA School Status
North Carolina’s ESEA Flexibility Request provides the State with waivers to certain provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). As part of its differentiated recognition, accountability, and support system, NC has identified a list of schools as Reward, Focus, and Priority. Reward Schools are schools that have demonstrated high student achievement or high student progress over a number of years. Districts with schools identified as Focus and Priority must implement interventions to assist at-risk students in meeting the State’s high academic achievement standards and graduate students on time.

Under the approved waivers, the State is no longer required to identify a local education agency (LEA) for improvement or corrective action. For more information about ESEA Flexibility, please see the ESEA Flexibility website.

Source: NCDPI, Federal Program Monitoring and Support.