Beyond Test Scores: “School Quality or Student Success” in State ESSA Plans

2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
John Portz
Keyword(s):  
Student Success ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
School Quality ◽  
School Level ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
High School Level ◽  
New School ◽  
Accountability Measures

Background The federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to develop accountability measures in five indicator areas, including the new “school quality or student success” category. States also provide relative weights for each indicator. Research Questions This new indicator is an opportunity to further develop multiple accountability measures beyond the common focus on test scores. How did states respond to this opportunity? Why did states respond differently? Research Design A review of state ESSA plans is followed by regression analyses to help explain the different weights given by states to accountability indicators. Findings The average weight assigned to this new indicator is 11% at the elementary level and 20% at the high school level. There is a strong preference for measures of student success rather than institution-based measures of school quality. States giving this indicator the greatest weight are most influenced by a tradition of policy liberalism and, to a lesser degree, NAEP scores. Conclusion Most states are taking a limited and cautious approach to this new indicator. They continue an emphasis on test measures and assessing individual student performance. In a smaller number of states, there is a more significant movement toward the use of multiple accountability measures.

scholarly journals The Promise and Pitfalls of Using Imprecise School Accountability Measures

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 91-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J Kane ◽  
Douglas O Staiger
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
Market Value ◽  
School Accountability ◽  
School Level ◽  
Accountability Systems ◽  
Accountability Measures

In recent years, most states have constructed elaborate accountability systems using school-level test scores. However, because the median elementary school contains only 69 children per grade level, such measures are quite imprecise. We evaluate the implications for school accountability systems. For instance, rewards or sanctions for schools with scores at either extreme primarily affect small schools and provide weak incentives to large ones. Nevertheless, we conclude that accountability systems may be worthwhile. Even in states with aggressive financial incentives, the marginal reward to schools for raising student performance is a small fraction of the potential labor market value for students.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Classroom-Based Interventions for Students With Emotional/Behavioral Challenges at the High School Level

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talida M. State ◽  
Judith R. Harrison ◽  
Lee Kern ◽  
Timothy J. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
School Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
High School Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Behavioral Challenges ◽  
Organizational Skills

Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of interventions designed to address the needs of high school students with emotional and behavioral challenges and adopted by their teachers. In this study, 336 general and special education teachers rated classwide interventions (e.g., expectations, routines, positive student–teacher interactions [PSTI]) and individual student interventions (e.g., study skills, organizational skills) in terms of priority, feasibility, and acceptability before implementation. Teachers who implemented the interventions rated their acceptability post-implementation. Results indicated that acceptability ratings varied across interventions, and it appeared that teachers rated interventions that required the least amount of time to implement (e.g., PSTI) most acceptable and those that required the most time for implementation (e.g., study skills) least acceptable. Lack of time, perceived lack of effectiveness, and poor environmental fit were often cited as reasons for lack of feasibility. Regression analyses revealed that teacher characteristics (e.g., years of experience) and type of intervention (e.g., classwide vs. individualized) contributed to teacher ratings of intervention acceptability. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Alternative Accountability Models

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 618-641
Author(s):  
Kelly McMahon ◽  
Ashley Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
School Quality ◽  
School Accountability ◽  
Accountability Systems ◽  
Accountability Measures ◽  
Urban Districts ◽  
Alternative Measures ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
New Strategies

The passage of ESSA in 2015 created a novel mandate for States to develop school accountability systems that use alternative measures of school quality beyond test scores. This created an opportunity for States to be innovative and make new forms of data available that could potentially lead to new strategies for improving schools. This study explored early experiments in alternative accountability measures in two urban districts. Drawing on interviews, documents, and observations gained through participant research, this study highlights the variable types of data the models made available to stakeholders and how those differences suggest different theories of change for improving schools. The findings highlight how different ways of specifying school quality point to different ideas about what schools should be responsible for improving.

scholarly journals US STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE: A REVIEW OF THE FOUR MAJOR SCIENCE ASSESSMENTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65
Author(s):  
Susan Poland ◽  
Linda Plevyak
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Level ◽  
Scientific Content ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Science Assessments ◽  
College Bound Students ◽  
Scientific Skills

The purpose of this research is to review the nature of four major science assessments administered in the United States: the ACT, PISA, TIMSS, and NAEP. Each assessment provides a very different view into US student performance in science. The TIMSS and PISA are international assessments of student performance and are often cited as evidence that US students are underperforming in comparison to their international peers. The NAEP is used to assess student knowledge of science across multiple age ranges in the United States. Finally, the ACT is administered to college-bound students who elect to take the exam. The underlying philosophies and basic structures of each assessment are explored, and comparisons and contrasts between the assessments are drawn. Historical student performance on each assessment is also analyzed. Analysis of these assessments suggests that US students struggle to apply scientific skills at the high school level, while US middle and elementary students understand scientific content knowledge well. Key words: student performance; science assessment; STEM education; standardized testing.

The Impact of School Resources on Student Performance: A Study of Private Schools in the United Kingdom

ILR Review ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Graddy ◽  
Margaret Stevens
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Independent Schools ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
School Level ◽  
State Sector ◽  
New School ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Impact

This article reports the results of an empirical study of the impact of school inputs on pupils' performance in private (independent) schools in the United Kingdom, using a new school-level panel dataset constructed from information provided by the Independent Schools Information Service. The authors show a consistent negative relationship between the pupil-teacher ratio at a school and the examination results achieved by pupils aged 18, controlling for the pupils' performance in examinations two years earlier. The results are noteworthy in comparison with results of studies for the state sector, relatively few of which have found a consistent and statistically significant effect of the pupil-teacher ratio.

Challenged by Immunization Compliance? Five Steps for Nurses in Urban High Schools With Multilingual Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-111
Author(s):  
Lynda Boyer-Chu
Keyword(s):  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
School Level ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Require Time ◽  
Immunization Registry ◽  
Measles Vaccination

Immunization compliance can require time and resources not readily available to school nurses in urban schools. Furthermore, immunizations can be perceived as lower priority at the high school level. But communicable disease outbreaks, such as the one experienced across the United States with measles, highlight the important role of school nurses in compliance activities. Using a five-step process, a school nurse was able to update one urban high school’s database to more accurately reflect student measles vaccination compliance. An initial immunization database query indicated that 12% of approximately 2,000 enrolled students lacked even one measles-containing vaccine. A search through the state immunization registry and individual student educational folders revealed that 65% of these students actually had at least one measles vaccination. Remedies under consideration by the district in addressing this discrepancy are described. The remaining students (4% of total enrollment) required the additional steps of notification and intensive follow-up with students and their families. Within 2 months, fewer than 1% of students lacked a record of measles vaccination. The five steps presented can be adapted to achieve compliance with all required vaccines.

scholarly journals Effects of Dog Ownership and Academic Success: A Correlational Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Woehr ◽  
Kristin Newman
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
School Level ◽  
Therapy Dogs ◽  
Service Dogs ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Dog Ownership ◽  
High Schoolers

It is well known that dogs are effective stress relievers. Specifically, certified therapy dogs and service dogs have been proven to reduce stress in the academic realm. With the reduction of stress comes an increase in test scores and academic performance. Scientific trails have shown that dog visitations have helped children in elementary school increase their literacy and reading rates. College students report that meet and greets with therapy dogs during finals weeks have left them feeling more confident about upcoming exams. Though, what is not commonly considered are students at the high school level and the influence of dogs, particularly one that they own. This study involved the collecting and analyzing of surveys to see whether or not high schoolers who owned dogs had higher academic success as compared to their peers who didn’t own dogs. The findings show that there is no such correlation between high schoolers who own dogs experiencing higher academic rates, however it did support the proven theory of dogs relieving stress.

Assessment of Individual Student Performance in Online Team Projects

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Alden
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Group Process ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Peer Assessment ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Assessment Practice ◽  
Group Project ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Projects

The use of team projects has been shown to be beneficial in higher education. There is also general agreement that team efforts should be assessed and that the grading ought to represent both (1) the quality of the product developed jointly by the team as well as (2) the degree of participation and quality of contribution by each individual student involved in the group process. The latter grading requirement has posed a challenge to faculty so the question addressed in this paper is “How should individual team members in online courses be assessed for the extent and quality of their contributions to the group project?” To answer this question, four common team member evaluation practices were reviewed and compared to seven criteria representing positive attributes of an assessment practice in an online learning environment. Whereas the Peer Assessment practice received the greatest support in the literature in face-to-face courses, this study that considered the perceptions of graduate faculty and students recommended the Faculty Review practice as the default assessment

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document