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School Report Card

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Your School’s Report Card

This document has been created to help you understand how to read a school report card.  As a more involved parent, you improve your child’s chances to be successful in school. For each topic, you will find suggestions on how you can obtain additional information and assistance.

 

As a part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the Governor’s office in the State of Georgia

issues an annual report called the School Report Card.  All schools in the state must take certain tests and meet specific criteria.  

 

READING A SCHOOL REPORT CARD

 

School report cards are usually a year behind in being issued.  For example, near the end of the 06-07 school year, the 05-06 school reports will be issued.  There are multiple sites on the internet that will provide statistics for schools and school districts in the state.  When you are checking a site for a school report, be sure you check for the date of that report.

 

http://reportcard2006.gaosa.org/k12/default.aspx

 

The Georgia Department of Education also provides the most current test scores if you wish to see system wide scores.  Those can be found at the following address: 

 

http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_communications.aspx?ViewMode=1&obj=1392

 

After you click on the link, you’ll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page.

 

In addition to the Governor’s report card, a private organization called the Georgia Public Policy Foundation issues a report card for Georgia schools.  This organization provides rankings for the schools within the state based on test scores and other criteria. 

 

http://gppf.org/default.asp?pt=doc&doc=reportcard

 

With all this information out there throwing numbers at you in the form of test scores, let’s see what we can do to decode those numbers.  Most of Georgia’s test scores for elementary and middle schools come from the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test or CRCT.  The CRCT are state mandated achievement tests for all students in elementary and middle schools, grades one through eight.  The tests cover reading, math, English language arts, science and social studies.

 

The purpose of the tests is to insure that our students across the state are learning at their grade level.  Individual test scores are used to identify specific students who are showing strengths or weaknesses.  The tests also provide feedback to educators for instructional planning.  Tests are given in April or May over several days.  Only one subject is tested per day.

 

 

THE SCORES

 

Student scores are reported according to three levels of performance. 

 

Does Not Meet Expectations

If a student’s scores do not reach the minimum level expected for all students in Georgia, they receive a score of Does Not Meet Expectations.  These students are generally working below grade level as measured by the CRCT.

 

Meets Expectations

A student whose scores fall in the range expected for students at that grade group in Georgia will receive a score of Meets Expectations.  These students are generally working on grade level.

 

Exceeds Expectations

Students who are performing above grade level receive scores of Exceeds Expectations.

 

Students in third, fifth and eighth grades must score Meets Expectations or higher on specific portions of the CRCT in order to be promoted to the next grade.  Third graders must pass the reading portion of the tests while fifth and eighth graders must pass both reading and math.

 

Interpreting Systems Scores or School Scores

 

Let’s say that your local newspaper has published the numbers for the latest CRCT scores for your child’s school system.  How do you know if they have done well or not?  How can you tell if your child’s school is providing a quality education?  Let’s look at the scores again.  We will use a “make believe” school system for this look: 

 

“Make believe” School System Grade 8 Reading

 

Reading Mean SS	Reading % Does not Meet	Reading Percent Meets	Reading % Exceeds
822.33	17.6	57.5	24.9

 

In this example, the MBS System has 17.6 percent of their children who have not met expectations in reading.  Just over half their children, 57.5 percent met expectations but did not exceed them.  Nearly a quarter of their children, 24.9 percent, were performing above grade level expectations.

 

Now let’s go back to the beginning of that report and look at the Reading Mean SS.  This means the average scaled score for that school system.  Some scaled scores are set in the 300’s and some in the 800’s.  Scaled scores, whose minimum Meets Expectations is 800, are scores set on specific academic standards described in the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS).  The Mean Scaled Score for reading for our “make believe” School System was 822.33, meaning that the score for all students in that grade averaged together was 822.33.

 

Scaled scores for some of the tests are in the 300’s.  Those tests are based on the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC), the curriculum that was used in Georgia before the state began the switch to the GPS.  These scores are scheduled to be re-centered soon, as curriculum is updated.  There is essentially no difference in a score of 300 on a QCC scale and an 800 on a GPS scale.  Both scores Meet Expectations.  Let’s look at another example:

 

 

“Make believe” School System Grade 8 Math

 

Math Mean SS	Math % in Does not Meet	Math % in Meets	Math % in Exceeds
322.34	12.5	66.7	20.8

 

 

In this example, 12.5 percent of students Did Not Meet Expectations.  About two thirds of the students, 66.7 percent, Met Expectations.  Another fifth of the group, 20.8 percent, Exceeded Expectations.  Because the math is still scored based on the QCC, the scaled score is in the 300’s.  The average scaled score for MBS System’s 8th grade math is 322.34. 

 

Adequate Yearly Progress

 

Reporting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is another requirement for No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  AYP is a measure of year-to-year student achievement on statewide assessments.  The student test results for a school or a school system must collectively show that the school/school system is meeting the educational expectations of the state. 

 

Some of the requirements that must be met in order for a school/school system to met AYP include:

• demonstrate that at least 95% of the students took the state mandated tests, AND
• meet or exceed the state’s minimum requirements for test scores (Meets Expectations), AND
• show progress for subgroups in each school AND
• show progress on one other indicator such as graduation rates for high school.

 

You can get more information about Adequate Yearly Progress by going to the following web site:

 

http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/aypnclb2006.aspx

 

If, after reading through this, you still have questions about your child’s school or school system, contact the school and request an appointment with the person at the school who would have the most knowledge about AYP and the school’s report card.