Why Do We Have AYP . . . and How Is It Working

1
Why Do We Have AYP?. . . and How Is It Working?

• Ross Wiener, Policy Director
• The Education Trust

2
Between 1988-90, progress closing achievement
gaps came to a haltand gaps began to widen once
again.
3
After 1988, Gaps Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17
Year-Olds
21
31
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 107) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
4
After 1986, Gaps Mostly Widen NAEP Math, 13
Year-Olds
32
25
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 108) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
5
Where are we now?
6
Where Are We Now? 4th Grade Reading All Students
2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
7
By Race/Ethnicity 4th Grade Reading 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
8
By Family Income 4th Grade Reading 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
9
Where Are We Now? 8th Grade Math All Students
2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
10
By Race/Ethnicity 8th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
11
By Family Income 8th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
12
AT END OF HIGH SCHOOL?
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African American and Latino 17 Year-Olds Do Math
at Same Levels As White 13 Year-Olds
Source NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables
(online)
14
African American and Latino 17 Year-Olds Read at
Same Levels as White 13 Year-Olds
Source Source NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends
Summary Tables (online)
15
College Graduates by Age 26
Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public
Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.
16
Disadvantaged students face low expectations and
limited opportunities to learn
17
How expectations differ Plans for students
after high school
SourceMetropolitan Life, Survey of the American
Teacher 2000 Are We Preparing Students for the
21st Century?, September 2000.
18
Percentage of High Scoring Students Placed in
Algebra in One Southern California School District
Source The Achievement Council, Inc. Los
Angeles, CA. Unpublished. 1991
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PROFOUND

• Moral
• Civic
• Economic
• IMPLICATIONS

20
WE CAN CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS

• We know that students living in poverty and
  students of color are capable of high
  achievement.
• LOOK AT THESE SCHOOLS . . .

21
Centennial Place Elementary SchoolAtlanta Public
Schools

• 91 African American
• 79 Low Income
• In 2002, outscored 88 of Georgia elementary
  schools in 4th grade math
• In 2002, outscored 93 of Georgia elementary
  schools in 4th grade reading

Source Georgia Department of Education,
http//www.doe.k12.ga.us
Dispelling the Myth Online, http//www.edtrust.org
22
High Achievement at Centennial Place2003 Reading
4th Grade
Source Georgia Department of Education,
http//www.doe.k12.ga.us
23
High Achievement at Centennial Place2003 Math
4th Grade
Source Georgia Department of Education,
http//www.doe.k12.ga.us
24
Laburnum ElementaryHenrico County, VA

• 96 African American
• 65 Low Income
• Made AYP in 2002-03

Source Virginia Department of Education,
http//www.pen.k12.va.us
25
High Achievement at Laburnum2003
Reading/Language Arts Composite
AYP Target 61
Source Virginia Department of Education,
http//www.pen.k12.va.us
26
High Achievement at Laburnum2003 Math Composite
AYP Target 59
Source Virginia Department of Education,
http//www.pen.k12.va.us
27
And these Districts . . .
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Norfolk Public Schools
Making Gains, Narrowing Gaps
Source Research by the National Center on
Educational Accountability
29
Boston Public Schools
Great Gains in 10th Grade Competency Rates
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And some entire states . . .
31
MA Raising First-Time Pass Rates MCAS English
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
32
MassachusettsNarrowing the Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
33
MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
34
MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
35
How Did They Do It?
36
What theyve told us

• High standards for ALL students
• Assessments Utilized to Identify Which Students
  Need the Most Help
• Accountability for Results Educators Have To
  Assert Ownership Over the Gap
• Extra support for those who need it

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But before NCLB, too few accountability systems
were focused on closing these gaps
38
Many state accountability systems were based only
on overall averages
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Abraham Lincoln Middle School Gainesville, Florida

• 31 White
• 59 African American
• 57 Low Income
• An A school under the Florida accountability
  model

Source Florida Department of Education,
http//web.fldoe.org
40
Achievement Gaps at Lincoln2003 Reading Composite
AYP Target 31
Source Florida Department of Education,
http//web.fldoe.org
41
Achievement Gaps at Lincoln2003 Math Composite
AYP Target 38
Source Florida Department of Education,
http//web.fldoe.org
42
George Washington Middle School Alexandria,
Virginia

• 25 White
• 47 African American
• 25 Latino
• 50 Low Income
• Fully Accredited under Virginia accountability
  system

Source Alexandria City Public Schools,
http//www.acps.k12.va.us,
Virginia Department of Education,
http//pen2.vak12.edu
43
Achievement Gaps at George Washington2003
Reading/Language Arts 8th Grade
AYP Target 61
Source Virginia Department of Education,
http//pen2.vak12.edu
44
Achievement Gaps at George Washington2003 Math
8th Grade
AYP Target 59
Source Virginia Department of Education,
http//pen2.vak12.edu
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And there was not enough progress on implementing
federal legislation
46
The basic deal in 1994

• More flexibility, more accountability
• Feds would no longer ask HOW the money was spent,
  but whether all students were being well-served

47
The 1994 reforms required

• Consistent state standards in reading and math
• Full participation
• (with reasonable adaptations/accommodations for
  disabled and LEP students)
• State-determined AYP formulas for schools and
  districts
• Disaggregated data

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What happened?

• Many states failed to implement law
• Assessments Not Developed
• Meaningless AYP without focus
• on gap-closing
• Disaggregated data unavailable
• Federal Government granted waivers
• And gaps grew

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How Does NCLB addressthese issues?

• Consistent goals for all schools and all students
  (AYP)
• Districts and states must take responsibility to
  help struggling schools
• Focus on teacher quality
• Public reporting

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Concept Behind AYP

• States establish clear goals for student learning
• Measure whether students are reaching them
• Publicly report all achievement data
• Where schools consistently fail to meet goals,
  states and districts must help

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States determine what all students should know
and be able to do after a public education.
52
Based on prior student achievement, states
establish goals for getting all students to
proficiency in reading math.
53
What does it mean to be Proficient for NCLB?

• Not the same as expecting every student to become
  an expert or to get 100 on the state reading and
  math tests.
• Proficient is another way of saying that the
  student got a passing score on the state test.

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States measure the performance of schools and
school districts.

• Regular AYP
• Each year, compare overall school performance
• -as well as performance of each student group-
• to the statewide goals.
• If performance overall and for each group meets
  or exceeds goal, school has met AYP.

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Seabrook ElementarySeabrook, Maryland

• 82 African American
• 9 Hispanic
• 54 Low Income
• Put on Academic Watch in 1998
• Made AYP 2002-03

Source Maryland Department of Education,
http//www.mdse.state.md.us
56
Achievement at Seabrook2003 Reading Composite
AYP Target 43.8
Source Maryland Department of Education,
http//www.mdse.state.md.us
57
Achievement at Seabrook2003 Math Composite
AYP Target 41.4
Source Maryland Department of Education,
http//www.mdse.state.md.us
58
Horizon ElementarySunrise, Florida

• 36 African American
• 24 Hispanic
• 48 Low Income
• 15 Limited English
• 10 Students with Disabilities
• Made AYP 2002-03

Source Florida Department of Education,
http//www.fldoe.org
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Achievement at Sunrise2003 Reading Composite
AYP Target 31
Source Florida Department of Education,
http//www.fldoe.org
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Achievement at Horizon2003 Math Composite
AYP Target 38
Source Florida Department of Education,
http//www.fldoe.org
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And AYP recognizes schools that are improving
62

• Safe Harbor AYP
• A school not meeting target for all groups will
  meet AYP if
• For schools or groups within schools
• not meeting AYP target, percent of students not
  meeting proficiency is reduced by 10,
• AND
• Each group not meeting proficiency targets is
  making progress on other academic indicators.

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Leschi ElementarySeattle, Washington

• 79 African American
• 72 Low Income
• Made AYP for 2002-03

Source Washington Superintendent of Public
Instruction, http//ospi.k12.wa.us
64
2 Groups Did Not Meet the 2003 AYP Target for
4th Grade Reading
AYP Target 56.2
Source Washington Superintendent of Public
Instruction, http//ospi.k12.wa.us
65
But They Did Show Significant Improvement From
2001-02
2003 AYP Target 56.2
Source Washington Superintendent of Public
Instruction, http//ospi.k12.wa.us
66
They Made AYP Through Safe Harbor

• 70 below grade level in 2002
• 58 below grade level in 2003
• 17 reduction in the percent of students below
  grade level from 2002 to 2003

Source Washington Superintendent of Public
Instruction, http//ospi.k12.wa.us
67
But AYP also identifies schools with achievement
gaps
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Alexis I du Pont High SchoolRed Clay, Delaware

• 49 White
• 24 African American
• 21 Latino
• 31 Low Income
• Named One of Americas Best High Schools by
  Newsweek Magazine
• Did not make AYP for 2002-03

Source Delaware Department of Education,
http//www.doe.state.de.us
Newsweek Magazine, June 2, 2003
69
Achievement Gaps at du Pont2003 English/Language
Arts 10th Grade
AYP Target 57
Source Delaware Department of Education,
http//www.doe.state.de.us
70
Achievement Gaps at du Pont2003 Math 10th Grade
AYP Target 33
Source Delaware Department of Education,
http//www.doe.state.de.us
71
AYP is not only about student achievement in
reading and math
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Additional Indicators

• Graduation from high school
• State chooses additional indicator for other
  schools (most states are using attendance rates)
• NOTE Unlike goals for students at proficiency,
  goals for additional academic indicators do not
  need to be raised over time.

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Participation

• 95 of students overall and within each group
  must be tested
• If any school or any group within a school
  has less than 95 participation, the school
  doesnt make AYP

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And AYP includes provisions to ensure fairness
and accuracy
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Minimum Number of Students

• States determine the minimum number of students
  in a group required for reporting and
  accountability purposes

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Confidence Intervals/Margins of Error

• To avoid inaccurate identifications, especially
  for small populations

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Averaging Scores

• States can use 3-year rolling averages
• Or 2-year, or current year
• State may combine scores for all grades within a
  school

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Only Full-Year Students

• Schools are only accountable for the performance
  of students enrolled for a full academic year

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AYP is a signaling device

• Indicates whether schools, districts, and states
  are on-target with all groups of students.
• If not, AYP identifies which schools and groups
  of students need the most help.

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Steps are taken to help students in schools
that do not make AYP

• i.e., The hard work is just beginning

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AYP is NOT a reform strategy

• Anyone who asserts that AYP alone will raise
  achievement or close gaps is over-selling NCLB
• but . . .
• Anyone whos ready to say today that we cant
  meet these goals is under-estimating our kids and
  our schools.

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AYP Provides a Framework For Identifying
Challenges and Targeting Improvement Efforts

• We cant fix problems if were not acknowledging
  them.
• AYP ensures that there are no more invisible
  kids.

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Myth States or schools that dont make AYP will
be penalized by losing federal funding.

• Reality There are no financial penalties in
  NCLB for states or schools that fail to make AYP.

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Myth The new ESEA expects more from schools,
but doesnt provide any additional resources to
help meet these expectations.

• Reality Title I funding should be increased to
  the maximum authorized under law, but funding for
  Title I increased by more than 33 from 2001 to
  2003. Projected increase for 2004 would mark a
  40 increase over 3 years.

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Myth An unreasonably large number of
successful schools will be identified as
needing improvement.

• Reality If a successful school is identified,
  it means the school is NOT being successful with
  at least one group of students.
• Schools can no longer mask achievement gaps under
  averages.

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Myth NCLB Does Not Grant Adequate Flexibility in
Responding to AYP Results

• Reality The only non-negotiables are choice and
  supplemental services for low-income students.
• Local officials retain tremendous discretion to
  implement aggressive or mild interventions,
  depending on facts and professional judgment.

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Myth AYP unfairly punishes high-poverty/high-min
ority schools because those students do worse on
achievement tests.

• Reality High-poverty and high-minority schools
  all over the country are showing thats not the
  case. Real punishment for students, not adults
  would be continuing to conceal, and do nothing
  to change, schools that persistently fail to
  educate low-income and minority students.

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Rather than embracing the challenges presented by
AYP and rallying people to tackle them head-on,
many education leaders are responding to the
challenges in the following ways
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• "I have difficulty with the standards because
  they're so unattainable for so many of our
  students . . . We just don't have the same kids
  they have on Long Island or Orchard Park.
• Superintendent, New York October 21, 2002, The
  Buffalo News

90
"If a school has five subgroups (of students) and
four do well, but one fails, the entire school is
a failure. We don't think that's fair. Reg
Weaver, President of the NEA, Whittier Daily
News, 5/24/03
91
They may as well have decreed that pigs can fly
. . . I think the State Board of Education is
dealing with reality, not myth. Some of these
politicians just have their heads in the
sand. -Wayne Johnson, CTA President Los Angeles
Times August 6, 2002
92
We are sending a flawed message by labeling
school buildings and school districts based on
the performance of some." John Lawrence,
superintendent of schools in Troy, Mo., and
president of the American Association of School
Administrators, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/5/03
93
Think about the messages in what they say

• To parentsabout whose kids matter
• To studentsabout how much educators think they
  can learn and,
• To teachersabout whether they even have to try.

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Other leaders are talking about the challenge in
very different ways.
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"Until the gap is closed, our work is not done."
Des Moines Superintendent Eric Witherspoon,
Des Moines Register, 4/15/03
96
"There are people who'll say, 'Given that
neighborhood a child is from, what do you
expect. It's our job to say there are no
excuses - that we have to address students' needs
so they can achieve." Frank Tinney, director of
standards, assessment and accountability in the
Palm Springs Unified School District, The Desert
Sun (Palm Springs, CA), 4/8/03
97
"It's not that they are failing so much as we are
failingThis shines a very bright light on
something we have known for years but haven't
been forced to deal with until now ---- that we
have to close this massive gap if all of our
students are going to succeed." Ken Noonan,
Oceanside Unified School District Superintendent,
North County Times (CA), 5/25/03
98
We have really blown that myth about
high-poverty schools being low achievers out of
the water. Economically deprived doesn't mean
brain deprived. Janie Moran, Principal
Southern Hills, a high poverty school in
Louisiana where all but one of their 48 4th grade
student passed LEAP, Shreveport Times, 5/29/03
99
This new era is not just a matter of kids having
access to school This new era is about how we're
going to make sure all kids learn." Andy
Tompkins, Kansas Department of Education
Commissioner, Topeka Capital Journal, 7/8/03
100

• "If you love children, you can't say this law is
  a waste. . . It has to come down to someone
  making sure these kids are getting an education.
• Denise Allen, Kentucky
• November 13, 2002, Lexington Herald Leader

101
"At the end of the day, we are responsible for
every child. Will we do it? Certainly. Will we
look good early on? I doubt it." Superintendent
, Wake CountyJune 2, 2002 News and Observer (NC)
102
The Education Trust

• For More Information . . .
• www.edtrust.org
• 202-293-1217