Oklahoma’s Statewide Accountability System

Just as students' report cards provide a snapshot of their school performance, the Oklahoma School Report Cards show how well public schools across Oklahoma serve students in a variety of areas. The A-F grades on Oklahoma's school report cards are determined by the performance of students as measured across multiple indicators, including:

1. academic achievement,
2. academic growth,
3. chronic absenteeism,
4. progress in English language proficiency assessments (ELPA Progress),
5. postsecondary opportunities, and
6. graduation rate.

Measured at different points, indicators work together to provide a snapshot of school performance. Each of these indicators receives a specific point value that translates to a letter grade.

Academic Achievement Indicator – 30-35 points for elementary and middle schools, 45 points for high schools

The Academic Achievement Indicator uses annual state test scores in English language arts (ELA), math, and science to identify where groups of students are relative to grade-level expectations outlined in Oklahoma Academic Standards (OAS). This indicator uses two equally weighted components, Improvement Toward Expectations (ITE) and the Performance Level Snapshot (PLS), to examine the improvement of each student group in the same grade from one year to the next. Together, these components reveal how well schools are closing gaps and supporting all students in being ready for the next grade, course, or level.

The ITE component represents the extent to which all students within a school are meeting their academic achievement targets as determined by grade level and priority student group. While the PLS component represents the proportion of ALL students scoring basic, proficient, or advanced.

Every student in grades 3 through 8 contributes to the maximum score of 30 or 35 points for this indicator – 15 for English language arts (ELA), 15 for math, and 5 for science, which is administered only in grades 5 and 8. Every student in grade 11 contributes to the maximum score of 45 at the high school level – 15 for ELA, 15 for math, and 15 for science.

Academic Growth Indicator – 30 Points (elementary and middle schools only)

The Academic Growth indicator recognizes schools working hard to meet students where they are and help them get - or stay - on track. This indicator captures the growth of students at all levels of performance and provides a nuanced view of student performance over time.

Points earned under the Academic Growth indicator are derived from an individual student’s movement within and across performance levels for English language arts (ELA) and math in consecutive years. Performance levels indicate how well a student is prepared for the next

grade, course, or level. Each individual student’s academic growth is recognized by comparing test results in the same subject from one year to the next. Growth is achieved when a student moves within a performance level (from Basic Low to Basic High, for example) or across performance levels (from Basic to Proficient, for example). Students who perform at the same level from one year to the next have demonstrated growth because what they must learn in each grade increases. A maximum of 30 points can be earned under this indicator – 15 for growth in English language arts (ELA) and 15 for growth in math.

ELPA Progress – 10 Points

Researchers have shown that English learners (EL) who have attained English proficiency and become bilingual or multilingual outperform all other student groups on every academic measure. This indicator provides data used to determine the effectiveness of a district’s English language acquisition programs and to address gaps or issues that may be resulting in low rates of English proficiency attainment.

This indicator uses an individual EL’s baseline WIDA Access or Alt Access score. The overall score reflects the percentage of ELs that have met or exceeded their annual growth targets, excited via the ELP Band Committee, or were 1st-4th year proficient, former ELs. EL students who meet their yearly targets are on track to becoming English proficient in the prescribed time frame. ELs that do not meet their yearly targets may qualify to exit by meeting criteria determined by an ELP Band Committee to warrant their exit.

The English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Progress indicator is worth 10 points and includes all students, grades K-12, who are in a language acquisition program or have exited their program within the last four years.

Chronic Absenteeism – 10 Points

Chronic absenteeism refers to students who miss 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason. Regular attendance is predictive of student and school success. Research indicates that chronic absenteeism may place students at academic risk. Students cannot learn if they are not present for instruction; an absence of as few as two days per month puts them at risk of falling behind academically.

The Chronic Absenteeism indicator collects information on attendance to ensure students receive the instructional time they need to be academically successful. Schools earn points based on the percentage of students in good attendance (i.e., not chronically absent). It is important to note that the Chronic Absenteeism school accountability indicator – the focus of this document – is not synonymous with a local district attendance policy.

To maximize instructional time, the state accountability system accounts for all absences – excused or unexcused – regardless of reason. A student is considered chronically absent after missing 10 percent or more of instructional time during a school year.

Ten points are possible under this indicator, and schools earn points based on the percentage of students not chronically absent.

Graduation – 10 points (high schools only)

The Graduation indicator examines how schools are providing guidance and supports so that all students can attain a high school diploma. Four-year and extended 5- and 6-year adjusted cohort graduation rates allow schools to get credit for offering more personalized paths to graduate for those students that may need more time. Schools earn up to 10 points for this indicator based on students graduating within four, five, or six years.

The graduation indicator score is a weighted aggregate of your four, five, and six-year adjusted cohort graduation rates. Each graduation rate uses a federally required definition determined by dividing the number of graduates in a given cohort year by the number of students in that cohort. Students are assigned a cohort year upon entering high school, generally four years after their initial enrollment. The student remains in this cohort year even across school or district transfers to another diploma-issuing school. The final cohort used in the denominator of each graduation rate, known as the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR), accounts for students who have exited the cohort.

A student’s cohort year refers to the initial entry to an Oklahoma high school. This cohort year remains unchanged for the remainder of the student’s enrollment in Oklahoma. The U.S. Department of Education defines this adjustment as removing students from a school’s cohort. Therefore, students may only be removed from a school’s four-year graduation rate if they meet specific criteria: transfer to another diploma-issuing school, emigrate, or pass away. The remaining cohort class is considered the adjusted cohort.

Post-Secondary Opportunities – 10 points (high schools only)

Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states were required to include an indicator of school quality or student success. Oklahoma chose Postsecondary Opportunities as one of its indicators to meet this requirement. This indicator encourages schools and students to participate in activities and programs that enhance preparation for life after high school. Points earned reward schools for helping their students gain early college and career exposure. Every student is counted in this indicator, which is worth 10 points in the overall high school report card grade.

Points earned under the Postsecondary Opportunities indicator are based on the percentage of high school juniors and seniors completing at least one of the approved options to prepare for life after high school. Approved options include college preparatory coursework (including Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate programs), certain industry certification programs through the Department of Career and Technology Education, work-based internships, and dual-concurrent enrollment in college coursework.

Contextual Information
In addition to accountability-specific indicators, contextual information including per-pupil expenditures, educator qualifications, NAEP, and CRDC data are also displayed. Doing so allows users to understand a school's successes and challenges from several perspectives.

Support for Low-Performing Schools

Schools that are not making adequate progress in supporting students to meet Oklahoma’s long-term goals may receive supplemental funds and services from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. There are three general categories of support determined by criteria outlined in federal law.

Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI)
Title 1 schools that, when measured across all indicators, are in the bottom 5% of all similar schools receive an “F” on the report card and are designated for CSI. Any high school may be designated for CSI when its four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, averaged over three years, falls below 67%. Schools designated as CSI schools may exit CSI designation when their performance across all indicators results in no longer being in the bottom 5% or, for high schools designated for low graduation rates, their four-year graduation rate (averaged over three years) exceeds 67%.

Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI)
Oklahoma analyzes the progress of specific student groups toward meeting long-term goals. If one or more individual student group(s) are in the bottom 10% of performance across similar schools, the school is identified for Targeted Support and Improvement. When the individual student group(s) for which the school was identified perform better than when the school entered TSI status and the group(s) are no longer in the bottom 10% for that group across similar schools, the school may exit TSI. Schools in which the performance of one or more individual student groups does not improve may become eligible for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement if the performance of the group drops into the bottom 5%.

Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI)
Like TSI, if a Title 1 school has an individual student group whose performance is in the bottom 5% for that student group, the school is designated for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement. Schools are identified on a three-year cycle for ATSI. When the performance of the individual student group exceeds the performance level of that group at the time the school was designated and the group is no longer in the bottom 5%, the school may exit ATSI status. After three years, if the individual student group is still performing poorly, the school will be designated for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) based on not exiting ATSI status.