Minnesota Schools are given Ratings

As you may have heard in the from our Superintendent, Minnesota was one of 11 states to receive a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.  The waiver was given because Minnesota had a plan to measure schools differently than they had been measured under the NCLB Act.  Student assessment results (testing) and other data have been used to create a school measurement called a Multiple Measures Rating. 

Lake Harriet Upper   Multiple Measures Rating (MMR):  76.2

Lake Harriet Upper   Focus Rating (FR):  71.62

The Multiple Measurement Rating (MMR) is a measurement of school performance used for holding schools accountable under Minnesota's approved No Child Left Behind waiver.  The MMR considers each school's proficiency, growth, and achievement gap reduction (and graduation rates for High Schools).  Points are assigned in each of the four domains based on a school's percentile rank among schools with the same grade range, and the total MMR is the percentage of possible points that the school earned. 

The Focus Rating (FR) is a secondary measurement within the MMR that measures schools specifically on the performance of student subgroups that exhibit a statistical achievement gap.  

(Information from the Minnesota Department of Education)

Merry Tilleson, Assistant Principal

Editor's Note:  Here's a long but very straightforward MPS presentation I found that explains how the MMR and FR are calculated:  MPS Multiple Measures Ratings, How it works.

Information About Title 1 Assessments

Here's a compiled list of information about Title 1 Assessments in Minnesota Public Schools which are used for the basis of the MMR scores described above.  This information includes: what the assessments are, which grades take them, why they are taken, etc. There's even a vocabulary list for all of the terms that are used in this discussion.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in Reading, Mathematics, and Science:
In 2012, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) was administered to students in reading in grades 3–8 and 10, mathematics in grades 3–8 and 11, and science in grades 5, 8, and high school. The purpose of the MCA is to measure Minnesota students’ achievement on the Minnesota Academic Standards. The MCA results inform curriculum decisions at the district level; inform instruction at the classroom level; and, in reading and mathematics, demonstrate student academic progress from year to year.
The Reading and Mathematics MCA are the primary assessments Minnesota uses for accountability. All students are required to take these tests or a designated replacement, such as the Reading and Mathematics MCA-Modified for persistently low-performing students or the Reading and Mathematics Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The test results are used to calculate Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Multiple Measurement Ratings (MMR) for Minnesota schools and districts. MCA results can be used to compare schools and districts across the state. Science MCA participation is required but is not included in AYP or MMR calculations at this time.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment-Modified (MCA-Modified) in Reading and Mathematics:
The MCA-Modified is an alternate assessment in reading and mathematics in grades 5–8, reading in grade 10, and mathematics in grade 11 based on the same academic standards as the MCA but with modified achievement standards. The MCA-Modified is positioned between the MCA and the MTAS. Participation is limited to persistently low-performing students receiving special education services whose IEP team determines that they meet eligibility requirements for the MCA-Modified.

Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) in Reading, Mathematics, and Science:
The Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) is an alternate assessment in reading and mathematics in grades 3–8, reading in grade 10, mathematics in grade 11, and science in grades 5, 8, and high school that is based on alternate achievement standards. The MTAS is part of a statewide program that measures the extent to which students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are making progress in the general education curriculum on standards that have been reduced in breadth, depth, and complexity.
The MTAS is a performance-based assessment where performance tasks in reading, mathematics, and science are administered to students in a one-on-one setting. Test administrators score performance tasks using a script and task- specific scoring rubric.
Please note:  No single assessment can comprehensively measure a student’s learning in a school or environment. Results on the Minnesota Assessments are only a subset of the data that schools and districts can use to determine how well students have acquired the knowledge and skills on the Minnesota Academic Standards and WIDA English Language Development Standards and how well the school is teaching them.

Additional Tests:
EXPLORE:  The EXPLORE test is administered to Minneapolis 8th grade students in the fall of each school year; the costs associated with the administration of the EXPLORE are paid for by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). EXPLORE has four academic tests: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. A Composite Score (score range 1-25) summarizes performance across all four academic tests. In addition to the academic tests, students complete an interest inventory and needs assessment. For more information about the EXPLORE test, please visit the ACT Web site at http://act.org/explore/

Testing vocabulary for adults who really want to know:
Achievement Gap Reduction = The achievement gap reduction measurement assesses how well a school has done in promoting higher rates of growth among the seven lower-performing subgroups (Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, Free/Reduced Price Lunch, Special Education, and English Learners) than in the average growth rate of their counterparts statewide. Students of color are measured against the statewide average growth of white students, Free/Reduced Price Lunch students are measured against the statewide average growth of non- Free/Reduced Price Lunch students, Special Education students are measured against the average statewide growth of non-Special Education students, and English Learners are measured against the statewide average growth of non-English Learners.

AYP = The original NCLB measurement used to identify schools for improvement activities. AYP is based on proficiency, participation, and attendance or graduation rates. The AYP proficiency goal is currently based on the 2014 goal of 100 percent proficiency. Under the waiver, that goal is replaced with a new goal of cutting the achievement gap in half within six years. Under the waiver, there are no sanctions attached to not making AYP.

Celebration = The 10 percent of Title I schools with MMRs between the 60th and 86th of their grade classification group (elementary, middle school, high school, other) percentiles that submit successful applications explaining quantitative and qualitative factors that make the school effective. These schools will be publicly recognized for their success. These schools are identified every year.

Comparison Group = The group against which the school was measured based on school classification. There are four types: elementary, middle/junior, high and other. Other includes all schools that fall into none of the three main types.

Continuous Improvement = The bottom 25 percent of Title I schools in the state. These schools will be identified based on being in the lowest 25 percent of their grade classification group (elementary, middle school, high school, other), and will be required to write a school improvement plan. Ten percent of these plans will be audited by MDE to ensure fidelity in the implementation of these plans. These schools will be identified every year. While the bottom 25 percent of schools will include most Priority and Focus Schools, Priority and Focus Schools are not also designated as Continuous Improvement Schools.

Focus = The ten percent of Title I schools making the biggest contribution to the state’s achievement gap, and high schools with graduation rates of less than 60 percent. These schools will be identified in one of two ways: the lowest Focus Ratings in their grade classification group (elementary, middle school, high school, other), or graduation rates of less than 60 percent. These schools will work with their district to develop a school improvement plan that directly addresses poor performance either within a subgroup, or in graduation rates. These schools will be identified once every three years.

Focused Proficiency = The weighted percentage of subgroups hitting their AYP proficiency targets, excluding the ‘All Students’ and ‘White’ subgroups.

Graduation = The weighted percentage of subgroups hitting their graduation rate AYP target. Credit is not given for hitting year-to-year improvement targets.

Growth = Individual student growth is a measurement of how a student scored relative to their predicted score. The prediction of how a student will score is based on their previous year’s score. Schools receive a growth score based on the average growth scores of all their students.

Initial Designation = The total MMR a school earned for the May 2012 release, and also the accountability designation they were assigned. This is based on data from the 2009-10 and 2010- 11 school years. Initial Designation indicates that data from both years was used.

Priority = The five percent most-persistently low-performing Title I schools in the state. These schools will be identified in one of two ways: status as a SIG School, or the lowest MMRs in their grade classification group (elementary, middle school, high school, other). These schools will be required to collaborate with MDE and the statewide system of support to develop a school turnaround plan based on the federal turnaround principles. These schools will be identified once every three years.

Proficiency = The proficiency measurement in the MMR looks at a weighted percentage of subgroups that made AYP. Schools earn points based on the number and size of subgroups that meet their AYP targets.

Reward = The highest-performing 15 percent of Title I schools in the state. These schools will be identified based on being in the top 15 percent of their grade classification group (elementary, middle school, high school, other) in the MMR. These schools will be publicly recognized for their good work. These schools will be identified every year.

School Improvement Plan = An action plan written by Priority, Focus and Continuous Improvement Schools with the support of MDE and the Regional Centers of Excellence. These plans are designed to lay the groundwork for a process of improving student performance at the school.

SIG = There are 19 schools in the state that are participating in the School Improvement Grant program. These schools were previously identified as persistently low-performing. As a result of their identification, these schools are in the process of implementing one of four turnaround models mandated by the federal government. SIG Schools will be Priority Schools.

Title I Status = Indicates whether the school received Title I funding in 2012. Since only Title I schools can be designated in the new system, a school must be Title I to be Priority, Focus or Reward unless they are a SIG school.