16 ncac 06G .0305 DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) "Accountability measures" are SBE-adopted tests designed to gauge student performance and achievement.
(2) "Adequate yearly progress" or "AYP" shall have the same definition as set out in P.L. 107-110, section 1111(b)(2)(C).
(3) "Compliance commission" means that group of persons selected by the SBE to advise the SBE on testing and other issues related to school accountability and improvement. The commission shall be composed of teachers, principals, central office staff representatives, local school board representatives, a charter schools representative, and at-large members who represent parents, business, and the community.
(4) "C-scale" means change scale, which is a standardized scale to measure student performance across the years and content areas. To convert the developmental scale scores to c-scale scores, subtract the state mean for the standard setting year from the developmental scale score, and then divide by the standard deviation for the standard setting year.
(5) "C-ratio" means the ratio of student scores that achieve an academic change of "0.00" or greater to those with an academic change of less than "0.00", including in the numerator for high schools when used for calculating high growth, the factor for change in college tech prep and college university prep graduation rate and the change in competency test pass rate and including in the denominator, the factor for change in drop out rate.
(6) "Eligible students" means the total number of students in membership in the respective grades or enrolled in the respective EOC courses at the time the assessments are administered in a statewide assessment.
(7) "Expected growth" means having met the standard defined by students on average performing as well in their current grade or content as is typical for the same student in previous grades and contents when using the change scale to compare and allowing for a factor of regression to the mean as defined in this policy.
(8) "High growth" means the school has met the standard of having a c-ratio of 1.50 or greater.
(9) "Growth standards" means and includes collectively all the factors defined in this Rule that are used in the calculations described in Paragraph (h) of Rule .0312 of this Section to determine a school's growth/gain composite.
(10) "Performance Composite" is the percent of scores of students in a school that are at or above Achievement Level III, are at a passing level on the North Carolina Computer Skills Test (students in eighth grade only) as specified by 16 NCAC 06D .0503(f), and at proficiency level or above on the state alternate assessments to the extent that any apply in a given school and consistent with United States Department of Education regulations concerning alternate assessments. The SBE shall:
(a) determine the number of scores that are at Level III or IV in reading, or mathematics, or writing across grades 3 through 8, or on all EOC assessments administered as a part of the statewide testing program; add the number of scores that are at a passing level on the North Carolina Computer Skills Test (students in eighth grade only); add the number of scores that are proficient or above on the state alternate assessments and use the total of these numbers as the numerator;
(b) determine the number of student scores in reading, or mathematics, or writing (starting in the 2004-05 school year), across grades 3 through 8, or on all EOC assessments administered as part of the statewide testing program; add the number of students in grade 8; add the number of student scores on the state alternate assessments and use the total of these numbers as the denominator; and
(c) total the numerators for each content area and subject, total the denominators for each content area and subject, and divide the denominator into the numerator and multiply the quotient by 100 to compute the performance composite.
(11) "Regression coefficient" means an adjustment factored into the expected growth formula for the purpose of making a prediction about expected student performance. For the purposes of figuring student growth (academic change) the factor shall be 0.08 when using the average of two previous assessments and 0.18 when using a single assessment.
(12) "Standard setting year" means the first year of the test edition implementation.
(13) "Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities" means students with disabilities whose IEP has determined shall be assessed using an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards as determined by their IEP.
(14) "Students with persistent academic disabilities" means students with disabilities assessed using an alternate assessment based on modified grade-level achievement standards as determined by their IEP.
(15) "Weight" means the number of students used in the calculation of the amount of growth for a subject or content area, and the College University Prep/College Tech Prep, the Competency Passing Rate, and the ABCs Dropout Rate components.
History Note: Authority G.S. 115C-12(9)c4.;
Eff. January 1, 1998;
Amended Eff. December 1, 2000;
Temporary Amendment Eff. March 5, 2001;
Amended Eff. January 2, 2006; April 1, 2005; April 1, 2002; September 1, 2001.