2013 Pathways to the Prize - District Winners | Page 24
Pathways to the Prize
Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner
Pathways to the Prize
Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner
ACT. The ACT is a standardized assessment for high school
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College-going rates. The college-going rate is the percent-
students frequently required for admission into college. The
test has sections in English, mathematics, reading, science reasoning, and an optional written essay. Scored on a scale from
one to 36, the test is intended to be an indicator of college
readiness. The subjects align with common college introductory courses in English composition, the social sciences, college
algebra, and biology. All 11th graders in Tennessee are required
to take this exam.
age of high school graduates who enroll in college by the
fall semester after high school graduation. The rate includes
students who attend college in state or out of state at public
four-year colleges, public two-year colleges, technical colleges,
and private colleges.
ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks. The ACT Col-
S
lege Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum exam scores
determined by ACT, Inc. to signal a student’s preparedness to
succeed in first-year, credit-bearing courses at a postsecondary
institution. These benchmarks—which are based on a nationally
representative sample of 98 institutions and more than 90,000
students— are intended to give meaning to the numeric score
and help students, parents, teachers, and counselors link high
school preparation to college readiness. An English score of 18
and a reading score of 21 indicate a student would have a high
probability of success in an English composition or social sciences course. Similarly, a math score of 22 and a science score
of 24 illustrate a similarly high potential of success in a college
algebra or biology class. ACT has determined additional college readiness benchmarks for the EXPLORE and PLAN tests.
Advanced Placement (AP). Advanced Placement courses
are courses offered by the College Board that provide students
with an opportunity to take college-level courses and earn
credit towards college while in high school. There are more
than 30 different AP courses across multiple subject areas.
Attendance rates. All schools and districts are required to
submit student attendance rates to the Tennessee Department
of Education. An attendance rate of 93 percent and 90 percent
or higher was needed to fulfill the state’s adequate yearly
progress (AYP) requirement for elementary/middle and high
schools, respectively, under No Child Left Behind.
Adequate yearly progress (AYP). Adequate yearly progress is a measure established by the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 that holds schools accountable for the performance
of their students on standardized tests, including sub-groups
such as racial/ethnic minorities and students with disabilities. Every state administers its own examinations in reading/
language arts and mathematics, and student performance on
those examinations determines whether schools are successful at making sufficient progress for a given year. Graduation
rates are used in calculating high school AYP, while attendance
rates are used for middle and elementary schools. Tennessee
received a waiver from No Child Left Behind in 2012.
Common C ore State Standards. Common Core State
Standards are a set of English/language arts and mathematics
standards that were developed by state leaders to ensure that
every student graduates high school prepared for college or
the workforce, regardless of the state in which they live. Common Core standards are internationally benchmarked, and are
designed to promote critical thinking and depth of understanding of course content. The initiative is led by the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers,
and Achieve.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Professional
learning communities are groups of educators working collaboratively toward continued personal and school improvement.
PLCs bring teachers and administrators together in order
to enhance their effectiveness and, therefore, raise student
achievement. PLCs often meet regularly and share a learning
vision, and members work together to attain new and improved
approaches to educating.
TCAP. The TCAP assesses students in grades 3 through 8 in
Tennessee and determines levels of proficiency in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Districts
may also choose to administer TCAP assessments in selected
subjects to students in grades K-2. There are four proficiency
levels on the TCAP: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. TCAP will be replaced by PARCC assessments, with full
implementation scheduled for the 2014-15 school year.
TVAAS. TVAAS is a measure of the effect a district or school
has on the academic progress or growth rates of individual
students and groups of students from year to year. TVAAS is
based on the statistical methodology of Dr. William Sanders.
TVAAS 3-year growth standard. This measure provides
a common comparison of the effect a district or school has on
the academic progress or growth rates of individual students
and groups of students over a three-year period.
Cohort dropout rates. The cohort dropout rate is the
percentage of ninth grade students reported as dropouts
four years later. These data follow a cohort of students over a
period of time.
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Glossary of Terms
Glossary of Terms
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