Data Definitions
Enrollment
Limited English Proficient: are defined as "a
student whose first language is a language other than English who is unable to
perform ordinary classroom work in English."
Low Income: An indication of whether the student
meets ANY ONE of the following definitions of low income:
1. The student is
eligible for free or reduced price lunch; or
2. The student receives
Transitional Aid to Families benefits; or
3. The student is eligible for food
stamps
Migrant: An indication of whether an individual or
a parent/guardian accompanying an individual maintains primary employment in one
or more agricultural or fishing activities on a seasonal or other temporary
basis and establishes a temporary residence for the purposes of such
employment.
Percent of teachers licensed:
The percentage of
teachers with Provisional, Initial, or Professional licensure (all teaching
staff, including long-term substitutes). This information is not required from
charter schools.
Percentage of core academic classes taught by
highly-qualified teachers:
The percentage of staff, measured in
"full-time equivalency", teaching in core academic areas, that meet the NCLB
definition of highly-qualified. To meet the definition, teachers must hold a
valid Massachusetts license AND demonstrate subject matter competency in the
areas they teach. The core academic areas are defined as English, reading or
language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government,
economics, arts, history, and geography.
MCAS Student Status:
Regular: Students who do not meet the definition
for Students with Disabilities or for Limited English
Proficient.
Students with Disabilities: Students who have an
individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a plan of instructional accommodations
provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Limited
English Proficient: They are defined as "a student whose first language
is a language other than English who is unable to perform ordinary classroom
work in English."
Race/Ethnicity:
This data is collected on the
MCAS test, and is collected differently than in the enrollment statistics.
Students have the option on the MCAS of selecting more than one racial/ethnicity
descriptor, and "other" is an option.
Eligible for F/RP Lunch: Students eligible for
free or reduced price lunch.
Performance Level Definitions
(A) Advanced -
Students demonstrate a superior understanding of challenging subject matter, and
solve a wide variety of problems.
(P) Proficient - Students demonstrate a
solid understanding of challenging subject matter, and solve a wide variety of
problems.
(NI) Needs Improvement - Students demonstrate partial understanding
of subject matter, and solve some simple problems.
(W/F) Warning/Failing -
Students demonstrate minimal understanding of subject matter, and do not solve
simple problems.
Adequate Yearly Progress Performance (School)
Information on the DOE's school performance rating process can be
found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/ata/sda.html#sprp.
Base PI - The cycle II baseline
proficiency index. This measure is based on the 1999 and 2000 MCAS
results and is an indicator of how close the school is to having all of its
students Proficient or Advanced.
Imp. Target - The
school's improvement target is the proficiency index points
needed, every two years, to close the gap between the baseline and the NCLB goal
of all students proficient by 2014.
Cycle II PI - The cycle
II proficiency index. This measure is based on the 2001 and
2002 MCAS results and is an indicator of how close the school is to having all
of its students Proficient or Advanced.
Perf. Rating -
The performance rating is based on the cycle II PI. The six
ratings are Very High, High, Moderate, Low, Very Low, and Critically Low.
Imp. Rating - The improvement rating is
based on the actual change in the proficiency index, from the baseline to the
end of the cycle, compared to the improvement target. The five ratings are Above
Target, On Target, Improved Below Target, No Change, and Declined.
AYP - A determination of whether the school has made
"adequate yearly progress".
