SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT

The School Public Accountability Report contains several types of data (indicators) designed to inform parents and the general public about the progress of Florida's public schools. This report meets the public reporting requirements and provides certain additional information of interest on the status of Florida's schools.

OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP

Student Demographics

The following table provides information on the composition of the student population at the school, district, and state levels.

READINESS TO START SCHOOL

Florida requires that communities and schools collaborate to prepare children and families for children's success in school.

Kindergarten screening for school readiness

Kindergarten students were screened during the first 30 calendar days of the beginning of school using the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS). The FLKRS is made up of a subset of the Early Childhood Observation System (ECHOS)- an observational instrument that is used to monitor the skills, knowledge, and behaviors a student demonstrates or needs to develop- and the Florida Assessments for Instruction In Reading (FAIR).

The benchmarks used in scoring for the ECHOS include the following:

• Demonstrating

The student is consistently demonstrating acquisition of this skill or behavior.

• Emerging/Progressing

The student is in an early stage of growth but appears to be showing growth towards the skill or behavior.

• Not Yet Demonstrating

The student is not exhibiting any learning in the benchmark.

The benchmarks used in scoring on the FAIR are as follows:

• If a student scores .85 on the broad screen then he or she has an 85% chance of scoring at the 40th percentile on the SAT-10 or SESAT in the spring. The 40th percentile is considered to be on grade level.

• If a student scores .16-.85 on the broad screen then he or she has an 85% chance of scoring at the 40th percentile on the SAT-10 or SESAT in the spring.

• If a student scores .15 or less on the broad screen then he or she has a 15% or less chance of scoring at the 40th percentile on the SAT-10 or SESAT in the spring.

GRADUATION RATE AND DROPOUT RATE

Florida high schools strive to ensure that students graduate and are prepared to enter the workforce and postsecondary education.

NCLB Graduation Rate (with special diploma recipients counted as non-graduates)

The graduation rate shows the percentage of students who graduated within four years of initial entry into ninth grade. Graduates include students who received a standard high school diploma or a State of Florida diploma earned through a GED Exit Option program. These results are used in the calculation of schools' Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

NGA Graduation Rate (with GED-based diploma recipients counted as non-graduates)

This is a modified version of the graduation rate that counts the following diploma recipients as graduates: students who received a standard diploma and students with disabilities who completed the requirements of their individualized education plan (IEP) and received a special diploma. Students who were awarded a GED-based diploma are counted as non-graduates. These results are not used for the AYP calculation.

High School Dropout Rate

Dropouts are students who leave school before graduation and do not enroll in another institution or educational program before the end of the school year. Percentages show by race and gender the proportion of students from the total 9-12 enrollment who dropped out of school.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Standardized Tests

Although test scores should not be used to draw absolute conclusions about student learning and performance, they provide measured results of student progress toward educational goals. The tests administered to Florida students are described below.

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)

The FCAT measures student performance in writing, science, reading, and mathematics.

Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities

An alternate assessment for students with disabilities is a performance-based assessment designed to evaluate the progress of students with disabilities on the Sunshine State Standards for special diploma measures. Students who are functioning at a cognitive level such that they would not be expected to participate in the FCAT, would not be expected to graduate from school with a standard diploma, and for whom the traditional state and district assessment program is not an appropriate measure of performance take alternate assessments. Alternate assessments for students with disabilities include writing/communication, reading, and math.

Alternate Assessments for Students who are English Language Learners

Students who are English Language Learners (ELL) and who have been in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program for a year or less may be individually exempted from the FCAT. In these limited circumstances, locally developed alternate assessments are used to evaluate the academic performance of the student. Alternate assessments for ELL students are given for writing, reading, and math.

FCAT Sunshine State Standards Tests

The FCAT Sunshine State Standards (SSS) tests measure student performance on selected benchmarks defined by the Sunshine State Standards. Students who take an alternate assessment and score "proficient" have their results counted with those of other students.

Note: Assessment results on the following tables reflect FCAT Sunshine State Standards data combined with alternate assessment data. Results show proficiency attainment for students who were in attendance during both semesters of the school year.

Writing Assessment

For this assessment, students are given 45 minutes to read their assigned topic, plan what to write, and then write their responses. Scores range from 1.0 (lowest) to 6.0 (highest). Alternate assessments have been merged with the FCAT scores for reporting purposes.

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

Note: An 'N' indicates that no test results were reported.

Reading, Mathematics, and Science Assessments

On the FCAT SSS reading, mathematics, and science tests, students can attain one of five possible achievement levels, ranging from Level 1 (lowest) to Level 5 (highest).

Student Achievement Level Descriptions

Level 5: Performance at this level indicates that the student has success with the most challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards. A Level 5 student answers most of the test questions correctly, including the most challenging questions.
Level 4: Performance at this level indicates that the student has success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards. A Level 4 student answers most of the test questions correctly but may only have some success with questions that reflect the most challenging content.
Level 3: Performance at this level indicates that the student has partial success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards, but performance is inconsistent. A Level 3 student answers many of the test questions correctly but is generally less successful with questions that are most challenging.
Level 2: Performance at this level indicates that the student has limited success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards.
Level 1: Performance at this level indicates that the student has little success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards.

Results of alternate assessments have been merged with the FCAT scores for reporting purposes.

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

Note: An "N" indicates that no test results were reported.

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

Note: An "N" indicates that no test results were reported.

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

Note: An "N" indicates that no test results were reported.

At this time, a state objective is not specified for science achievement.

Assessment Results by Grade: Percent Scoring at Level 3 or Above
(FCAT Sunshine State Standards and Alternate Assessments)

Percentage of Students Scoring at Each FCAT Achievement Level, 2009-10

Recently Arrived English Language Learners (ELLs)

Florida students in ESOL programs who have been in the U.S less than one year are required to be tested on the Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment (CELLA) as well as the FCAT in mathematics but may be exempt for up to one administration of the FCAT in reading. The following chart shows the number of recently arrived ELL students who were not tested on the FCAT in reading but were included in the AYP reading participation rate based on available CELLA scores. As a federally approved flexibility, test scores for recently arrived ELLs are not included in the reading and math proficiency calculations for AYP.

* Cell sizes smaller than 10 are suppressed.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

For more than 30 years, The Nation's Report Card (NAEP) has served U.S. educators as an information resource, providing reliable assessment results of what our students know and can do in key subject areas. It is the only ongoing project that monitors national trends in student achievement at grades 4, 8, and 12 and state trends at grades 4 and 8. Main NAEP, conducted at the state and national level, occurs every two years in reading and mathematics and every four years in writing and science. A representative sample of the student population participates, and each student takes only a portion of the assessment. Results are then assembled to form projected state and national scores, based on aggregated student results. NAEP does not provide school- or student-level results.

Below are the 2009 NAEP state results for Grades 4 and 8 in Reading and Mathematics.

1. Scale Scores

A scale score is derived from an averaging of scores of student responses to NAEP assessment items on a 0—500 point scale. Scale scores summarize the overall level of performance attained by a group of students. (NAEP does not produce scale scores for individual students.) When used in conjunction with interpretive aids, such as item maps, scale scores provide information about what a particular aggregate of students in the population knows and can do.

2. Achievement Level

Achievement levels are performance standards set by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), based on recommendations from panels of educators and members of the public. The standards are based on scale scores and define the degree to which student performance meets expectations of what students should know and be able to do. They provide a context for interpreting student performance on NAEP and offer a means of identifying percentages of students who have demonstrated certain proficiencies. The achievement levels set by the NAGB are Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Below Basic is also reported but not considered to be an achievement level.

The following chart compares the achievement levels between NAEP and the FCAT:

NAEP Participation Rates for Required Subgroups

Additional information is provided at the NAEP website at http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ or at the FLDOE website at http://www.fldoe.org/asp/naep/.

SCHOOL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

Schools and communities must provide an environment that is drug free and protects the health, safety, and civil rights of everyone in the school.

School Environmental Safety: Reported Incidents

The most recent full-year school-level data on reported incidents is available at the Florida School Indicators Report website at http://data.fldoe.org/fsir. (See "Incidents of Crime and Violence.") District-level reports are available at http://www.fldoe.org/safeschools/discipline.asp.

The No Child Left Behind Act provides for an Unsafe School Choice Option, which ensures that students who attend a school that has been identified as persistently dangerous are allowed the option of attending another school within the same district.

For the 2009-10 school year, no Florida public school was identified as persistently dangerous.*

*pending review of complete full-year data

TEACHERS AND STAFF

Schools, districts, and the state ensure that teachers and staff are professionally qualified. School boards must provide a learning environment conducive to teaching and learning.

New Staff

The table shows the number and percentage of instructional staff and school-based administrators who were newly hired at this school in 2009-10.

The Professional Qualifications of Teachers

Degree Level

This table shows the number and percentage of teachers at each degree level.

Percentage of Teachers Teaching with Emergency or Provisional Credentials

Florida has no un-certified teachers, although some teachers may be temporarily assigned to areas outside their field of specialization. Data on classes taught by teachers out of field is provided in the following table.

In-Field and Out-of-Field Teachers

The following chart shows the percentage of core academic classes taught by teachers teaching in-field compared to the percentage of classes taught by teachers teaching out-of-field. When a teacher in a district school system is assigned teaching duties in a class dealing with subject matter that is outside the field in which the teacher is certified, outside the field that was the applicant's minor field of study, or outside the field in which the applicant has demonstrated sufficient subject area expertise, as determined by district school board policy in the subject area to be taught, that teacher is teaching "out-of-field." Core academic subjects are English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography.

Classes Not Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers

The chart below shows the percentage of classes not taught by "Highly Qualified Teachers" in core academic subjects as defined in federal statute. A highly qualified teacher has earned at least a bachelor's degree and holds a Florida teaching certificate with appropriate certification for each core academic area of assignment. Core academic subjects are English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography.

FLORIDA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE GRADE AND ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP)

School Performance Grade

Public schools in Florida are graded annually based on student performance on the FCAT and the percentage of students making learning gains. Schools are assigned a letter grade (A through F) corresponding with their rated performance, with grade A representing the highest performance rating and grade F representing a failed rating. A rating of I indicates that grading is incomplete. A grade of N indicates that the school is not graded. While the vast majority of Florida's schools receive a performance grade, certain types of schools are exempt from grading, including exceptional student education (ESE) centers and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facilities. High schools and combination schools that serve high school grade levels will receive a grade based 50% on FCAT and 50% on new measures. Those grades will not be available until November 2010. Therefore, for those schools, a "P" appears under their grade.

2009-10 School Performance Grade*:

*Certain school grades may be subject to modification pending appeal.

For more information on school grades and grading procedures, contact your principal's office or your local school board, or visit the web page at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Report

Federal legislation requires schools to report based on annual objectives for students in reading, mathematics, and writing, as well as the high school graduation rate. A separate report that presents and explains AYP results for your school, your school district, and the state is distributed in conjunction with this document and is also available from the office of your school's principal and/or your local school board. The AYP report also provides information on schools identified for school improvement. Detailed information on school, district, and state AYP is available at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION

School districts are responsible for identifying Title I schools as schools in need of improvement when they fail to make AYP in consecutive years. School districts must notify parents when their child's school has been identified for school improvement, for corrective action, or for restructuring. The school district must also provide an explanation of the parents' option to transfer their child to another public school, with transportation provided when required, or to obtain supplemental educational services. Sec. 1116(b)(6).

School improvement status is indicated by the school performance grade and AYP status herein.

The Department of Education shall ensure that each school district collects appropriate data and includes in each school's annual report the information provided in the state annual report card as well as the number and percentage of schools identified for school improvement and how long the schools have been so identified. Sec. 1111(h)(2)(B).

Parents of students attending a school in a district identified for improvement are entitled to know why the school district was identified for improvement. The state is responsible for providing an explanation to parents in an easily understood format. The explanation must contain information on how parents can assist in the improvement efforts. Sec. 1116(c)(6).

Additional statistics and information of interest may be found in the Florida School Indicators Report on the department's website at http://www.fldoe.org or at http://data.fldoe.org/fsir .

The federal Elementary & Secondary Education Act requires states to evaluate the performance of all students in all schools in order to determine whether each school and district has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Specific criteria for AYP evaluations are described below. All schools that do not make AYP are identified. School districts are responsible for identifying Title I schools as in need of improvement when they fail to make AYP in consecutive years. For the 2009-10 school year, requirements for school improvements apply to Title I schools that did not make AYP in 2008-09 and 2009-10.* Students attending these schools are eligible for public school choice options for the 2009-10 school year. Title I schools that fail to make AYP for more than two consecutive years are required to provide additional services to students and to implement defined strategies for improving school performance.

* AYP results are evaluated separately for mathematics and reading in determining whether proficiency targets were missed in consecutive years and in targeting areas for improvement.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Indicator

Determining adequate yearly progress is a multi-step process applied to each public school. The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires determination of AYP to identify schools in need of improvement.

AYP is based primarily on student participation and performance in reading and math, school writing performance, the graduation rate (for high schools), and the school performance grade (via the School Accountability Report).

The Department of Education has elected to provide information on AYP separate from the other indicators featured on the NCLB SPAR in order to emphasize the distinction between the state's school performance grade and the AYP indicator.

Basic AYP Requirements are as follows:

• A school must test at least 95% of students in each subgroup identified below.

Subgroups

Race (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Am. Indian)

Students with Disabilities

Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch

English Language Learners

Total (All) Students

• A school with less than 90% of the membership scoring 3 or above in FCAT Writing must demonstrate at least a 1% increase in the percentage of students proficient in writing vs. the previous year (based on percentages rounded to whole numbers).

• High schools with graduation rates less than 85% must demonstrate at least a 2% increase in the graduation rate vs. the previous year. This is a change from 1% increase as was used in prior years.

• The school must have a performance grade other than D or F.

• Students in every subgroup (listed above) must achieve proficiency targets in reading and math or attain adequate progress in these subjects through Safe Harbor or Growth Model provisions.

Safe Harbor: For subgroups not achieving the reading and/or math targets, AYP may still be attained if the number of non-proficient students decreased by 10% or more from the previous year AND the subgroup met AYP requirements for participation (reading and math), writing proficiency, and the graduation rate (for high schools).

Growth Model:Subgroups that do not achieve the reading and/or math targets and fail to meet Safe Harbor criteria can still attain adequate progress if the percentage of students who are on track to be proficient (via the Growth Model) meets or exceeds annual proficiency targets. Subgroups must also meet qualifying criteria in reading/math participation, writing proficiency, and the graduation rate. More information on AYP calculations and results, including the growth model, is available in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Technical Assistance Paper, which is available via a link at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org.

The SPAR includes a table indicating whether the school, district, and state made AYP. Technical information on the AYP calculation and related resources are available at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org.

AYP Status, 2009-10 (indicates status prior to the end of the appeals period)

The table below shows the AYP status of the school, district, and state for the 2009-10 school year. Data used to calculate AYP for 2009-10 includes FCAT data for 2009-10 and 2008-09, graduation rate data for 2008-09 and 2007-08, and the school performance grade assigned in 2010.

The following table shows the schools in your district that did not make AYP.

Schools That Did Not Make AYP in the District, 2009-10

The table below shows the number and percentage of Title I schools in your district that were identified for improvement in the coming year.

Students enrolled during 2009-10 in the schools shown below are eligible for public school choice and/or supplemental services in 2010-11.

For information on revenues and expenditures for your school and district, contact your local school board or your school's administrative office. An online listing of district offices is available at http://www.fldoe.org/schools/schoolmap/flash/schoolmap_text.asp.  A directory of schools is also available at http://www.fldoe.org/schools/schoolmap/flash/schoolmap_text.asp.