State Approaches to Improving High School Outcomes: A National Perspective Jennifer Dounay Zinth Education Commission of the States For Legislative Achieving

State Approaches to Improving High School

Outcomes: A National Perspective

Jennifer Dounay ZinthEducation Commission of the States

For Legislative Achieving Classroom Excellence Task ForceOklahoma City, Oklahoma

October 6, 2009

Education Commission of the States

About ECS

• 50-state education compact est’d 1965• Nonpartisan, nonprofit• Serves all state-level education policymakers

and their staffs: – Governors– Legislators– State board members– State superintendents– SHEEOS and higher education leaders

Any particular questions that have not been addressed by

prior presenters to the task force?



Overview• Middle grades

• End-of-course exams

• Exit exams, including alternate exams

• A few words on ACT

• Extemporaneous comments and discussion

Why Focus on Middle Grades?

• Student achievement drops after grade 4

• Middle schools most likely not to meet AYP

• At-risk indicators fewer than at HS level

• High school is too late to start college and career readiness


Key Areas of State Activity• ID’ing at-risk youth beginning grade 6

• Helping students explore career options, set goals and see relevance

• Set high bars in standards and assts.

• Ensure teachers have knowledge and skills they need


Identifying At-Risk Youth

MI: “Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge”

• Using data on: – Student achievement– Retention– Attendance – Behavior

• To ID 10-15 kids/school for research-based supports (37,000-55,000 students statewide)


Helping Students Explore Career Options, Set Goals

• 2009 Ohio H.B. 1

• Requires local boards to address college and career readiness in grades 7-8 (and other grades as determined)

• Local boards must submit resolution to state DOE


Why End-of-Course Exams?• Increase academic rigor• Measure grade-level expectations (more accurate

means of holding schools and students accountable)

• Improve alignment of curriculum w/standards

• Hold kids accountable across HS career

• Let kids know what will be expected of them• More syllabus driven, like AP or IB• Less “gotcha” than standards-based exam

• Way to make sure expectations of students are consistent across state


End-of-Course Exams: A Growing Trend

• Increasingly adopted by states– States amending existing exit exams– States starting exit exams with EOCs– RI: One option for showing “proficiency”

• Some for exit purposes, some not• April 2007: 14 states had [AR, GA, IN, MD, MA, MS,

NY, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA], under dev’t in D.C. & 7 states [KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, NJ, WV]


State Activity re: EOCs since ‘07

• WA 2008: Math EOCs optional in 2010-11, may sub. for WASL math for Class of 2013, replace WASL math for Class of 2014

• IA 2008: Must make EOCs available to districts

• FL 2008: EOCs to earn alternative credit

• OH 2009: EOCs will replace current exit exam

• PA 2009: Still pending leg. approval; students would pass 6 out of 10 EOCs for HS diploma


How Are EOCs Being Used?

As of spring 2007:• NCLB accountability: 9 states [AR, MD, MS, NY,

NC, OK, TN, UT, VA]

• Exit exam: 10 states [AR, MD, MS, NY, NC, OK (2012),

SC, TN, TX (future date), VA]

• Course credit/grade: 7 states [AR, GA, NY, NC,

SC, TN, VA] [VA: optional, not mandatory use for this purpose]

• Advanced diploma: 2 states [NY, VA]

• Scholarship eligibility: 1 state [NY]


EOCs: Best State PracticesIndiana• College/work-ready standards embedded in

“Core 40” curriculum

• EOCs aligned with college/work ready standards

• College/work readiness = default grad. reqts in 2011

• Supports for teachers online– Core standards to help prioritize instruction– Classroom assessments


EOCs: More Best State Practice

Texas• College-ready standards embedded in HS

curriculum

• EOCs to be aligned with college-ready stds.

• Grade 12 “college prep courses” for those who haven’t passed EOCs

• Teacher prof. devt. available on college-ready standards


Exit ExamsWhy?• Motivates teaching of standards• Motivates students to learn• Sets same statewide expectation for all

students• Provides info that can inform policymakers on

quality of education• ID’s student strengths/weaknesses to target

instruction


Exit Exams: Critics Say…• Tests too hard?

• Access to good instruction not consistent among all students

• Research mixed on impact of exit exams

• May lead teachers to teach to test

• May take time away from instruction

• Inadequate accommodations to English language learners, students with disabilities?


Evolution of Exit Exams

• 1970s: Minimum competency based

• 1990s: Advent of standards-based

• 2000s: Transition to EOCs

• 2007: 22 states required passage– 23 w/WA, Class of 2008– 24 w/MD, Class of 2009– 25 w/AR, Class of 2010– 26 w/OK, Class of 2012


How Are Exit Exams Being Used?

• NCLB accountability: 24 states [AL, AZ, AR, CA, FL, GA, ID, IN, LA, MD, MA, MN, MS, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA] Red = EOC exit exam, Orange = State has developed EOC but is not using it for NCLB accountability at this time

• Course grade (for EOC exit exams): 6 states [AR, NY, NC, SC, TN, VA] [optional, not mandatory use for this purpose in VA]

• Advanced diploma: 3 states [LA, NY, VA]

• Financial award/scholarship: 2 states [AZ, MA]

• Certificate of mastery: 1 state [MA]


Alternatives for Students Who Don’t Pass (As of March 2008)

• Reciprocity with other states: Seven states [Moot point given provision in interstate military compact]

• Substitute assessments: Ten states [AL, AR, FL, ID, MD, NJ, NY, TX, VA, WA]

• Evaluation of course grades: Six states [IN, MA, MS, NY, OH, WA]

• Evaluation of classroom evidence: Seven states [GA, IN, MA, MS, OH, TN, WA]

• Evaluation of other criteria [attendance, letters of

recommendation, etc.]: Seven states [GA, IN, MA, MS, NY, OH, TN]


Substitute Assessments

• Diverse state approaches

• Most common: Valid scores on AP, IB, ACT, SAT in same subject area


Arkansas

• ACT, SAT, AP or IB exam• All exit EOCs must be given by grade 10• Students must pass alt. asst. “directly

related to alternate exit course” [i.e., Alg. I or Eng. II]

• After 3 failed attempts, student must take an alt. exit course and pass alt. asst.

• Alt. exit course may be online, outside school day Sources: ARK. CODE ANN. § 6-15-2009; 005 18 CARR 023.28.7


Florida• Legislation req. state board to analyze PSAT,

PLAN, SAT, ACT, and common College Placement Test for potential “concordant scores”

• Student must fail FCAT 3x before taking alt. exam

• State board ID’d SAT, ACT reading, math scores

• College placement exam option for student with certificate of completion

Sources: FLA. STAT. ANN. § 1008.22(10), http://fcat.fldoe.org/pdf/fcatpass.pdf


http://fcat.fldoe.org/pdf/fcatpass.pdf

IdahoFall of senior year:

Student may appeal to district for opportunity to

demonstrate proficiency via locally established

mechanism. All such mechanisms must be:– Approved by state board– Aligned at a min. to 10th grade content standards– Aligned to state standards in subject in question– Valid and reliable– 90% of criteria of measure(s) must be based on

academic proficiency and performance. Source: IDAPA 08.02.03.105.03


MarylandStudent who has not passed HSA may:• Earn overall combined score [as determined by DOE]

• Earn score on DOE-approved alt. asst [AP, SAT, IB]

If student is unable to do either, student may:

• Complete reqts. for “Bridge Plan for Academic Validation” (project-based demonstration of knowledge and skills). Prerequisites apply.

Source: MD. REGS. CODE tit. 13A, § 03.02.09


New Jersey• “Special Review Assessment” has been

under attack

• Performance asst. tasks assigned by teachers

• New SRA released this year– No longer unlimited opportunities to take– Teachers will not score own students

Sources: http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/hs/sra/, http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/hs/sra/082609update.pdf


http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/hs/sra/

http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/hs/sra/082609update.pdf

New YorkWith commissioner approval, Regents scores may

be substituted for exams measuring equivalent

levels of knowledge and skill. Such exams must: – Measure state standards in content area– Be at least as rigorous as corresponding state test– Be consistent with technical criteria for validity,

reliability and freedom from bias– Be developed by entity other than school district– Be available for any school to use– Be administered under secure conditions

Source: NY. COMP. CODES R. & REGS. tit. 8, § 100.2(4)(f)


Texas• Legislation requires commissioner to

adopt method allowing AP, IB, SAT or other test determined just as rigorous as EOC to be substituted

• FYI: Students must achieve cumulative score that is at least = to the product of the # of EOCs admin. in that subject and 70; minimum score of 60 for score to count toward cumulative score

Source: TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 39.025(a), (a-1)


VirginiaEstablishes alternative means for earning “verified

units of credit”. Any test for earning verified credit

must: • Be standardized and graded independently of school or

district where test is given

• Be knowledge-based

• Be administered on multistate or int’l basis, or as part of another state’s accountability system.

• Measure content that incorporates or exceeds state stds. content in the course for which verified credit is given.Source: 8 VAC 20-131-110(c)


Virginia and CTE State board must incorporate into CTEcourses math, science, English, socialstudies standards, “as may be appropriate.”State board may authorize sub. of industrycert. and state licensure exams for verifiedunits of credit for CTE courses, “whereappropriate.” State board must provide theoption of industry cert. and state licensureexams as student-selected verified credit.

Sources: VA. CODE. ANN. § 22.1-227.1, 22.1-253.13:3(C)


Virginia Quality Control in CTE

Statute establishes quality control division in DOE. With funds as may be appropriated, unit must “assist in developing and revising local career and technical curriculum to integrate the Standards of Learning”.Source: VA. CODE. ANN. § 22.1-227.1


More on CTE, SOLs and Virginia State board rule: Students who complete a CTEprogram sequence and (1) pass an exam or occupational competency asst. in a CTE field that confers certification, or (2) earn occupationalcompetency credential from recognized industry, or (3)earn professional license in a CTE field may sub. the cert., credential or license for (a) student selected verified credit and (b) either a science or history verifiedcredit when the cert., license or credential confers morethan one verified credit. Exam must be approved bystate board as add’l test to verify student achievement.

Source: 8 VA. ADMIN. CODE § 20-131-50


OK, Really the Last Thing on Virginia

Every person seeking initial licensure orrenewal of a license must receiveprofessional development in instructionalmethods tailored to promote studentacademic progress and effectivepreparation for the Standards of Learningend-of-course assessments.Source: VA. CODE ANN. § 22.1-298.1(D)(3)


A Few Words on ACT• Six states administer ACT to all juniors

[CO, IL, KY, MI, TN, WY] (WY = ACT or WorkKeys)

• Four additional states will give ACT to all juniors [ID, either COMPASS, SAT or ACT, Spring 2012; AL, ND

and OH –unclear at this time]

• ACT typically not used for:– Exit purposes (OH only state exploring this)

– HS accountability (used partially for these purposes in MI and IL, not at all in CO, KY, WY)


Further discussion…


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Documents

State Approaches to Improving High School Outcomes: A National Perspective Jennifer Dounay Zinth Education Commission of the States For Legislative Achieving