Wyo. Code R. 206-0002-47
General Agency, Board or Commission Rules
Chapter 47: Wyoming Accountability System
Effective Date: 05/04/2022 to Current
Rule Type: Current Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 206.0002.47.05042022
Section 1. Authority. The rules are promulgated by the State Board of Education under the authority of Wyoming Statute § 21-2-204.
Section 2. Definitions. As used in this chapter:
(a) “Accountability Year” means the most recently completed school year.
(b) “All Enrolled Students” means any student enrolled during the state assessment testing window. This definition is specifically for the purpose of computing participation rate.
(c) “Alternative School” means any school that the Department funds as an alternative school for the purposes of the education resource block grant model under W.S. 21-13-309(m)(v)(B).
(d) “Four-Year, On-Time Graduation Cohort” means all of the first-time grade-nine students in the school year 4 years prior to the graduation year (i.e., the starting year) plus students who transfer in, minus students who transfer out, emigrate, or die prior to the graduation year.
(e) “Lagged Indicator” means an indicator in which the score is based on the performance of a cohort from the year before the accountability year.
(f) “Minimum $n$” means the minimum number of students needed to have a score on an indicator. The minimum $n$ is 10 on all indicators.
(g) “One Additional Non-Participant Rule” means the process of dropping the actual required participation rate for tests on a given indicator to the point at which the number of tests required most closely matches the stated participation rate without exceeding it.
(h) “WAEA” means the Wyoming Education and Accountability Act (W.S. 21-2-204).
(a) Schools shall receive target level scores and a school performance rating based on the following indicators:
(i) For traditional schools serving grades three through eight:
(A) Academic Achievement (B) Growth (C) Equity (D) English Language Proficiency (ii) For traditional high schools: (A) Academic Achievement (B) Growth (C) Equity (D) English Language Proficiency (E) Extended Graduation Rate (F) Post-Secondary Readiness (G) Credits Earned (iii) For alternative schools: (A) Academic Achievement (B) Growth (C) Graduation Credential Rate (D) Credits Earned (E) College and Career Readiness (F) Climate (G) Engagement
Section 4. Indicators for Traditional Schools serving grades three through eight.
(a) Academic Achievement.
(i) The school's achievement score is the percent of proficient or above-proficient test scores in mathematics, English language arts, and science on the statewide summative assessment, rounded to a whole number, for all students enrolled for a full academic year. In this section, "full academic year" means enrollment in the same school from the first weekday in October until a spring accountability date set by the Department each year during the state summative test window.
(ii) Schools with an achievement score equal to or greater than 68 are in the exceeds target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
(iii) Schools with an achievement score equal to or greater than 51, but below 68, are in the meets target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
(iv) Schools with an achievement score lower than 51 are in the below target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Achievement Score | < 51 | >= 51 and < 68 | >= 68 |
(b) Growth.
(i) Growth is measured in schools serving grades four through eight. In order to compute growth scores, students must have at least two consecutive years of state test scores from a Wyoming school district. Growth is computed separately for math and reading on the state test for students in grades four through eight.
(ii) The model implemented to measure growth produces student growth percentiles (SGPs). SGPs indicate how an individual student's growth compared with that of all Wyoming public school students from that particular year in the same grade who had similar math or reading scores in previous years as determined by quantile regression analysis.
(iii) The school's mean growth percentile (MGP) is the mean of all reading and math SGPs for students enrolled for a full academic year at the school rounded to a whole number. In this section 'full academic year' is defined as enrollment in the same school from the first weekday in October until a spring accountability date set by the Department each year during the state summative test window.
(iv) Schools with an MGP equal to or greater than 60 are in the exceeds target level category on the growth indicator.
(v) Schools with an MGP equal to or greater than 48, but below 60, are in the meets target level category on the growth indicator.
(vi) Schools with an MGP lower than 48 are in the below target level category on the growth indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's MGP | < 48 | >= 48 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(c) Equity.
(i) Students enrolled in the current year for a full academic year who had low performance in either math or reading or both on the prior year's state test are assigned to a consolidated subgroup. In this section, "full academic year" means enrollment in the same school from the first weekday in October until a spring accountability date set by the Department each year during the state summative test window. Low performance is based upon a score that falls below the cut-scores reported in Table 4.1.
(ii) Students are identified for the consolidated subgroup membership for only the subject areas where they scored below the cut-scores in Table 4.1 in the prior year.
Table 4.1. Statewide Summative Assessment Cut-Scores for Consolidated Subgroup Identification.
| Content Areas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Math | |
| Grade 3 | 566 | 418 |
| Grade 4 | 582 | 443 |
| Grade 5 | 605 | 468 |
| Reading | Math | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 616 | 491 |
| Grade 7 | 615 | 514 |
(iii) The Department shall calculate each school’s equity score as follows:
(A) First, based on the SGPs of students in grades four through eight, the Department shall compute separate MGPs for (a) the consolidated subgroup and (b) all students not in the consolidated subgroup.
(B) Second, the MGP for the consolidated subgroup is then multiplied by 0.80, and the MGP for the students not in the consolidated subgroup is multiplied by 0.20.
(C) Third, the Department shall add these weighted MGPs and round the sum to a whole number to produce the school’s equity score.
(iv) Schools with a school equity score that is equal to or greater than 60 are in the exceeds target level category on the equity indicator.
(v) Schools with a school equity score that is equal to or greater than 48, but below 60, are in the meets target level category on the equity indicator.
(vi) Schools with a school equity score that is lower than 48 are in the below target level category on the equity indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School’s Equity Score | < 48 | >= 48 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(d) English Language Proficiency.
(i) The English Language Proficiency (ELP) indicator measures whether English learners (EL) are making expected progress toward becoming English proficient. English proficiency is defined as earning a composite performance level (CPL) of at least 4.6 on the
ACCESS and a literary performance level (LPL) of at least 4.3.
(ii) A student's target year for English proficiency is calculated based on the CPL the student earns in the first year that the student takes the ACCESS test as illustrated in Table 4.2.
Table 4.2. Year One Composite Performance Level and the Corresponding Target Year for English Proficiency.
| Year One Composite Performance Level Score | Target Year (for English Proficiency) |
|---|---|
| At Least 4.6 | Year One |
| 4.0 to 4.5 | Year Three |
| 3.0 to 3.9 | Year Four |
| 2.0 to 2.9 | Year Five |
| 1.0 to 1.9 | Year Six |
(iii) The English language progress target for any EL student in a given year is the answer to the following formula rounded to the nearest whole number: ((end-year CSS – current year CSS)/years to target year) + current year CSS = English language progress target.
(A) The end-year composite scale score (CSS) is the CSS score that is equivalent to a CPL of 4.6 for the grade of the student's target-year for English proficiency as determined by Table 4.2.
(B) The years to target shall be calculated by taking the student's initial year CPL and using Table 4.2 above to determine how many years until the student is expected to be proficient. Every subsequent year the student's years to target is reduced by one.
(iv) Once the EL student reaches the target year, and every year thereafter until the EL student demonstrates English proficiency, the EL student's annual progress target is English proficiency. This means the student must have a CPL of at least 4.6 and an LPL of at least 4.3.
(v) The school score for the ELP indicator is the percentage of EL students at a school who meet their annual English proficiency progress target rounded to the nearest whole number.
(vi) For schools serving grades three through eight:
(A) Schools with an ELP score that is equal to or greater than 60 are in the exceeds target level category on the ELP indicator.
(B) Schools with an ELP score that is equal to or greater than 36, but below 60, are in the meets target level category on the ELP indicator.
(C) Schools with an ELP score that is lower than 36 are in the below target level category on the ELP indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's ELP Score | < 36 | >= 36 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(a) Schools receive three points for every indicator score that falls within the exceeds target level category, two points for every indicator score that falls within the meets target level category, and one point for each indicator score that falls within the below target level category.
| WAEA Performance Category Cut Scores | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Below Targets (1 Point) | Meeting Targets (2 points) | Exceeding Targets (3 Points) | |
| Growth | < 48 | >= 48 and < 60 | >= 60 |
| Equity | < 48 | >= 48 and < 60 | >= 60 |
| Below Targets (1 Point) | Meeting Targets (2 points) | Exceeding Targets (3 Points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Achievement | < 51 | >= 51 and < 68 | >= 68 |
| English Language Proficiency | < 36 | >= 36 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(b) The weighted average indicator score is calculated by summing the products obtained by multiplying the points earned for each indicator with the corresponding weights in Table 5.1. This sum is then rounded to one decimal place.
Table 5.1. The weighted index for schools serving grades three through eight.
| Indicator Category | Specific Indicator | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Performance | 70% | |
| Academic Achievement | 35% | |
| Growth | 35% | |
| Overall Equity | 30% | |
| Equity | 25% | |
| EL Progress | 5% |
(c) If a school does not meet the minimum $n$ for both indicators in an indicator category, then the weight of the category is distributed proportionately among the remaining indicators.
(d) If a school does not meet the minimum $n$ for either academic achievement or growth, even after applying lookbacks, as described in Section 12 of these rules, then the school is considered a small school. The school will undergo a small school review, as described in Section 13 of these rules, and will not receive a school performance rating.
(e) If a school does not meet the minimum $n$ for an indicator in an indicator category, then the weight of the remaining indicator is equal to the weight of the entire indicator category.
(f) The Department shall assign the school performance ratings as follows:
(i) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 2.6 are “exceeding expectations.”
(ii) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 1.8, but below 2.6, are “meeting expectations.”
(iii) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 1.4, but below 1.8, are “partially meeting expectations.”
(iv) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is lower than 1.4 are “not meeting expectations.”
| Not Meeting Expectations | Partially Meeting Expectations | Meeting Expectations | Exceeding Expectations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted Average Indicator Score | < 1.4 | >= 1.4 and < 1.8 | >= 1.8 and < 2.6 | >= 2.6 |
(a) Academic Achievement.
(i) The achievement indicator score (AIS) for traditional high schools is the percent of proficient or above-proficient test scores in mathematics, English language arts, and science on statewide summative assessment, rounded to a whole number, for all students enrolled for a full academic year. In this section, “full academic year” means enrollment in the same school from the first weekday in October until a spring accountability date set by the Department each year during the state summative test window.
(ii) Schools with an AIS equal to or greater than 60 are in the exceeds target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
(iii) Schools with an AIS equal to or greater than 48, but below 60, are in the meets target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
(iv) Schools with an AIS lower than 48 are in the below target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's AIS | < 48 | >= 48 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(b) Growth.
(i) Growth is measured in schools serving grades nine through eleven. In order to compute growth scores, students must have at least two consecutive years of state test scores from a Wyoming school district. Growth is computed separately for math and reading on the state test for students in grades nine and ten and from the state assessment to the college entrance exam for grade eleven.
(ii) The Department shall calculate a school's MGP using the methodology described in Section 4(b).
(iii) Schools with an MGP equal to or greater than 60 are in the exceeds target level category on the growth indicator.
(iv) Schools with an MGP equal to or greater than 49, but below 60, are in the meets target level category on the growth indicator.
(v) Schools with an MGP lower than 49 are in the below target level category on the growth indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's MGP | < 49 | >= 49 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(c) Equity.
(i) Students enrolled in the current year for a full academic year who had low performance in either math or reading or both on the prior year's state test are assigned to a consolidated subgroup. In this section "full academic year" is defined as enrollment in the same school from the first weekday in October until a spring accountability date set by the Department each year during the state summative test window. Low performance is based upon scoring below the cut-scores reported in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1. Statewide Summative Assessment Cut-Scores for Consolidated Subgroup Identification.
| Content Areas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Math | |
| Grade 8 | 628 | 542 |
| Grade 9 | 607 | 562 |
(ii) Students are identified for the consolidated subgroup membership for only the subject areas where they scored below the cut-scores in Table 6.1 in the prior year.
(iii) The Department shall calculate each school's equity score for grades nine and ten using the same methodology as described in Section 4(c)(iii).
(iv) Schools with an equity score that is equal to or greater than 60 are in the exceeds target level category on the equity indicator.
(v) Schools with an equity score that is equal to or greater than 49, but below 60, are in the meets target level category on the equity indicator.
(vi) Schools with an equity score that is lower than 49 are in the below target level category on the equity indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Equity Score | < 49 | >= 49 and < 60 | >= 60 |
(d) English Language Proficiency.
(i) The English Language Proficiency (ELP) indicator measures whether English learners (EL) are making expected progress toward becoming English proficient. English proficiency is defined as earning a composite performance level (CPL) of at least 4.6 on the ACCESS and a literary performance level (LPL) of at least 4.3.
(ii) A student's target year is calculated based on the CPL the student earns in the first year that the student takes the ACCESS test.
Table 6.2. Year One Composite Performance Level and the Corresponding Target Year for English Proficiency.
| Year One Composite Performance Level Score | Target Year (for English Proficiency) |
|---|---|
| At Least 4.6 | Year One |
| 4.0 to 4.5 | Year Three |
| 3.0 to 3.9 | Year Four |
| 2.0 to 2.9 | Year Five |
| 1.0 to 1.9 | Year Six |
(iii) The Department shall calculate the student English language progress target for a given year using the methodology described in Section 4(d).
(iv) The school score for the ELP indicator is the percentage of EL students at a school who meet their annual English proficiency progress target rounded to the nearest whole number.
(v) Schools with an ELP score that is equal to or greater than 40 are in the exceeds target level category on the ELP indicator.
(vi) Schools with an ELP score that is equal to or greater than 19, but below 40, are in the meets target level category on the ELP indicator.
(vii) Schools with an ELP score that is lower than 19 are in the below target level category on the ELP indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's ELP Score | < 19 | >= 19 and < 40 | >= 40 |
(e) Extended Graduation Rate.
(i) The extended graduation rate is a lagged indicator.
(ii) The extended graduation cohort includes:
(A) Students in the four-year, on-time graduation cohort, and
(B) Students who graduate during the lagged year, five (5), six (6), or seven (7) years from becoming a first-time grade-nine student.
(iii) The school score is the extended graduation rate, which is calculated as follows:
(A) The numerator for the extended graduation rate is all 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-year graduates.
(B) The denominator is the extended graduation cohort.
(C) The quotient is then rounded to the nearest whole number.
(iv) Schools with an extended graduation rate that is equal to or greater than 93 are in the exceeds target level category.
(v) Schools with an extended graduation rate that is equal to or greater than 85, but below 93, are in the meets target level category.
(vi) Schools with an extended graduation rate that is lower than 85 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Extended Graduation Rate Score | < 85 | >= 85 and < 93 | >= 93 |
(f) Post-Secondary Readiness.
(i) Post-Secondary Readiness (PSR) is a lagged indicator that includes all traditional high school graduates from the lagged year.
(ii) A school's score on the PSR indicator is the percentage of the lagged-year graduates who were college, career, or military ready rounded to the nearest whole number.
(iii) A student is college ready if the student has completed both a college preparatory curriculum that meets either the Opportunity, Performance, or Honor success curriculum for the Hathaway Scholarship Program as indicated on the student's high school transcript and one or more of the following:
(iv) A student is career ready when the student has; -
(v) A student is military ready if the student has achieved an AFQT score of 45 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and either of the following:
(A) Successful completion of a college preparatory curriculum that is equivalent to the Opportunity, Performance or Honors success curriculum for the Hathaway Scholarship Program; or
(B) Successful completion of a career/technical education program of study.
(vi) Schools with a PSR score that is equal to or greater than 80 are in the exceeds target level category.
(vii) Schools with a PSR score that is equal to or greater than 67, but below 80, are in the meets target level category.
(viii) Schools with a PSR score that is lower than 67 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's PSR Score | < 67 | >= 67 and < 80 | >= 80 |
(g) Credits Earned.
(i) Credits earned is a lagged indicator that includes first-time grade-nine students from the lagged year.
(ii) A school's score on the credits earned indicator is the percentage of lagged-year grade-nine students who earned one-fourth of the credits required to graduate from the designated traditional high school within four years.
(iii) The credits earned indicator applies to all students in attendance at the school from the first weekday in October until within ten days of the end of the school year.
(iv) Schools are sorted into one of three target levels based on their grade-nine credit indicator scores as follows:
(A) Schools with a credits earned indicator score that is equal to or greater than 95 are in the exceeds target level category.
(B) Schools with a credits earned indicator score that is equal to or greater than 88, but below 95, are in the meets target level category.
(C) Schools with a credits earned indicator score that is lower than 88 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Credits Earned Score | < 88 | >= 88 and < 95 | >= 95 |
(a) Schools receive three points for every indicator score that falls within the exceeds target level category, two points for every indicator score that falls within the meets target level category, and one point for each indicator score that falls within the below target level category.
| WAEA Performance Category Cut Scores | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Below Targets | Meeting Targets | Exceeding Targets | |
| Growth | < 49 | >= 49 and < 60 | >= 60 |
| Equity | < 49 | >=49 and < 60 | >= 60 |
| Academic Achievement | < 48 | >= 48 and < 60 | >= 60 |
| English Language Proficiency | < 19 | >= 19 and < 40 | >= 40 |
| Extended Graduation Rate | < 85 | >= 85 and < 93 | >= 93 |
| Below Targets | Meeting Targets | Exceeding Targets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post- Secondary Readiness | < 67 | >= 67 and < 80 | >= 80 |
| Credits Earned | < 88 | >= 88 and < 95 | >= 95 |
(b) The weighted average indicator score is calculated by summing the products obtained by multiplying the points earned for each indicator with the corresponding weights in Table 7.1. This sum is then rounded to one decimal place.
Table 7.1. Weights for Weighted Average Index for Traditional High Schools.
| Indicator Category | Specific Indicator | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Performance | 40% | |
| Academic Achievement | 20% | |
| Growth | 20% | |
| Readiness | 40% | |
| Extended Graduation | 20% | |
| Postsecondary Readiness Grade 9 | 15% | |
| Credit | 5% | |
| Overall Equity | 20% | |
| Equity | 15% | |
| EL Progress | 5% |
(c) If a school does not meet the minimum $n$ for either academic achievement or extended graduation rate, even after applying lookbacks, as described in Section 12 of these rules, then the school is considered a small school. The school will undergo a small school review as established in Section 13 and will not receive a school performance rating.
(d) If a school does not meet the minimum n for all indicators in an indicator category then the weight of the category is distributed proportionately among the remaining indicators.
(e) If a school does not meet the minimum n for one or more indicators in an indicator category then the weight is distributed proportionally among the remaining indicators in that indicator category.
(f) The Department shall assign the school performance ratings as follows:
(i) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 2.5 are “exceeding expectations.”
(ii) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 1.8, but below 2.5, are “meeting expectations.”
(iii) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 1.4, but below 1.8, are “partially meeting expectations.”
(iv) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is lower than 1.4 are “not meeting expectations.”
Table 7.2. School Performance Rating Scores
| Not Meeting Expectations | Partially Meeting Expectations | Meeting Expectations | Exceeding Expectations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted average indicator score | < 1.4 | >= 1.4 and < 1.8 | >= 1.8 and < 2.5 | >= 2.5 |
(a) Academic Achievement.
(i) Each alternative school’s achievement indicator score (AIS) is the mean student index score for math, English language arts, and science for all students enrolled for a full academic year. In this section “full academic year” is defined as enrollment in the same school from the first weekday in October until a spring accountability date set by the Departmenteach year during the state summative test window.
(ii) The Department shall convert each student's performance level score on the statewide summative assessment (i.e., basic, below basic, proficient, or advanced) to a score pursuant to the index represented in Table 8.1.
Table 8.1. The WAEA Alternative School Achievement Index.
| Student Performance Level | Student Index Score |
|---|---|
| Below Basic | 0 |
| Basic | 50 |
| Proficient | 100 |
| Advanced | 150 |
(iii) Alternative schools with an AIS equal to or greater than 50 are in the exceeds target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
(iv) Alternative schools with an AIS equal to or greater than 30, but below 50, are in the meets target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
(v) Alternative schools with an AIS lower than 30 are in the below target level category on the academic achievement indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's AIS | < 30 | >= 30 and < 50 | >= 50 |
(b) Growth.
(i) Growth is measured in schools serving grades seven through eleven. In order to compute growth scores, students must have at least two consecutive years of state test scores from a Wyoming school district. Growth is computed separately for math and reading on the state test for students in grades seven through ten and from the state assessment to the college entrance exam for grade eleven.
(ii) The Department shall calculate a school’s MGP using the methodology described in Section 4(b).
(iii) Schools with an MGP equal to or greater than 50 are in the exceeds target level category on the growth indicator.
(iv) Schools with an MGP equal to or greater than 40, but below 50, are in the meets target level category on the growth indicator.
(v) Schools with an MGP lower than 40 are in the below target level category on the growth indicator.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School’s MGP | < 40 | >= 40 and < 50 | >= 50 |
(c) Graduation Credential Rate.
(i) The graduation credential rate is a lagged indicator.
(ii) The alternative graduation credential cohort is the Wyoming extended graduation cohort, as defined in Section 6(e)(ii), plus any non-completer from the 5-, 6-, and 7-year graduation cohorts who passed a graduate equivalency exam any time during the lagged school year up through February of the accountability year.
(iii) The graduation credential earners are all of the school’s graduates from the extended graduation cohort plus all 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-year cohort students who were reported to have passed a graduate equivalency exam anytime during the lagged year up to February of the accountability year.
(iv) In order to calculate a school’s graduation credential rate, the Department shall divide the school’s number of graduation credential earners by the school’s number of students that belong to the alternative graduation credential cohort. The quotient is then converted to a percentage and rounded to the nearest whole number.
(v) The alternative high school credential rate at each school is placed into one of three target levels:
(A) Schools with a high school credential rate that is equal to or greater than 83 are in the exceeds target level category.
(B) Schools with a high school credential rate that is equal to or greater than 83, but below 67, are in the meets target level category.
(C) Schools with a high school credential rate that is lower than 67 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Graduation Credential Rate Score | < 67 | >= 67 and < 83 | >= 83 |
(d) Credits Earned.
(i) Credits earned is a lagged indicator that includes first-time grade-nine, grade-ten, and grade-eleven students from the lagged year.
(ii) A school's score on the credits earned indicator is the percentage of lagged-year grade-nine, grade-ten, and grade-eleven students who earned one-fourth of the credits required to graduate from the designated alternative high school within four years.
(iii) The credits earned indicator applies to all students attending the school from the first weekday in October until within ten days of the end of the school year during the year that they were in grades nine, ten, and eleven.
(iv) Schools are sorted into one of three target levels based on their credits earned indicator scores as follows:
(A) Alternative schools with a credits earned indicator score that is equal to or greater than 83 are in the exceeds target level category.
(B) Alternative schools with a credits earned indicator score that is equal to or greater than 67, but below 83, are in the meets target level category.
(C) Alternative schools with a credits earned indicator score that is lower than 67 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Credits Earned Score | < 67 | >= 67 and < 83 | >= 83 |
(e) College and Career Readiness.
(i) College and career readiness (CCR) is a lagged indicator that includes all alternative high school graduates from the lagged year.
(ii) A student's CCR index score is the points associated with the highest observed outcome level for that student in any of the five rows in Table 8.2.
Table 8.2. College and Career Readiness (CCR) Index.
| Level 0 (0 points) | Level 1 (10 points) | Level 2 (20 points) | Level 3 (30 points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No evidence | Complete Hathaway Provisional curriculum | Complete Hathaway Opportunity curriculum | Complete Hathaway Performance/Honors curriculum |
| No evidence | ACT 17-18 | ACT 19-20 | ACT 21 + |
| No evidence | Passed one state approved concentrator (C) course or equivalent in a non-Perkins setting | CTE state approved concentrator or equivalent in a non-Perkins setting | CTE concentrator with state approved industry recognized credential |
| No evidence | ACT WorkKeys – NCRC Bronze (9- 11). At least a Level 3 on each exam. | ACT WorkKeys – NCRC Silver (12- 14). At least a Level 4 on each exam | ACT WorkKeys – NCRC Gold (15 or up). At least a Level 5 on each exam |
| Level 0 (0 points) | Level 1 (10 points) | Level 2 (20 points) | Level 3 (30 points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No evidence | Credit earned for work experience or ASVAB AFQT score of at least 30 | ASVAB AFQT score of at least 45 or credit earned for work based learning | Eligible to receive college course credit (through dual/concurrent enrollment or AP/IB exam) or Completion of Youth Apprenticeship Program |
(iii) An alternative school’s CCR index score is the average index across all graduates’ CCR scores rounded to a whole number.
(iv) The alternative schools’ CCR index scores are then sorted into one of three target levels as follows:
(A) Schools with a CCR index score that is equal to or greater than 20 are in the exceeds target level category.
(B) Schools with a CCR index score that is equal to or greater than 15, but below 20, are in the meets target level category.
(C) Schools with a CCR index score that is lower than 15 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School’s College and Career Readiness Score | < 15 | >= 15 and < 20 | >= 20 |
(f) Climate.
(i) Each school shall administer the 24-item student climate survey every fall and spring. The survey has three domains: staff support and respect, student support and respect, and high expectations.
(ii) Student responses on the survey are assigned points as follows: strongly agree (4), agree (3), disagree (2), and strongly disagree (1).
(iii) Student scores on each domain are the mean of their responses to the items on the domain rounded to two decimal places.
(iv) The student total score on the survey is the mean of the domain scores.
(v) The school score on the climate survey is the mean total score for all surveys completed at the school during both the fall and the spring combined.
(vi) The following item is included at the end of the student climate survey: 'I provided honest responses on this survey to the best of my ability.' The response options for this item are 'yes' and 'no.' Survey results for students who respond 'no' to this item are not included in the computation of school scores.
(vii) When a school's participation rate is below 85%, after the application of the one additional non-participant rule, the school is assigned to the below target level category on this indicator.
(viii) For alternative schools meeting the 85% participation rate requirement, the schools are assigned one of three target levels as follows:
(A) Alternative schools with a score that is greater than or equal to 3.3 are in the exceeds target level category.
(B) Alternative schools with a score that is greater than or equal to 2.8, but below 3.3, are in the meets target level category.
(C) Alternative schools with a score that is lower than 2.8 are in the below target level category.
| Below Target (1 point) | Meets Target (2 points) | Exceeds Target (3 points) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| School's Climate Score | < 2.8 | > = 2.8 and < 3.3 | > = 3.3 |
(g) Engagement.
(i) Each alternative school shall implement and use a student success plan (SSP) for all students during each school year. A mentor for each student shall meet with their assigned student a minimum of two times per year to discuss the student success plan.
(ii) The student success plan shall include the following components:
(iii) Principals shall annually sign a document indicating:
Section 9. Aggregation Rules for Alternative Schools.
(a) Schools receive three points for every indicator score that falls within the exceeds target level category, two points for every indicator score that falls within the meets target level category, and one point for each indicator score that falls within the below target level category.
| Indicators | WAEA Performance Category Cut Scores | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Below Targets (1 point) | Meeting Targets (2 points) | Exceeding Targets (3 points) | |
| Growth | <40 | >= 40 and < 50 | >= 50 |
| Academic Achievement | < 30 | >= 30 and < 50 | >= 50 |
| Graduation Credential Rate | < 67 | >= 67 and < 83 | >= 83 |
| College-Career Readiness | < 15 | >= 15 and < 20 | >= 20 |
| Indicators | Below Targets (1 point) | Meeting Targets (2 points) | Exceeding Targets (3 points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credits Earned | < 67 | >= 67 and < 83 | >= 83 |
| Climate | < 2.8 | >= 2.8 and < 3.3 | >= 3.3 |
(b) The weighted average indicator score is calculated by summing the products obtained by multiplying the points earned for each indicator with the corresponding weights in Table 9.1. This sum is then rounded to one decimal place.
Table 9.1. Indicator Weights for Computing Alternative School Weighted Average Indicator Scores.
| Indicator | Weight |
|---|---|
| Academic Achievement | 20% |
| Growth | 25% |
| Graduation Credential Rate | 25% |
| Credits Earned | 5% |
| College and Career Readiness | 15% |
| Climate | 10% |
(c) If a school does not meet the minimum $n$ for academic achievement and the graduation credential rate even after applying lookbacks, as described in Section 12, then the school is considered a small school. The school will undergo a small school review as established in Section 13 and will not receive a school performance rating.
(d) When a school is missing some indicators, the missing weight(s) are redistributed proportionately among the remaining indicators.
(e) The Department shall assign the school performance ratings as follows:
(i) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 2.3 are “exceeding expectations.”
(ii) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 1.7, but below 2.3, are “meeting expectations.”
(iii) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is equal to or greater than 1.4, but below 1.7, are “partially meeting expectations.”
(iv) Schools with a weighted average indicator score that is lower than 1.4 are “not meeting expectations.”
Table 9.2 School Performance Rating Scores
| Not Meeting Expectations | Partially Meeting Expectations | Meeting Expectations | Exceeding Expectations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted average indicator score | < 1.4 | >= 1.4 and < 1.7 | >= 1.7 and < 2.3 | >= 2.3 |
(f) Any school that fails to provide the assurance required by the engagement indicator, fails to comply with the student success plan process, or fails to demonstrate participation as required by the engagement indicator will have its final school performance rating reduced by one level.
(a) Schools Serving High Schools and Grades below High School.
(i) Traditional schools that serve students in high school grades and grades below high school receive weighted average indicator scores for the high school grades and for the grades below high school.
(ii) These separate weighted average indicator scores are then combined into one overall weighted average indicator score for the school. This overall weighted average indicator score is further weighted to reflect the count of students tested on the state test in high school grades versus the count of students tested on the state test in the grades below high school.
(b) Alternative Schools Serving Grades Below High School.
(i) For alternative schools that serve both the high school grades and grades below high school the achievement, growth, and climate indicators are calculated including all of the students in all of the grades.
(ii) When the alternative school serving grades below grade 9 is not part of a high school, the weighted average indicator target level score is based upon the achievement, growth, and climate indicators. The indicator weights are modified as described in Section 9(d).
(iii) Any school that fails to provide the assurance required by the engagement indicator, fails to comply with the student success plan process, or fails to demonstrate participation as required by the engagement indicator will have its final school performance rating reduced by one level.
(c) Schools that have third grade as their only tested grade.
(i) When schools have grade three as their only tested grade, they are paired with the school their students feed into after grade three.
(ii) The grade three achievement scores from these schools are combined with the achievement scores from their paired school when determining school performance ratings.
(iii) The paired schools are treated as a single school for accountability calculations and both schools are assigned the same performance rating.
(d) Schools with no tested grades. When a school configuration does not contain any tested grade because it does not include students above the second grade, the school performance rating for the school that the K-2 school feeds into is applied to the K-2 school.
(a) Participation Rate on State Achievement Test.
(i) Each Wyoming school shall test students at a rate at or above 95% on the state achievement test.
(ii) Two participation calculations are applied to each school. First, participation calculations are computed for all students enrolled in the school during the testing window. Second, participation calculations are computed for all FAY students at a school (i.e., with non-FAY students excluded).
(iii) A simple participation rate is the number of students who tested, divided by the number of students who should have tested at the school.
(iv) Whenever the 95% participation rate requirement would require a simple participation rate greater than 95%, the one additional non-participant rule will be applied.
(v) Participation rates are computed at the test score level rather than the student level. The Department shall set a target for the number of tests that need to be administered and scored at the school for the requirement to be met.
(vi) The minimum $n$ for participation is 10 students. When students from prior school years are included through the lookback process described in Section 12 of these rules in order to meet the minimum $n$ for the achievement indicator, the prior years that are used for that purpose are also included for the participation rate computations.
(vii) When a school does not meet the 95% participation rate requirement for all enrolled students, the Department shall increase the denominator on the Achievement indicator by the difference between the number of students necessary to reach the 95% requirement and the number of students tested.
(b) Participation Rate on the ACCESS.
(i) There is a 95% participation rate requirement for EL students on the ACCESS test. All identified EL students, including EL students for whom parents are refusing services, are required to take the ACCESS test during the testing window each school year.
(ii) The participation rate determination for EL students will include the one additional non-participant rule.
(iii) When a school does not meet the 95% participation rate requirement for ACCESS testing for all of the EL students at the school, the Department shall increase the denominator when calculating the school’s ELP indicator score by a number equal to the number of non-tested students below 95% after applying the one additional non-participant rule.
(a) For accountability decisions, the minimum number of students ($n$) needed in order to produce a score on an indicator is 10.
(b) For schools with fewer than 10 students on an indicator, the performance of students from a prior school year is combined with the performance of students from the current year (i.e., a one-year lookback). If there are still fewer than 10 students on the indicator, the performance of students from two prior school years is combined with that of students from the current year (i.e., a two-year lookback). If there are still fewer than 10 students on the indicator, the school does not have a score on that indicator.
(c) Traditional schools must have at least 10 students in the consolidated subgroup in order to receive a target level for the equity indicator.
(a) The Department shall review the school’s performance on all indicators. The Department shall identify indicators with below target student performance.
(b) A small school shall submit an improvement plan that addresses the identified indicators. These plans are due November 1st of each year, except for years in which there is a significant change to the statewide assessment system or the statewide accountability system. If the Board determines that a significant change has occurred, the plans are due on February 1st of the following year. In developing an improvement plan, the school shall analyze performance on the identified indicators.
(c) The improvement plan shall include:
(i) A description of how performance data beyond those from WAEA will be used to track student performance and improve student learning.
(ii) A description of the school’s strategies for improving performance on the specified WAEA indicator(s).
(iii) A description of the school’s systematic process for regular review of individual student performance.
(d) The Department shall assign a designation of “not met” to schools that do not submit a plan.
(e) The Department shall assign a designation of “not met” when schools submit a plan that fails to address all of the requirements of Subsection (c). Schools may resubmit plans rejected by the Department as inadequate.
(f) The Department shall assign a designation of “met” to a school that has submitted an adequate improvement plan.
(a) The long-term goals and interim targets do not impact a school’s accountability score.
(b) Long-term Goals.
(i) The long-term goals are meant to be achieved within fifteen years of the baseline year.
(ii) The long-term goals for the All Students subgroup:
(A) Four-year graduation rate: 88
(B) Grade three through eight math: 57
(C) Grade three through eight English language arts: 59
(D) High school math: 47
(E) High school English language arts: 53
(F) Active English learners: 53
(iii) A school’s interim target is the expected annual progress toward meeting the long-term goals.
(iv) A school has met its interim target when the school’s goal score is at or above the long-term goal.
(v) The Department shall evaluate progress toward the long-term goal every three years.
(c) Interim Targets.
(i) Interim Targets are calculated using the baseline year. For all schools, the baseline year is Year 1. For the four-year, on-time graduation indicator, the baseline year is the accountability year 2016-17. Since this is a lagged indicator, the four-year, on-time cohort is the 2015-16 graduating class for the 2016-17 accountability year. For math achievement, ELA achievement, and ELP, the baseline year is 2017-18.
(ii) The end of the long-term goal ~~15-year~~ period ~~term~~ is the 2031-32 ~~2030-31~~ accountability year for the graduation indicator and 2032-33 ~~2031-32~~ for the math, ELA, and ELP indicators.
(iii) Interim Target Computation for Schools below the long-term Goal during the Baseline Year.
(A) The baseline score and long-term goal are whole numbers. The expected annual progress is computed by subtracting the school baseline score from the long-term goal and dividing by 14. The expected annual progress is not rounded.
(B) Interim targets increase in years 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, and 16. Each increase is the baseline score plus expected annual improvement through the year of the increase rounded to a whole number.
(iv) Interim Target Computation for Schools above the long-term goal during the baseline year.
(A) In order to meet the interim target, the school score must be at or above the long-term goal.
(B) A school meets the interim target if their score drops by up to 5% so long as the score remains at or above the long-term goal.
(a) For all schools, the Department shall provide statewide training designed to promote the use of evidence-based practices aligned to the following topics:
(b) The following requirements apply to school improvement plans developed according to W.S. 21-2-204(h)(v) and (vi):
(i) Initial Consultation. The department shall:
(A) Consult with the school district and select a school improvement representative.
(B) Train the representative in the school improvement process.
(C) Provide assistance to the representative and individual schools at the representative's request in how to perform school improvement planning and accountability data analysis.
(ii) Comprehensive Needs Assessment. The school and the representative shall:
(A) Analyze data contained in the confidential school performance report to identify content and indicator areas where performance is below target levels.
(B) Compare current school practices that affect content and indicator areas identified in subsection (b)(ii)(A) of this section to evidence-based practices using the rubrics in the school improvement planning guide provided by the department.
(iii) Improvement Plan Creation. The school and representative shall:
(A) Establish performance goals in the areas identified in the comprehensive needs assessment.
(B) Develop a plan to implement practices designed to achieve the performance goals. The plan shall include:
(1) One (1) to three (3) evidence-based practices; and
(2) An action plan articulating how the school intends to implement the evidence-based practices.
(C) The school shall submit the improvement plan to the district and the department using the form and manner required by the Department.
(iv) Improvement Plan Implementation. The school shall implement the school improvement plan and shall devote sufficient time, personnel, and financial resources to implement the plan as designed.
(v) Improvement Plan Monitoring. The representative shall:
(A) Monitor the implementation of the evidence-based practices;
(B) Monitor whether the performance goals are met or are making progress toward being met; and
(C) No less than once every 90 days, report the results of the monitoring activities to the school and district, recommend any necessary changes to the school’s improvement plan, if any, and identify circumstances in which evidence-based practices are not being implemented as intended.
The Department shall provide confidential and public reporting as appropriate for student-level and school-level performance on all school accountability indicators for parents, teachers, and other school personnel pursuant to W.S. 21-2-204(j).