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![handle is hein.gao/gaocrptatky0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
G A 0
Accountabi t nte tri Reliab ty
Hi li
Highlights of GAO-06-661, a report to
congressional requesters
Why GAO Did This Study
The No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLBA) requ that tte
impro\;academi So
th1at all st udents rechl pr1oficncy
in realding and mAth y2014and
that achievemnt gap~s close:1among
st udent grloups. Statecs setl ann11ual
ficie al s using an
appr~loa[ch knon als al sI tts model,
which cac letes scor-es 1 yearu
at a time. Some states have interest
in usinga groIt iodels t
maCsure chanlges inl test scores
oveor tinme to deterinle if schools
are.( mleeting pr]oficiency targets.
To delerine the extent ti
girowth ml ~odels werev contsistentl
w ithI NCLBA's gioa ls, GLAO a ssessed
(1) the xen that, I II1 state (s hav u\c sed
growth ml odels tomesr
aicaidemic aichievemnti, (2) thec
exlel tt groNtl odels (.;l c
mieasuire priogress inl achiev ing key.
NCLBA goals, and1( (3') thec
challlnges sttes ma falce inl usingi
girow\I1t odels to mAet a1dequate
yearly pr]ogress (AYP)
requirementls anld hlow the
Departmnt of Educatlion
(Educatlion) is alssisting the states.
To obtaiin this information,w
conducted al nationl1 surveyv anld
site v\isit s t o 4 stat0es.
WIhile growth m1odels a;e ypiall
definled as, tra:ckingc thec samle
st udeuts over. litie, GAO) used ;I
definlition that1 Also included
tracking schools and( group~s of
st udents.In commentoils, Eduction
sa[id that this definlitionl could be
confusing. GAO used this definitionl
ofcgrowth1 to r-eflect theaiet of
apprachslsates were.( Itking.
www.gao.gov/cgi-binl/getrpt?GAO-06-6(31.
To view the full product. including the scope
and methodology, click on the link above.
For more information, contact Marnie S.
Shaul (202) 512-7215 or shaulm(Ogao.gov.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
States Face Challenges Measuring
Academic Growth That Education's
Initiatives May Help Address
What GAO Found
Twenty-six states were using growth models, and another 22 were
considering or in the process of implementing growth models, as of March
2006. States were using or considering growth models in addition to status
models to measure academic performance and for other purposes.
Seventeen states were using growth models prior to NCLBA. Most states
using growth models measured progress for schools and for student groups,
and 7 also measured growth for individual students. States used growth
models to target resources for students that need extra help or award
teachers bonuses based on their school's performance.
States That Reported Using or Considering Growth Models, as of March 2006
States that used States that did not use a growth States that did not
a growth model model but were considering one use a growth model
Source: GAO analysis.
Certain growth models can measure progress in achieving key NCLBA goals.
If states were allowed to use these models to determine AYP, they might
reduce the number of lower-performing schools identified for improvement
while allowing states to concentrate federal dollars in the lowest-performing
schools. Massachusetts sets growth targets for schools and their student
groups and allows them to make AYP if they meet these targets, even if they
do not achieve state-wide goals. Some lower-performing schools may meet
early growth targets but not improve quickly enough for all students to be
proficient by 2014. If these schools make AYP by showing growth, their
students may not benefit from improvement actions provided for in the law.
States face challenges measuring academic growth-such as creating data
and assessment systems to support growth models-that Education's
initiatives may help address. The ability of states to use growth models to
make AYP determinations depends on the complexity of the model they
choose and the extent that their existing data systems meet requirements of
their model. Education initiated data grants to support state efforts to track
individual test scores over time. Education also started a pilot project for up
to 10 states to use growth models that met the department's specific criteria
to determine AYP. Education chose North Carolina and Tennessee out of 20
states that applied. With its pilot project, Education may gain valuable
information on whether growth models overstate progress or appropriately
credit improving schools.
.unitea States Government AccountabiiIty Ulrice](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaocrptatky0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)