Kentucky’s Unbridled Learning Assessment and Accountability System

The next-generation learners accountability model is anchored in college and career readiness for all students. Like previous accountability models, it continues annual public reporting of disaggregated student outcome measures in math, reading and science to assess school performance. However, this more robust next-generation model also includes student achievement growth measures, emphasis on college and career readiness, high school graduation rates, student achievement in writing and social studies, and increased focus on the lowest-performing schools. Additionally, the new accountability model holds all schools and districts accountable for improving student performance and creates four performance classifications that determine consequences and guide interventions and supports. School and district classifications are based on the following measures:

Ø Achievement (Content Areas are reading, mathematics, science, social studies and writing.)

Ø Gap (percentage of proficient and distinguished) for the Non-Duplicated Gap Group for all five content areas

Ø Growth in reading and mathematics (percentage of students at typical or higher levels of growth)

Ø College Readiness (middle school only) as measured by the percentage of students meeting benchmarks in three content areas on EXPLORE

Ø College/Career - Readiness Rate (high school only) as measured by ACT benchmarks, college placement tests and career measures

Ø Graduation Rate (high school only) - The following formula is an example of the 2011 Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR).

2011 graduates with standard diploma in 4 years plus 2011 graduates with standard diploma and an IEP specifying more than 4 years to graduate

Membership in (Grade 9 in fall 2007 plus Grade 10 in fall 2008)/2

What does the New Kentucky accountability System look like?

Other Labels Applied to Schools”

·  Reward School: Schools of Distinction and High Performing

·  Priority School: Current PLA schools

·  Focus School: Schools underperforming in closing the achievement gaps

Ø  Lowest 10 percent of the student group gap

Ø  All schools with individual gap groups underperforming in the third standard deviation below the mean.

Ø  Any school having a graduation rate below 60 percent for two years in a row.

·  Progressing: The 2012 Overall Score will need to improve each year, starting in 2013. The improvement goal is called the

Annual Measurable Objective (AMO). If a school meets its AMO, it will be labeled as Progressing,

Meaning it is moving in the right direction

Tools to Help Schools Meet the Accountability Model:

A set of aspirational Delivery Targets for the components of Achievement, Gap, College/Career and Graduation will be created for each school. These

Delivery Targets for each component will help schools stay on track to improve their Overall Scores and to meet their AMOs.