Performance Index/Level of Accreditation

Level of Accreditation

Mississippi's Performance-Based Accreditation System is one of the first six programs of its kind to be implemented in the nation. The accreditation levels assigned to districts in March of 1997, and reflected here, are the second to be determined under the current accreditation model. Focused on learning, the system measures students' performance and holds school districts responsible for their progress. It identifies district with poor performanc, as well as those that excel.

Performance Index

Although each school district is assigned to one accreditation level each year, there are differences in performance among the districts assigned to the same level, and a district's performance may vary from year to year even if it continues to be assigned to the same accreditation level. To allow performance comparisons within accreditation levels and to assess improvement in performance ratings, the performance-based accreditation system includes an annual performance index.

Demographic Information

1990 Census

The census data for the state and each school district are drawn from the United States Census Bureau, 1990 Census School District Tabulation, Summary File Set 1. This information reflects data from within the actual school district boundaries, not the demographic make-up of the students within the school district. It should be noted when looking at this type of information that "origin" is not a race, but can be viewed as the ancestry, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. Persons of Hispanic origins may be of any race.

1995-1996 Enrollment

The enrollment data provided in this report are taken from the Mississippi Department of Education's Public School Enrollment 1995-96 End of First Month publication. The figures reflect the enrollment at the end of the first month of the school year beginning in the fall of 1995.

% of Students in Lowest Quarter (%<Q1)

The 25th percentile is also called Quartile 1 or Q1, and the percentage of students in the lowest quarter refers to the percentage of students in the school district whose score on the test fell in the first or lowest quarter of the total score distribution. The lowest quarter of the distribution is comprised of scores from the first percentile through the 24th percentile. Students who scored at the 25th percentile or above are not in the lowest quarter of the distribution.

Student/Teacher Information

Attendance as % of Enrollment

Attendance as a percentage of enrollment is calculated by dividing the first month's average daily attendance by the end of the first month's enrollment.

% Eligible for Free Lunch

The percentage of students eligible for free lunch is based on information reported on the October School Lunch Monthly Claim for Reimbursement. The calculation is based on the number of students reported as eligible for free meals (not reduced meals) divided by the total number of students reported as enrolled.

Number of Carnegie Units Taught

The number of Carnegie Units taught is taken directly from the Personnel Reports that are submitted by the districts to the Mississippi Department of Education. Carnegie Units are the actual units taught. If more than one teacher teaches the course, the course will be counted only once. The Carnegie Unit is an unduplicated count of units taught including, Vocational Education units.

Classroom Pupil/Teacher Ratio

The pupil/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the district's Average Daily Attendance by the number of classroom teachers in the district.

Number of Dropouts

1995-1996 dropout data are provided by school districts through the Monthly Attendance Summary (MASPRO) System. Data collection occurred over a nine month period to capture a count of dropouts during the 1995-1996 term. Dropouts returning to school while the term was in session were deleted as dropouts upon re-entry into the system.

% Teachers with Advanced Degrees

In determining the percentage of teachers with advanced degrees, all school personnel teaching instructional courses are added by the highest degree of certification (AAAA, AAA, AA or A) using their full-time equivalent (FTE). The total number of teachers for the district is divided into each category to determine the percentage of advanced degrees for the district.

% Emergency Certificates

The percentage of emergency certificates refers to the number of emergency certificates relative to the total number of teachers. These numbers are taken from the Pesonnel Report each school district submits to the Mississippi Department of Education and includes school personnel with an instructional code "EC" (emergency certificate) in their type of certificate. This count only includes emergency certificates issued for the school year in question (95-96).

Number of Gifted Teachers

The number of gifted teachers is the actual full-time equivalent (FTE) of gifted teachers funded in each district under the Minimum Program for the school year 1995-1996.

% Gifted Students (Grades 2-12)

The gifted program, by law, only serves grades 2-12. The percentage of gifted students is a percentage derived by taking the total number of children in the gifted program and dividing it by the district's end of first month enrollment for grades 2-12.

Special Education

% Special Education Students

The percentage of students in special education includes only ages 5-21. It is determined by dividing the December 1, 1995, IDEA Part B, Child Count Report data by the enrollment data for month three of the Average Daily Attendance Report. In addition, 2,393 students ages 3-4 received special education services, according to the December 1, 1995, IDEA Part B, Child Count Report.

% Receiving Diplomas

The percentage of special education students receiving diplomas is determined by dividing the total number of special education students who received regular diplomas by the total number of special education students who graduated (regular diplomas and certificates) as submitted by each district in the Report of Children and Youth With Disabilities Exiting the Educational System During the 1995-1996 School Year.

Federal Special Education Budget

This information is obtained from the Special Education Maintenance of Effort report, which is derived from finance reorts submitted by each school district to the Mississippi Department of Education.

State/Local Special Education Budget

This information is obtained from the Special Education Maintenance of Effort report, which is derived from finance reorts submitted by each school district to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Vocational Education

Number of Vocational Teachers

The number of vocational education teachers is the sum of individual full-time equivalent (FTE) indices of vocational teachers in the district funded by the Office of Vocational and Technical Education for school year 1995-1996. Teacher FTEs at vocational centers are credited to the center's fiscal agent. The data reported as teacher FTEs do not include administrators, guidance counselors, special populations personnel, or special projects coordinators. These staff are classified as vocational administration or vocational support

% Students in Vocational Programs (Grades 7-8)

The percentage of students in vocational programs in grades 7-8 is computed by dividing the number of vocational students enrolled in grades 7-8 by the first month enrollment in grades 7-8.

% Students in Vocational Programs (Grades 9-12)

The percentage of students in vocational programs in grades 9-12 is computed by dividing the number of vocational students enrolled grades 9-12 by the first month enrollment in grades 9-12. Vocational students who were enrolled in vocational programs at vocational centers were counted in the "feeder" school district's enrollment totals.

Finance

Total Per Pupil Expenditure

The total per pupil expenditure is calculated by using the total current expenditures from all sources of revenue divided by the nine months' Average Daily Attendance. Current expenditures reflect all costs of school district operations except improvement to 16th section land, facilities acquisition and construction, and debt service.

% State and Local Revenues

The percentage of state and local revenues indicates the source of revenues for a district. The percentage is calculated by dividing the total for state and local revenues by the total revenues for each district.

% Federal Revenues

The percentage of federal revenues indicates the source of revenues for a district. It is calculated by dividing the total for federal revenues by the total revenues for each district.

% District Administration Expenditures

District Administration is defined as expenditures for salaries and fringe benefits paid from all sources of revenue in the following functions of expenditures as defined in the Mississippi Public School District Financial Accounting Manual: Board of Education Services, Executive Administration Services, Business Services, and Support Services-Central. The percentage district administration expenditures is calculated by using the total expenditures in these functions divided by the total current expenditures as defined above.

Valuation Per Student in ADA

The valuation per student in ADA is calculated by subtracting the special Homestead valuation (over 65 years of age or disabled) from the total assessed valuation and dividing the total by the Average Daily Attendance

Title I

Title I is a compensatory education program that provides supplementary instruction to students who are achieving below average in comparison to their peers. The intent of the program is to assist students to meet state achievement standards expected of all children.

Title I Budget

The total Title I budget is based on approved district projects and amendments in the state compensatory education office in August 1996. Total Title I funds are computed by adding actual budgeted amounts from the 1995-1996 allocation and funds carried over from the previous fiscal year's allocation.

% Used for Classroom Instruction

The percentage of Title I funds used for instruction in the classroom is computed by using the same 1995-1996 budget submissions as in the total Title I budget compared to funds spent directly in the classroom. These include classroom salaries, benefits, supplies and materials, computer assisted instruction and equipment, media equipment, and long-term instructional equipment purchases.

Accounting codes used in this computation are as follows: series 1200 (instruction), 2222/700 (education media services/equipment), 2225 (computer assisted instruction), 6100 and 6200 (capital lease payments and interest on lease payments).

Number of Eligible Children

The number of eligible children to participate in the Title I program is provided by the district in the original 1995-1996 project application. Eligibility is determined by identifying students in greatest need of supplementary assistance. The identification is most often based on nationally normed achievement test scores. However, some districts use multiple criteria to determine eligibility.

% of Eligible Children Served

The percentage of eligible students served is calculated by using an unduplicated count of served students divided by all eligible students identified by a comprehensive needs assessment conducted by the district. These counts are provided in the initial 1995-1996 project application.

Number of Title I Schools

Individual school sites that actually conduct Title I programs are included in this count.

Other

Number of AP Courses Offered

The number of advanced placement courses (AP) offered is the actual number of AP courses taught by the district.

AP Students as % of High School Enrollment

The percentage of advanced placement (AP) students is defined as the number of students enrolled in AP courses divided by the number of students enrolled in grades 9-12 for each district.

Graduation Rate

The graduation rate is calculated by dividing the number of graduates by the number of ninth grade students four years earlier. The ninth grade enrollment number has been adjusted to reflect the number of new students entering the system, the number moving out, the number failing, and the number of deaths. Students moving in or out of a district in the summer may not be included in the calculations. Please note, the dropout rate is not the inverse of the graduation rate.

Mean ACT Core Composite Score

All ACT mean scores are extracted from the official "Mississippi" data produced by ACT and provided for the Mississippi Department of Education.

IHL (% ACT Core)

Students are classified as core according to the ACT definition of core coursework. ACT core coursework is defined as four or more years of English, three or more years of mathematics, three or more years of social studies, and three or more years of science. To determine the percentage in the ACT core, the total number of core students is divided by the total number of students enrolled in the 12th grade (end of last month) for each district.

Performance Standards

Performance standards address the components of the statewide testing program and other outcome measures related to the performance of a school district. The tests used to derive the performance-based accreditation level of a school district are "different" from the achievement tests formerly used. Multiple-choice sections are much shorter, while new sections in integrated language arts and mathematics require students to write and explain their answers.

ITBS

The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) are norm-referenced tests administered in grades 4-8. The standardized tests consist of traditional multiple-choice items and cover the content areas of reading, mathematics, and language arts. These norm-referenced tests are used to measure student achievement in relation to the performance of a national sample selected to be representative of the nation's students in each grade tested. On a norm-referenced test, the national mean is always an NCE of 50, which corresponds to the 50th percentile.

TAP

The Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP) are norm-referenced tests administered in grade 9. These standardized tests consist of traditional multiple-choice items and cover the content areas of reading, mathematics, and language arts. These norm-referenced tests are used to measure student achievement in relation to the performance of a national sample selected to be representative of the nation's students in grade 9. On a norm-referenced test, the national mean is always an NCE of 50, which corresponds to the 50th percentile.

Performance Assessments

Performance assessments consist of items that require students to construct a response or write their answers. The standardized tests used in the past were limited to multiple-choice questions that required students to select from preprinted answers. The performance assessments require students to write or explain their answers in order to assess their thinking and problem-solving skills.

FLE

The Functional Literacy Exam (FLE) is a criterion-referenced test used to assess students' ability to apply the skills necessary to perform basic reading, mathematics, and written communication tasks. A criterion-referenced test is one in which every item is directly identified with an educational objective; the test is designed to determine which of these educational objectives have been mastered. The FLE is unique to Mississippi, and all students must meet a qualifying score of 70 percent correct in order to graduate from high school.

School Level Test Data

School level test data are presented along with the district, state, and national means. The percentage of students in the lowest quarter refers to the percentage of students who score below the 25th percentile. Percentile ranks of one through 24 place students in the lowest quarter.

Reporting Process

The ranking may indicate (1) size, such as enrollment, or (2) performance level, such as test scores. N/A indicates the item is not ranked. The ranking will be from one to 153, with one representing either the largest in relation to size or the highest ranking in relation to performance. If several districts have the same data, all the districts will receive the same ranking and the next district in order will receive a ranking corresponding to the number of districts ahead of it. If several districts tie for last place, the last ranking will not be 153.

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