NC Education Code · Regulation
Title 16 — root / Chapter 06 — 16 NCAC 06G .0305
Plain English summary
This regulation establishes definitions for terms used in North Carolina's school accountability and testing framework, including measures such as performance composites, growth standards, c-scale, c-ratio, and AYP. It provides precise technical and mathematical definitions governing how student performance and school growth are calculated and assessed under the ABCs accountability program. The definitions apply to all schools participating in statewide assessments.
Key requirements
- "Accountability measures" are SBE-adopted tests designed to gauge student performance and achievement.
- "Adequate yearly progress" or "AYP" shall have the same definition as set out in P.L. 107-110, section 1111(b)(2)(C).
- "Compliance commission" means that group of persons selected by the SBE to advise the SBE on testing and other issues related to school accountability and improvement. The commission shall be composed of teachers, principals, central office staff representatives, local school board representatives, a charter schools representative, and at-large members who represent parents, business, and the community.
- "C-scale" means change scale, which is a standardized scale to measure student performance across the years and content areas. To convert the developmental scale scores to c-scale scores, subtract the state mean for the standard setting year from the developmental scale score, and then divide by the standard deviation for the standard setting year.
- "C-ratio" means the ratio of student scores that achieve an academic change of "0.00" or greater to those with an academic change of less than "0.00", including in the numerator for high schools when used for calculating high growth, the factor for change in college tech prep and college university prep graduation rate and the change in competency test pass rate and including in the denominator, the factor for change in drop out rate.
- "Eligible students" means the total number of students in membership in the respective grades or enrolled in the respective EOC courses at the time the assessments are administered in a statewide assessment.
- "High growth" means the school has met the standard of having a c-ratio of 1.50 or greater.
- "Performance Composite" is the percent of scores of students in a school that are at or above Achievement Level III, are at a passing level on the North Carolina Computer Skills Test (students in eighth grade only) as specified by 16 NCAC 06D .0503(f), and at proficiency level or above on the state alternate assessments.
- "Regression coefficient" means an adjustment factored into the expected growth formula for the purpose of making a prediction about expected student performance. For the purposes of figuring student growth (academic change) the factor shall be 0.08 when using the average of two previous assessments and 0.18 when using a single assessment.
- "Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities" means students with disabilities whose IEP has determined shall be assessed using an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards as determined by their IEP.
- "Students with persistent academic disabilities" means students with disabilities assessed using an alternate assessment based on modified grade-level achievement standards as determined by their IEP.
Affected parties
- public schools
- charter schools
- local school boards
- principals
- central office staff
- teachers
- students in grades 3 through 8
- students enrolled in EOC courses
- students with disabilities subject to alternate assessments
- State Board of Education
- compliance commission members