Correlates of District-Level Performance Jeffrey M. Miller FERA November 20, 2003 University of Florida millerjm@ufl.edu
NCLB is Flexible to States “There are no national standards.” “States design their own standards and their own tests.” http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/state/standards.html
However, NCLB standardizes reporting between states “They must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress.” http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/index.html?src=ov
Florida has traditionally focused on school and student reporting One school report (2003)
As such, performance correlates have been made at these levels Example within one county · female students were more likely than male students to receive a standard diploma, · twenty-three percent (23.4%) of students left district during four years of high school, · Black male students (37.2%) were least likely to receive a standard diploma after four years, · fifty percent (50.0%) of students who required a fifth year of school were eligible for FRL…
NCLB reporting requirements of district-level data suggests that Florida should examine correlates of FCAT performance at the district-level.
What a Study of District Correlates Might Look Like Sample: 67 school districts in FL (excludes the experimental lab schools and the School for the Deaf & Blind); Grades 4-8 Separate multiple regression analyses Mean DSS Reading Mean DSS Mathematics Yearly scores (2000 - 2001) Change scores (2000 – 2001 to 2001-2002)
Methodology Predictors Aggregated by Elementary, Middle, & High School % on Free or Reduced Lunch (FRL) % Limited English Proficient (LEP) % Teachers with Advanced Degrees (TAD) Total Staff (STAFF) Teachers Average Years of Experience (TAYE)
FCAT Means & Standard Deviations Grade Math 01 Math 00-02 Reading 01 Reading 00-02 4 Mean 1273.99 152.36 1269.94 200.54 Std. Dev. 61.36 24.86 77.80 33.19 5 1404.39 186.27 1476.15 49.90 56.90 33.69 76.08 23.84 6 1581.57 47.43 1513.75 113.25 66.44 29.64 77.51 27.80 7 1607.00 129.46 1633.54 67.66 67.56 22.94 76.74 19.91 8 1746.27 101.49 1712.91 113.87 62.27 17.24 67.36 24.81
Predictors Means & Standard Deviations Grade FRL TOTSTAF %TAD %TAYE 4 Mean 55.63 1720.91 28.21 13.61 Std. Dev. 13.35 2669.06 8.59 1.85 5 6 48.24 752.34 28.97 13.98 1090.26 9.68 7 8
Standardized Predictors of District Mean DSS Math 2001 GRADE FRL LEP STAFF TAD TAYE p 4 -.78 .00* .05 .69 -.10 .41 .01 .90 .26 .01* 5 -.81 -.04 -.05 .57 .08 .35 .12 6 -.70 -.08 .47 -.01 .95 .18 .05* .24 7 .45 -.11 .13 .15 .07 8 -.77 .44 -.14 .16
Standardized Predictors of District Mean DSS Reading 2001 Standardized Predictors of District Mean DSS Reading 2001 GRADE FRL LEP STAFF TAD TAYE p 4 -.74 .00* -.18 .08 -.11 .23 .09 .30 .14 .06 5 -.24 .03* -.04 .68 .04 .62 .11 .15 6 -.75 -.22 .01* .58 .10 .16 .13 7 -.78 -.03 .76 -.17 .04* .17 8 -.13 -.16 .07 .05 .52
Standardized Predictors of District DSS Change Math 00-02 GRADE FRL LEP STAFF TAD TAYE p 4 -.08 .60 .27 .14 .17 .30 .26 .09 -.10 .47 5 .07 .63 .23 .39 -.01 .95 -.20 .16 6 -.09 .59 .10 .05 .76 -.26 .13 .38 7 -.23 .12 .41 .02* .08 .64 .49 .18 .19 8 .25 .06 .11 .44 -.21 -.38 .00*
Standardized Predictors: District DSS Change Reading 00-02 Standardized Predictors: District DSS Change Reading 00-02 GRADE FRL LEP STAFF TAD TAYE p 4 .11 .43 .28 .12 .34 .04* -.12 .91 .18 .19 5 .00 1.0 .40 -.06 .73 .09 .57 -.14 .32 6 .06 .67 .36 -.05 .76 0.10 .50 -.16 .26 7 -.13 .45 .00* .25 .07 -.11 .37 .70 8 -.09 .46 .30 .68 -.01 .92