1. Education Briefings for Candidates for Office In 2008
Testing and Accountability

2. It Is Not an Exaggeration to Look at
North Carolina Education Having Two Major Phases . . .
Pre-Testing & Accountability
(i.e., before 1989)
And Post-Testing & Accountability
(1989 to today)

3. The Post-Testing Era . . .
Schools Are Held Accountable for Performance
of All Students.
The Pressure is On to Succeed With Students Who Have
Historically Not Succeeded in Schools.
The federal No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) legislation has
raised the accountability bar
even higher.

4. Troubling Trends In Recent Scores
NC Student Performance Across All Subjects Is Flat or Dropping
Problems with Falling Scores After Introduction of New EOG/EOC Tests and Scoring Benchmarks

5. Math tests and standards become more challenging
Start of ABCs model
Data from DPI’s reporting tools for disaggregated student performance ( search based on composite math/reading schools for grades 3-8

6. Let’s Take a Quick Look at NC’s Testing Program:
The State ABC Program
1) Is a “growth” model
2) Provides financial
incentives & consequences

7. Major Provisions of the “No Child Left Behind” Legislation
NCLB Will Hold Schools Accountable for:
Average performance of ALL students and 9 subgroups
White Students
Black Student
Native American Students
Asian/Pacific Islander Students
Hispanic Students
Multiracial Students
Student with Disabilities
Limited English Proficiency Students
Economically Disadvantaged Students
(free and reduced-priced lunch)
95% of students in a subgroup must be tested
Attendance (elementary & middle) or graduation rates (high school)

8. Taken from DPI’s schedule for achieving AYP benchmarks under NCLB; this information schedule will remain constant through 2014 or until the reauthorization/amendment of the NCLB Act

9. ABCs v. NCLB YES NO* NO Components ABCs (1996) NCLB (2002)
Growth model
YES
NO*
Financial Incentives for Student Performance NO
Consequences for Student Performance
*NC is one of US Dept. of Education pilots for growth models.

10. Sharon Elementary School School DID Make AYP Met 9 of 9 targets
(Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
All
White
95% Reading 
95% Math
Reading
Math
Attendance
Data from NC School Report Card,

11. Crown Point El. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg)
Crown Point Elementary School School DID NOT Make AYP & Must Offer School Choice School met 26 (96.3%) of 27 goals
Crown Point El. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg)
All
Black
Hispanic
White ED
LEP
SWD
95% Reading 
95% Math
Reading
n/a
Math NO
Attendance
Data from NC School Report Card,

12. Lexington Middle School DID NOT Make AYP & Must Offer School Choice
27/31=87.1%
31/33=93.9%
29/29=100%
Students w/ Disabilities
Reading
Limited English Proficient
Math
Hispanic
Asian
Data from NC School Report Card,

13. Data from DPI’s reporting tools for disaggregated student performance ( search based on composite reading schools for grades 3-8

14. Data from DPI’s reporting tools for disaggregated student performance ( search based on composite math schools for grades 3-8

15. NC’s Gains on SAT Scores Lead the Nation
NC data from DPI’s 2007 SAT report, US data from College Board

16. While NC’s ABCs Accountability Program Is Ranked Among the Nation’s Best, Critics Are Quick to Point Out That . . .
Schools Seem Overly Focused on Preparing for “the Tests”
Subjects Not Tested (art, music, foreign languages, science, etc.) At the Elementary or Middle School Level
Are Under-emphasized
Planned High School Exit Exams Could Drive Drop Out Rates Up

17. “Framework for Change”
Adopted by State Board in June
Ends statewide writing tests
Requires review of curricula and tests in alignment with 21st Century educational goals
Broadens high schools’ assessment measures to include graduation rates, Graduation Projects, etc.
Moves to a 5-year graduation rate for measuring AYP

18. John Dornan jdornan@ncforum.org 919-781-6833 www.ncforum.org