Louisiana High School Redesign Commission

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Louisiana High School Redesign Commission

• Jo Lynne DeMary
• Director of the Center for School Improvement
• December 15, 2006

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Architecture of Virginias Accountability System

• Standards of Learning, K-12, in all core academic
  content areas
• An assessment program that measures student
  achievement of the Standards of Learning
• Accountability for student achievement results
  for schools and students (SOA)
• Support for schools in need of improvement
• High quality standards for instructional
  personnel through licensure regulations aligned
  with Standards of Learning program
• Annual School Performance Report Card to inform
  parents and the community on how our schools are
  doing

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Implementation Timeline

• Content rich standards Adopted by BOE in 1995
• Criterion Referenced Tests based on SOL content-
  Administered for the first time in 1998
• Standard credits for graduation effective with
  ninth graders in 1998-99 and later
• Verified credits effective with ninth graders in
  2000-01 and later
• (A verified credit is credit awarded for a
  course in which a student earns a standard unit
  of credit and achieves a passing score on a
  corresponding end of course test.)

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Graduation Requirements

• Standard Diploma
• To graduate with a Standard Diploma, students
  must earn at least 22 standard units of credit by
  passing required courses and electives, and earn
  at least six verified credits by passing
  end-of-course SOL tests or other assessments
  approved by the Board of Education.
• Advanced Studies Diploma
• To graduate with an Advanced Studies Diploma,
  students must earn at least 24 standards units of
  credit by passing required courses and electives,
  and earn at least nine verified credits by
  passing end-of course SOL tests or other
  assessments approved by the Board of Education.
• Adjustments made for transfer students from other
  states.
• Other diploma options modified standard diploma
  and IEP diploma available only to students with
  disabilities General Achievement Diploma
  (limited use)

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Standard Diploma
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Advanced Studies Diploma
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End of Course Tests

• English Reading
• English Writing
• Algebra I
• Algebra II
• Geometry
• Earth Science
• Biology

• Chemistry
• World History I
• World History II
• Virginia US History
• World Geography

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End of Course Tests

• Criterion referenced
• Untimed
• Multiple choice, except for writing
• Must take EOC test if take course
• May be counted as part of grade
• Paper/pencil and online
• Expedited retakes

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Costs Involved

• Annual Testing Contract - 39 million dollars a
  year (includes item/test development, field
  testing, comparability studies,
  online/paper/writing/alternative, multiple forms,
  special forms, scoring, reports by district,
  school and student)
• Administrative cost per student/per test 3.00
• Online tests
• Administered over 1 million tests online
  during 2005-2006 school year (47,000 in a single
  day.)
• 56 million dollars a year for technology
  infrastructure improvements (equipment notes
  issued by the Virginia Public School Authority
  20 matching funds by school divisions.)

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The Tests Count for Students

• The BOE set 2004 as the year when students would
  have to demonstrate proficiency on a least six
  SOL tests in order to earn a diploma.
• Transition period (2004-2006) 2 (reading and
  writing) 4 (Student selected)
• After 2006 two tests in reading and writing,
  one test each in mathematics, science, history
  and one of their own choosing.

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The Tests Count for Schools

• A school must have at least 70 of its students
  pass the SOL tests in each of the four SOL
  content areas (mathematics, science, English, and
  history/SS) in order for that school to retain
  its accreditation (75 in English grades 3
  through 5 50 for grade 3 science and history).
• No individual school lost its accreditation
  because of poor performance by its students until
  the 2006-07 school year.

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Project GraduationWe will maintain standards and
walk the extra mile with our students. Former
Gov Mark R. Warner

• Brochures and videos
• Regional academies multiple opportunities for
  retesting
• Online Tutorials include diagnostic tool with
  lessons and exercises tailored to the needs of
  each student (Princeton Review)
• Practice tests/released test items
• Special Project Graduation Web site
• Continuation academies

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District/School Supports

• .
• Standards of Learning Curriculum Frameworks for
  English, Mathematics, Science, History and Social
  Science
• Standards of Learning Enhanced Sample Scope and
  Sequence Guides for English, Science,
  Mathematics, History and Social Science
• Standards of Learning Test Blueprints
• Virginia Electronic Practice Assessment Tool
• Standards of Learning Released Test Items

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How Do We Know Its Working

• High school graduation rate has held steady
  94.3
• The percentage of students enrolled in the 9th
  grade and graduating four years later 73.5
• The percentage of Virginia students who graduated
  with an Advanced Studies Diplomas increased for a
  third consecutive year (50.7 )
• Nine out of ten Virginia schools are fully
  accredited
• The Commonwealth, 72 of its divisions, and 73
  of its schools met or exceeded NCLB achievement
  objectives

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Its Working

• Virginia has one of the highest participation
  rates in the nation on the SAT (73).
• The number of students taking advanced placement
  examinations and qualifying for college credit,
  including students who tend to be
  underrepresented in these courses, has increased
  significantly. (12 in 2005-2006)
• The average ACT composite score among Virginia
  high school graduates increased significantly
  this year as the number of test takers in the
  state continued to rise.
• Commonwealth was the only state in the nation in
  which students on the national science test
  (NAEP) increased their level of achievement on
  all three components of the test (Earth science,
  physical science, life science)

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Lessons Learned

• Real reform takes time Educators, parents,
  business and community leaders, legislators and
  other stakeholders have to be an integral part of
  the reform effort.
• Listen to legitimate concerns and be receptive to
  changes that strengthen reform policy
• Prepare public for early failure rates In 1998,
  the first year of SOL testing, only 2 percent of
  the schools met the standard for full
  accreditation.
• Resist efforts to lower the bar or postpone the
  consequences

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Lessons Learned

• Instructional supports to schools should come
  early in the reform.
• Validity and reliability of tests are critical in
  a high stakes environment.

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• Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
  committed citizens can change the world. Indeed,
  its the only thing that ever has.
• Margaret Mead