March 2005 SBE Issues Session: Exit Standards

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March 2005SBE Issues Session Exit Standards

• Sarah McManus
• Marvin Pittman
• Jackie Colbert
• Lou Fabrizio
• Wandra Polk

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Discussion Items

• The Framework and Development of Details
• Regional Meetings
• Online Survey Results
• R3 Committee Feedback
• Next Steps

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• The Framework and Development of Details

Sarah McManus
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Current High School Graduation Requirements
Exit Standards

• Students must meet the following requirements
• attain passing scores on competency tests adopted
  by the SBE per GS 115C-174.11 and administered
  by the LEA
• successfully complete 20 course units in grades
  9-12 (22 course units for Occupational Course of
  Study)
• successfully complete one of the following four
  courses of study Career Preparation, College
  Technical Preparation, College/University
  Preparation, or Occupational Course of Study and
• demonstrate computer proficiency

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The Framework for the New Exit Standards

• At the October 2004 State Board of
• Education meeting, the board approved the
• framework of using performance on the five
• required end-of-course (EOC) assessments
• and a senior project.

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NCDPI Internal Committee

• Division of School Improvement
• Division of Instructional Services
• Division of Accountability Services
• Division of Communications and Information

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Input from Advisory Groups

• Exceptional Children Directors and Coordinators
• Limited English Proficiency Coordinators
• Parents
• Teachers
• Principals
• Superintendents
• Test Coordinators

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The Details of the Framework

• Special considerations for students enrolled in
  the Occupational Course of Study
• Meeting the senior project requirement (which can
  include service-based learning or work-based
  learning experience)
• Special considerations for students transferring
  into North Carolina public schools
• Meeting the EOC assessment requirement involving
  the five required end-of-course assessments
• Remediation opportunities and retesting
  opportunities
• A review process

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Special Considerations for Students Enrolled in
the Occupational Course of Study

• Students following the Occupational Course of
  Study are required to meet rigorous exit
  standards as outlined in State Board of Education
  policy HSP-N-004 (16 NCAC 6D .0503). The NCDPI
  recommends that the new exit standards will only
  apply to students following the Career
  Preparation, College Technical Preparation, or
  College/University Preparation courses of study.

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Meeting the Senior Project Component

• One component of the new high school exit
  standards
• Performance-based component developed, monitored,
  and scored locally using state adopted rubrics
• Can include service-based learning or work-based
  learning experiences
• LEAs may have some flexibility to incorporate
  senior project requirements already in place

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Special Considerations for Students Transferring
into North Carolina Public Schools

• Transfer Students and Senior Project Proposal
• All students, including transfers, must
  complete the senior project. However, special
  consideration must be given to transfer students
  arriving in the second semester of the senior
  year. If a student transfers in the second
  semester of the senior year, the LEA should
  adjust the scope of the project based on the time
  available to the student to complete the project.
  The senior project can include information or
  material previously used by the student in
  another state or private school.

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Meeting the End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments
Component
The NCDPI explored several approaches.

• Pass/Fail
• Weighting
• Compensatory Model

Based on input from advisory committees, the
Weighting and Compensatory Model approaches were
eliminated.
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Meeting the End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments
Component

• Proposal 1 Students should be required to
  pass all five required EOC assessments (Algebra
  I, Biology, English I, Civics Economics, and
  U.S. History).

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Meeting the End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments
Component

• Proposal 2 Students should be required to
  pass at least four out of five required EOC
  assessments (Algebra I, Biology, English I,
  Civics Economics, and U.S. History).

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General Overview of the Proposed Retesting and
Review Process

• 1. The student takes the regularly scheduled
  end-of-course assessment.
• 2. If a student passes the course and fails the
  assessment, the student is administered a retest
  within a reasonable time from the receipt of test
  results.
• 3. If the student does not pass the retest, the
  student receives focused intervention/remediation
  (tutorial sessions, extended school day, Saturday
  school, summer school instruction, etc.).

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Proposed Retesting and Review Process (continued)

• 4. The second retest occurs.
• 5. If the student does not pass the second
  retest, documentation of the student's
  performance in the EOC course is placed on file.
• 6. The student's documentation is reviewed by an
  external review committee to determine if the
  exit standards have been met.
• 7. The principal makes the final decision for
  meeting the exit standards.

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Retesting Opportunities to Meet the New Standards

• Retesting Proposal 1 Consistent with the
  current retesting opportunities for end-of-grade
  assessments at grades 3, 5, and 8, students
  should be given a maximum of two retest
  opportunities. The second retest opportunity
  must be preceded by focused intervention/remediati
  on.

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Retesting Opportunities to Meet the New Standards

• Retesting Proposal 2 Consistent with the
  current retesting opportunities for the
  competency and computer skills assessments,
  students should be given at least one retest
  opportunity per year. Each retest opportunity
  must be preceded by focused intervention/remediati
  on.

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Exit Standards Review Process

• Review Process Proposal 1 On a
  course-by-course basis, if a student does not
  meet the passing criteria for the EOC assessment
  but passes the course, the review of the
  students documentation begins after the second
  retest.

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Exit Standards Review Process

• Review Process Proposal 2 If a student does
  not pass an EOC assessment but passes the course,
  interim reviews will take place throughout the
  students high school experience and a final
  review of documentation related to all the EOC
  assessments that were not passed occurs in the
  senior year.

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Special Considerations for Students Transferring
into North Carolina Public Schools

• Transfer Students and EOC ProposalIf a
  student transfers into a North Carolina public
  high school and the principal awards the student
  credit for a course associated with one of the
  five required end-of-course assessments, the
  student would not need to meet the EOC assessment
  requirement for that course.

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Input and Media Sessions

• Jackie Colbert
• Marvin Pittman

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Input Sessions

• Six sites approximately 400 participants 64
  LEAs represented
• Gaston County
• Jackson County
• Guilford County
• Wake County
• Bertie County
• Cumberland County

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Summary of Comments

• Schools currently using senior projects are very
  positive about the benefits but wonder how State
  standards will impact what is already in place in
  LEAs.

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• Participants were concerned that senior projects
  would become an unfunded mandate.
• Some schools/LEAs are concerned about recruiting
  and retaining highly-qualified teachers and the
  impact this would have on exit standards.

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• A number of questions were raised and comments
  shared about exit standards
• Will there be funding for this?
• Will there be intervention plans for students who
  fail?
• How does this fit Leandro?
• What is the time line for senior projects?
• How will the current stress and demands on AP
  students be addressed with the addition of
  another requirement?

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Questions/Comments (continued)

• How will this affect the dropout rate?
• What considerations will be given limited English
  proficient students and students with
  disabilities?
• Can writing be added as one of the required
  tests?
• Can students begin the senior project prior to
  the senior year?

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Questions/Comments (continued)

• Are elementary and middle school students being
  adequately prepared for high school?
• How do we ensure consistency in senior projects
  across the state?
• It is important to have parental involvement if
  the projects are to be successful.
• Separate the senior project from English IV.

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Questions/Comments (continued)

• Ensure that students in all school systems have
  the opportunity to succeed.
• Include an appeals process.

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Media Representation

• Approximately 20 media representatives attended
  the media briefing and/or input sessions.
• Newspapers, television stations and one radio
  station were represented.

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High School Exit Standards Online Survey Results
Wandra Polk
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• Online Survey
• December 7, 2004 January 24, 2005
• 2,209 Respondents

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Survey Results By Respondent

• Parents/Guardians/Community Members
• Teachers/Instructional Staff
• School Administrators
• Central Office/NCDPI
• Superintendents

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High School Exit Standards Survey Part I
Meeting the End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments and
Senior Project Components Proposal 1
Students should be required to pass all five
required EOC assessments (Algebra I, Biology,
English I, Civics Economics, and U.S. History)
and the senior project. The senior project will
be developed, monitored, and scored at the local
level using rubrics developed or endorsed by the
NCDPI. Proposal 2 Students should be required
to pass at least four out of five required EOC
assessments (Algebra I, Biology, English I,
Civics Economics, and U.S. History) and the
senior project. The senior project will be
developed, monitored, and scored at the local
level using rubrics developed or endorsed by the
NCDPI.
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High School Exit Standards Survey
EOC Assessments and Senior Project Results
Proposal Total of Responses Percent
1 957 43.32
2 1069 48.39
No Preference 183 8.28
Total 2209  
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High School Exit Standards Proposals Survey
Part II Retesting and Review Process for
students who do not pass the first administration
of the EOC assessment. Retesting Proposal 1
Consistent with the current retesting
opportunities for end-of-grade assessments at
grades 3, 5, and 8, students should be given a
maximum of two retest opportunities. The second
retest opportunity must be preceded by focused
intervention/remediation. Retesting Proposal 2
Consistent with the current retesting
opportunities for the competency and computer
skills assessments, students should be given at
least one retest opportunity per year. Each
retest opportunity must be preceded by focused
intervention/remediation.
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High School Exit Standards Survey
Retesting Proposal Results
Proposal Total of Responses Percent
1 1025 46.40
2 920 41.65
No Preference 264 11.95
Total 2209  
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High School Exit Standards Proposals Survey
Review Process Review Process Proposal 1 On a
course-by-course basis, if a student does not
meet the passing criteria for the EOC assessment
but passes the course, the review of the
students documentation begins after the second
retest. Review Process Proposal 2 If a student
does not pass an EOC assessment but passes the
course, interim reviews will take place
throughout the students high school experience
and a final review of documentation related to
all the EOC assessments that were not passed
occurs in the senior year.
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High School Exit Standards Survey
Review Process Results
Proposal Total of Responses Percent
1 1275 57.72
2 609 27.57
No Preference 325 14.71
Total 2209  
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Next Steps

• Lou Fabrizio

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Next Steps

• Implementing these new exit standards
• would require changes to State Board of
• Education policy HSP-N-004 (16 NCAC 6D
• .0503) regarding state graduation
• requirements and GS 115C-174.11 (b) regarding
• the use of competency tests must be amended.

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Next Steps

• SBE/DPI meets with legislative leadership on
  proposed exit standards
• Use legislative report on exit exams as vehicle
• Return to SBE with implementation plan
  particularly for the Senior Project

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Next Steps

• G.S. 115C-12(9b) called for exit exam(s)
• General Assembly suspended development pending
  report on compliance with NCLB
• SB 1115, SL 2002-126 Exit Exam
• The Board shall not adopt any revisions prior
  to reporting themto the Joint Legislative
  Education Oversight Committee (JLEOC).

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Next Steps

• Report on Exit Exam must include US Department of
  Education approval of using Algebra I, and
  English I and grade 10 Writing, for AYP
  determinations at the high school level.

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• Questions?

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