TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Representative Arlene Setzer, Chairwoman
March 27, 2007
Good afternoon Chairwoman Setzer and members of the House Education Committee. My name is Jennifer Economus and I am a legislative specialist with the Ohio School Boards Association. I am here to provide OSBA’s support for HB 27.
Federal law requires all states to implement a system to measure AYP and to impose sanctions for districts and buildings that do not make AYP. Federal law does not, however, require states to use AYP as a measure in the state ranking system. If Ohio wishes to report AYP achievement on a district’s report card, that certainly would be a legitimate public purpose. However, using the AYP measure of subgroups to lower the rating of a school district meeting the standard for being academically effective confuses the public in regards to that district’s performance.
Many districts continue to improve through earning a higher percentage of performance indicators, achieving a high performance index score, and making improvements in AYP subgroups as compared to the previous year, yet their report card rating declined because state law links the AYP measure to the overall district rating.
On the other hand, there are instances where school districts are achieving, for example, as few as ten indicators, meeting AYP and being rated effective. Is the current state accountability system allowing for a fair assessment of a school district’s success when school districts are being treated differently depending on the circumstance?
The AYP measure is not a true “apples to apples” comparison of student achievement from district to district. Under current NCLB requirements, states must establish a minimum number of students for each of the subgroups that must be disaggregated and reported for determination of AYP (this is also known as “N” size). At the present time in Ohio, for race, economic status and students who are Limited English Proficient, the minimum number is 30 and for students with disabilities the minimum number is 45. If a school district does not meet the minimum, what shows on the school district's report card in terms of federal standards is NR (Not Rated). The more diverse the school district, the more chances you have to fail AYP. On the other hand, the more homogonous the school district, the more opportunities exist for students to fall under the radar since these students are not counted since they are below the minimum “N” size.
OSBA feels that the current AYP measure is in need of significant reform and to utilize the current AYP measure on the state’s report card is not an accurate portrait of the districts academic standing. OSBA is working in conjunction with the National School Boards Association to secure changes to the No Child Left Behind Act and the AYP measure. Ultimately, we would like to see the federal government provide states with more flexibility in determining AYP, including:
- Allowing states to use additional types of assessments for measuring AYP – including growth models; and
- Granting states more flexibility in assessing students with disabilities and students not proficient in English.
We know this is a federal issue that Congress is planning to hopefully address through the reauthorization of NCLB. However, utilizing AYP as a measure in a school districts report card rating is a state issue.
Local school boards continue to welcome increased accountability for improving student achievement. While we continue to advocate for changes, HB 27 is legislation that provides a more accurate representation of school district achievement. The bill retains the current prohibition on rating a district or building lower than continuous improvement if it makes AYP. However, the bill specifies that if a district is rated excellent or effective but has failed to make AYP for three or more consecutive years, the district's report card must add the label "conditional" to the district's rating. The report card also must indicate, next to the rating, which subgroups in the district did not make AYP. OSBA believes this is a more transparent approach for the community to understand each school district’s rating and ensures school districts are accountable for every student.
Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of HB 27 and I will be happy to answer any questions at this time.
