La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § XI-501

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XI-501 - Calculating an Elementary/Middle School Progress Index

A. Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year (2018 SPS), the progress index will be calculated for ELA and math LEAP 2025 assessments as follows.

B. For students scoring unsatisfactory, approaching basic, or basic in the prior school year, the progress index will award 150 points for each ELA and math score meeting or exceeding the "growth to mastery" target set by the department.

1. The growth to mastery target will be calculated by adding to the prior year scaled score the difference between the 8th grade scaled score required for mastery (750) and the prior year assessment scaled score divided by the number of years for the student to reach 8th grade (8 - prior-year grade). For students with prior-year grade 7, the growth to mastery target is a score of mastery.

2. Growth to mastery targets will be rounded to the nearest whole number but must be at least one point above the prior year scaled score.

C. For students scoring mastery on the prior year assessment, the progress index will award 150 points for meeting or exceeding the "continued growth" target.

1. The continued growth target will be calculated by adding to the prior-year scaled score the difference between the 8th grade scaled score required for advanced (794 in ELA and 801 in math) and the prior-year assessment scaled score divided by the number of years for the student to reach 8th grade (8 - prior-year grade). For students with prior-year grade 7, the continued growth target is a score of advanced.

2. Continued growth targets will be rounded to the nearest whole number but must be at least one point above the prior year scaled score.

3. If the continued growth target as calculated above exceeds the minimum score for advanced in the current year, the target is advanced.

D. A score of advanced in the current year will be awarded 150 points in the progress index.

E. If a student does not earn 150 points in Subsections B-E above, the value-added model will be used to measure individual student performance relative to similar peers.

1. For the purpose of school performance score calculations, the value-added model uses student characteristics including but not limited to prior academic achievement up to three years, special education exceptionality, economically disadvantaged status, English learner status, gifted status, section 504 status, suspensions, mobility, and absences to calculate typical outcomes for comparable students in ELA and math based on a longitudinal dataset from all students who took Louisiana state assessments in grades 3-12. Based on typical outcomes for comparable students, each student is assigned an expected score.

2. The difference between each students actual achievement score and that students expected score is the growth result. If actual achievement for a student was higher than expected achievement for that student with that history (e.g., actual: 725; expected: 700), then the result would be positive (e.g., growth result: 25). In contrast, if the actual score was less than the expected score, the growth result would be negative.

3. Each student growth result will be compared to all other student growth results in the same subject area (ELA or math) and percentile ranked from the 1st to 99th percentile.

4. Value-added model points will be awarded as follows.

Student Growth Percentile	Index points
80-99th percentile	150
60-79th percentile	115
40-59th percentile	85
20-39th percentile	25
1-19th percentile	0

5. Students scoring mastery in the current year shall be awarded up to 150 points, but no fewer than 85 points in the progress index, including students who score in the 1st to 39th percentiles of VAM.

F. The progress index calculation will include all students who meet the inclusion requirements outlined in Chapter 5 and who have eligible LEAP assessment results in both the current and prior school year for the same content area. Student scores will be excluded from the progress index (growth to mastery and value-added model) if any of the following are true:

1. student did not take the ELA or math assessment, or assessment result was voided in current or prior year;

2. student has more than one missing prior year score in the available subject tests. For example, if the contents available in the prior year were ELA, math, science, and social studies, a student missing more than one score in those contents would be excluded;

3. assessment results for current or prior school year are in multiple grade levels in the same year;

4. current or prior year assessment results could not be matched to a valid student enrollment record needed for student characteristics used in the model;

5. assessment results for current and prior year are not sequential. For example, a students prior year assessment record was for a 5th grade test and his/her current year assessment record was for a 4th grade test. Assessment results that are for 3rd grade tests in both the current and prior year are excluded;

6. insufficient numbers of comparable students for valid calculations within the value-added model.

G. The progress index will combine the results of two school years.

1. If only one year of data is available for a school, the progress index will be calculated based on one year only.

2. All students who meet the inclusion rules at a school for each individual school year will be included in the combined calculation. For example, in 2018-2019, the number of points earned by students in 2018-2019 will be added to the number of points earned by students in 2017-2018 and divided by the total number of students in 2018-2019 and 2017-2018.

H. If the high school LEAP 2025 result earned by students at a middle school is transferred, or banked, to the high school, the progress index result for the relevant assessment will also be transferred.

I. For the 2020-2021 school year (2021 SPS) only, the "growth to mastery" and "continued growth" targets will be calculated using the scale scores from the 2018-2019 LEAP 2025 administration as the "prior year scale score."

J. When considering prior academic achievement up to three years in the value-added model, as defined in Paragraph E.1 of this Section, the three most recently available years may be considered in instances where assessments were not administered statewide for a given school year.

K. For the 2020-2021 school year (2021 SPS) only, the progress index will combine results from the 2018-2019 and 2020-2021 school years.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § XI-501

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 44449 (3/1/2018), Amended LR 47446 (4/1/2021).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:10.1.