North Carolina § 115C-83 - 15. School achievement, growth, performance scores, and grades.

§ 115C-83. 15. School achievement, growth, performance scores, and grades.

School Scores and Grades. - The State Board of Education shall award school achievement, growth, and performance scores and an associated performance grade as required by G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., and calculated as provided in this section. Calculation of the School Achievement Score. - In calculating the overall school achievement score earned by schools, the State Board of Education shall total the sum of points earned by a school as follows: For schools serving any students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the State Board shall assign points on the following measures available for that school: One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on annual assessments for mathematics in grades three through eight. For the purposes of this Part, an annual assessment for mathematics shall include any mathematics course with an end-of-course test. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on annual assessments for reading in grades three through eight. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on annual assessments for science in grades five and eight. One point for each percent of students who progress in achieving English language proficiency on annual assessments in grades three through eight. For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the State Board shall assign points on the following measures available for that school: One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on either the Algebra I or Integrated Math I end-of-course test or, for students who completed Algebra I or Integrated Math I before ninth grade, another mathematics course with an end-of-course test. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on the English II end-of-course test. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on the Biology end-of-course test. One point for each percent of students who complete Algebra II or Integrated Math III with a passing grade. One point for each percent of students who either (i) achieve the minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of college readiness or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. Repealed by Session Laws 2019-142, s. 1, effective July 19, 2019, and applicable to measures based on data from the 2018-2019 school year and each school year thereafter. One point for each percent of students who graduate within four years of entering high school. One point for each percent of students who progress in achieving English language proficiency. Calculation of the School Growth Score. - Using the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS), the State Board shall calculate the overall growth score earned by schools. In calculating the total growth score earned by schools, the State Board of Education shall weight student growth on the achievement measures as provided in subsection (b) of this section that have available growth values; provided that for schools serving students in grades nine through 12, the growth score shall only include growth values for measures calculated under sub-subdivisions a. and b. of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section. The numerical values used to determine whether a school has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth shall be translated to a 100-point scale and used for school reporting purposes as provided in G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8. Calculation of the Overall School Performance Scores and Grades. - The State Board of Education shall calculate the overall school performance score by adding the school achievement score, as provided in subsection (b) of this section, and the school growth score, as determined using EVAAS as provided in subsection (c) of this section, earned by a school. The school achievement score shall account for eighty percent (80%), and the school growth score shall account for twenty percent (20%) of the total sum. For all schools, the total school performance score shall be converted to a 100-point scale and used to determine an overall school performance grade. The overall school performance grade shall be based on the following scale and shall not be modified to add any other designation related to other performance measures, such as a "plus" or "minus": A school performance score of at least 85 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of A. A school performance score of at least 70 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of B. A school performance score of at least 55 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of C. A school performance score of at least 40 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of D. A school performance score of less than 40 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of F. Establishment of Subgroups of Students. - The State Board shall establish the minimum number of students in a subgroup served by a school that is necessary to disaggregate information on student performance and to determine a subgroup performance score and grade for the following subgroups of students: Economically disadvantaged students. Students from major racial and ethnic groups. Children with disabilities. English learners. Calculation of the School Performance Scores and Grades for Certain Subgroups of Students Served by a School. - In addition to the overall school performance scores and grades awarded under this section, for each school that serves a minimum number of students in a subgroup of students listed in subsection (d1) of this section, the State Board of Education shall calculate school performance scores and shall determine a corresponding school performance grade for each subgroup using the same method as set forth in subsection (d) of this section. School performance scores for subgroups of students shall not be included in the calculation of the overall school performance scores and grades under subsection (d) of this section. Report of Subgroup Performance Scores and Grades. - The subgroup performance scores and grades shall be reported separately on the annual school report card provided under G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8 in a way that provides the following information: For the current year and the previous two years, the achievement score for each subgroup of students defined in subsection (d1) of this section for the school. The statewide average achievement score for each subgroup defined in subsection (d1) of this section. The difference between the achievement score for all students in the school and the achievement score for each subgroup that meets the minimum number of students defined in subsection (d1) of this section. Based on the information reported in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the State Board shall determine and identify schools that are closing achievement gaps, experiencing a widening of gaps, or seeing no significant gap changes. Elementary and Middle School Reading and Math Achievement Scores. - For schools serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the school achievement scores in reading and mathematics, respectively, shall be reported separately on the annual school report card provided under G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8. Career and College Readiness Scores. - For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the percentage of students who either (i) achieve the minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of college readiness or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness shall be reported on the annual school report card provided under G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8. Indication of Growth. - In addition to awarding the overall school scores for achievement, growth, and performance and the performance grade, using EVAAS, the State Board shall designate that a school has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth. The designation of student growth shall be clearly displayed in the annual school report card provided under G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8. Access to Annual Report Card Information on the Department's Web Site. - Beginning with data collected in the 2017-2018 school year, the State Board of Education shall provide user-friendly access to the public on the annual report cards issued for local school administrative units and individual schools provided under G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8 through the Department of Public Instruction's Web site. The annual report card shall be designed and organized to display the following information more prominently than any other information: A summary for each local school administrative unit and for each individual school of the school performance grades, whether the school has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth, and any other information required to be provided as part of the annual report card. The percentage of schools receiving an overall school performance letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F earned by each school located within a local school administrative unit and statewide. The number of schools that have met, exceeded, or have not met expected growth by each school located within a local school administrative unit and statewide. A Web page for each individual school that prominently displays the school's performance grades, whether the school has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth, and the school's performance and growth scores in a way that is easy for the user to read. The ability to easily compare annual report card information, including school performance grades and whether schools have met, exceeded, or have not met expected growth, for local school administrative units and for individual schools for a time span of at least three years. In calculating the overall school achievement score earned by schools, the State Board of Education shall (i) use a composite approach to weigh the achievement elements based on the number of students measured by any given achievement element and (ii) proportionally adjust the scale to account for the absence of a school achievement element for award of scores to a school that does not have a measure of one of the school achievement elements annually assessed for the grades taught at that school. The overall school achievement score shall be translated to a 100-point scale and used for school reporting purposes as provided in G.S. 115C-12(9) c1., 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66, and 116-239.8. History (2013-360, s. 9.4(b); 2013-363, s. 3.6; 2014-5, ss. 13, 14; 2014-101, s. 7; 2016-94, s. 11.6(c); 2017-57, s. 7.26(c); 2017-197, s. 2.5; 2017-206, s. 1(a); 2019-142, ss. 1, 4; 2019-154, s. 1.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2013-360, s. 9.4(b), enacted this section as G.S. 115C-83.11 . It has been renumbered as this section at the direction of the Revisor of Statutes. Session Laws 2013-360, s. 38.6, made this Part effective July 1, 2013. Session Laws 2013-360, s. 9.4(g), made this Part applicable beginning with the 2013-2014 school year. Session Laws 2013-360, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2013.'" Session Laws 2013-360, s. 38.5, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2013-363, s. 3.6, was contingent upon Senate Bill 402, 2013 Regular Session, becoming law. Senate Bill 402 was enacted as Session Laws 2013-360. Session Laws 2014-101, s. 8, provides, in part: "Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law [August 6, 2014] and applies beginning with the 2014-2015 school year." Session Laws 2015-17, s. 1, provides: "Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-83.15(d) , for the 2014-2015 school year and the 2015-2016 school year only, for all schools the total school performance score shall be converted to a 100-point scale and used to determine a school performance grade based on the following scale: "(1) A school performance score of at least 85 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of A. "(2) A school performance score of at least 70 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of B. "(3) A school performance score of at least 55 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of C. "(4) A school performance score of at least 40 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of D. "(5) A school performance score of less than 40 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of F." Session Laws 2015-241, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as 'The Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2015.'" Session Laws 2015-241, s. 33.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2015-241, s. 33.6, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2016-94, s. 8.19, provides: "Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-83.15(d) , for the 2016-2017 school year, the 2017-2018 school year, and the 2018-2019 school year only, for all schools the total school performance score shall be converted to a 100-point scale and used to determine a school performance grade based on the following scale: "(1) A school performance score of at least 85 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of A. "(2) A school performance score of at least 70 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of B. "(3) A school performance score of at least 55 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of C. "(4) A school performance score of at least 40 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of D. "(5) A school performance score of less than 40 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of F." Session Laws 2016-94, s. 1.2, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2016.'" Session Laws 2016-94, s. 39.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2016-2017 fiscal year." Session Laws 2016-94, s. 39.7, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2017-57, s. 7.26( l ), made the amendment to this section by Session Laws 2017-57, s. 7.26(c), applicable beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Session Laws 2017-57, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2017.'" Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.6, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2017-206, s. 1(c), made the amendment to subsection (c) of this section by Session Laws 2017-206, s. 1(a), effective August 30, 2017, and applicable beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Session Laws 2018-97, s. 2.16(a), effective June 26, 2017, provides: "Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-83.15(b)(2) , for the 2017-2018 school year only, for schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the State Board of Education shall assign points on the following measures available for that school: "(1) One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on either the Algebra I or Integrated Math I end-of-course test or, for students who completed Algebra I or Integrated Math I before ninth grade, another mathematics course with an end-of-course test. "(2) One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on the English II end-of-course test. "(3) One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on the Biology end-of-course test. "(4) One point for each percent of students who complete Algebra II or Integrated Math III with a passing grade. "(5) One point for each percent of students who either (i) achieve the minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of college readiness or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. "(6) One point for each percent of students who graduate within four years of entering high school. "(7) One point for each percent of students who progress in achieving English language proficiency." Session Laws 2019-142, s. 7, made subsection (e), as added by Session Laws 2019-142, s. 4, and the amendment of subdivision (b)(2) by Session Laws 2019-142, s. 1, effective July 19, 2019, and applicable to measures based on data from the 2018-2019 school year and each school year thereafter. Session Laws 2019-154, s. 3, provides: "The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall study (i) the weighting of the school achievement score and the school growth score in calculation of the overall school performance score to best reflect performance and progress for each school and (ii) the reporting methods used to meaningfully differentiate schools on the North Carolina annual school report cards. Based on its study, the State Board shall propose recommendations on whether any changes should be made to the current weighting of school achievement scores and school growth scores and how the reporting methods for school performance scores could be improved to more accurately reflect the effectiveness of each North Carolina public school. With the goal of maintaining the current school achievement and school growth measures, the study shall examine methods of reporting data that will better depict school performance and progress. The study shall analyze the feasibility of the following: "(1) Reporting school achievement and school growth separately. "(2) Reporting by graph, in a manner that depicts the intersection of (i) school achievement and growth scores, (ii) local school administrative unit achievement and growth scores, and (iii) State achievement and growth scores. "(3) Including the school achievement and school growth scores for the prior two school years in annual graphical reporting, in order to provide stakeholders with clear, consistent data on individual school progress. "The State Board, together with the Superintendent, shall submit a final report of the results of its study along with its recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by February 15, 2020." Session Laws 2019-154, s. 4, makes the amendment to subsection (d) of this section by Session Laws 2019-154, s. 1, effective July 22, 2019, and applicable beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. Session Laws 2020-3, s. 2.1, as amended by Session Laws 2020-49, s. 3(a), provides: "For the purposes of this Part, the following definitions apply: "(1) Authority. - State Education Assistance Authority. "(2) Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. - The period beginning March 10, 2020, and continuing until the Governor signs an executive order rescinding Executive Order No. 116 (Declaration of a State of Emergency to Coordinate Response and Protective Actions to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19). "(3) Federal testing waiver. - The testing waiver granted to the State Board of Education by the United States Department of Education for the 2019-2020 school year, pursuant to section 8401(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, which, pursuant to G.S. 115C-174.11 , eliminated the collection of certain student assessment data for the 2019-2020 school year. "(4) Modified calendar school. - A school that a local board designated as having a modified calendar for the 2003-2004 school year or any school that was part of a planned program in the 2003-2004 school year for a system of modified calendar schools, so long as the school operates under a modified calendar. "(5) State Board. - The State Board of Education. "(6) Year-round school. - A school with a single or multi-track instructional calendar that was adopted prior to March 1, 2020, and provides instructional days in compliance with Section 2.11(b)(1) of this Part throughout the entire school calendar year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, by utilizing at least one of the following plans: "a. A plan dividing students into four groups and requiring each group to be in school for assigned and staggered quarters each school calendar year. "b. A plan providing students be scheduled to attend an average of between 44 and 46 instructional days followed by an average of between 15 and 20 days of vacation, repeated throughout the school calendar year. "c. A plan dividing the school calendar year into five nine-week sessions of classes and requiring each student to attend four assigned and staggered sessions out of the five nine-week sessions to complete the student's instructional year." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 2.2, provides: "The purpose of this Part is to clarify or modify certain requirements in consideration of actions and circumstances related to the COVID-19 emergency, including, but not limited to, the federal testing waiver and the closure of schools for in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 school year." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 2.4(a)-(d), provides: "(a) Calculation and Issuance of School Performance Grades. - For the 2020-2021 school year, based on data from the 2019-2020 school year, the provisions of G.S. 115C-12(9) c1. and G.S. 115C-83.15(a) through (f) shall not apply. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-83.15(g) , the State Board is not required to display school report card information for the 2020-2021 school year based on data from the 2019-2020 school year, but shall display a brief explanation that school report cards were not issued for the 2020-2021 school year because assessment data was not collected during the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19. "(b) Display of School Report Cards. - Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-47(58) , 115C-75.8(d)(7), 115C-218.65, 115C-238.66(11), 116-239.8(b)(14), and Section 6(d)(2) of S.L. 2018-32, public school units are not required to display school report card information for the 2020-2021 school year based on data from the 2019-2020 school year, but shall display a brief explanation that school report cards were not issued for the 2020-2021 school year because assessment data was not collected during the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19. "(c) Evaluation of Alternative Programs. - Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-12(24) , to the extent educational performance and growth of students in alternative schools and alternative programs are measured based on the accountability system developed under G.S. 115C-83.15 and G.S. 115C-105.35 , educational performance and growth of students in alternative schools and alternative programs shall not be evaluated based on data from the 2019-2020 school year. "(d) School Building Reports. - The requirement for local school administrative units to produce and make public a school building report under G.S. 115C-12(9) c3. and G.S. 115C-47(35) shall not apply for the October 15, 2020, report based on building-level data from the 2019-2020 school year." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 5, is a severability clause. Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2013-363, s. 3.6, effective July 1, 2013, substituted "Algebra II or Integrated Math III" for "the Algebra II or Integrated Math III end-of-course test" in subdivision (b)(7). Session Laws 2014-5, ss. 13, 14, effective June 10, 2014, rewrote the last paragraph in subsection (b); and rewrote subsection (d). Session Laws 2014-101, s. 7, effective August 6, 2014, substituted "115C-218.65" for "115C-238.29F" in subsections (b), (c), (e), and (f). See Editor's note for applicability. Session Laws 2016-94, s. 11.6(c), effective July 1, 2016, substituted "115C-238.66, and 116-239.8" for "and 115C-238.66" in subdivision (b)(10) and subsections (c), (e) and (f). Session Laws 2017-57, s. 7.26(c), effective July 1, 2017, rewrote the section. For applicability, see editor's note. Session Laws 2017-197, s. 2.5, effective July 1, 2017, deleted the second sentence in subsection (a); in subsection (c), inserted "the Education Value-Added Assessment System"; in the first sentence of subsection (d) deleted "use EVAAS to" following "The State Board of Education shall" and inserted "determined using EVAAS as" following "school growth score, as"; and deleted "use EVAAS to" following "the State Board of Education shall" in subsection (d2). Session Laws 2017-206, s. 1(a), effective August 30, 2017, in subsection (c), deleted "as a Measure of School Quality and Student Success" at the end of the subsection catchline and the end of the first sentence, in the second sentence, substituted "measures" for "indicators" and added the proviso at the end. For applicability, see editor's note. Session Laws 2019-142, ss. 1 and 4, rewrote previous sub-subdivisions (b)(2)e and (b)(2)f as current sub-subdivision (b)(2)e and added subsection (e1). For effective date and applicability, see editor's note. Session Laws 2019-154, s. 1, substituted "85" for "90" in subdivision (d)(1); substituted "70" for "80" in subdivision (d)(2); substituted "55" for "70" in subdivision (d)(3); substituted "40" for "60" in subdivisions (d)(4) and (d)(5). For effective date and applicability, see editor's note.