How were the performance “starting points” established?
The NCLB Act was very prescriptivestates had very little flexibility. The following process established starting points separately for reading and math and for each of the three grade spans (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12): • 1. Schools were ranked by percent AYP proficient (e.g., percent partially proficient, proficient, advanced on CSAP and emerging, developing, novice on CSAPA). Results were based on all students, regardless of how long they attended the school. • 2. Beginning with the lowest performing school, enrollment numbers were summed until 20 percent of the enrollment at that grade span had been captured. Law required that the percent of AYP proficient students for that school be compared to the percent AYP proficient for the lowest performing disaggregated group in the grade span and that the higher of the two values become the starting point. In every case, the percent AYP proficient at the school at the 20th percentile exceeded the percent AYP proficient in the lowest performing disa
