Georgia’s new College and Career Ready Performance Index replaces the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) designation, which was established under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That system was often criticized because it only rated schools as “pass or fail” and relied heavily upon standardized test scores.
The College and Career index assigns every public school in Georgia a number grade rather than a pass or fail status. Performance on standardized tests is a factor, but for the first time so are other indicators, such as readiness for advancement and a student’s academic growth from year to year. State officials say this rating system offers a more complete view of a school’s performance.
The anatomy of a score
The state’s new report card gives schools a grade on a scale of 0 to 100. A school can earn 10 bonus points for a maximum possible score of 110.
The overall score is made up of four components:
Achievement points are based on results of CRCT tests in grades 3-8 and end-of-course tests in grades 9-12, measures of whether students are ready for the next level, and the 4-year and 5-year graduation rates. Schools can earn up to 70 points in this category.
Progress points are based on the percentage of a school’s students who show typical or high academic growth on state tests. Worth up to 15 points.
Achievement gap points are rewarded to schools for closing or having small achievement gaps on state tests or for year-over-year gap change. Worth up to 15 points.
Challenge points are rewarded to schools if they have a significant number of economically disadvantaged students, English learners and students with disabilities meeting expectations, or if they exceed the state targets in college-ready programs. Worth up to 10 bonus points.
Learn more at the state’s website: ccrpi.gadoe.org/2012.
