Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why have the report cards been redesigned?
  2. Who decided what changes to make to the report cards?
  3. How do the new report cards differ from the old ones?
  4. Do the new report cards provide a rating for schools?
  5. How are schools rated?
  6. How is the overall school rating calculated?
  7. What do the school ratings of Level 1 through 5 mean?
  8. Where does the data used in the new report cards come from?
  9. What do blank sections on the report card mean?
  10. Will each school and district in the state distribute a report card?
  11. Why is some of the data in the report cards different from other data on the Oregon Department of Education website?
  12. How do I get a copy of the new school and district report cards?
  13. What are the report cards?
  14. What is the purpose of the report cards?
  15. Who will receive the school report card?
  16. Do districts receive report card ratings?
  17. How do we know that the information in the Report Card is accurate?
  18. What types of tests are included in determining Report Card performance ratings?
  19. How are the scores of students who meet the state's alternate standards on an Extended Assessment included in the percentage of students meeting standard?
  20. When do students have to be enrolled in the school to be included in participation rates for schools and districts?
  21. Which students must schools include in state assessments?
  22. Are students with limited English proficiency included on the report card?
  23. How are the scores reported for 12th grade students taking the Grade 11 assessments?
  24. How are the scores reported for 9th and 10th grade students taking the Grade 11 assessments?
  25. How are the scores reported for 8th grade students taking the Grade 11 assessments?
  26. Are science results included in the report card this year?
  27. Where will the assessment scores be reported for students in alternative programs?
  28. What is meant by the phrase 'for display only'?
  29. What accounts for the different participation and performance rates reported on school and district report cards?
  30. Where can I get more information about what makes a 'Highly Qualified' teacher?
  31. Is there a document that compares schools' scores to other schools in the state?
  32. Where can I find more information about state assessments?
  33. Why did you create Open Books?
  34. Where does the data used on the Open Books web site come from?
  35. Why aren't you using Oregon Department of Education's (ODE) spending categories?
  36. Why are your financial figures different than what you see on the ODE web site?
  37. How often will the Open Books data be updated?
  38. Why were capital expenditures not included in the Spending by Category data?
  39. Are benefits included in the average teacher salary figure?
  40. Why does Open Books report central administration costs differently than what may be reported elsewhere?
  41. Does it cost the district or citizens any money to use Open Books?
  42. Why is the 'teaching and student resources' number higher than the 'instruction' number that National Center Education Statistics uses?
  43. How come the percentages don't always equal an even 100%? Sometimes it's 101.1%, and other times it's 99.1%?
  44. Do the expenditures for buildings in the 'Buses, Buildings, and Food' include both classroom and administrative buildings?
  45. Are the costs for administrative employees who have teaching certificates included in the 'Teaching and Student Resources' category?
  46. Are all employees in a school district office included in the 'Central Administration' category?
  47. What is the Cohort Rate for graduation?
  48. How are school districts funded in Oregon?
     
  1. Why have the report cards been redesigned?
  2. The school and district report cards have been redesigned to reflect changes to Oregon's educational system so that parents and community members are provided with the most current, relevant, and important information about their school and districts. The new report cards allow schools and districts to better tell their unique stories in a more visual and user-friendly way.

     
  3. Who decided what changes to make to the report cards?
  4. The redesign of the school and district report cards is the result of a broad-based effort which gathered feedback from parents, community members, educators, and stakeholders from around the state. Last fall, a 17-member Report Card Steering Committee was convened to make recommendations on the design, content, and rating methodology of the new report cards. This committee gathered feedback on the redesign from over 130 parents, teachers, and administrators around the state via in-person focus groups. Additionally, online surveys generated over 2,000 responses from around the state. The Report Card Steering Committee used this feedback to inform their recommendation on changes to the key elements, layout, and focus of the report cards. The final recommendations were adopted by the State Board of Education in spring of 2013.

     
  5. How do the new report cards differ from the old ones?
  6. The most immediately recognizable difference between the report cards is that, for the first time, the reports are in color. Additional new features include: a letter from the principal/superintendent, an enhanced school/district profile with demographic charts, information on the curriculum and learning environment, and, at the high school level, additional outcome data including a five-year completer rate, percent of freshmen on track to graduate, and percent of students going on to college.

     
  7. Do the new report cards provide a rating for schools?
  8. Yes, the new report cards provide two overall school ratings. One rating compares the school to all others in the state. The other rating compares the school to other schools with similar student demographics.

     
  9. How are schools rated?
  10. The ratings are based on the new accountability system that Oregon developed as part of the federal flexibility waiver. The new system has a much greater focus on student learning and growth and uses multiple measures to rate schools. For high schools these measures include academic achievement, academic growth, subgroup growth, graduation rates, and subgroup graduation. For elementary and middle schools the first three measures are used. Schools receive an overall rating of Level 1 through 5 based on how well they are doing in each of these areas.

    The rating that compares a school to other schools with similar student demographics provides parents and community members with another perspective on achievement at the school. The rating is based on a comparison that takes into account the school's percent poverty, mobility, students of color, and English Language Learners. Schools are rated as below average, about average, or above average as compared to other schools that share these similar student demographics.

     
  11. How is the overall school rating calculated?
  12. The overall school rating includes the school's performance on each applicable rating component. The components of the overall school rating and their respective descriptions are the following:

    1. Achievement Rating: The points a school earns according to the percent of students who meet the state achievement standards on reading and mathematics assessments in grades 3 through 8 and 11.
    2. Growth Rating: The points a school earns according to the value of the median growth percentile.
    3. Subgroup Growth Rating: The points a school earns according to the value of the median growth percentile for four specific subgroups: Economically Disadvantaged, Limited English Proficient, Students with Disabilities, and Underserved Races/Ethnicities.
    4. Graduation Rating: The points a school earns according to the value of the highest four-year or five-year cohort adjusted graduation rate.
    5. Subgroup Graduation Rating: The points a school earns according to the value of the highest four-year or five-year cohort adjusted graduation rate for four specific subgroups: Economically Disadvantaged, Limited English Proficient, Students with Disabilities, and Underserved Races/Ethnicities

    For detailed information about each component of the ratings, visit: http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/data/schoolanddistrict/reportcard/docs/rcpolicytechnicalmanual1213.pdf

     
  13. What do the school ratings of Level 1 through 5 mean?
  14. Schools receive an overall rating of Level 1 through 5 based on their students' growth, performance, and outcomes. Level 1 schools represent the bottom 5% of schools. Level 2 schools represent the next lowest 10%. Level 3 makes up the next 30% of schools. Level 4 represents the largest share of schools, those that fall between 44% and 90% of schools. Level 5 represents the top 10%.

     
  15. Where does the data used in the new report cards come from?
  16. Data for these report cards come from a variety of sources. The achievement data come from state testing results. Graduation and outcome data is provided to the state by districts as part of annual data collections. Student demographic data is collected as part of the annual student enrollment collections. Some of the new elements of the report cards are submitted specifically for this report including the superintendent/principal letter, the freshman on track data, and the information on curriculum and learning environment.

     
  17. What do blank sections on the report card mean?
  18. Many sections of the report cards are filled from data collected throughout the year as part of regular data collections. However, districts were required to submit some additional pieces of information for this report (letter, curriculum info, etc.). This information was required to be submitted in both English and Spanish. If the information was not submitted, or was not submitted in both languages, those sections were left blank on the report card.

     
  19. Will each school and district in the state distribute a report card?
  20. Yes. Each school and district in the state is required to provide parents or guardians with a copy of their report card. Districts must distribute these report cards by January 15. These report cards can be distributed in either a hard copy or electronic format.

     
  21. Why is some of the data in the report cards different from other data on the Oregon Department of Education website?
  22. There are two main differences you might notice between data on the report cards and previously published data. The test results published in September include data from all students enrolled on the first school day in May (regardless of how long they have been in the school). The report cards, since they are an accountability measure, only include test results for students who have been enrolled in the school for at least half of the school year since these are the students for whom the school had the greatest opportunity to impact learning. Another difference is in the English Language Learner (ELL) category. In the report cards, we report on all students who were ever identified as English Language Learners rather than just those currently or recently receiving services. This gives schools credit for the learning and growth of their formerly ELL students. This differs from other ODE reports.

     
  23. How do I get a copy of the new school and district report cards?
  24. You can access a copy of any of the school or district report cards on the Oregon Department of Education website at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx

     
  25. What are the report cards?
  26. In 1999 the Oregon Legislature enacted ORS 329.105 requiring that the Oregon Department of Education produce and issue annual report cards for all schools and districts. This law codified the desire of the public for consistent and reliable information about schools. Oregon SB 811 (in 2001) mandated additional requirements for the school and district report cards. In January 2002, Federal HR 1 'No Child Left Behind' legislated specific requirements for schools and districts that led to changes in 2003-2004 and subsequent report cards. Oregon HB 2263 (in 2007) made additional changes to the requirements for the school and district report cards.

     
  27. What is the purpose of the report cards?
  28. The school report card is one of several programs initiated to improve education throughout Oregon by providing an opportunity to communicate and celebrate the many good things that are happening in schools. The report card may assist in initiating discussions about areas targeted for improvement. Demonstrating that schools are accountable, the report card displays consistent and reliable information about each school and district directly to parents and community members.

     
  29. Who will receive the school report card?
  30. All schools in Oregon that meet the definition of a public school and have resident students will be included in the Oregon report card system. These report cards are to be distributed to every parent with a child enrolled in a public school in the state.

     
  31. Do districts receive report card ratings?
  32. No, districts do not receive ratings in the Oregon report card system. District report cards contain district-wide statistics and additional data elements.

     
  33. How do we know that the information in the Report Card is accurate?
  34. District staff is given an opportunity to review and correct the information they submit describing their students and schools. Tests are scored by professionals outside the Oregon Department of Education skilled in this type of work, and the results are thoroughly validated.

     
  35. What types of tests are included in determining Report Card performance ratings?
  36. The highest test score from a standard test administration at or above grade level (with or without accommodations) from students (except for first year Limited English Proficient (LEP) students) enrolled in a district on the first school day in May for a full academic year are included in the Report Card student performance data. Modified and targeted down assessments are considered nonstandard administrations and are not included in Report Card performance calculations. Extended assessments are included in performance data.

     
  37. How are the scores of students who meet the state's alternate standards on an Extended Assessment included in the percentage of students meeting standard?
  38. For state assessment reports, the Extended Assessment scores are counted as not meeting standards.

    For school and district Report Cards, up to 1% of the tests in a district used to calculate participation rates may be from students that meet the state's alternate standards. If the percentage of tests that meet the alternate standards in a district exceeds 1%, the district must identify which tests are to be counted as not meeting standard for the Report Card. Additional information about Extended Subject Area Assessments is on the web at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=178.

     
  39. When do students have to be enrolled in the school to be included in participation rates for schools and districts?
  40. Students enrolled on the first school day in May and during the testing window who do not participate in the state assessment are counted as non-participants. Students who are enrolled on the first school day in May and were not enrolled during the testing window or who arrived so late in the school's test window that a test cannot be completed can be excused from participation at the district's discretion.

     
  41. Which students must schools include in state assessments?
  42. All students for whom public funds are expended on instruction are expected to participate in all required state assessments. This includes registered home schooled students, privately schooled students, tuitioned students, and any other students exempted from compulsory school attendance, attending public schools or programs part time, and receiving instruction provided by the district in the state content standards during the school year.

     
  43. Are students with limited English proficiency included on the report card?
  44. Yes, those students who are able to participate in the state mathematics assessments in Spanish or English are included in student Participation. These scores are also included in student Performance with the exception of beginning LEP students (those who enrolled in a U.S. school for the first time after May 1 of the prior school year). Eligible students who participate in the writing assessment by responding in Spanish are also included.

    2012-2013 Oregon Statewide Assessments for English Language Learners

    Reading/Literature
    Spanish Grade 3: An optional assessment. The 2012-2013 assessments will count toward the Report Card.

    Math Knowledge and Skills
    Spanish/English Side-by-Side: Included in Performance and Participation.
    Russian/English Side-by-Side: Included in Performance and Participation.

    Writing
    Responses in English included in Performance and Participation.
    Responses in Spanish are included in Performance and Participation for students whose English Language proficiency is not adequate to yield reliable results in English, and who have been classified as an English Language Learner for five years or less.

     
  45. How are the scores reported for 12th grade students taking the Grade 11 assessments?
  46. Students in Grade 12 who are taking the Grade 11 test will not be reported either in participation or student performance. Only the scores of students who are in benchmark grades are included in participation and student performance.

     
  47. How are the scores reported for 9th and 10th grade students taking the Grade 11 assessments?
  48. Students in 9th or 10th grade may elect to take the Grade 11 assessment. Scores meeting or exceeding the standard will be held until the student is in Grade 11. If the student retests in Grade 11, the highest of all scores the student earns will be reported.

     
  49. How are the scores reported for 8th grade students taking the Grade 11 assessments?
  50. Students in advanced coursework who are in 8th grade may elect to take the Grade 11 assessment. Scores meeting or exceeding the standard will be held until the student is in Grade 11. If the student retests in 9th, 10th or 11th grades, the highest score the student earns will be reported. To be counted as participants in the report card for the current year, an 8th grade student must take the 8th grade test. The score from the 8th grade test is included in student performance calculations.

     
  51. Are science results included in the report card this year?
  52. Science participation and performance for 2012-2013 is displayed on page 2 of the School Report Card. Science participation rates are no longer included in the school rating formula.

     
  53. Where will the assessment scores be reported for students in alternative programs?
  54. Student scores will be associated with the resident school on the first school day in May, as identified in the Third Period Cumulative ADM collection.

     
  55. What is meant by the phrase 'for display only'?
  56. Many data elements are shown on the report card for informational purposes only with no ratings attached to the data. The purpose of the displays is to give more information to individuals interested in school performance.

     
  57. What accounts for the different participation and performance rates reported on school and district report cards?
  58. The participation rate on page 2 of the Report Card combines the participation rates for reading, mathematics, science, and writing assessments.

    The report card rating calculation and the achievement data on page 2 includes only students who were enrolled at the school for at least half of the school year. In addition, students who meet or exceed on Extended Assessments will (up to the 1% cap) count as a meets or exceeds in the achievement rating.

     
  59. Where can I get more information about what makes a 'Highly Qualified' teacher?
  60. We have questions and answers specific to highly qualified teachers online at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=102.

     
  61. Is there a document that compares schools' scores to other schools in the state?
  62. The Comparison Schools and Comparison Districts lists, along with explanatory documentation, are available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=3881.

     
  63. Where can I find more information about state assessments?
  64. More details about the Oregon Statewide Assessment System can be found on the Testing - Student Assessment webpage at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=169.

     
  65. Why did you create Open Books?
  66. The Chalkboard Project's extensive public opinion research has shown that most Oregonians want more detailed information about their schools. The original version of Open Books, which focused exclusively on financial data, was a great start at giving Oregonians some basic facts about school spending. Now, Open Books has streamlined together the financial data along with data from the new Oregon report cards. Having good solid information that's accessible in one place means Oregonians have more of the information they need to make smart decisions about schools.

     
  67. Where does the data used on the Open Books web site come from?
  68. The raw data comes directly from the Oregon Department of Education.

     
  69. Why aren't you using Oregon Department of Education's (ODE) spending categories?
  70. While we are using the same spending data that ODE collects from school districts, we have defined our five categories of spending differently. We have organized our categories in such a manner as to give the user the most straightforward and simple approach possible to matching dollars with the services being provided. For example, our 'central administration' category includes not just administrators in the superintendent's office but also administrators from the remaining 4 categories so the user can get a sense of the total cost of all administrators working outside of an actual school in the district. We think this provides a more logical and direct approach to tracking spending. We worked with a coalition of partners — including ODE, teachers, administrators and consumer advocates — to agree on the five categories presented in Open Books.

     
  71. Why are your financial figures different than what you see on the ODE web site?
  72. The Open Books definition of spending is exactly the same as the definition on ODE's website that is labeled 'Spending in All Operating Funds' or 'Operating Expenditures.' The only difference between Open Books and ODE is the way total operating spending is broken down into categories. ODE uses four categories called 'Direct Classroom,' 'Classroom Support,' 'Building Support,' and 'Central Support.' Open Books, in an effort to provide information that is easier to understand, uses five categories (Teaching and Student Resources, etc.). Since the data used by Open Books and ODE is exactly the same, total spending reported in both places will be exactly the same — it is simply broken down in different ways.

     
  73. How often will the Open Books data be updated?
  74. The site will be updated at least once a year. Most of the sources used by Open Books are updated once a year, but their release schedules vary.

     
  75. Why were capital expenditures not included in the Spending by Category data?
  76. The data we include in Open Books is designed to provide information that is standard and comparable among Oregon districts about their basic operations. Because school district capital construction is supported at the local level, spending on capital projects can vary widely from one school district to another depending on the assessed value in a community and local voter support.

     
  77. Are benefits included in the average teacher salary figure?
  78. No. The average teacher salary figure does not include benefits. The data from the Oregon Department of Education does not disaggregate benefits by type of employee.

     
  79. Why does Open Books report central administration costs differently than what may be reported elsewhere?
  80. Open Books uses its own set of definitions to give the most accurate look at administrative costs. In others' cost reporting, 'central administration' might exclude the costs of some administrative staff, such as those overseeing finances and human resources. Our definition of 'central administration,' however, includes staff salaries of everyone who works in the superintendent's office, and all other district education leaders who aren't based in a school.

     
  81. Does it cost the district or citizens any money to use Open Books?
  82. No. Open Books is a free service, sponsored by the Chalkboard Project, for anyone to use.

     
  83. Why is the 'teaching and student resources' number higher than the 'instruction' number that National Center Education Statistics uses?
  84. One of the difficulties in explaining and comparing school district spending on 'classroom' activities is that there are different and legitimate ways to categorize much of that spending. For example, the Open Books 'teaching and student resources' figure includes people and services such as speech pathologists, nurses, truant officers, counselors, and librarians — people who work directly with students. NCES uses vague terminology like 'student support' to describe these services, and does not consider them 'classroom' expenditures. We think it makes more sense to combine these services — which are not 'administrative' and also differ from 'infrastructure' services like transportation, building maintenance and cafeteria - with the NCES 'instruction' categories.

     
  85. How come the percentages don't always equal an even 100%? Sometimes it's 101.1%, and other times it's 99.1%?
  86. As part of the Open Books development process, we carefully considered decisions about rounding percentage figures. To ensure that all percentages sum to exactly 100% we would have to show figures to several decimal places. As Open Books is designed to be a user-friendly tool for the general public, we didn't want to complicate the figures by making them too long, so in some cases, due to rounding, percentages may not total exactly 100%. The first phase of Open Books rounded all percentages to whole numbers, but the current version rounds percentages to tenths. This change reflects user feedback that displaying tenths increases accuracy without decreasing usability.

     
  87. Do the expenditures for buildings in the 'Buses, Buildings, and Food' include both classroom and administrative buildings?
  88. Yes.

     
  89. Are the costs for administrative employees who have teaching certificates included in the 'Teaching and Student Resources' category?
  90. No. Anyone who performs an administrative function in a district - regardless of whether he or she has a teaching certificate - is included in one of the administrative budget categories.

     
  91. Are all employees in a school district office included in the 'Central Administration' category?
  92. Not necessarily. We have allocated costs based on the function employees perform. For example, a secretary in the district office who works on transportation issues will be counted in the 'Buses, Buildings, and Food' category, or an accountant in the central office will be included in the 'Business Services and Technology' category.

     
  93. What is the Cohort Rate for graduation?
  94. A cohort graduation rate follows the students who are first-time high school students in a particular year and determines the percentage that graduate within a given time frame, such as four years. A four-year cohort graduation rate for the first-time ninth graders in the 2005-06 school year would represent the percentage who graduated by 2008-09. The cohort is adjusted for students who move into or out of the system, emigrate to another country, or are deceased.

    While students who take longer than four years to graduate are not included as graduates in the four-year cohort graduation rate, they will be included as graduates in the five-year cohort graduation rate, which is published along with the four-year rate, if they graduate within five years.

     
  95. How are school districts funded in Oregon?
  96. Most of the operating revenues for the 197 school districts in Oregon come via a state school fund formula based on district enrollment and demographics. Some districts receive additional funding from the federal government to serve special student populations (e.g. students living in poverty). Some districts also receive additional local funding through a local option tax, foundation support, and/or a capital improvement/facility bond.

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