What the Star Rating System Tells Us, Part 1

In August of 2013, Michael Petrilli posted an article in the online magazine Education Next,entitled “The Problem with Proficiency”. In the post, he argued that proficiency levels are determined largely by demographics, and advocated for a system in which schools are judged largely on student academic growth. Petrilli wrote: “To be sure, proficiency rates should be reported publicly, and parents should be told whether their children are on track for college or a well-paying career. (That’s one of the great benefits of a high standard like the Common Core.) But using these rates to evaluate schools will end up mislabeling many as failures that might in fact be doing incredible work at helping their students make progress over time.”

In the same month, Chester E. Finn, Jr. responded with “Let’s Hear it for Proficiency”, in which he argued that proficiency has its rightful place as an indicator of readiness, especially for college, and should not be dropped: “Not, at least, so long as it matters greatly in the real world. Do you want the pilot of your plane to be proficient at take-offs and landings or simply to demonstrate improvement in those skills? (Do you want to fly on an airline that uses only “growth measures” when hiring pilots?) How about dining in restaurants that use only growth measures when selecting chefs? Having your chest cut open by thoracic surgeons who showed “gains” on their surgical boards but didn’t actually “pass” them?”

The Idaho Star Rating system was initiated by the Idaho State Department of Education in 2012. The first school ratings were published in the 2012-13 school year, combining growth and proficiency measures. Though many states have opted for an “A-F” rating system, Idaho’s SDE decided to use a rating system similar to that used for hotels – 5 is the highest rating a school can receive, and 1 is the lowest. The Star Rating system was implemented as part of Idaho’s NCLB waiver request , submitted in September of 2012.

Though the Star Rating system itself is complicated, suffice it to say that the points earned by schools in the system are based primarily on school performance on the ISAT; in fact, 100% of the ratings for elementary and middle/junior high schools are based on test scores. In 2014-15, the system will replace the ISAT with scores from the Smarter Balanced assessments which are being piloted statewide this year.

At elementary and middle/junior high levels, the distribution of Star rating points is as follows:

• ISAT Achievement – 25%
• ISAT Growth – 75%

This distribution allows schools that are achieving at a relatively low level to gain Star Rating points by demonstrating that students are “growing” from grade to grade at a high level. In other words, if the schools in a system are showing excellent growth, outcomes should be better over time for that system.

Members of the Star Rating Advisory Committee (established this year by the State Department of Education) recommended that a more balanced distribution of points between achievement and growth be implemented beginning in 2014-15, in order that schools with high achievement receive more credit for their performance. However, the basic structure of the elementary/junior high system will remain intact.

At the senior high school level, the system contains a few more variables. Here is the basic structure:

• ISAT Achievement – 20%
• ISAT Growth – 50%
• High School Graduation Rate – 15%
• SAT College Readiness – 7.5%
• Advanced Coursework – 7.5%

The ISAT was taken by 9th and 10th graders across Idaho, which meant it counted in the Star Rating system for freshmen and sophomores at 4-year high schools, and for just sophomores at 3-year high schools. In the current state testing plan, the SBAC will count for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders in 4-year high schools, for sophomores and juniors in 3-year high schools

The Star system at the high school level relies on growth for half of the rating. The result is that it provides a misleading view of high school performance when considered against measurement of progress on the Idaho State Board of Education goal:

“60% of young Idahoans, ages 25-34, will have a post-secondary degree or
certificate of value by 2020.”

In light of this goal, It would be helpful to know how Idaho schools are doing in preparing students for college. The high school Star Ratings don’t tell us that. If we use the SAT performance of Idaho juniors and cross-reference Star Ratings for Idaho high schools, this is what we find:



So, while Timberlake High School (Lakeland District) and Moscow High School are among the top high schools in the state at preparing students for college math, they are “4-star schools”, and American Falls High School and Marsing High School, with far fewer students prepared, are “5-star schools”.

This is caused primarily by the weighting of the factors in the Star Rating system. Grade-to-grade student growth counts for half of the Star Ratings for high schools. If the system were more outcome-based, that is, if it put more weight on preparation for college and career in Idaho high schools (as Finn recommends), we’d have a better picture of how we measure up in preparing students. In Part 2 of this post, we’ll examine an idea for a different weighting system that would be more reflective of outcomes and preparation.

Average Class Size and Student Teacher Ratios

In February, Valerie Strauss, an education columnist at the Washington Post, wrote in her Answer Sheet blog about a new review of the research on class size by Northwestern University professor Diane Schanzenbach. Among the conclusions she drew from her analysis:

“The mechanisms at work linking small classes to higher achievement include a mixture of higher levels of student engagement, increased time on task, and the opportunity small classes provide for high-quality teachers to better tailor their instruction to the students in the class.”

In 2012, during the downturn in the state’s economy, the Boise District proposed a levy to maintain or reduce District class sizes. The levy passed with a 71% “yes vote”. Here is a presentation showing that district class size has remained stable in grades k-6 and declined slightly at grades 7-12.

During the recession, districts received relief from the “use it or lose it” provision that required districts to use dollars that funded instructional staff for that purpose, or lose those dollars. The result was that districts could hire up to 7% fewer staff than allocated by the state in 2011-12, and 9.5% fewer in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The 2012-13 staffing data for districts statewide is here (the chart heading erroneously says FY 2009). Boise was 222 (FTE) (full-time equivalent positions) (16%) over the state allocation.

During the 2014 Idaho legislative session, Representative Reed DeMourdant, chair of the House Education Committee, introduced legislation (HB557) that would phase in restoration of the "use it or lose it" provision, depending on where districts stand in a statewide comparison of average class size.His bill, which passed both chambers and was signed by Governor Otter, contained the following new language (underlined):

“A district may employ nine and one-half percent (9.5%) fewer positions than funded pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, without a reduction in the number of funded positions being imposed. Beginning in fiscal year 2016, this figure shall be reduced by one percent (1%) each year for each school district in which the average class size, as determined from prior fiscal year data reported to the state department of education, was at least one (1) student greater than the statewide average class size. The state department of education shall report to the legislature every February, beginning in 2015, on the reductions scheduled to take place in this figure, by school district, in the ensuing fiscal year.”

The State Department of Education will begin this year to determine average class sizes for districts across the state, and will report to the legislature their findings. We’ve never had a comparative index for class size in Idaho. This will provide excellent information for parents and stakeholders.

Beginning in 2015-16, District flexibility with funds allocated for staffing will decrease by 1% in each year that district is over the state average class size by 1 or more. For example, in a district that hires 9.5% fewer positions than the state allocation and is more than 1 above the statewide average class size, flexibility would drop to 8.5% the first year, then to 7.5%, etc., as long as the average class size is 1 over the statewide average.

Of districts with over 30 instructional FTE, eight (8) were 9.5% or more under the state allowance in 2012-13: West Side, Melba, Oneida County, West Jefferson, New Plymouth, Sugar-Salem, Jefferson County, and Kamiah.

It’s important to understand the difference between average class size and student-teacher ratio. Average class size is found by determining the average number of students assigned to classroom teachers across the district. In grades k-6, this is relatively easy to determine; however, reading, p.e., and music specialists, along with most special education teachers, generally offer pull-out services in each building.

In grades 7-12, where students travel to different teachers during the day, it is a little more complex. Some classes (Special Ed, English Language Learner) are much smaller than the average, electives may be larger (Choir, Orchestra, P.E.) or smaller (some AP, Art, other classes), and “core classes” (Math, English, etc.) are usually larger than the average.








On the other hand, student-teacher ratio is simply the number of students district-wide divided by the number of teaching staff in the district (including reading specialists, physical education instructors, music teachers, special education teachers etc.). The student-teacher ratio will always be lower than the average class size, but average class size paints a more accurate picture of classroom conditions.

Go On Patterns at Boise and Capital

Over the past two decades, the Boise District student population has become more diverse, in terms of free/reduced lunch qualification. In 1990, for example, the percentage of Boise’s elementary students qualifying for free/reduced lunch was 27%. In 2000, the percentage was 40%, and in March 2013 it was 48%.

At the senior high level, we find that free/reduced populations at Boise, Capital and the District as a whole stood at these levels in 2007 and 2013:



So what effect has changing demographics had on college-going percentages at the two high schools and in the district? Perhaps not what you might think. Below are “Direct to College” percentages at the two high schools and in the District.



Note first that the percentages have increased at both high schools since 2007 (Boise from 64 to 69 and Capital from 48 to 62), and in the District. As demographics have dramatically changed at Capital, the percentage of students going on to college has increased substantially!

The same patterns emerge when we look at students who enter college in the first two years after high school. Here is that chart with Boise, Capital, and the District:



As you can see in this chart, the percentage of high school grads enrolling in college within 2 years of graduation for the class of 2011 is close to 80% at Boise High School, and is at 74% at Capital. Again, Capital’s percentages have increased dramatically even as the student population has continued to change.

What has caused such a dramatic positive change in Capital’s “Go on” rates? There appear to be several factors:

• Capital’s counselors and faculty have made a concerted effort to advise students about college opportunities and encourage students to fill out FAFSA and college applications.
• The College of Western Idaho (CWI) has provided a community college opportunity not previously available to Capital students
• Staff from CWI have worked closely with Capital’s counselors and staff to increase awareness of programs and provide registration opportunities.
• The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program has sparked an increase in Capital college attendance of about 3%.

Boise High School graduates’ college going patterns differ markedly from those of Capital students. Here are the most popular choices for 2013 Boise High grads:




45% of Boise grads enrolled at Boise State, the University of Idaho, and CWI, with only 8% at CWI. Outside of these three schools, the most popular choices for Boise students were the University of Utah (17 students), the College of Idaho (8), Whitman College (6), and BYU, Western Washington, Cal Poly, and Idaho State (5 each). Forty-nine percent (49%) of Boise grads went to out of state colleges.

Here are the patterns for 2013 Capital graduates:



69% of Capital grads enrolled at BSU, UI, and CWI, with 28% at CWI alone. Outside of these three, the most popular Capital choices were Idaho State (9), Utah State, (8), BYU-Idaho (7), and the College of Idaho (6). Twenty percent (20%) of Capital grads attended out of state colleges.

Idaho College-Going Rates, Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, we discussed statewide college-going rates for the classes of 2012 and 2013. The State Board of Education also provided some information about destination patterns among students in districts across the state.

Four Year and Two Year College Patterns

It's interesting to look at trends across the state in terms of Two Year College attendance. The opening of the College of Western Idaho dramatically changed college-going patterns in the Boise District, especially at Borah and Capital High Schools, where many more students are now choosing the Two Year option.

Here's how the patterns look across the state of Idaho. The stacked chart below shows the percentage of class of 2013 students attending Four Year (dark blue bar) and Two Year (light blue bar) colleges. The state of Idaho is highlighted in red and yellow.

Note that Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Moscow, Lewiston, Snake River, Bonneville, and Madison are among those districts with the highest percentages of Four Year attendees.

Idaho Falls Superintendent George Boland noted that there isn't a viable two-year option for most students in his district, since Eastern Idaho Technical College in Idaho Falls fits a specific niche. Most IF students attend BYU-Idaho or Idaho State University.

This also the case in the Madison District down the road in Rexburg. Superintendent Geoffrey Thomas indicated that parents of many Madison students work at BYU-Idaho, and students receive reduced rate tuition there. BYU-Provo and Utah State University are also viable options for some of these students.

Of course, Moscow and Lewiston students have access to two four-year institutions in the neighborhood, the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College.

At the other end of the spectrum, Post Falls and Lakeland have immediate access to North Idaho College, and students in Twin Falls, Gooding, Filer, and Jerome are close to the College of Southern Idaho.

In-State/Out of State Patterns

Following is a chart showing in-state and out-of-state patterns in large Idaho school districts. Just over 3/4 of Idaho graduates who go on to college attend in-state institutions of higher learning.



The highest percentages of in-state college attendance are in Fremont County (eastern Idaho), Homedale, and Filer. Fremont and Filer make sense (see above). Homedale Superintendent Rob Sauer indicated that there's a long-standing tradition among Homedale students of attending the University of Idaho.

Among the lowest percentages of in-state attendance are in Payette, Fruitland, and Weiser. Fruitland Superintendent Teresa Fabricius indicated that, for many Fruitland graduates, the proximity of Fruitland to the border makes Treasure Valley Community College a logical destination.

Students who arrive in Idaho districts and have limited English language skills are provided assistance with learning English. In most districts across the state, the majority of Limited English students are of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. In Boise, Meridian, and Twin Falls, significant numbers of Limited English students come to the district as refugees, from various parts of the world.

Limited English students are classified into three categories:

LEP 1 - First year in an English-speaking school - these students are exempted from state Reading tests, but take the state math test. In 2013-14, Boise has 255 LEP 1 students No other district has more than 100.

LEP - Limited English students. These students take all state tests, and are considered a subgroup at the school and district level. Typically, LEP students may take 5 to 7 years to learn the spoken and written English language, and from 7 to 11 years if they are not literate in their own spoken/written first language.

LEPX 1 and 2 - Students who have been exited from the Limited English program for 1 or 2 years, but are monitored for the 2-year period.

Following is a chart showing the Idaho school districts with the largest numbers of Limited English students.


Boise and Meridian have the largest numbers of Limited English students in the state. However, they are also the two largest districts in Idaho. Here are the districts with over 1000 or more students that have the highest percentage of Limited English students.



Almost 20% of students in the American Falls (eastern Idaho) district are Limited English Proficient. Two districts in South Central Idaho,Wendell (18%) and Jerome (15%) have the second and third highest percentages of LEP students, followed by the Caldwell District at 14%. Note that all of the districts in the chart are in southern and eastern Idaho. Northern Idaho districts have very few LEP students. Moscow, Lewiston, Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, Lakeland, and Post Falls, with over 30,000 total students, have fewer than 100 LEP students combined. Boise has 5.4% LEP students; Meridian has 2..6%.

In Boise, the population of Limited English students represents four ethnicity categories; White, Black/African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino. White LEP students' countries of origin are typically in the Middle East. Here's how the ethnicity of Boise LEP students plays out:



Boise's LEP population has grown significantly since the mid-1980's when 40 Kurdish students arrived at Franklin Elementary School. The District's LEP population exceeded 2200 in 2012, but changes in the state's exiting criteria and some decrease in numbers since then have yielded the current LEP number of 1668.

Limited English students typically do not perform well on statewide achievement tests. For example, in 2012-13, just 37% of LEP students were proficient on the Idaho Standards Achievement Reading Test. However, students who had met the criteria for exiting the program, our LEPX students, did much better: Eighty-five percent (85%) of LEPX students met the mark for proficiency, showing that, once the language barrier is overcome, students can meet the achievement marks set by the state.

In the elementary grades, most Limited English students attend one of ten schools. Most Boise LEP students live within the boundaries of one of the ten. They are: Grace Jordan (24% LEP), Garfield (15%), Horizon (18%), Jefferson (20%), Koelsch (11%), Lowell (12%), Morley Nelson (15%), Taft (22%), White Pine (15%), and Whittier (24%).

Sixty-five (65) native languages are spoken by Limited English students in the Boise District. The most common is Spanish (42%), followed by Arabic (10%), Swahili (6%), Karen and Somali (5%), and Nepali (4%). Languages spoken at the various elementary schools can very greatly. For example, at Whittier School, the most prevalent native language is Spanish (74% of LEP students), and ten different native languages are spoken by the LEP students. At Taft. the native language among 25% of LEP students is Swahili, and 19 native languages are spoken.

In junior high, Hillside hosts the Bridge program for new to the country students, who are allowed to stay in the program for up to two years. Hillside's student population features 14% Limited English students (82 students), 13 of whom are LEP 1. South's LEP student population is 6.9% of the total, Farimont 6.8%, and North 3.7%. East, West, Les Bois and Riverglen have fewer than 3% LEP students.

Borah is the senior high Bridge counterpart to Hillside; 11% of Borah's student body (170 students) are Limited English students. Forty three of those students are in LEP 1 status. Boise and Capital each have about 4% Limited English students. Timberline has just over 1% LEP students.

The Limited English population has brought substantial diversity to Boise's schools, and students have enjoyed opportunities to learn more about countries and customs from around the world. As LEP students have learned the spoken and written English language, many are enrolling in the District's AVID program, and pursuing Accelerated and Advanced Placement opportunities.

Idaho College-Going Rates, Part 1

The Idaho State Board of Education recently published college-going rates for the classes of 2012 and 2013 across the state of Idaho. Idaho Education News has published these data on their site as part of Idaho Ed Trends. Following are some charts depicting those rates. The data are derived from National Student Clearinghouse reports to the State Board of Education.

The Clearinghouse data do not include information about students who serve their church on missions, or about students who enter the military. These are limitations to the information presented below.

First, the class of 2012. This chart depicts the percentages of high school grads in "large" districts (over 80 grads) who were enrolled in college at any time during the first 16 months after graduation.



Eight Idaho districts have had more than 60% of their students attend college in the first 16 months after high school graduation. Parma, Moscow, and Meridian are above 70%. Kimberly, Boise, Blaine County, Fruitland, and Coeur D'Alene are between 60% and 70%. At the other end of the spectrum, Fremont County and Preston have had fewer than 40% of 2012 graduates enroll in college thus far. The average statewide is just above 56%.

For the class of 2013, here are the data, displayed in the same fashion. These data are the "direct to college" information for the districts; in other words, these percentages are for students who graduated and then attended 2 or 4 year colleges the next fall semester.



Though the state average is 47%, nine districts have rates of over 55%. Mt. View (Grangeville) and Parma are over 60%, and Moscow, Fruitland, Boise, Kimberly, Meridian, Gooding, and Homedale are above 55%. In Shelley, Preston, Teton County, Snake River, Sugar-Salem, and Fremont County districts, fewer than 30% of graduates entered college the semester after graduation.

It's interesting that Parma, Fruitland, and Kimberly appear near the top of class of 2012 and 2013 charts. What are they doing in these communities that causes such a high percentage of students to attend college?

When asked about Parma's high college-going rates, Superintendent Jim Norton wrote:

"The Bruce Mitchell scholarships play a large role in why Parma grads go on. There is a Foundation Board that manages and oversees the program. Nothing is managed by the District other than coordinating meetings and interviews."

Bruce Mitchell was a Parma grad who worked for Idaho Power as an Electrical Engineer. He initiated the scholarship in 1991, when one award was given (the only one Mitchell saw awarded). As of 2013, 465 Parma students have received scholarships (about 70 students graduate from PHS each year), and over $3 million has been awarded in total. 100 Parma grads are currently being supported by scholarships, which begin in freshman year with $2000, and grow by $500 a year.

"The entire student body and the community takes part in an assembly to honor the Bruce Mitchell Scholarship winners. It is a big deal to students to be recognized at this assembly. A Community Award winner is also recognized."

As Districts work to improve "Go On" rates in pursuit of the State Board's goal of 60% of 25-34 year olds having a certificate or 2 or 4 year degree by 2020, it will be important to analyze what's happening across the state, and to look for examples of what's working. In Boise, a new scholarship sponsored by Bev and George Harad may be just the beginning of support efforts for or students.

There is more information available about college-going patterns across the state. In the next post, we'll examine 2 and 4 year college-going percentages, along with in-state/out-of-state and private/public percentages.

Advanced Placement in Idaho Schools

Advanced Placement classes are rigorous, college-level classes taught by certified high school teachers and audited by the College Board. The vast majority of colleges and universities offer credit and/or waivers for particular scores on Advanced Placement exams, and the College Board maintains a site where students and parents can see AP credit policies of each college/university. Each of Boise's traditional high schools offers at least 23 Advanced Placement courses.

AP exams are administered in the first two weeks of May each school year. They are scored in a central location by teachers using a rubric provided by the College Board. The AP exam scoring scale is 1-5, with scores of 3, 4, and 5 considered as eligible for college credit for the course.

Here is the distribution of AP exams taken by students in districts across the state of Idaho.



With just over 9% of Idaho's student population, Boise students took over a third of the state AP exams in 2012-13. Meridian and Boise students took over half of the state exams. Here are the largest number of exams given in Idaho districts.



However, since Boise and Meridian are the largest districts in the state, the charts above do not accurately reflect participation rates. Since juniors and seniors take most of the AP exams, here is a chart showing the highest rates of AP participation among juniors and seniors across the state.




When viewed in terms of junior and senior participation, McCall and Blaine County, two relatively small Idaho districts, have the highest rates, along with Boise. Five other districts are above 20% participation.

Finally, what about the percentage of exams taken across in the state that are eligible for college credit? Madison and Sandpoint had the highest passing percentages in 2012-13. Sandpoint gave 156 exams, and Madison 117.