A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Glossary

adequate yearly progress

The measure set by each state to assess performance of Title I schools and districts. The definition of adequate yearly progress will vary from state to state, and is expected to result in continuous and substantial yearly improvement of each school and local district sufficient to achieve the goal of all children served under Title I, particularly economically disadvantaged and limited-English-proficient children, meeting the state's proficient and advanced levels of performance.

alignment

Alignment refers to agreement between two measures. In the case of standards and assessments, alignment refers to assessments measuring what standards are set regarding what students should know and do and at what level they should perform.

baseline

A source of information that serves as a base for future measurement; a course of progress.

benchmarks

A basis on which comparisons of achievement, organization, and processes at various levels (within a system, similar group, or nation) are made.

comprehensive reform efforts

Efforts of schools, districts, and states to meet the needs of all students, particularly those in high-poverty schools served by Title I.

content standards

Broad descriptors of the knowledge and skills students should achieve in a particular academic subject area. The knowledge includes the most important and enduring ideas, concepts, issues, dilemmas, and information of the subject area. The skills include the ways of thinking, working, communicating, reasoning, and investigating that characterize that subject area.

continuous improvement

Continuous improvement refers to self-regulating systems that use internally or externally generated signals to monitor progress toward some end state or goal.

criterion referenced tests

Standardized tests that compare a student's performance to clearly identified learning tasks or skill levels. The basis of comparison is to a body of content knowledge and skills.

eligible school attendance area

A school attendance area where the percentage of children from low-income families is at least as high as the percentage of children from low-income families in the local education agency as a whole.

norm referenced tests

Standardized tests that compare a student's performance against that of other test-takers. Norms are obtained by administering the test to a given population (the norm group) and then calculating means, standard deviations, standardized scores, and percentiles.

performance assessment

Performance assessments require students to undertake an action or create a product that demonstrates their knowledge or skills. Performance assessment can take many different forms, including writing short essays, doing mathematical computations, conducting an experiment, presenting an oral argument, or assembling a portfolio of representative work. Performance assessment requires the student to produce an answer rather than simply to select one from an array of multiple choice answers.

performance indicators

A measure that shows the degree to which key processes achieve a desired level of performance for the educational system. Performance indicators convey judgments about the adequacy of educational objectives or the quality of educational processes. Performance indicator systems monitor progress in achieving program goals and contribute to improvements by assessing implementation in terms of achieving desired objectives of the critical program processes.

performance standards

Concrete examples of what students have to know and be able to do to demonstrate that they are proficient in the knowledge and skills framed by the content standards. Performance standards identify levels of achievement in each subject matter set out in the content standards.

pull-out model of instruction

Method of instruction in which students are removed from their regular classroom setting, typically for small group instruction.

school attendance area

A geographical area where children who are normally served by a school reside.

school improvement

A school that is identified by the local district for school improvement is one served under Title I, Part A, that for two consecutive years has not made adequate progress or has failed to meet the criteria established by the state through the state's transitional procedure.

school-parent compacts

The Title I school-parent compact is a written agreement developed jointly with the parents and the school to help children achieve to state standards. It is an agreement that outlines goals, expectations, and shared responsibilities of schools and parents, and it aids discussions between teachers and parents about how to improve school performance.

school profiles

School profiles, often referred to as "report cards," monitor and publicize local school performance. School profiles report on how well students are doing compared to standards of performance that have been set.

schoolwide programs

Schoolwide programs may be conducted in Title I schools with at least 60 percent poverty during 1995-96, or 50 percent poverty in subsequent years. These schools may combine Part A funds with other federal, state, and local funds to serve all children and to upgrade their entire educational program.

state assessments

State assessments consist of processes used to determine or estimate what students know and can do and how much they have learned. Under Title I, states use yearly assessments that measure performance in at least mathematics and reading/language arts. Assessments can include tests, student learning demonstrations, teacher observations, professional judgments, and other indicators such as attendance, graduation rates, and surveys.

targeted assistance programs

Title I schools that either are not eligible or choose not to conduct schoolwide programs. Targeted assistance schools serve only those students who are identified by the school as failing or at risk of failing to meet the state's standards, on the basis of local district or school established criteria.

valid and reliable assessments

Assessments that are consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical standards.

[Section 7: Plans for Evaluating Title I]

[References]