NCLB SPAR 2007: Landmark Middle School

Landmark Middle School

256

NCLB SCHOOL PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
2007-2008

The School Public Accountability Report contains several types of data (indicators) designed to inform parents and the general public about the progress of Florida's public schools. This report meets the public reporting requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and includes certain additional information of interest on the status of Florida's schools.

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS

October membership

The following table provides information on the composition of the student population at the school, district, and state levels.

Racial/ Ethnic Group	Number of Students Enrolled in October		School %		District %		State %
	Female	Male	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07
WHITE	272	236	40.8	45.1	40.9	42.3	45.9	46.8
BLACK	195	258	36.4	33.7	44.2	43.6	23.1	23.1
HISPANIC	46	56	8.2	6.4	6.7	6.4	24.7	24.2
ASIAN	41	46	7.0	8.3	3.9	3.7	2.4	2.3
AMERICAN INDIAN	2	3	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3
MULTIRACIAL	41	48	7.2	6.2	4.2	3.8	3.6	3.3
DISABLED	65	113	14.3	12.2	14.3	14.8	14.4	14.7
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED	191	214	32.6	28.5	39.0	41.4	45.9	45.4
ELL	25	19	3.5	4.6	4.1	4.2	11.9	11.8
MIGRANT	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.7
FEMALE	597		48.0	46.0	49.5	49.3	48.7	48.6
MALE		647	52.0	54.0	50.5	50.7	51.3	51.4
TOTAL	1244		100	100	100	100	100	100

STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Florida's students are expected to compete at the highest levels nationally and internationally and become prepared to make well-reasoned, thoughtful, and healthy lifelong decisions.

Standardized Tests

Although test scores should not be used to draw absolute conclusions about student learning and performance, they provide measured results of student progress toward educational goals. The tests administered to Florida students are described below.

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)

The FCAT measures student performance in writing, reading, and mathematics. The FCAT has two main parts: one part consisting of tests that measure skills prescribed by the Sunshine State Standards and the other part consisting of norm-referenced tests that rank student performance on a percentile basis.

Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities

An alternate assessment for students with disabilities is a performance-based assessment designed to evaluate the progress of students with disabilities on the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma measures. Alternate assessments are used with students whose demonstrated cognitive functioning ability prevents them from achieving the Sunshine State Standards and who require extensive direct instruction in the areas of domestic, community living, leisure, and vocational activities. Alternate assessments for students with disabilities are given for writing/communication, reading, and math.

Alternate Assessments for Students who are English Language Learners

Students who are English Language Learners (ELL) and who have been in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program for less than one year may be individually exempted from the FCAT. In these limited circumstances, locally developed alternate assessments are used to evaluate the academic performance of the student. Alternate assessments for ELL students are given for writing, reading, and math.

I. FCAT Sunshine State Standards Tests

The FCAT Sunshine State Standards (SSS) tests measure student performance on selected benchmarks defined by the Sunshine State Standards. Students who take an alternate assessment have their results reported in categorical classifications that include the designation of ''Proficient'' so that their performance is counted with those of other students.

Note.

Assessment results on the following tables reflect FCAT Sunshine State Standards data combined with alternate assessment data. Results show proficiency attainment for students who were in attendance during both semesters of the school year.

Writing Assessment

For this assessment, students are given 45 minutes to read their assigned topic, plan what to write, and then write their responses. Scores range from 1.0 (lowest) to 6.0 (highest). Alternate assessments have been merged with the FCAT scores for reporting purposes.

Writing Assessment Results (Sunshine State Standards and Alternate Assessments)
	Percent of Students Scoring 3 and Above
	School		District		State
	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07
ALL STUDENTS	98	98	91	92	92	93
WHITE	98	99	93	94	94	94
BLACK	96	97	90	90	90	90
HISPANIC		93	89	89	91	91
ASIAN		100	94	94	95	96
AMERICAN INDIAN		100	95	93	93	94
MULTIRACIAL*		95	93	93	94	94
DISABLED	96	94	73	71	76	75
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED	94	98	88	88	89	89
ELL		96	79	81	81	83
MIGRANT*					85	84
FEMALE*	99	99	94	95	95	95
MALE*	96	98	88	89	89	90

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

Reading and Mathematics Assessment

On the FCAT SSS reading and mathematics tests, students can attain one of five possible achievement levels, ranging from Level 1 (lowest) to Level 5 (highest).

Student Achievement Level Descriptions

Level 5: Performance at this level indicates that the student has success with the most challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards. A Level 5 student answers most of the test questions correctly, including the most challenging questions.

Level 4: Performance at this level indicates that the student has success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards. A Level 4 student answers most of the test questions correctly, but may only have some success with questions that reflect the most challenging content.

Level 3: Performance at this level indicates that the student has partial success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards, but performance is inconsistent. A Level 3 student answers many of the test questions correctly, but is generally less successful with questions that are the most challenging.

Level 2: Performance at this level indicates that the student has limited success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards.

Level 1: Performance at this level indicates that the student has little success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards.

Results of alternate assessments have been merged with the FCAT scores for reporting purposes.

Reading Assessment Results (Sunshine State Standards and Alternate Assessments)
	Percent of Students Scoring at Level 3 and Above
	School			District			State
	2007-08 Results	State Objective	% Not Tested	2007-08 Results	State Objective	% Not Tested	2007-08 Results	State Objective	% Not Tested
ALL STUDENTS	56	58	0	57	58	2	60	58	3
WHITE	64	58	1	71	58	2	71	58	3
BLACK	45	58	0	43	58	3	42	58	3
HISPANIC		58	1	55	58	2	53	58	2
ASIAN		58	1	71	58	1	75	58	2
AMERICAN INDIAN		58		69	58	4	64	58	3
MULTIRACIAL*		58	1	68	58	1	68	58	3
DISABLED	23	58	1	33	58	4	34	58	4
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED	44	58	0	45	58	2	48	58	2
ELL		58	0	33	58	2	37	58	2
MIGRANT*		58			58		36	58	3
FEMALE*	57	58	1	59	58	2	62	58	2
MALE*	56	58	0	55	58	2	58	58	3

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

Mathematics Assessment Results (Sunshine State Standards and Alternate Assessments)
	Percent of Students Scoring at Level 3 and Above
	School			District			State
	2007-08 Results	State Objective	% Not Tested	2007-08 Results	State Objective	% Not Tested	2007-08 Results	State Objective	% Not Tested
ALL STUDENTS	60	62	1	60	62	2	66	62	3
WHITE	70	62	1	74	62	2	76	62	3
BLACK	42	62	0	45	62	3	47	62	3
HISPANIC		62	3	59	62	2	61	62	2
ASIAN		62	2	80	62	1	85	62	2
AMERICAN INDIAN		62		70	62	4	71	62	3
MULTIRACIAL*		62	1	68	62	1	70	62	3
DISABLED	33	62	1	33	62	4	38	62	4
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED	45	62	1	47	62	2	54	62	2
ELL		62	9	42	62	2	47	62	2
MIGRANT*		62			62		49	62	3
FEMALE*	57	62	1	60	62	2	66	62	2
MALE*	62	62	1	61	62	3	66	62	3

* Indicates subgroups not included as separate sub-populations in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculation.

For additional FCAT information, refer to 256SPAR-Y0708.pdf.

For 'Students Scoring at Each FCAT Achievement Level', refer to 256SPAR-Y0708B.pdf.

Assessment Results by Grade: Percent Scoring at Level 3 or Above

(FCAT Sunshine State Standards and Alternate Assessments)

	Reading
	School		District		State
	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07
Grade 6	61	64	61	59	64	62
Grade 7	65	69	63	60	65	63
Grade 8	44	49	48	47	54	49

	Mathematics
	School		District		State
	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07
Grade 6	50	41	46	43	53	51
Grade 7	55	67	55	52	61	60
Grade 8	74	71	64	63	67	63

II. FCAT Norm-Referenced Test (NRT)

The FCAT NRT measures student achievement on a test that was given to a national sample of students. Percentile scores on a norm-referenced test show a student's performance in relation to the performance of students in the national sample. For example, a score in the 60th percentile means the student has scored higher than 60% of the students in the national sample.

NRT Reading, Mathematics

The median national percentile rank (NPR) represents the middle percentile score of the students for whom results are presented. A median NPR of 50 equals the national average.

NRT READING	Number Tested	Median National Percentile Rank
NRT READING	School	School	District	State
Grade 6	425	61	59	65
Grade 7	371	70	66	70
Grade 8	396	64	63	68

NRT MATHEMATICS	Number Tested	Median National Percentile Rank
NRT MATHEMATICS	School	School	District	State
Grade 6	424	65	63	71
Grade 7	372	67	67	72
Grade 8	398	75	71	74

SCHOOL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

Schools and communities must provide an environment that is drug free and protects the health, safety, and civil rights of everyone in the school.

School environmental safety: reported incidents*

The most recent full-year school-level data on reported incidents is available at the Florida School Indicators Report website at http://data.fldoe.org/fsir. (See Incidents of Crime and Violence)
District-level reports are available at http://www.fldoe.org/safeschools/sesir.asp

School Evaluation for Unsafe School Choice Option Requirements, Preliminary Evaluation

The No Child Left Behind Act provides for an Unsafe School Choice Option, which ensures that students who attend a school that has been identified as persistently dangerous are allowed the option of attending another school within the same district. For the 2007-08 school year, no Florida public school was identified as persistently dangerous.*

* pending review of complete full year data.

TEACHERS AND STAFF

New Staff

The table shows the number and percentage of instructional staff and school-based administrators who were newly hired at this school in 2007-08.

Staff Type	Total Number for 2007-08	Number Newly Hired for 2007-08	School %	District %	State %
Instructional Staff	75	2	2.7	19.9	19.6
School-Based Administrators	4	0	0.0	23.8	20.1
Total	79	2	2.5	20.1	19.7

The Professional Qualifications of Teachers

Degree Level

This table shows the number and percentage of teachers at each degree level.

Degree Level	Number	School %		District %		State %
Degree Level	Number	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07	2007-08	2006-07
Bachelor's Degree	57	79.2	79.3	71.6	71.6	66.0	66.1
Master's Degree	14	19.4	17.4	26.9	27.1	30.9	31.1
Specialist's Degree	1	1.4	2.2	0.6	0.5	2.1	1.9
Doctorate	0	0.0	1.1	1.0	0.8	1.0	0.9
Total	72	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0

Percentage of Teachers Teaching with Emergency or Provisional Credentials

Florida has no non-certified teachers, although some teachers may be temporarily assigned to areas outside their field of specialization. Data on classes taught by teachers out of field is provided in the following table.

In-Field and Out-of-Field Teachers

The following chart shows the percentage of core academic classes taught by teachers teaching in-field compared to the percentage of classes taught by teachers teaching out-of-field. When a teacher in a district school system is assigned teaching duties in a class dealing with subject matter that is outside the field in which the teacher is certified, outside the field that was the applicant's minor field of study, or out of the field in which the applicant demonstrated sufficient subject area expertise, as determined by district school board policy in the subject area to be taught, that teacher is teaching out-of-field. Core academic subjects are English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography.

	School %	District %	State %
Percentage of Classes with Teachers Teaching In-Field	83.4	73.6	91.2
Percentage of Classes with Teachers Teaching Out-of-Field	16.6	26.4	8.8

Classes Not Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers

The chart below shows the percentage of classes not taught by ''Highly Qualified Teachers'' in core academic subjects as defined in federal statute. A ''highly qualified teacher'' has earned at least a bachelor's degree and holds a Florida teaching certificate with appropriate certification for each core academic area of assignment. Core academic subjects are English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography.

	School %	District %			State %
	School %	All Schools	High Poverty Schools*	Low Poverty Schools*	All Schools	High Poverty Schools*	Low Poverty Schools*
Classes Not Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers	13	19.1	20	18.5	9.1	10.1	8.8

* High poverty schools are schools ranking in the top 25% of schools based on the percentage of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. Low poverty schools rank in the bottom quartile of schools based on free/reduced-price lunch eligibility. That is, low poverty schools have the lowest enrollment in free/reduced-price lunch as a percentage of total membership. Revised: 9/25/07

2007-08 School Performance Grade*: B

*Certain school grades may be subject to modification pending appeal.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is based primarily on student FCAT performance, the graduation rate (for high schools), and the school performance grade.

Basic AYP requirements are as follows:

A school must test at least 95% of students in each subgroup.

A school with less than 90% of the membership scoring 3 or above in FCAT Writing must demonstrate at least a 1% increase in the percentage of students proficient in writing vs. the previous year (based on percentages rounded to whole numbers.

High schools with graduation rates less than 85% must demonstrate at least a 1% increase in the graduation rate vs. the previous year.

The school must have a performance grade other than D or F.

Students in every subgroup must achieve proficiency targets in FCAT Reading and Math

The following chart shows whether the School, District and State achieved AYP.

	School %	District %	State %
Achieved AYP	N	N	N

Key:
	N	Did not make AYP.
	Y	Made AYP.
	T	School Too Small.

	I	Incomplete.

For more detailed information about this school’s AYP, refer to 256AYP-Y0708.pdf.


A.	Notice of School Improvement Status and Options
	School districts are responsible for identifying Title I schools that fail to make AYP in consecutive years as schools in need of improvement (SINI). School districts must notify parents when their child's school has been identified for school improvement, for corrective action, or for restructuring. The school district must also include explanation of the parents' option to transfer their child to another public school, with transportation provided when required, or to obtain supplemental educational services. Sec. 1116(b)(6)
	School improvement status is indicated by the school performance grade included herein and AYP status.

B.	State's Obligation to Assist Schools and Districts in Reporting
	The Department of Education shall ensure that each school district collects appropriate data and includes in each school's annual report the information included in the state annual report card as well as the number of schools identified for school improvement and how long the schools have been so identified. Sec. 1111(h)(2)(B).

C.	Notice of Local Education Agency (LEA) Improvement Status
	Parents of students attending a school in a district identified for improvement are entitled to know why the school district was identified for improvement. The State is responsible for providing an explanation to parents in an easily understood format. The explanation must include information on how parents can assist in the improvement efforts. Sec. 1116(c)(6).

Additional required information is included in the Adequate Yearly Progress Report.

Additional statistics and information of interest may be found in the Florida School Indicators Report on the department's website at http://www.fldoe.org or at http://data.fldoe.org/fsir.

Notice of Availability of School Financial ReportFor information on revenues and expenditures for your school and district, contact your local school board or your school's administrative office. An online listing of district offices is available at www.fldoe.org/eias/flmove/county.asp. A directory of schools is also available at www.fldoe.org/schools/schoolmap/flash/schoolmap_text.asp.

For additional information about this School Public Accountability Report, refer to 256SPAR-Y0708.pdf

Visits to DCPS SPAR documents in the 2008-2009 school year:

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NCLB SCHOOL PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT2007-2008

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS

October membership

STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Standardized Tests

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)

Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities

Alternate Assessments for Students who are English Language Learners

I. FCAT Sunshine State Standards Tests

Writing Assessment

Reading and Mathematics Assessment

Assessment Results by Grade: Percent Scoring at Level 3 or Above

(FCAT Sunshine State Standards and Alternate Assessments)

II. FCAT Norm-Referenced Test (NRT)

NRT Reading, Mathematics

SCHOOL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

School environmental safety: reported incidents*

School Evaluation for Unsafe School Choice Option Requirements, Preliminary Evaluation

TEACHERS AND STAFF

New Staff

The Professional Qualifications of Teachers

Degree Level

Percentage of Teachers Teaching with Emergency or Provisional Credentials

In-Field and Out-of-Field Teachers

Classes Not Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

NCLB SCHOOL PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
2007-2008