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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 97-1917

NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Guidelines for Performance Funding for Pennsylvania Schools

[27 Pa.B. 6243]

   Incentive awards for schools that significantly improve in student achievement or effort will be made after the 1998 administration of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). The results of these tests will be available at the conclusion of the 1997-98 school year, and the resultant incentive awards will be made shortly thereafter. This program will utilize more than $10.4 million in school performance funding appropriated in the 1997-98 budget. All 3,504 public schools may be eligible to receive funds based on their performance. Individual school performance will be considered in two broad categories: achievement and effort.

   School achievement will be determined by improvement on the Statewide PSSA. Scores in 1998 and beyond will be compared with a school's baseline of PSSA which is the average of their 1996 and 1997 scores. A demonstrable increase, estimated to be at least 50 points in total points on the combined school average reading and math assessments, will determine whether or not a school qualifies for an award. The exact minimum increase to qualify for school performance funding will be determined based on analyses of school performance data as they become available.

   School effort will be determined by improvement in school attendance. School attendance rates are currently listed on each school's annual school profile. A 2-year student attendance history (1995-96 and 1996-97), a baseline, is available for every school. This baseline will be compared to the 1997-98 student attendance rate. For high schools, graduation rate will also be considered for future years. While the Department of Education (Department) maintains data on both measures, at present the dropout data is unreliable. The Department, as part of the school performance funding program, will begin collecting graduation rate data (for high schools only) by school in a more reliable manner starting in the 1997-98 school year. Four years will be required to establish a reliable baseline for graduation rate. Starting in the 2002-2003 school year, a school effort measurement to gauge improvement in both school attendance and graduation rates will be available. For the first 4 years of the school performance funding program, a demonstrable increase estimated to be at least a 0.75% increase in average daily attendance over the baseline will determine whether or not a school qualifies for an award. The exact % will be determined based on studies of school attendance and graduation rates.

   Area Vocational-Technical Schools (AVTSs) are included in the program with slightly different school performance measures. The school effort criteria, student attendance rate and graduation rate as described, are the same as in all public schools. The achievement component, however, is tailored to the occupational mission of AVTSs. AVTS occupational competency will be determined by student performance on a Statewide occupational competency test (required by recently revised Charter 6 of State Board of Education Regulations). The SOCAT/NOCTI occupational competency performance tests will be used. After a 2-year baseline of AVTS performance on these tests, an improvement score for the achievement portion of school performance funding for AVTSs will be available in 2000-2001. While the Statewide occupational competency test is being installed and a 2-year data base developed, employment related to training will be used as an interim measure for occupational competency. This will be determined by the use of an annual Secondary School Completer Survey. To qualify for an achievement improvement funding award, an AVTS must achieve a minimum of a 4% improvement in rate of job related placement for its graduates of 1997-98 compared to its graduates of 1995-96 and 1996-97 averaged to form a 2-year baseline.***

Awards

   Schools that attain a demonstrable increase (estimated to be 50 combined points on the PSSA tests) in student achievement will receive awards of between $4 and $25 per student depending on the level of increase over the estimated minimum of 50 points.* Schools that attain a demonstrable increase in effort will receive an incentive payment of between $4 and $35.50 per student depending on the level of increase over the estimated 0.75% increase.** AVTSs that attain a demonstrable increase (estimated to be 4 percentage points in their rate of job-related placement) will receive awards of between $8 and $20 per student depending on the level of increase over the estimated minimum increase of 4%. Schools have up to 3 years to accomplish significant increases in their achievement or effort data. After 3 years without a significant increase, a new baseline or point of comparison will be established for the school. If a school's performance decreases after receiving a performance award, the school will not qualify for performance funding again until the original highest level in both achievement and effort scores has been reattained.

   * Increasing levels of achievement improvement will be awarded based on combined increases of 10 additional points above the demonstrable difference level. For example, if a 50 point increase in combined school raw score on PSSA is ascertained to be of demonstrable significance ($4 per student), then each additional increase of 10 points above this in a given year would receive an additional $1 of funding per student in the school.

   ** If a 0.75% increase in student attendance is ascertained to be a demonstrable increase ($4 per student), then each additional increase of 0.25% in a given school year would receive an additional $1.50 per student in the school.

   *** If a 4% increase in student job-related placement is ascertained to a demonstrable increase ($8 per student), then each additional increase of 1% in a given school would receive an additional $2 per student in the AVTS.

EUGENE W. HICKOK,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 97-1917. Filed for public inspection November 28, 1997, 9:00 a.m.]


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