GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

H                                                                                                                                                   D

HOUSE DRH30240-MK-59A  (2/3)

Short Title:        Modify School Performance Grades.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Representative Glazier.
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to increase the weight of school growth in the CALCULATION of school performance grades.

Whereas, no single grade can accurately describe school performance because there are multiple indicators of a school's performance; and

Whereas, issuing a single grade to a school oversimplifies the complexity of measuring a school's success; and

Whereas, the school performance grading system is redundant because there are existing reporting measures of school performance, such as state accreditation ratings, federal accountability requirements, and school and school division report cards; and

Whereas, labeling even a poorly performing school as an "F" can have unintended consequences, including making it difficult to recruit high‑quality teachers to improve a school's performance, and create long‑lasting, detrimental effects for a school's students, parents, and school personnel; and

Whereas, the school performance grading system may result in the assignment of lower grades that more heavily correlate to schools in poorer communities, which inadequately reflects student growth in those schools; and

Whereas, several other states that have adopted the school performance grading model have significantly modified, delayed, or proposed to eliminate the school performance grading system; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑83.15(d) reads as rewritten:

"(d)      Calculation of the School Performance Scores and Grades. – The State Board of Education shall use EVAAS to calculate the school performance score by adding the school achievement score, as provided in subsection (b) of this section, and the school growth score, as provided in subsection (c) of this section, earned by a school. The school achievement score shall account for eighty percent (80%),fifty percent (50%), and the school growth score shall account for twenty percent (20%)fifty percent (50%) of the total sum. If a school has met expected growth and inclusion of the school's growth score reduces the school's performance score and grade, a school may choose to use the school achievement score solely to calculate the performance score and grade. For all schools, the total school performance score shall be converted to a 100‑point scale and used to determine a school performance grade based on the following scale:

(1)        A school performance score of at least 90 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of A.

(2)        A school performance score of at least 80 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of B.

(3)        A school performance score of at least 70 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of C.

(4)        A school performance score of at least 60 is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of D.

(5)        A school performance score of less than 60 points is equivalent to an overall school performance grade of F."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.