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Understanding the Parent Dashboard

Glossary of Terms

Average Class Size

How many students will be in your child’s classes?

Average Class Size is the average number of students in a particular class. Students who are taking the class out of their grade level (grade 11 students taking a grade 10 math class) are not included.

School Climate

A positive school climate promotes school safety, student self-esteem, emotional well-being, mental health, and lower incidences of substance abuse, student absenteeism, and suspensions. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) continues to promote the following initiatives to foster student engagement and thereby increase student achievement, safety, and wellness.

  • Dignity for All Students Act
  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Mental Health Education
  • Trauma Sensitive Schools
  • Restorative Practices and Reducing Exclusionary Discipline
  • School Climate Survey Pilot

School Safety indicates the safety of the school’s environment based on reported incidents.

Additional Data Related to School Climate:

Student Attendance

What percentage of students attended school on the days the school was open?

Student attendance is defined as the number of students that attended school each day the school was open divided by the number of students that were supposed to attend school each day the school was open. 

Student Suspensions

What percentage of students were suspended from school at least one full day during the school year?

The student suspension rate is defined as the number of students suspended from school at least one full day divided by the number of students enrolled during the school year.

Chronic Absenteeism

What percentage of students were absent 10 percent or more of the days they were enrolled in school?

A student who meets the following criteria is defined as being chronically absent from school:

  • The student is enrolled in school for at least 10 days and attends school at least one of those days.
  • The student is absent at least 10 percent of the days they were enrolled.

Chronic Absenteeism is calculated for grades 1-8 separately from high school (grades 9-12).

Graduation Rate

What percentage of students graduated from your child’s high school?

The graduation rate is the percentage of students who entered grade 9 in the same school year who earned a local or Regents diploma four years later. The New York State Education Department also reports the percentage of students who earned a local or Regents diploma five and six years later.

4, 5, and 6-Year Graduation Rates (June and August)
Cohort Graduation Rate
2015 4-year June Cohort 64%
2015 4-year August Cohort 68%
2014 5-year June Cohort 70%
2014 5-year August Cohort 71%
2013 5-year June Cohort 71%
2013 5-year August Cohort 71%

College, Career, and Civic Readiness (CCCR)

How well is your child’s school preparing students for life beyond high school?

College, Career, and Civic Readiness is an indication of how well the school has prepared its students for life beyond high school, including how well they are prepared to be involved in activities important to being a productive citizen, whether they plan to attend college or get a job after high school. A school is awarded a level of 1-4 for how well it prepares its students for life beyond high school, with 4 being the highest level a school can earn.

Test Scores

How do students at your child’s school perform on New York State tests?

Students in New York State take standardized assessments (tests) in English language arts and mathematics in grades 3-8, science in grades 4 and 8, and high school exams (Regents exams) in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. The tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the learning standards that guide classroom instruction and help to ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school with the critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning skills needed for success in college and the modern workplace. Students are assigned a performance level based on how well they do on the tests, with 4 being the highest level a student can earn. Level 1 is considered not proficient, Level 2 is partially proficient, Level 3 is proficient, and Level 4 is advanced proficient.

New York State Assessments (Tests) Performance Levels
Performance Level Description

Level 4

Advanced Proficient

Level 3

Proficient

Level 2

Partially Proficient

Level 1

Not Proficient

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability Designations

How does the state identify what schools are doing well and what they need to do to improve?

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has established a new set of indicators to measure school performance. NYSED developed these indicators with the input of thousands of people statewide—parents, educators, and experts.

The accountability system classifies schools into one of three categories: In Good Standing, a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school, or a Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school. Both CSI and TSI schools are eligible for additional support.

School District Designations
Good Standing District Target District
A district in Good Standing demonstrates success in all performance goals. Districts that struggled to prepare some of their student subgroups on some or all indicators are identified as Target Districts.

 

School Designations
Good Standing School Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) School Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) School
Schools that successfully prepared their students are considered in Good Standing. Schools that struggled to prepare all of their students with some or all indicators of success. Schools that struggled to prepare certain subgroups (such as students with disabilities or certain racial/ethnic groups) but not all of their students with some or all indicators of success.

This classification system is all about achieving equity. By identifying schools that need the most attention, NYSED and school districts can focus resources on these schools.

If your child’s school has been identified as a CSI school, several steps will happen:

  • Your school will conduct an assessment and develop a school improvement plan.
  • Once approved by the district and the state, the improvement plan will be implemented.
  • Your school will ensure that parents and students have opportunities to help decide how some school funds are spent or engage in other activities that give voice to students and parents.
  • If your school does not improve, additional actions will be required.

If your child’s school has been identified as a TSI school, several steps will happen:

  • Your school will conduct an assessment and develop a school improvement plan.
  • Once approved by the district, the improvement plan will be implemented.
  • Your school will survey parents, teachers, and students every year.
  • If your school does not improve after several years, your school could be classified as CSI.

Read the Accountability Fact Sheet for Parents for more information.


Frequently Asked Questions

Need more information? Find answers to common questions about the Parent Dashboard.