Education Law Center

Education Law Center

60 Park Place, Suite 300

Newark, New Jersey 07102

(973) 624-1815

TTY (973) 624-4618

Fax (973) 624-7339

http://www.edlawcenter.org

Abbott Indicators Project

Master List of Indicators

The following list is organized according to guiding questions within the four major components of the Abbott framework (Standards-based/Whole-School Reform, Preschool, Supplemental Programs, and Facilities).

K-12: Standards-Based/Whole School Reform

1)  Are all students in Kindergarten to grade 12 learning according to statewide standards?[1]

a.  Kindergarten through grade 2

i.  Early Language Assessment System scores

ii.  Terra Nova Edition 2 (NJ Custom Component), where available reading/language arts and mathematics

1.  Subtest mean scores

2.  % Scoring in lower and upper quartiles

iii.  Student attendance

b.  Grades 3-8[2]

i.  NJASK3-8, % scoring in proficiency categories

1.  language arts/ literacy subtest

2.  mathematics subtest.

ii.  Terra Nova Edition 2 (NJ Custom Component), where available reading/language arts and mathematics

1.  Subtest mean scores

iii.  % Scoring in lower and upper quartiles

iv.  Student attendance rates (average days absent)

c.  Grades 9-12

i.  % scoring “advanced proficient” and “proficient” on HSPA literacy subtest

ii.  % scoring “advanced proficient” and “proficient” on HSPA mathematics subtest

iii.  Student attendance rates (average number of days absent)

iv.  Graduation/dropoff rates (i.e., using 9th grade cohort)

v.  Suspension/expulsion rates

vi.  Postsecondary plans

1.  % of students taking college entrance exams (SAT)

2.  Performance on college entrance exams (mean scores)

2)  Do our schools provide high-quality instruction in a range of content areas adequate to ensure that students can meet content standards?

a.  Frequency distribution, maximum, and median class size

i.  Standard: 21 in K-3

ii.  Standard: 23 in grades 4 and 5

iii.  Standard: 24 in grades 6-12

b.  Whole School Reform Model

i.  Model

1.  Reason for adoption

2.  Did the school assess the model’s adequacy with respect to helping students meet curriculum standards?

a.  What was the assessment?

b.  What, if anything, was done to address deficiencies within the model?

ii.  Year adopted

1.  Is this original model adopted?

2.  If not, what was old model?

iii.  Year ended

1.  If no model currently in use, who are the most frequently used professional development and/or TA providers?

c.  Total daily instruction time

d.  Curriculum development

i.  Who is involved in curriculum adoption?

ii.  Inputs to curriculum adoption

1.  Student performance

2.  Teacher input

3.  Content standards

4.  NJDOE content guidelines

iii.  In each content area, and at each grade level, how long ago (on average) were the curricula currently being implemented originally adopted?

iv.  How frequently are curricula reviewed (and if developed in-house, how frequently are they developed)?

v.  How do you ensure alignment of curricula across grade levels?

1.  In what ways are teachers prepared to facilitate a seamless transition for students between grades?

vi.  WSR model fidelity rating (given by developer)

e.  Reading

i.  Daily 90-minute reading blocks? (K-3)

ii.  Instructional time (Grades 4-8)

iii.  % of students taking AP English (High school)

1.  Demographics (race/ethnicity, gender, SES)

2.  What are the criteria for AP course eligibility?

f.  Math

i.  Daily math instruction time (K-8)

ii.  % of students taking the following pre-college sequences in following classes:

1.  Geometry

2.  Algebra I and II

3.  Calculus

4.  AP Calculus

a.  Demographics (race/ethnicity, gender, SES)

b.  What are the criteria for AP course eligibility?

g.  Other

i.  Science

1.  Weekly instructional science time (K-5)

2.  % of students in following courses (Middle and high school)

a.  Biology

b.  Life sciences

c.  Chemistry

d.  Physics

e.  AP science

i.  Demographics (race/ethnicity, gender, SES)

ii.  What are the criteria for AP course eligibility?

ii.  World Languages

1.  Weekly instructional time (K-5)

2.  % of students enrolled in courses (Middle and high school)

a.  AP courses

b.  What are the criteria for AP course eligibility?

h.  Equipment and supplies

i.  Number of classes for which there are insufficient textbooks to enable each student to have his/her own

i.  Special education

i.  % Classified students in inclusionary programs

3)  Are our schools adequately and equitably funded?

a.  Total and per pupil budget by category (excluding ECPA, preschool and supplemental funding)

i.  District revenue sources by type (local revenue, parity aid, other state aid, Title I)

ii.  Per pupil expenditures by school

iii.  Difference between district request and budget final?

iv.  Results of district appeals, if any?

4)  Are our schools adequately staffed and supported?

a.  Student-teacher ratio

b.  Teacher race/ethnicity

c.  Average teacher tenure

i.  At current school

ii.  In general

d.  % Vacant teaching positions

e.  Teacher attendance (average days out)

f.  Teacher qualifications

i.  Teacher educational attainment (BA, MA, PhD – for middle and high school only)

g.  Professional Development and TA

i.  # of instructionally-linked, curriculum-specific training days

1.  Offered by whom (i.e., school, district, WSR developer, other)?

2.  # In-class coaching and modeling sessions

3.  Contracts in place with WSR developer for professional development and TA

4.  Trainings on WSR model, by type

ii.  Inputs to selecting professional development opportunities:

1.  Individual teacher evaluations

2.  Student achievement, and school and district goals

h.  Frequency of teacher networking and collaboration

i.  In content area meetings

1.  Meetings across school buildings

ii.  In grade level meetings

iii.  Schoolwide meetings to review achievement and identify need for additional expertise

i.  Other teacher supports

i.  Kindergarten teacher’s aide in each classroom

ii.  K-3 Early literacy: Instructional facilitator to coordinate professional development

5)  Do our schools and does our district have adequate and representative leadership?

a.  SLCs

i.  Representation of parents, certified and noncertified school staff, district staff/administrators, parents, social service providers, municipal officials, and institutions of higher education on SLC.

6)  Is the school improvement planning and review process comprehensive, participatory, and timely?

a.  SLC, principal, school staff, CSA, school board, parents, social service providers, and general public participation in budgeting and planning process:

i.  When in process?

ii.  Attendance at meetings

iii.  Do participants take a vote in budgeting and planning?

1.  What percent is required to pass?

7)  What student and family characteristics affect the nature and extent of services offered by the district? (repeated across indicator domains)

a.  Student mobility rate

b.  % Students that are English Language Learners (ELL)

c.  % Students classified w/disabilities, by type

d.  Students’ immigration status (% 1st or 2nd generation to country)

e.  % Eligible for free/reduced price lunch

f.  % Homeless

g.  % Migrant

h.  % of children in foster homes

8)  What conditions of living and learning in the community served by the district might affect children’s and youth’s readiness to learn?[3]

a.  % Of census tracts/city with female-headed households - no husband present

b.  % Of people living below poverty level

c.  Crime rate – Violent

d.  Crime rate - Non-violent

e.  Unemployment rate

f.  Participation in labor force

g.  Median property value

h.  Median income

i.  Housing Vacancy rate

j.  Rent-income ratio

k.  Teen pregnancy rates

Preschool Indicators

1.  Have preschool students developed the skills they will need to continue to learn and develop in Kindergarten?

a.  What methods are used to determine preschool students’ progress toward early childhood expectations?

b.  Outcome data to be disaggregated by provider/auspice and ELL:

i.  PPVT-III scores

ii.  ELAS scores

2.  How close is the district to achieving universal enrollment?

a.  # Providers, by type (district, Head Start, and other community providers)

b.  # of preschool classrooms

c.  # Half-, school-, and full-day programs

d.  # Extended year programs

e.  % 3- and 4-year-old population enrollment (Census/ASSA)

i.  By race/ethnicity

ii.  By age

iii.  Does the district maintain a waiting list and work off of it?

f.  Head Start inclusion as a percentage of estimated Head Start enrollment in the district

i.  Does district include Head Start inclusion plan in 3-year operational plan?

g.  Outreach activities

i.  Does the district have an annual recruitment plan?

ii.  Has the district identified parents of eligible children who are not enrolled in preschool?

3.  Is the district providing a “high-quality” preschool education to all eligible children?

a.  ECERS-R quality and subscale measures by provider

b.  Maximum and median class size (benchmark: 15)

c.  Curriculum

i.  Are the curricula adopted centrally or by providers?

ii.  How long ago were the curricula adopted?

iii.  How frequently are curricula reviewed (and if developed in-house, how frequently are they developed)?

d.  % Children with disabilities in inclusionary programs

e.  Activities to support preschoolers’ transition to Kindergarten for continuity of experience:

i.  Frequency of transition-focused Pre-K-K Meetings

ii.  What assessment is provided to kindergarten teachers about individual student performance (performance-based, other)?

f.  Does the district have policies, procedures and staff to ensure that children receive needed health and social services:

i.  Through direct service offered on-site?

ii.  Through referral and follow-up?

iii.  Annual caseload?

g.  Have transportation services been provided and for whom?

4.  Are the preschool programs adequately funded?

a.  Total and per-pupil preschool expenditures and funding disaggregated by instruction, administration, programs and services, facilities

5.  Are the preschool programs adequately staffed and supported?

a.  Student: teacher ratio

b.  # Aides

c.  Average teacher salary

d.  Average teacher tenure

i.  Total

ii.  In current position

e.  % Teachers with BA/BS

f.  % Teachers P-3 certified

g.  % of aides with CDA/CCP certification

h.  % of aides with high school diploma/GED

i.  % Aides with Associates’ degrees

j.  % Community providers with full-time family workers (1:45)

k.  Master teachers

i.  Ratio of master teachers to preschool classrooms (1:20)

ii.  Ratio of master teachers specializing in special education to children classified as eligible for special education (1:150)

iii.  Ratio of master teachers specializing in dual language education to bilingual classrooms (1:15)

l.  For the following positions, indicate whether they are provided directly or through the central office?

i.  # Bilingual teachers

ii.  # Bilingual aides

iii.  # Special education teachers

iv.  Nurses

m.  Student:nurse ratio

n.  Are preschool children with special needs getting the benefit of a qualified Child Study Team (CST) that can understand their needs and facilitate their educational progress?

i.  Annual caseload

o.  Does the school social worker have a specialty in early childhood?

p.  Teacher performance evaluation

i.  Performed by school or program administrator or central office?

ii.  How are preschool instructional and noninstructional staff evaluated?

q.  Professional development opportunities:

i.  What criteria are considered in the selection of professional development opportunities?

1)  Performance evaluation

2)  Early Education Expectations

3)  Other district or program goals

ii.  # of hours provided

iii.  Based on formal staff evaluation

iv.  Frequency of joint Pre-K-K professional development

6.  To what extent does the district’s ECEAC represent its stakeholders and participate in the district’s early childhood program planning and decision-making?

a.  Validated educational leadership score on district’s self-assessment validation system (SAVS)

b.  Early Childhood Education Advisory Council (ECEAC)

i.  Is ECEAC established?

ii.  What kind of training is provided to ECEAC members?

iii.  What are the qualifications of ECEAC members with respect to early childhood education?

iv.  Representation of parents, certified/noncertified staff, district staff, administrators, community preschool providers, Head Start directors, institutions of higher education, advocacy groups, social service providers on ECEAC

v.  Frequency of ECEAC meetings

7.  How well is program quality monitored and assessed?

a.  District self-evaluation

i.  Has the district completed DOE self-evaluation instrument?

b.  Provider contracts

i.  What contractual mechanisms exist to assure that program quality meets Early Childhood Expectations?

1)  Programs assessment mechanisms

2)  Professional development mechanisms

3)  Program improvement mechanisms

c.  What assessment has been done on the quality of curriculum implementation?

8.  What student and family-related characteristics might affect the nature and extent of services offered by the preschool program?

a.  % English Language Learners (ELLs)

b.  % Classified with disabilities

c.  % 1st or 2nd generation to country

d.  % Eligible for free/reduced price lunch

e.  % Homeless

f.  % Migrant

Supplemental Programs Indicators

1.  How physically, socially, and emotionally healthy are our children?

a.  School

i.  Absence rate due to illness/injuries

ii.  Absence rate due to family problems

iii.  Absence due to social problems

iv.  Student substance abuse rates

v.  Violence and vandalism rates

b.  Municipal

i.  Immunization rates

ii.  Child death

iii.  Teen death

iv.  Teen births

v.  Juvenile crime rates

vi.  Unduplicated, substantiated abuse and neglect cases

2.  Is the school providing programs and services to support students’ well-being and academic performance in accordance with demonstrated need?

a.  Family support team (elementary)

i.  Does the team comprise all of the professionals that are mandated to participate:

1)  % FTE School nurse

2)  % FTE Social worker

3)  % FTE Guidance counselor

4)  % FTE Parent liaison

5)  % FTE Instructional facilitator

ii.  Does the team identify student problems and respond whenever practical, and make referrals to community services, when necessary?

iii.  Is the workload of the family support team documented? (e.g. case management records)

iv.  School have on-site health clinic?

b.  % FTE Community services coordinator (secondary school)

i.  Does the coordinator coordinate student services, identify student needs, and establish a community referral system?

ii.  Is the workload of the community services coordinator documented? (e.g. case management records)

c.  Health and social services (middle and high school)

i.  School has on-site clinic

ii.  Nurse: student ratio

iii.  Guidance counselor: student ratio

iv.  Social worker: student ratio

v.  % FTE substance abuse coordinator

vi.  School has comprehensive substance abuse prevention program model

vii.  Pregnant and parenting students are provided with adequate alternative or special programs to meet their needs

d.  Nutrition program

i.  Includes full breakfast program?

ii.  Full lunch program?

iii.  After school snack program?

iv.  Enriched nutritional program (over and above federally-funded program)

e.  Full-day kindergarten

i.  Maximum and median class size

ii.  % FTE Aide

f.  Grades 1-12 frequency distribution of class sizes

g.  Intensive literacy

i.  (Non-SFA) Is there a defined reading program (what is it?)

ii.  (Non-SFA) Is program supported by WSR developer or other professional development provider?