DSSF RefGuide 16-17 11-16-16

DELAWARE SCHOOL SUCCESS
FRAMEWORK
REFERENCE GUIDE FOR
SCHOOL YEAR 2016-2017
Updated: November 16, 2016
Prepared by:
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
STATE OF DELAWARE
OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Steven H. Godowsky, Ed.D.
Secretary of Education
Karen Field Rogers
Deputy Secretary of Education
Amelia Hodges, Ed.D.
Adult Education & School Supports
Angeline Willen Rivello
Teacher & Leader Effectiveness
Michael Watson
Chief Academic Officer
DELAWARE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dr. Teri Quinn Gray, President
Nina Lou Bunting, Vice President
Mr. Gregory B. Coverdale, Jr., Board Member
Mr. G. Patrick Heffernan, Board Member
Mr. Jorge L. Melendez, Vice President
Mrs. Barbara B. Rutt, Board Member
Dr. Terry M Whittaker, Board Member
Ms. Donna Johnson, Executive Director
Dr. Steven H. Godowsky, Executive Secretary
The Delaware Department of Education is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status,
disability, age, genetic information, or veterans status in employment, or its programs and activities.
Table of Contents
1.0
1.1
1.1
1.2
1.3
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.0
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
5.0
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
6.0
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
7.0
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
Overview of Document .................................................................................................. 1

Introduction to the Delaware School Success Framework (DSSF) ............................... 1
Calculation and Aggregation Rules .............................................................................. 3
Accountability Student Verification (ASV) Process ....................................................... 5
DSSF Contact Information ........................................................................................... 5
DSSF Academic Achievement Overview ..................................................................... 6
Metrics Definition ......................................................................................................... 6
Sources of Academic Achievement Data ..................................................................... 6
Academic Achievement Business Rules ...................................................................... 6
Participation Business Rules ........................................................................................ 8
DSSF Growth Metric Overview ..................................................................................... 9
Metric Definition ........................................................................................................... 9
Sources of Growth Data ............................................................................................... 9
Growth Business Rules ................................................................................................ 9
DSSF On-Track-to-Graduation Metric Overview.........................................................11
Metric Definition ..........................................................................................................11
Sources of On-Track-to-Graduation Data....................................................................11
On-Track-to-Graduation Business Rules.....................................................................12
On-Track-to-Graduation Data Collection Specifications and Timelines .......................14
DSSF College and Career Preparation Metric Overview ............................................15
Metric Definition ..........................................................................................................15
Sources of College and Career Preparation Data .......................................................15
College and Career Preparation Business Rules ........................................................16
College and Career Preparation Data Collection Specifications and Timelines ...........18
DSSF Context Measures Overview .............................................................................19
Measure Definition ......................................................................................................19
Sources of Context Measures Data ............................................................................19
Context Measures Business Rules .............................................................................19
Context Measures Data Collection Specifications and Timelines ................................21
DSSF Accountability Ratings Rules ............................................................................22
Star Ratings by Metric Area ........................................................................................25
Additional Aggregation Rules ......................................................................................25
Non-Standard School Metric Weighting Business Rules .............................................26
Examples of Accountability Rating Calculation............................................................27
Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

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8.0
8.1
Accountability Student Verification Process..............................................................29

Business Rules for Creation of AVS Rosters...............................................................29
Reference Page .......................................................................................................................31

Appendix Student Growth Model for School Accountability
History of Changes .................................................................................................................36

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1.0
Overview of Document
The purpose of this document is to provide a reference guide to help school and district officials
understand the components of the Delaware School Success Framework (DSSF) and how the
components are aggregated to produce final accountability ratings.
This document is organized into the following eight sections:
DSSF Overview an overview of the DSSF as a whole.
Academic Achievement Metric Overview details of the metrics of the Academic

Achievement area of the DSSF index.
Growth Metric Overview details of the metrics of the Growth area of the DSSF index.
On-Track-to-Graduation Metric Overview details of the metrics of the On-Track-toGraduation area of the DSSF index.
College and Career Preparation Metric Overview details of the metrics of the College and
Career Preparation area of the DSSF index.
Context Measures Overview details of the measures included to provide additional context
for school performance.
Accountability Calculation Rules rules for the calculation and aggregation of the DSSF
index.
Accountability Student Verification (ASV) Process details the process used by districts and
schools to verify the students included in the accountability calculations.
1.1
Introduction to the Delaware School Success Framework (DSSF)
The DSSF is a comprehensive accountability system that measures and publicly reports on
multiple areas of school success. This document provides detailed descriptions of the metrics
included, the source of the data used, and method of aggregating the metrics to produce
accountability ratings.
Federal law requires a single statewide system of accountability and supports for all public
schools and districts. In the past, this was measured by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Recognizing that AYP does not honor the full complexity of school performance, the Delaware
Department of Education (DDOE) engaged with stakeholders across the state to devise a
comprehensive and authentic structure for measuring school, district, and state performance
that incorporates multiple metrics related to college and career readiness for all students.
Beginning in July 2014, a group of education stakeholders from across the state, known as the
Accountability Framework Working Group (AFWG), came together to develop and recommend
a new, multiple measure accountability system called the Delaware School Success Framework
(DSSF). The AFWG was made up of school and district leaders from across the state, a parent
representative, a teacher representative, and a representative from the State Board of
Education. The development of the DSSF was also aided by vast public input on what
Delaware residents wanted to see in a new accountability system. Delaware was the first state
in the nation to survey its residents for their perspectives on how best to measure school
performance. In addition to receiving feedback through four public Town Halls, DDOE received
over 6,000 responses on a statewide accountability survey. Responses from that survey
directly influenced the recommendations of the AFWG and also helped the state as it engaged
in a process to redesign its federally required school report cards. The AFWG completed its

Page 1 of 41
work in November 2015. Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, the DSSF replaced AYP for
all state and federal accountability.
1.1.1
Overview of the DSSF
The DSSF applies to all public schools, including charter schools and career technical schools
that are subject to the calculation and reporting of AYP as prescribed by the federal Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 20 U.S. C.A. 6301 et seq. and 14 DE Admin. Code 103
Accountability for Schools, Districts and the State. This Framework raises the expectations for
students, schools, and districts as it is focused on college and career readiness. The DSSF is
an index made up of four metric areas that include:
1. Academic Achievement
2. Growth
3. On-Track-to-Graduation
4. College and Career Preparation
These four metric areas are comprised of 9 individual elementary school (ES) and middle
school (MS) metrics and 11 individual high school (HS) metrics. The metrics are:
Proficiency in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies
Growth in ELA and mathematics
Growth to proficiency in ELA and mathematics (ES and MS only)
Average daily attendance (ES and MS only)
On track in 9th grade (HS only)
Graduation rate for 4-, 5-, and 6-year cohort (HS only)
Successful participation in a college or career experience while in high school, such as

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), dual enrollment, and technical
skill attainment (HS only)
Schools and districts receive ratings based on performance in each area (e.g., Academic
Achievement, Growth, On-Track-to-Graduation, and College and Career Preparation).
Individual student data is aggregated at the school and district levels to generate a numeric
score for each metric and metric area. Each of the metrics contributes a weighted value toward
the numeric score, which is then converted into a star value for each of the four metric areas.
Please refer to Section 7.1 Star Ratings by Metric Area for more details.
DDOE intends to use this single, improved system for all accountability determinations, thereby
reducing complexity for schools and districts and increasing public transparency.
1.1.2
Context Measures
In addition to the metrics that are used to determine a schools numeric accountability score, the
DSSF includes a few measures that do not contribute to a schools ratings calculations. They
provide additional context for school performance. These measures are referred to as Context
Measures.
Context Measures include:
School Environment Measures Data collected via a research-based survey of students,

parents, and teacher provides information on components of school success, including

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effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environment, and

ambitious instruction.
Narrative Reports A section where schools and districts provide information on their
programs.
Postsecondary Outcomes The percent of students who enroll in a postsecondary

institution within a year after high school graduation.
Student Gap Group The percent of students who are in a subgroup that has historically
demonstrated achievement gaps. This is an unduplicated count of students.
1.1
Calculation and Aggregation Rules
The metrics are aggregated on a 500-point scale reflecting different values for
elementary/middle and high schools. There is also a district-level aggregation for LEAs with
more than one school. Each metric area (e.g., Academic Achievement), will receive a star
rating from one to five stars based on the aggregated performance on metrics in that particular
area. The metrics weights and associated points are as follows:
Elementary/Middle School
Metric Area/Metrics
Academic Achievement
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Proficiency Social Studies
Growth
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
On-Track-to-Graduation
Average Daily Attendance
College and Career Preparation
Growth to Proficiency in ELA
Growth to Proficiency in Math
Total

Weight
30%
10%
10%
5%
5%
40%
20%
20%
10%
10%
20%
10%
10%
100%
Points
150
50
50
25
25
200
100
100
50
50
100
50
50
500
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High School
Metric Area/Metrics
Weight
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Growth
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
On-Track in 9th Grade
4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate
Total
25.0%
7.5%
7.5%
5.0%
5.0%
45.0%
22.5%
22.5%
20.0%
5.0%
10.0%
3.0%
2.0%
10.0%
10.0%
100.0%
Points
125.0
37.5
37.5
25.0
25.0
225.0
112.5
112.5
100.0
25.0
50.0
15.0
10.0
50.0
50.0
500.0
District
Metric Area/Metrics
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Growth
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
Total
Weight
27.5%
8.75%
8.75%
5.0%
5.0%
42.5%
21.25%
21.25%
15.0%
5.0%
2.5%
5.0%
1.5%
1.0%
15.0%
5.0%
5.0%
5.0%
100.0%

Points
137.5
43.75
43.75
25.0
25.0
212.5
106.25
106.25
75.0
25.0
12.5
25.0
7.5
5.0
75.0
25.0
25.0
25.0
500.0
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1.2
Accountability Student Verification (ASV) Process
To improve the accuracy and efficiency of calculating and releasing accountability data, DDOE
created a process to verify the students that are included when calculating metrics for a school
or districts accountability rating. This process is described in greater detail in Section 8.0
Accountability Student Verification Process.
1.3
DSSF Contact Information
For more information about the DSSF, please contact:

Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
[email protected]
(302)735-4090

Page 5
2.0
DSSF Academic Achievement Overview
The Academic Achievement metric area measures student performance in relation to gradelevel expectations. This area includes student performance data on statewide assessments in
four content areas: ELA, math, science, and social studies. The Academic Achievement metrics
account for 30% of elementary and middle school performance and 25% of high school
performance on the DSSF.
2.1
Metrics Definition
Proficiency in a given subject is the percent of students who are on grade level (i.e., proficient)
in said subject. Students that are on grade level (proficient) have a greater likelihood of entry
and success in education and career training beyond high school.
2.2
Sources of Academic Achievement Data
Academic Achievement data is calculated based on statewide summative assessments.

Metric
Proficiency in ELA
Proficiency in Math
Proficiency in Science
Proficiency in Social Studies
2.3
Source
Smarter assessment data (grades 3-8)
SAT1 (grade 11)
DCAS-Alt1 assessment data (grades 3-8, 11)
Smarter assessment data (grades 3-8)
SAT (grade 11)
DCAS-Alt1 assessment data (grades 3-8, 11)
DCAS assessment data (grades 5, 8, and 10)
DCAS-Alt1 assessment data (grades 5, 8, and
10)
DCAS assessment data (grades 4, 7, and high
school)
DCAS-Alt1 assessment data (grades 4, 7 and
high school)
Academic Achievement Business Rules
Proficiency in ELA:
1. Definition: Percent of students in grades 3-8 and 11 scoring at Achievement Level 3+ on the
Smarter assessment in ELA, Achievement Level 3+ on the SAT in Evidence-Based Reading
and Writing, or Performance Level 3+ on DCAS-Alt1 assessment in Reading.
2. Students included: Students enrolled in a school, district (but not necessarily the same
school), and/or state from September 30 through May 31 of a school year will be deemed as
being enrolled for a full academic year (FAY). No student is exempt from the assessment or
accountability system based on demographics, instructional program, or type of school. If
an unexpected medical condition prohibits testing, the district may submit documentation to
request, on a case-by-case basis, that a student be dropped from the participation rate
statistic.
The SAT began serving as the grade 11 accountability assessment for academic achievement with the
administration of the Common Core-aligned SAT in the spring 2016. In the previous year, Smarter
assessment data were used for grade 11.
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3. Subgroup accountability: Student Gap Group, which is an aggregate, unduplicated count of

students that are in groups that have historically had achievement gaps, such as African
American, Hispanic, Native American, English Learners (ELs), Economically Disadvantaged,
and Students with Disabilities (SWDs).
4. Subgroups reported: All students, American Indian/Alaska Native, African American, Asian,
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White, Multiracial, ELs, SWDs, and Economically
Disadvantaged (e.g., Direct Certification).
5. Proration: Students are tracked to the school that provided the instructional services in
grades K2 on a prorated basis. When a FAY student takes the grade 3 assessment, the
following occurs: the school that provided kindergarten services gets 10% of the score; the
school that provided first grade services gets 20% of the score; the school that provided
second grade services gets 30% of the score; and the school that provided third grade
services gets 40% of the score.
6. Participation rate: Students who have completed at least six questions divided by the
number of eligible students.
Proficiency in Math:
1. Definition: Percent of students in grades 3-8 and 11 scoring at Achievement Level 3+ on
Smarter, Achievement Level 3+ on the SAT in Math, or Performance Level 3+ on DCAS-Alt1
assessment in Math.
2. Business rules are the same as proficiency in ELA.
Proficiency in Science:
1. Definition: Percent of students in grades 5, 8, and 10 scoring at Performance Level 3+ on
the DCAS or DCAS-Alt1 Science assessment.
being enrolled for a FAY. No student is exempt from the assessment or accountability
system based on demographics, instructional program, or type of school. If an unexpected
medical condition prohibits testing, the district may submit documentation to request, on a
case-by-case basis, that a student be dropped from the participation rate statistic.
4. Proration: Students are tracked to the school that provided the instructional services in prior
grades on a pro-rated basis. For example, when a FAY student takes the grade 8
assessment in science, the following occurs: the school that provided 6th grade services
gets 20% of the score, the school that provided 7th grade services gets 30% of the score,
and the school that provided 8th grade services gets 50% of the score. Proration is
repeated for all prior grades of the assessment and will only occur for a maximum of four
prior years. For example, with the grade 5 assessment in science, the school that provided
2nd grade services gets 10% of the score, the school that provided 3rd grade services gets
20% of the score, the school that provided 4th grade services gets 30% of the score, and
the school that provided 5th grade services gets 40% of the score. K1 only schools will not
receive a rating on this metric.

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Proficiency in Social Studies:

1. Definition: Percent of students in grades 4, 7, and in high school scoring at Performance
Level 3+ on DCAS or DCAS-Alt1 Social Studies and high school Social Studies assessment
(per the 5-year assessment plan).
2. Business rules are the same as Proficiency in Science.
2.4
Participation Business Rules
For a student to count as a participant in the accountability participation calculation, the student
must be enrolled within the school or district for the entire test window and complete 6 or more
items on the relevant statewide assessment. If a student does not complete 6 or more items,
the student will be counted as a non-participant in the participation calculation.
A student will receive an Achievement Level (AL) or a Performance Level (PL) and Scale Score
if they count as a participant and complete at least 60% of the Smarter ELA or Math
assessment(s), 100% of DCAS Science or Social Studies assessment(s), and 6 or more items
on the SAT.
For a detailed description of participation calculations, please see the link to Assessment
Participation and Results Policies on the Reference Page at the end of this document.

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3.0
DSSF Growth Metric Overview
The Growth area metrics measure how well schools are doing at improving student learning
over time. This area includes metrics on the collective performance of students within a school
as compared to students with similar assessment history in ELA and math. The Growth metrics
account for 40% of elementary and middle school performance and 45% of high school
performance on the DSSF.
3.1
Metric Definition
Growth in a given subject is the relative calculation of student progress over time as compared
to their peers. The two subjects used in the Growth metric area are ELA and math.
3.2
Sources of Growth Data
Growth data is calculated based on statewide summative assessments.

Metric
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
3.3
Source
Smarter assessment (grades 3-8) or SAT (grade 11) data and up
to 3 years of prior statewide summative assessment data,
including DCAS.
Smarter assessment (grades 3-8) or SAT (grade 11) data and up
to 3 years of prior statewide summative assessment data,
including DCAS.
Growth Business Rules
Growth in ELA:
1. Definition: Amount of growth in ELA demonstrated at the school level.
being enrolled for a FAY. Growth data are available for students in grades 48 and 11, with
grade 3 assessment results serving as a baseline for growth metrics. To be included,
students must have current and prior year assessment scores in congruent grades.
3. Model specifications: Retrospective growth analysis of observationally similar students using
multiple prior assessments in ELA. The model controls for prior assessment history. The
model will average three years of growth data.
4. Proration of students in high school: Growth will be apportioned to any high school where a
student was enrolled on September 30, based on the number of years of enrollment. Each
high school where a student is enrolled in grades 9, 10, and 11 will receive 33% of a
students growth score.
Growth in Math:
1. Definition: Amount of growth in math demonstrated at the school level.
being enrolled for a FAY. Growth data are available for students in grades 48 and 11, with
grade 3 assessment results serving as a baseline for growth metrics. To be included,
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3. Model specifications: Retrospective growth analysis of observationally similar students using

multiple prior assessments in math. The model controls for prior assessment history. The
model will average three years of growth data.
4. Proration of students in high school: Growth will be apportioned to any high school where a
student was enrolled on September 30, based on the number of years of enrollment. Each
high school where a student is enrolled in grades 9, 10, and 11 will receive 33% of a
students growth score.

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4.0
DSSF On-Track-to-Graduation Metric Overview
The On-Track-to-Graduation area metrics aggregate student progress to and through high
school graduation. The metrics in this area include information on students attendance and
course-taking patterns as well as the extent to which students graduated from high school within
a certain time frame. The On-Track-to-Graduation metrics account for 10% of elementary and
middle school performance and 20% of high school performance on the DSSF.
4.1
Metric Definition
For elementary and middle schools:
Average Daily Attendance is the percent of days that students attend school. Students that
attend school daily increase their likelihood of success.
For high schools:
On-Track in 9th Grade is the percent of 9th grade students earning the credits necessary to
be on track to graduate from high school on time. Students who are on track at the end of
9th grade have a greater chance of completing high school on time and are less likely to drop
out.
Four-Year Graduation Rate is the percent of students who graduate from high school within
the traditional four-year time frame. Students that graduate from high school within four
years increase their likelihood of entry and success in education and training beyond high
school.
Five-Year Graduation Rate is the percent of students who graduate from high school within
five years. Some students take longer than four years to graduate from high school,
including students that have a specific plan to extend their high school career.
Six-Year Graduation Rate is the percent of students who graduate from high school within
six years. Some students take longer than four years to graduate from high school,
including students that have a specific plan to extend their high school career.
4.2
Sources of On-Track-to-Graduation Data
In elementary and middle schools, attendance data are used to calculate On-Track-toGraduation metric.
In high schools, the data for the calculation of the On-Track in 9th Grade metric is gathered from
course credit information. Graduation rates are calculated based on the number of student who
earned a regular high school diploma divided by the total number of students in the cohort. The
graduation information is verified using the Cohort Management System (CoMS).
Metric
Attendance
4-, 5-, and 6-Year Graduation Rate
Source
eSchoolPLUS
eSchoolPLUS (credit information)
Smarter assessment data (statewide performance
information)
CoMS

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4.3
On-Track-to-Graduation Business Rules
Average Daily Attendance (elementary and middle schools only):

1. Definition: Total number of days of attendance for all students divided by the total number of
school days in a given year.
2. Students included: All enrolled students in a particular school from the school year of
September 30 through May 31. A student is counted present only when he/she is actually at
school, present at another activity sponsored by the school as part of the schools program,
or personally supervised by a member of staff.
On-Track in 9th Grade (high school only):
1. Definition: Percent of 9th grade students that have earned a total or four or more combined
credits by July 1 in at least four of the following subjects: ELA, math, science, social studies,
and/or a world language.
2. Students included: All first-time 9th grade students.
3. Bottom 25th percentile bonus: Schools will receive a bonus in the calculation for students
that scored in the bottom 25th percentile on the 8th grade statewide assessment in either
ELA or math and that earn four credits by the end of 9th grade. The bottom 25th percentile
group is derived from any student that scores in lowest quartile of 8th grade regular
assessment in either ELA or math for all tested students. The 8th grade students identified
as in the bottom 25th percentile will be shared with high schools at the start of the school
year via the Ed Insight Dashboard.
4. Students with disabilities (SWDs): Any student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that
targets graduation in more than four years (i.e., certificate track) will be considered to have
met the core credit expectation that corresponds with their specific IEP for 9th grade.
4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (high school only):
1. Definition: The percentage of students who graduate from a secondary school with a regular
high school diploma within four years.
4
2. Calculation: Graduation rate = ( 4) + ( ) ( )

3. Subgroup accountability: Student Gap Group, which is an aggregate, unduplicated count of
students that are in groups that have historically had achievement gaps (i.e., African
American, Hispanic, Native American, ELs, Economically Disadvantaged, and SWDs).
5. Students included: Cohort is based only on students who are first time 9th graders.
Students who drop out before beginning 9th grade are not included in the cohort. The 4year graduation rate counts a student who graduates with a regular high school diploma in
four years or less as a high school graduate in his or her original cohortthat is, the cohort
in which he/she started the 9th grade. For instance, a student that graduates in three years
will be counted and banked for a year until his/her cohort graduates. A student who
graduates in more than four years is counted as a non-graduate in the 4-year graduation
rate.
6. Other rules:

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a. Graduation calculations lag in order to include students who graduate in the summer
after their fourth year of high school among the cohort members who graduate in four
years.
b. A high school whose grade configuration is other than grades 912 shall have its
calculation adjusted accordingly (calculated only for the grades included in the high
school).
c. There is no reassignment for students with IEPs or in an EL situation. Only students
who graduate with a regular high school diploma in four years or less may be included in
the numerator of the 4-year graduation rate.
d. Students who change subgroup membership are assigned to the subgroup they are in at
the time they graduate.
e. eSchoolPLUS codes will drive the transfer out calculation decisions.
f.
All coding is the responsibility of the district/school.

1) Students who transfer within the state should be recoded to the correct school. If
there is no school coded, the appeal will be rejected.
2) Unknowns will be considered dropouts if there is no exit code in eSchoolPLUS, and
they are not in the Diploma table unless the school provides evidence of a records
request.
g. Only a student who transfers out and enrolls in another school or in an educational
program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma, emigrates to
another country, or dies may be removed from a high schools or LEAs cohort. Before
removing a student from a cohort, a school or LEA must obtain confirmation in writing
that the student transferred out, emigrated, or is deceased. No other students may be
removed from the cohort.
h. If a student who has repeated a grade transfers into a school, the student should be
assigned to the cohort in which the student started 9th grade for the first time.
i.
Students who enroll in the Groves diploma program and finish in four years will be
considered a transfer out. These students need to be coded (07), and documentation
that they are on the appropriate diploma list must be available.
j.
A student who is retained in a grade, enrolls in a GED program, or leaves school for any
other reason not mentioned in this section (a.r.) may not be counted in the 4-year
graduation rate as a transfer and must remain in the adjusted cohort (must be included
in the denominator of the graduation rate for that cohort).
k. If a student re-enrolls before the state determines the 4-year graduation rate for that
students cohort, the student would no longer be recorded as a dropout and the student
record system (eSchoolPLUS) is adjusted.
l. If a student leaves a public high school to enroll in a private school (in or out of state),
that student would be considered to be a transfer out.
m. Out of state (eSchoolPLUS exit code 08): If the school provides evidence of a records
request from the receiving school, they are approved, and the student is removed from
the cohort.
n. Private school (eSchoolPLUS exit code 06): If the school provides evidence of a records
request from the receiving school, they are approved, and the student is removed from
the cohort.
o. Home school (eSchoolPLUS exit code 09): If the school provides evidence of home
school enrollment, they are approved, and the student is removed from the cohort.
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p. MAP students should be coded 38/50.

q. Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF): Students
coded to 97/996 are moved to DSCYF as this is a diploma program.
r.
An incarcerated student may be considered a transfer only if the prison or juvenile facility
to which the student is confined has a school (as defined under state law) or provides an
educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma.
Otherwise, the student remains in the denominator of the calculation.
5-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (high school only)

high school diploma within five years.
2. No subgroup accountabilityonly subgroup reporting (same subgroups from 4-year cohort
graduation rate).
3. All business rules from 4-year cohort graduation rate apply with modifications to take into
account the fifth year.
6-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (high school only)
high school diploma within six years.
2. No subgroup accountabilityonly subgroup reporting (same subgroups from 4-year cohort
graduation rate).
3. All business rules from 4-year cohort graduation rate apply with modifications to take into
account the sixth year.
4.4
On-Track-to-Graduation Data Collection Specifications and Timelines
For graduation verification, the following timeline is used:
First Wednesday in September Reminder sent to relevant school personnel (school's

diploma order coordinator) to complete graduation verification process.
Second Friday in October DEADLINE for verification of graduates by each high

school.
First Monday in November Cohort Management System 2.0 (CoMS 2.0) will be
opened to districts and charters to begin review of previous school years graduation
cohort list (e.g., class of 2015 cohort is reviewed in November 2015).
Last Monday in November DEADLINE for graduation appeals submission through

CoMS 2.0.
Third Friday in December Graduation appeals decisions updated in CoMS 2.0.
January FINAL school graduation rates released.

Page 14
5.0
DSSF College and Career Preparation Metric Overview
The College and Career Preparation metrics aggregate student preparation for education,
training, and careers beyond high school. The metrics in this area include information on
whether students are growing enough to be proficient in the future as well as how many
students have demonstrated college and career preparation while in high school. The College
and Career Preparation metrics account for 20% of elementary and middle school performance
and 10% of high school performance on the DSSF.
5.1
Metric Definition
For elementary and middle schools:

Growth to Proficiency is the percent of students who are on track to be on grade level in a given
content area within three years. This indicates that students are growing fast enough to meet
and maintain academic success. For the Growth to Proficiency metric, the content areas used
are ELA and math.
For high schools:
College and Career Preparation is the percent of students who have demonstrated preparation
for education and career training after high school through Smarter, AP, IB, SAT, Career and
Technical Education (CTE) pathways, and dual enrollment. Students that demonstrate early
success in these areas increase their likelihood of entry and success in education and career
training after high school.
5.2
Sources of College and Career Preparation Data
In elementary and middle schools, Growth to Proficiency in ELA and math is based on three
years of statewide assessment data.
Metric
Growth to Proficiency ELA
Growth to Proficiency Math
Source
Smarter assessment data and up to three years of prior
statewide summative assessment data, including DCAS.
Smarter assessment data and up to three years of prior
statewide summative assessment data, including DCAS.

Page 15
In high schools, College and Career Preparation is based on the various sources listed below.
Metric
3+ on both the Smarter ELA and Mathematics
Assessments2
1550+ on the SAT (or equivalent on the new
SAT)3
3+ on an AP exam (excluding AP Seminar)
4+ on an IB exam
B or higher grade in a DDOE-approved, nonelective course in the state course transfer
matrix (i.e., dual enrollment)
Technical skills attainment with a 6+
(combined) on Smarter ELA and Mathematics
Assessments4
Technical skills attainment with completion of a
co-op job training opportunity
5.3
Source
Smarter assessment data
College Board
College Board
International Baccalaureate Organization
eSchoolPLUS transcript data
eSchoolPLUS DDOE CTE user-defined screen

and Smarter assessment data
eSchoolPLUS transcript data
College and Career Preparation Business Rules
Growth to Proficiency in ELA (elementary and middle schools only)

1. Definition: Percent of FAY students on track to be proficient in ELA in less than three
assessment years or by 11th grade.
2. Students included: Students principally enrolled in a school, district (but not necessarily the
same school), and/or state from September 30 through May 31 of a school year will be
deemed as being enrolled for a FAY. Growth data are available for students in grades 48,
with grade 3 assessment data serving as a baseline for growth metrics. To be included,
3. Calculation: Calculate total growth needed for each student in the state to be proficient (or
remain proficient) in ELA within three assessment years, based on an expected growth path
that takes into account variations in the amount of growth demonstrated on average
statewide for each grade level. Divide the number of students within a school that have
demonstrated a growth path to reach or maintain proficiency in three assessment periods
by the total number of FAY students in the qualifying grade span (i.e., grades 48).
Growth to Proficiency in Math (elementary and middle schools only)
1. Definition: Percent of FAY students on track to be proficient in math in less than three
assessment years or by 11th grade.
Since College and Career Preparation is based on 12th grade students, Smarter results from spring
2015 will be used for the 2015-2016 school year. This metric will be revisited for the 2016-2017 school
year.
3 Since College and Career Preparation is based on 12th grade students, SAT results from spring 2015
will be used for the 2015-2016 school year. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the criterion will
change to the equivalent score under the new SAT.
4 Same as note 2 above.
Page 16
2. Students included: Students principally enrolled in a school, district (but not necessarily the
same school), and/or state from September 30 through May 31 of a school year will be
deemed as being enrolled for a FAY. Growth data are available for students in grades 48,
with grade 3 assessment data serving as a baseline for growth metrics. To be included,
3. Calculation: Calculate total growth needed for each student in the state to be proficient (or
remain proficient) in math within three assessment years, based on an expected growth
path that takes into account variations in the amount of growth demonstrated on average
statewide for each grade level. Divide the number of students within a school that have
demonstrated a growth path to reach or maintain proficiency in three assessment periods
by the total number of FAY students in the qualifying grade span (i.e., grades 48).
College and Career Preparation (high school only)
1. Definition: Percent of 12th grade students who have demonstrated success on one or more
examples of college and career preparation in high school.
2. Students included: 12th grade students in the current school year who were enrolled in the
same high school for 11th and 12th grades. Students transferring into the state in their 12th
grade year will be removed from the denominator.
3. Attribution of success: Scores will be attributed to the school where the student is enrolled
on September 30 in the school year of their 12th grade year.
4. Options to demonstrate success:
a. 3+ on both Smarter ELA and Mathematics5
b. 1550+ on SAT (or equivalent on the new SAT)
c. 3+ on AP exam (excluding AP Seminar)
d. 4+ on IB exam
e. B or higher grade in a DDOE-approved, non-elective course in the state course transfer
matrix (i.e., dual enrollment).
f.
Technical skills attainment with a 6+ (combined) on Smarter ELA and Mathematics

Assessments. (Note: Technical Skill Attainment is defined as an industry recognized
certificate or credential earned through an approved CTE program of study that holds
value at the professional level, postsecondary level, or in an associate or baccalaureate
degree program.)
g. Technical skills attainment with completion of a co-op job training opportunity.
For the 2014-2015 school year only, data from the 2013-2014 DCAS assessment was used as a proxy
for this success option. Students in 11th grade tested on Smarter in 2014-2015, and the denominator for
this metric is based on 12th grade students. As a result, the Smarter 3+ in both content areas option was
not available for the cohort of students making up this measure in 2014-2015 accountability calculations.
Performance of PL4 in each content on the 10th grade DCAS was used instead for the 2014-2015
calculations.
Page 17
5.4
College and Career Preparation Data Collection Specifications and

Timelines
College and Career Preparation Data is collected as follows:
SAT data
June: Student-level data received from the College Board
June: DDOE matches SAT data to determine student ID for each student
AP data
July: Student-level data received from the College Board
July: DDOE matches AP data to determine student ID for each student
IB data
July: Student-level data received from the International Baccalaureate Organization
July: DDOE matches IB data to determine student ID for each student
Dual enrollment data

June: Student-level data pulled from eSchoolPLUS
Technical skills attainment data

First week of June: Preliminary student-level data course pulled from eSchoolPLUS
First three weeks of June: Verification of student-level course data
Late June: Final student-level data course pulled from eSchoolPLUS
Co-op job training opportunity data

Third week of June: Final student-level participation pulled from eSchoolPLUS
Late June: Student-level participation data verified against Unit Count data

Page 18
6.0
DSSF Context Measures Overview
The DSSF includes a number of non-scored measures to provide additional context for school,
district, and state performance. The measures below are intended for informational purposes
only and are not included in a schools overall rating. The current Context Measures include the
Student, Teacher, and Parent surveys (e.g., 5Essentials Survey), School/District Narrative, and
Postsecondary Outcomes as well as school/district directory and student demographic data,
which now includes gap group data.
Student Gap Group is the aggregate, unduplicated percent of students enrolled in a school or
district that are in a subgroup that has historically demonstrated achievement gaps. Student
groups combined into the Student Gap Group include ethnicity/race (African American,
Hispanic, and Native American), SWD, Economically Disadvantaged (Direct Certification), and
ELs. No individual student is counted more than one time, and all students belonging to
included groups are counted once.
6.1
Measure Definition
Context Measures include information from Surveys, Narratives, and Postsecondary Outcomes.
5Essentials Survey is the statewide survey of students and teachers on the efficacy of school
leadership, collaboration among teachers, involvement of families, school environment, and
rigor of instruction.
School/District Narrative is the opportunity for schools/districts to provide information about their
educational offerings.
Postsecondary Outcomes is the percent of Delaware graduates that enroll in an institution of
higher education within 12 months of graduation.
6.2
Sources of Context Measures Data

Metric
5Essentials Survey
School/District Narrative
Postsecondary Outcomes
School Demographic Data
Source
University of Chicago Impact collects and provides all
data for 5Essentials Survey
School and district administrators enter this data
directly into the School Profiles Application annually
National Student Clearinghouse
Delaware Institutions of Higher Education
Demographic information from eSchoolPLUS
6.3
Context Measures Business Rules
6.3.1
5Essentials Survey Data
All schools have the opportunity to complete the 5Essentials Survey on a biannual basis.
Students in grades 412 are eligible to complete the student survey.
The 5Essentials Teacher Survey is completed by certified teachers whose primary
responsibilities involve teaching students for the majority of the school day and year. Individuals
in the following positions, who also teach, are among those encouraged to participate:
Self-contained and subject-specific classroom teachers

Page 19
Instructional coaches and subject-matter specialists
Teacher aides, paraprofessionals, and Cooperating Classroom Teachers (CCTs)
Special education teachers working in a single classroom or across classrooms
Counselors, librarians, and other staff members who teach students
The following positions are ineligible to participate in the survey:
Substitute teachers
Tutors
Principals, assistant principals, superintendents, or other administrators who do not

otherwise teach students
Student teachers
A 5Essentials Report will be generated if a school achieves a 50% response rate for students
and/or a 50% response rate for teachers. Additionally, at least 8 valid teacher and 15 valid
student responses must be submitted in order for the respective data to be generated.
The 5Essentials also includes an optional parent survey. A parent report will be generated if a
school achieves a 20% response rate for parents.
6.3.2
School/District Narratives
School/District Narratives are limited to 1,000 characters. Schools and districts are provided the
following guiding questions and examples prior to submission.
Planning/guiding questions:
What unique cultural, academic, or extracurricular programs enhance learning and

socioemotional development in your school? Please identify the programs and supports in
your school that enhance learning and socioemotional development. For example:
curricular offerings (including supports for at-risk and gifted students, honors, AP, arts, etc.),
athletics, mentoring, on-site before- or after-care, preschool, etc.
What opportunities for parent and community involvement are in your school? Examples:
Parent Teacher Association/Parent Teacher Organization (PTA/PTO), partnerships with
community programs or businesses, etc.
What other distinguishing features of your school are you most proud of?
Example:
(School) offers various opportunities for college and career experiences while enrolled. For
instance, all CTE participants undertake an internship, and our bioscience CTE pathway
provides students the unique opportunity to gain 2 years credit in pre-med programs.
(School) partners with the community through our _____________ programs. (School)
partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters, with over 50 mentors actively engaged in the school
each month. (School) has received the _____________ award for the past ___ years for
__________.
DDOE reviews narratives for grammar and alignment to guiding questions for quality control
purposes. Any school or district that does not submit a narrative will have the following included
as its narrative: Please visit the [school/district] website for more information.

Page 20
6.3.3
Postsecondary Outcomes
1. Definition: Percent of Delaware high school graduates enrolled in a postsecondary institution

by May 31 of the year following graduation (e.g., within 12 months of a spring graduation).
2. Students included: Data from the following two sources are annually collected and matched
to a cohort file of graduates from Delaware public schools:
a. National Student Clearinghouse (NSC):
1) NSC provides a nationwide, central repository of information on the enrollment status
and educational achievements of postsecondary students. Participating higher
educational institutions submit information to the NSC, including the enrollment
statuses of all of their students and listings of the alumni to whom they have awarded
degrees or certificates. They appoint the NSC as their agent for purposes of
reporting student information to authorized recipients.
2) DDOE provides NSC with a rolling 6-years of Graduation Cohorts to enable ongoing
updates to the postsecondary outcomes of graduates.
b. Delaware Institutions of Higher Education: In addition to the data from NSC, the
following institutions have agreed to provide school enrollment, course enrollment and
grades, GPA, and cumulative credits for students who have graduated from a Delaware
high school. Each school provides files with this information annually.
1) Goldey-Beacom College
2) Delaware Technical and Community College
3) Delaware State University
4) University of Delaware
5) Wesley College
6) Wilmington University
6.4
Context Measures Data Collection Specifications and Timelines
5Essentials Survey Data:
January: Roster verification for teachers using the 5Essentials Log-In
FebruaryMarch: Teachers, parents, students complete the survey
MayJune: DDOE, districts, and schools receive data back from 5Essentials Survey
August: Data reported publicly through the DSSF
School/District Narratives:
Due on or before June 30
Can be annually updated any time between March through June 30.
Postsecondary Outcomes:
June: Student-level data received from the NSC and Delaware Institutions of Higher
Education
July: DDOE matches postsecondary outcome data to determine student ID for each student

Page 21
7.0
DSSF Accountability Ratings Rules
Schools and districts will receive ratings based on performance in each DSSF metric area (e.g.,
Academic Achievement, Growth, On-Track-to-Graduation, and College and Career
Preparation). Student data for each metric will be individually reported at the school and district
levels and aggregated to generate a numeric score for each metric area. The numeric score will
be translated into a rating of one to five stars, with equal performance thresholds based on total
points available for each metric area.
Each of the metrics contributes a weighted value toward the assignment of points in the metric
area. The metrics are aggregated on a 500-point scale, with the points in each area aligning to
the specified weights. A schools performance on each metric is multiplied by the number of
points available for that metric. Points are summed to generate a schools performance in a
particular metric area. For instance, an elementary school that has 50% proficiency in ELA,
math, science, and social studies content areas, would receive a total of 75 points for the
Academic Achievement metric area (e.g., 25 points for ELA, 25 for math, 12.5 for science, and
12.5 for social studies).
Schools serving grades 912 as well as grades below grade 9 use the metrics and weights for
high schools.6
The following are the standard DSSF weights and points for the elementary/middle, high school,
and district levels.
Metric Area/Metrics
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Growth
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
Total
Weight
30%
10%
10%
5%
5%
40%
20%
20%
10%
10%
20%
10%
10%
100%
Points
150
50
50
25
25
200
100
100
50
50
100
50
50
500
A school must have at least grade 11 to use the high school metrics and weights.

Page 22
High School
Metric Area/Metrics
Weight
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Growth
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
Total
25.0%
7.5%
7.5%
5.0%
5.0%
45.0%
22.5%
22.5%
20.0%
5.0%
10.0%
3.0%
2.0%
10.0%
10.0%
100.0%
Points
125.0
37.5
37.5
25.0
25.0
225.0
112.5
112.5
100.0
25.0
50.0
15.0
10.0
50.0
50.0
500.0
District
Metric Area/Metrics
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Growth
Growth in ELA
Growth in Math
Total
Weight
27.5%
8.75%
8.75%
5.0%
5.0%
42.5%
21.25%
21.25%
15.0%
5.0%
2.5%
5.0%
1.5%
1.0%
15.0%
5.0%
5.0%
5.0%
100.0%

Points
137.5
43.75
43.75
25.0
25.0
212.5
106.25
106.25
75.0
25.0
12.5
25.0
7.5
5.0
75.0
25.0
25.0
25.0
500.0
Page 23
If results for an individual metric are missing either because data do not exist for a schools
grade configuration or there are fewer than 30 students in the denominator for that particular
metric, then the weight and points of that metric is redistributed on a prorated basis within the
metric area in which the missing metric falls. If the metric cannot be redistributed within its
metric area, it is redistributed to Academic Achievement. A few examples are shown below.
Example 1:
In Elementary School A, Proficiency Science cannot be calculated because the minimum N is
not met. The 5% for Proficiency Science is redistributed as follows to the other three metrics
within Academic Achievement.
Metric
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency Science
Standard Standard
Weight
Points
30%
150
10%
50
10%
50
5%
25
5%
25
Prorated
Weight
30%
12%
12%
6%
0%
Prorated
Points
150
60
60
30
0
Example 2:
In District Z, Average Daily Attendance and Growth to Proficiency cannot be calculated because
the district has only high schools. The 5% for Average Daily Attendance is redistributed as
shown below to the other four metrics within On-Track-to-Graduation. The total 10% for Growth
to Proficiency in ELA and Growth to Proficiency in Math is redistributed to the one remaining
metric in College and Career Preparation.
Metric Area/Metric
4-year Cohort Graduation Rate
Standard Standard
Weight
Points
15%
75
5%
25
2.5%
12.5
5%
25
1.5%
7.5
1%
5
15%
75
5%
25
5%
25
5%
25

Prorated
Weight
15%
0%
3.75%
7.5%
2.25%
1.5%
15%
0%
0%
15%
Prorated
Points
75
0
18.75
37.5
11.25
7.5
75
0
0
75
Page 24
Once the numerical score for each metric is calculated and aggregated at the metric area level,
then star ratings from 1 to 5 are assigned for each school according to the following (with all
numerical scores rounded to the nearest whole number):
7.1
Star Ratings by Metric Area

Metric Area
Academic
Achievement
Growth
On-Track-toGraduation
College and
Career
Preparation
7.2
Level
ES/MS
HS
District
ES/MS
HS
District
ES/MS
HS
District
ES/MS
HS
District
1 Star
2 Star
3 Star
4 Star
5 Star
0-29
0-24
0-27
0-39
0-44
0-42
0-9
0-19
0-14
0-19
0-9
0-14
30-59
25-49
28-54
40-79
45-89
43-84
10-19
20-39
15-29
20-39
10-19
15-29
60-89
50-74
55-82
80-119
90-134
85-127
20-29
40-59
30-44
40-59
20-29
30-44
90-119
75-99
83-109
120-159
135-179
128-169
30-39
60-79
45-59
60-79
30-39
45-59
120-150
100-125
110-137.5
160-200
180-225
170-212.5
40-50
80-100
60-75
80-100
40-50
60-75
Additional Aggregation Rules
The following details the additional business rules in place when calculating accountability
ratings:
Beginning with school year 20152016 (accountability year 20162017), ELA and math
proficiency for all schools will be adjusted when calculating the numerical score for the
Academic Achievement area. This adjustment is only for the purposes of accountability
calculations and determinations and not for reporting on the school reports. The adjustment
is based on the following calculation:
(Participation Rate in Content Area / 0.95) * Proficiency Rate in Content area
For instance, if School A has a participation rate of 100% and proficiency rate of 50% in
ELA, the schools adjusted rate would be 1 / 0.95 = 1.053 * 50% = 52.6%.
For the purposes of the numerical aggregation, growth is converted from a 06 range to a
0100 range by subtracting 3, multiplying by (50 / 3), and then adding 50. The converted
growth score is capped at 0 and 100.
For the purposes of the numerical aggregation, the following adjustment is made for
students that scored in the bottom quartile of state performance on the 8th grade summative
assessment demonstrating that they are on track at the end of 9th grade:
Count students that were in the bottom quartile of performance on state assessments in
8th grade and on track as 1.25 towards the numerator for on-track percentage and 1.00
towards the denominator.
Cap adjusted on-track score at 100%.

Page 25
For the purposes of the numerical aggregation, the 5-year and 6-year cohort graduation
rates are adjusted based on (1) whether the school met the 4-year graduation rate goal
(85.6% in 2015) and (2) the extent of its improvement over the previous 4-year and 5-year
graduation rate, respectively. The adjustments occur as follow:
Schools at or above 85.6% in years 5 and/or 6 receive 100% of the metric value (i.e., full
points).
Schools below 85.6% on 5-year graduation rate receive points based on the following
calculation: 5-year graduation rate + growth between 4-year and 5-year graduation
rates, divided by 85.6%, and then capped at 100% of the metric value.
Schools below 85.6% on 6-year graduation rate receive points based on the following
calculation: 6-year graduation rate + growth between 5-year and 6-year graduation
rates, divided by 85.6%, and then capped at 100% of the metric value.
Any metric with an N-count fewer than 30 will not be included when calculating
accountability ratings. When this occurs, the weight of that metric is redistributed within the
indicator area (e.g., Academic Achievement) or across all areas, if necessary.
7.3
Non-Standard School Metric Weighting Business Rules

If the student count (number of students) for a metric is below 30, then distribute that
metrics weight between the other metrics within the same area.
Example: An elementary/middle schools student count for science proficiency is below
30 students. The science proficiency weight of 5 is distributed proportionally to the other
subjects proficiency weights. Without the science weight, ELA and math each account
for 40% of the area (10 of 25 total points) and social studies accounts for 20% (5 of 25).
Therefore, the ELA and math proficiency weights change from 10 to 12 (40% of 5 is 2),
and the social studies proficiency weight changes from 5 to 6 (20% of 5 is 1).
weight_type w_prof_ela w_prof_math w_prof_sci w_prof_soc

standard
10
10
5
5
non-standard
12
12
0
6
If the science or social studies proficiency numbers exist but the school does not have any
tested grades in those subjects, then distribute the weight proportionally to the ELA and
math proficiencies only.
Example: An elementary/middle school has a science proficiency value due to proration
but the school does not test in that subject. The science proficiency weight of 5 is
spread proportionally between ELA and math proficiency only. The ELA and math
proficiency weights change from 10 to 12.5, and the social studies proficiency weight
remains at 5.
weight_type w_prof_ela w_prof_math w_prof_sci w_prof_soc

standard
10
10
5
5
non-standard
12.5
12.5
0
5
If all of the metrics in an area are missing or should be suppressed, then distribute the
weight proportionally to the proficiency weights in the academic area.
Example. A high schools student count for College and Career Readiness is below 30
students, so the weight of 10 is distributed proportionally to the proficiency weights in the

Page 26
academic area. The ELA and math proficiency weights change from 7.5 to 10.5, and the
science and social studies proficiency changes from 5 to 7.
weight_type w_prof_ela w_prof_math w_prof_sci w_prof_soc w_ccr

standard
7.5
7.5
5
5
10
non-standard
10.5
10.5
7
7
0
7.4
Do not produce area/index scores or remove schools entirely based on two lists: Schools
Excluded from Accountability Ratings and Schools that Do Not Receive an Overall Score.
(Lists were provided to EA by Delaware.)
1. Remove schools listed on Schools Excluded from Accountability Ratings and are not
listed on Schools that Do Not Receive an Overall Score at the beginning of the metric
creation process. Do not calculate any output for these schools.
2. Calculate metric scores for schools listed on Schools that Do Not Receive an Overall
Score for informational purposes (e.g., ELA proficiency), but do not calculate area
scores (e.g., academic/proficiency area). Because area scores are not calculated, all
weights are set to 0 as these schools do not need weights.
Examples of Accountability Rating Calculation

Metric Area
Academic
Achievement
Growth
Metric Name
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency
Science
Proficiency Social
Studies
Growth ELA
Growth Math
Attendance
Growth to
Proficiency ELA
College and
Career Preparation Growth to
Proficiency Math
Metric
Data
63.1%
49.2%
Available
Points
50
50
Metric
Score
31.55
24.6
Area
Score
Area
Rating
66.0%
25
16.5
86.13
3 Star
53.9%
25
13.48
64.83
68.33
100
100
64.83
68.33
133.17
4 Star
98.3%
50
49.15
49.15
5 Star
78.1%
50
39.05
79.65
5 Star
50
40.6
81.2%

Page 27
High School
Metric Area
Metric Name
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Academic
Proficiency
Achievement
Science
Proficiency Social
Studies
Growth ELA
Growth
Growth Math
On Track in 9th
4-Year Graduation
5-Year Graduation
6-Year Graduation
College and
College and
Career Preparation Career Preparation
Metric
Data
72.5%
28.6%
Available
Points
37.5
37.5
Metric
Score
27.19
10.73
Area
Score
Area
Rating
62.1%
25
15.53
61.35
3 Star
31.6%
25
7.9
51.67
75
89.0%
83.1%
88.2%
88.2%
112.5
112.5
25
50
15
10
58.13
84.38
22.25
41.55
15
10
142.51
4 Star
88.8
5 Star
67.2%
50
33.6
33.6
4 Star
Metric
Data
61.5%
48.6%
Available
Points
43.75
43.75
Metric
Score
26.91
21.26
Area
Score
Area
Rating
59.1%
25
14.78
72.35
3 Star
37.6%
25
9.4
61.67
46.67
94.3%
91.2%
84.1%
85.1%
87.2%
106.25
106.25
25
12.5
25
7.5
5
65.52
49.59
23.58
11.4
21.03
6.38
4.36
115.11
3 Star
66.75
5 Star
74.1%
25
18.53
76.2%
25
19.05
53.63
4 Star
64.2%
25
16.05
District
Metric Area
Academic
Achievement
Growth
Metric Name
Proficiency ELA
Proficiency Math
Proficiency
Science
Proficiency Social
Studies
Growth ELA
Growth Math
Attendance
On Track in 9th
4-Year Graduation
5-Year Graduation
6-Year Graduation
Growth to
Proficiency ELA
Growth to
College and
Career Preparation Proficiency Math
College and
Career Preparation

Page 28
8.0
Accountability Student Verification Process
To support the transition to the DSSF, DDOE developed a system to verify the students that will
be counted in a schools or districts accountability rating. The purpose of the Accountability
Student Verification (ASV) system is to improve transparency and increase efficiency in the
production of accountability ratings so that students, parents, teachers, administrators,
policymakers, and the general public have an accurate account of educational performance.
The ASV system is built on the same platform as the Educator of Record Roster Verification
System (RVS). The ASV draws upon data in eSchoolPLUS and RVS to automatically generate
rosters for each school in the state for students in grades K12. The ASV tool then
communicates with a number of other databases, including homeschool and private school
enrollment and the Dropout Verification System (DVS), to increase the accuracy of a students
placement for accountability purposes. A significant amount of the information included in the
ASV is verified through other internal DDOE processes (e.g., September 30 count), thereby
limiting the number of students that need to be reviewed.
Students identified in this system and verified by the LEA encompass the base list of students
who are used in the calculation of the metrics described above. All students have additional
validation of their FAY status prior to their inclusion in the calculation of specific metrics.
8.1
Business Rules for Creation of AVS Rosters

1.
2.
3.
4.
Extract all students in grades K12 from the final September 30 Unit Count
snapshot, which is hereafter referred to as UnitCount dataset.
a. Race/Ethnicity, Grade, SWD, ELL, and LowSES are initially set based on this
snapshot.
School changed from Unit Count school to Accountability school, if explicitly set in
eSchoolPLUS (and transferred to DELSIS).
Extract all students in grades K12 who enrolled in a Delaware public school after
September 30, which is hereafter referred to as DELSIS dataset.
a. Race/Ethnicity, Grade, SWD, ELL, and LowSES are initially set based on this
snapshot.
Service enrollment records are removed when the student also has an active
enrollment recordtargeted at dual enrolled Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc.
(DAPI) students.
5.
Update UnitCount dataset SchoolCode based on enrolled school changes found in

the DELSIS dataset for matching students.
6.
Delete students from DELSIS dataset that exist in the UnitCount dataset.
7.
8.
Add remaining DELSIS dataset students to the UnitCount dataset.

Update UnitCount dataset SchoolCode to homeschool for those students who are
(still) associated with a non-accountability school.
Update UnitCount dataset SchoolCode to previously enrolled school for those
students who are (still) associated with a non-accountability school.
9.
10. SWD status updated from current December 1 SWD determinations.

a. Any students not previously identified who tested during the test window have
been reviewed, and if they are identified as SWD or have used
accommodations during testing, they are identified as SWD.

Page 29
11. ELL status updated from current ELL 2.0 system data.
a. ELL status of Y or within the 2-Year monitoring window is considered ELL
12. Race/Ethnicity updated from current DELSIS enrollment data.
13. Add Students to ASV.
14. Associate Students with ASV rosters based on matching SchoolCode.
15. Student Membership and Attendance Days calculated based on eSchoolPLUS
calendar days and total absences reported. This is calculated at the school level.
The data is extracted from eSchoolPLUS for both membership and absence days.
The attendance days are calculated based on the excused and unexcused
absences for a student, which are then subtracted from the membership days.
16. Student FAY for school, district, and state computed.
a. If student is actively enrolled in a school/district/state for 85% of the FAY
window, which is September 30 through May 31, the student is considered FAY
at the school/district/state level.
17. The following students have their roster status set to not included based on vetted
data found electronically in other data sources:
a. Z-Calendar students are found in eSchoolPLUS data.
b. Students who transferred out based on eSchoolPLUS data.
c. Previous years summer graduates whose enrollment were mistakenly included
in a current roster.
d. Out-of-country and deceased students based on eSchoolPLUS data.
e. Students found in the Groves graduation data.
f. Students found in the current Groves enrollment data.
g. Students found in current nonpublic (private/home) school data.
h. Students found in graduation data with a diploma or certificate.
18. Students in grades K-2 are automatically approved.

Page 30
Reference Page
Accountability Verification System Information:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=2694
Assessment Participation and Results Policies:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib09/DE01922744/Centricity/Domain/111/participation%20and%
20results%20policies%20r1-26-16.pdf
Delaware School Accountability Growth Model Frequently Asked Questions:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib09/DE01922744/Centricity/Domain/309/Delaware School
Accountability Growth Model FAQ 10142015.pdf
Graduation Verification CoMS Guidance Document:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib09/DE01922744/Centricity/Domain/309/Graduation Verification
CoMS Guidance Document .pdf
Graduation Appeals CoMS Guidance Document:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib09/DE01922744/Centricity/Domain/309/Graduation Appeals
CoMS Guidance Document.pdf
5Essentials Survey Information
http://www.doe.k12.de.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=2571
NCES Codes for Course Classification/Identification
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/Page/2695

Page 31
Appendix Student Growth Model for

School Accountability
This appendix was prepared for the Delaware Department of Education by

Education Analytics to describe how the growth metric is calculated.
STUDENT GROWTH MODEL FOR SCHOOL

ACCOUNTABILITY
The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) is in the second year of the transition from the
Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) to the Smarter Balanced Assessments in
English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. Student growth is one component of the
school accountability framework being developed by DDOE with assistance from Education
Analytics, Inc (EA). This memo briefly describes features of the statistical model used for the
student growth calculations in the 2015-16 school year.
STATISTICAL MODEL
Equation (1) below gives the generic growth model of post-achievement in terms of prior
achievement.
= + +
(1)
where
is post achievement measured by the Spring 2016 Smarter Balanced ELA or
mathematics score for student ;
is the -th lag of prior achievement measured by the Spring Smarter Balanced or
DCAS score in the same subject in period , with slope parameter ;
is the proportion of time spent by student in school , called the school dose
variable, with coefficient ; and
is the unexplained portion of the post achievement that is orthogonal to all
explanatory variables included in the model.
The coefficient on the school dose variable gives the growth measure associated with school
. EA employs a number of enhancements of the simple growth model given above.
MISSING DATA ON LAGGED PRETESTS

The model described in equation (1) controls for prior achievement from up to three lagged
assessment periods. In the 2015-16 school year, post achievement is measured by the Smarter
Balanced assessment and prior achievement is measured by up to three lagged Smarter
Balanced or DCAS scores in the same subject. For example, to estimate a students growth in 8 th
grade mathematics, the model compares the students Spring 2015 Smarter Balanced grade 8
math score with that of students with similar Smarter Balanced math scores from grade 7 and
similar DCAS math scores from grades 6 and 5 in the previous three years. For a student to be
included in the growth calculation, the student must have valid Smarter Balanced math scores
in grades 8 and 7. If the student is missing data on the DCAS grade 6 and grade 5 math scores,
the missing data test data are imputed using a linear function of the students observed data.
This linear function is estimated using the sample of students who have non-missing data.
Extending the example, a score is imputed for any student with missing data on the twice- and
thrice-lagged prior achievement score.
MEASUREMENT ERROR CORRECTION

Note that equation (1) assumes that both post and prior achievement are perfectly measured
by the available test scores. Acknowledging the presence of measurement error in the pretest
scores, the model incorporates a measurement error correction method that uses an estimate
of the overall magnitude, or variance, of measurement error (Fuller, 1987). It is especially
important to control for measurement error in the pretests because uncorrected measurement
error can lead to biased estimates of school growth (Meyer, 1996; Meyer, 1999). Estimates of
pretest measurement error variance are calculated from the standard errors of measurement
reported by the Smarter Balanced and DCAS test vendors along with the scale score.
SHRINKAGE ESTIMATION
Statistical models rely on large sample sizes for increased precision. This means that schools
with fewer students are likely to have less precise results than those with a larger student
enrollment because a performance measure based on fewer students is more likely to be
influenced by randomness. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that the average improvement
among a schools students is very high or very low when a school has a smaller number of
students.
Empirical Bayes estimation, sometimes known as shrinkage estimation, addresses this problem
by adjusting for the number of students within a given school. Under this technique, schools
with a much smaller number of students have shrunk estimates to adjust for their wider
distribution (or statistical variance) that may occur simply as a result of having fewer students.
Including shrinkage thus avoids overrepresentation of schools with small numbers of students
at both the top and bottom of the distribution of measured performance (Searle, Casella and
McCulloch, 1992; Longford, 1999).
REFERENCES
Fuller, W. A. (2009). Measurement Error Models. New York: Wiley.
Longford, N. T. (1999). Multivariate shrinkage estimation of small area means and proportions.
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society), 162 (2), pp. 227-245.
Meyer, R. (1996). Value-added indicators of school performance. In Hanushek, E. and
Jorgenson, W. (Eds.), Improving Americas schools: The role of incentives, pp. 197223.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Meyer, R. (1999). The production of mathematics skills in high school: What works? In Mayer, S.
and Peterson, P. (Eds.), Earning and learning: How schools matter, pp. 169204. Washington,
DC: The Brookings Institution.
Searle, S. R., Casella, G., and McCulloch C. E. (1992). Variance components. New York: Wiley.
History of Changes
This section summarizes the history of changes made to the DSSF and this document over the course of school years. The original
framework Reference Guide documented the DSSF as it was calculated based on the data from 2014-2015 school year. The
sections below show changes made in subsequent years.
2015-2016
Date
Section(s)
Description
Sources of Academic
Achievement Data; Academic
Achievement Business Rules;
Source of Growth Data
Sources of College and Career
Preparation Data
Text was added to reflect the change from Smarter to SAT for the grade 11 assessment.
Text was added to indicate the grades in which each assessment is given.
3/10/2016
Sources of College and Career

Preparation Data
Footnotes were added to explain changes related to the move from Smarter to SAT for the
following high school measures:
3+ on both the Smarter ELA and Mathematics
1550+ on the SAT (or equivalent on the new SAT)
Technical skills attainment with a 6+ (combined) on Smarter ELA and Mathematics
3/10/2016

Business Rules
Edits were made to correct the reference to graduating students. Late in the process in
2014-2015, the metric was changed to be based on 12th grade students and this change
did not get reflected in the final document.
6/16/2016
Calculation and Aggregation

Rules
Text was added indicating that there is a district-level aggregation for DSSF.
A table was added that shows the metric areas, metrics, weights, and points for the districtlevel aggregation.
6/16/2016
Business Rules
The deadline for student transcript updates in eSchoolPlus was changed from July 31 to
July 1.
6/16/2016
DSSF Accountability Ratings

Rules
Text was added indicating that there is a district-level aggregation for DSSF.
A table was added that shows the metric areas, metrics, weights, and points for the districtlevel aggregation.
The text regarding the redistribution of weights when one or more metrics is missing was
updated.
Two examples of the redistribution of weights were added.
6/16/2016
Star Ratings by Metric Area
District rows were added to the Star Ratings table for each metric area to show the point
ranges for each star level for district-level ratings.
3/10/2016
3/10/2016
An edit was made to the section to move the Growth-to-Proficiency metric information
under the text regarding elementary and middle schools.

Page 36
Date
Section(s)
Description
Examples of Accountability
Rating Calculation
Reference Page
A table was added to show an example of district-level rating calculation.
7/11/2016
Accountability Student
Verification Process
Section titled Business Rules for Creation of AVS Rosters was added.
7/25/2016
DSSF Accountability Ratings

Rules
Inserted section 7.3 Non-Standard Metric Weighting Business Rules

Old section 7.3 now section 7.4
11/16/2016
Appendix Student Growth

Model for School Accountability
Information provided by Education Analytics to describe how the growth metric is

calculated.
6/16/2016
6/16/2016
A reference and link to the NCES Codes for Course Classification/Identification was
added.

Page 37

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DELAWARE SCHOOL SUCCESS

Updated: November 16, 2016

DELAWARE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Overview of Document .................................................................................................. 1

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

Accountability Student Verification Process..............................................................29

Reference Page .......................................................................................................................31

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

DSSF Overview an overview of the DSSF as a whole.

Academic Achievement Metric Overview details of the metrics of the Academic

Introduction to the Delaware School Success Framework (DSSF)

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

Overview of the DSSF

Growth in ELA and mathematics

Growth to proficiency in ELA and mathematics (ES and MS only)

Average daily attendance (ES and MS only)

On track in 9th grade (HS only)

Successful participation in a college or career experience while in high school, such as

School Environment Measures Data collected via a research-based survey of students,

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environment, and

Postsecondary Outcomes The percent of students who enroll in a postsecondary

Calculation and Aggregation Rules

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

Accountability Student Verification (ASV) Process

DSSF Contact Information

For more information about the DSSF, please contact:

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

DSSF Academic Achievement Overview

Sources of Academic Achievement Data

Academic Achievement data is calculated based on statewide summative assessments.

Proficiency in Social Studies

Academic Achievement Business Rules

3. Subgroup accountability: Student Gap Group, which is an aggregate, unduplicated count of

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

Proficiency in Social Studies:

Participation Business Rules

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

DSSF Growth Metric Overview

Sources of Growth Data

Growth data is calculated based on statewide summative assessments.

Growth Business Rules

3. Model specifications: Retrospective growth analysis of observationally similar students using

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

DSSF On-Track-to-Graduation Metric Overview

For elementary and middle schools:

For high schools:

Sources of On-Track-to-Graduation Data

4-, 5-, and 6-Year Graduation Rate

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

On-Track-to-Graduation Business Rules

Average Daily Attendance (elementary and middle schools only):

2. Calculation: Graduation rate = ( 4) + ( ) ( )

Delaware School Success Framework Reference Guide for 2016-2017

All coding is the responsibility of the district/school.

p. MAP students should be coded 38/50.

5-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (high school only)