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• Exemplary;
• Recognized;
• Academically Acceptable;
• Academically Unacceptable; and
• Not Rated: Data Integrity Issues.

The above ratings apply to districts (including charter operators) and schools rated under the standard accountability procedures. In addition, schools with insufficient data to rate are given a rating of Not Rated: Other.

In 2005, alternative education accountability (AEA) ratings were issued to campuses and charters registered to be evaluated under AEA procedures. Possible AEA ratings are:

• AEA: Academically Acceptable;
• AEA: Academically Unacceptable; and
• AEA: Not Rated - Other.

For a more detailed explanation of the accountability system, see the 2005 Accountability Manual available at www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2005/manual/.

Accountability Subset: This refers to the group of students whose performance on the TAKS and SDAA II is used in determining a school's and district's accountability rating. Specifically, the subsets have been calculated as follows:

Campus-level accountability subset: If a student was in one campus on October 29, 2004, but then moved to another campus before the last TAKS or SDAA II test, that student's performance was taken out of the accountability subset for both campuses, whether the campuses are in the same district or different districts. Campuses are held accountable only for those students reported to be enrolled in the campus in the fall and tested in the same campus in the second semester.

District-level accountability subset: If a student was in one district on October 29, 2004, but then moved to another district before the last TAKS or SDAA II test, that student's performance was taken out of the accountability subset for both districts. However, if the student moved from campus to campus within the district, his or her performance was included in that district's results, even though it does not count for either campus. This means that district performance results do not match the sum of the campus performance results.

TAKS/SDAA II Participation, included in the AEIS report, shows what percent of a district's or school's test takers made up the Accountability Subset. For additional information on accountability subsets, see Chapter 2 of the 2005 Accountability Manual. Also see Mobile Subset, TAKS/SDAA II Participation, and Appendix E.

Adopted Tax Rate (calendar year 2004) (District Profile only): This is the locally adopted tax rate set for the 2004 calendar year. The total adopted rate is composed of a maintenance and operation rate (M&O) and a debt service rate (sometimes referred to as the Interest and Sinking fund rate). Rates are expressed per $100 of taxable value. Taxes based on this rate were to be paid by taxpayers in early 2005. The state value shown for the adopted tax rates is the simple average of all the district rates. (Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, July 2005)

Advanced Course/Dual Enrollment Completion: This indicator is based on a count of students who complete and receive credit for at least one advanced course in grades 9-12. Advanced courses include dual enrollment courses. Dual enrollment courses are those for which a student gets both high school and college credit. Deciding who gets credit for which college course is described in Texas Administrative Code §74.25:

To be eligible to enroll and be awarded credit toward state graduation requirements, a student must have the approval of the high school principal or other school official designated by the school district. The course for which credit is awarded must provide advanced academic instruction beyond, or in greater depth than, the essential knowledge and skills for the equivalent high school course.

Appendix C lists all courses identified as advanced, with the exception of courses designated only as dual enrollment. Dual enrollment courses are not shown, as the courses vary from campus to campus and could potentially include a large proportion of all high school courses.

Course completion information is reported by districts through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) after the close of the school year. The values, expressed as a percent, are calculated as follows:

number of students in grades 9-12 who received credit for at least one advanced or dual enrollment course in 2003-04
divided by
number of students in grades 9-12 who received credit for at least one course in 2003-04

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment for advanced course/dual enrollment completion. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual.

Special education students are included in the results shown for the campus or district and the individual student groups. For purposes of comparison, course completion rates are also shown for the prior year (2002-03). See also Appendix C: List of Advanced Courses. (Source: PEIMS, June 2004, June 2003)

Advanced Placement Examinations: See AP/IB Results.

All Funds: Beginning with the 2004-05 AEIS reports, columns showing financial information broken down by fund type (general fund only and all funds) are now presented. All Funds consists of four fundamental fund groups: General Fund (fund codes 101-199 and 420), Special Revenue Funds (fund codes 200/300/400), Debt Service Funds (fund code 599), and Capital Projects Funds (fund codes 601 and 699). It also includes the Enterprise Fund, National School Breakfast and Lunch Program (fund code 701). Within the general fund, fund code 420-Foundation School Program and Other State Aid-is used by charter schools only.

Note that all financial data shown by fund is actual data, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Annual Dropout Rate: Beginning with 2005, two annual dropout rate indicators are shown:

(1) Annual Dropout Rate (Gr 7-8). This includes only grades 7 and 8. This is the rate used in determining a campus or district accountability rating under standard procedures. It is calculated as follows:

number of students in grades 7 and 8 who dropped out at any time during the school year
divided by
number of students in grades 7 and 8 who were in attendance at any time during the school year

Annual dropout rates for grades 7 and 8 are shown for 2003-04 and 2002-03.

(2) Annual Dropout Rate (Gr 7-12). This includes grades 7 through 12. This is the rate used in determining a campus or charter operator accountability rating under alternative education accountability (AEA) procedures. It is calculated as follows:

number of students in grades 7-12 who dropped out at any time during the school year
divided by
number of students in grades 7-12 who were in attendance at any time during the school year

Annual dropout rates for grades 7 through 12 are shown for 2003-04 and 2002-03.

Note that a cumulative count of students is used in the denominator as well as the numerator. This method for calculating the dropout rate neutralizes the effects of mobility by including in the denominator every student who enrolled at the school throughout the school year. If the student dropped out, the student was counted as a dropout for the district last attended. Within a district, each dropout is assigned to a campus based on attendance or reported campus of accountability. Students who fail to enroll in school after release from correctional facilities or residential treatment centers are not counted as dropouts for the districts in which the facilities are located if the serving districts are not the students' home districts. Dropout rates for districts serving Texas Youth Commission facilities do not include dropouts from the facilities unless the dropouts have been attributed to the regular campuses through campus of accountability procedures. For a more complete description of dropout rates, see the Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools report, available at www.tea.state.tx.us/research/. See also Dropout and Leaver Record. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, June 2004, Oct. 2003, and June 2003)

AP/IB Results: These refer to the results of the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and the International Baccalaureate Organization's International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations taken by Texas public school students in a given school year. High school students may take these examinations, ideally upon completion of AP or IB courses, and may receive advanced placement or credit, or both, upon entering college. Generally, colleges will award credit or advanced placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on AP examinations and scores of 4, 5, 6, or 7 on IB examinations. Requirements vary by college and by subject tested.

Three values are calculated for this indicator:

(1) Tested. This shows the percent of students in grades 11 and 12 taking at least one AP or IB examination:

number of 11th and 12th grade students taking at least one AP or IB examination
divided by
number of non-special education 11th and 12th grade students

(2) Examinees >= Criterion. The percent of examinees with at least one AP or IB score at or above the criterion score (3 on AP or 4 on IB):

number of 11th and 12th grade AP or IB examinees who scored at or above criterion
divided by
number of 11th and 12th grade AP or IB examinees

(3) Scores >= Criterion. This shows the percent of scores at or above the criterion score (3 on AP or 4 on IB):

number of 11th and 12th grade AP & IB examination scores at or above criterion
divided by
number of 11th and 12th grade AP & IB examination scores

The denominator of equation (1) does not include 11th and 12th grade students served in special education; however, all students who took at least one AP or IB examination are included in the numerator. The performance of special education students is included in both the numerator and denominator of the other equations.

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment for participation and performance on AP/IB results. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual. See also Criterion Score. (Sources: The College Board, April 2005, Nov. 2003; The International Baccalaureate Organization, Aug. 2004, Aug. 2003; and PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003)

ARD: This refers to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee that determines the individual education plan for every student in special education. See also Special Education and TAKS/SDAA II Participation.

At-Risk: A student is identified as at risk of dropping out of school based on state-defined criteria (§TEC 29.081.) At-risk status is obtained from PEIMS 110 records. The percent of at-risk students is calculated as the sum of the students coded as at risk, divided by the total number of students in membership:

number of students coded as at-risk
divided by
total number of students

Counts of at-risk students and their performance are shown on the 2004-05 AEIS reports for the first time. A column showing at-risk student performance has been added to the district, region, and state reports. While this column is not available on the campus-level reports, counts of at-risk students are shown in the profile section of the campus reports (as well as the district, region, and state reports).

The statutory criteria for at-risk status include each student who is under 21 years of age and who:

1) was not advanced from one grade level to the next for one or more school years;

2) is in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 and did not maintain an average equivalent to 70 on a scale of 100 in two or more subjects in the foundation curriculum during a semester in the preceding or current school year or is not maintaining such an average in two or more subjects in the foundation curriculum in the current semester;

3) did not perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument administered to the student under TEC Subchapter B, Chapter 39, and who has not in the previous or current school year subsequently performed on that instrument or another appropriate instrument at a level equal to at least 110 percent of the level of satisfactory performance on that instrument;

4) is in prekindergarten, kindergarten or grades 1, 2, or 3 and did not perform satisfactorily on a readiness test or assessment instrument administered during the current school year;

5) is pregnant or is a parent;

6) has been placed in an alternative education program in accordance with §TEC 37.006 during the preceding or current school year;

7) has been expelled in accordance with §TEC 37.007 during the preceding or current school year;

8) is currently on parole, probation, deferred prosecution, or other conditional release;

9) was previously reported through the PEIMS to have dropped out of school;

10) is a student of limited English proficiency, as defined by §TEC 29.052;

11) is in the custody or care of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services or has, during the current school year, been referred to the department by a school official, officer of the juvenile court, or law enforcement official;

12) is homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 11302 and its subsequent amendments; or

13) resided in the preceding school year or resides in the current school year in a residential placement facility in the district, including a detention facility, substance abuse treatment facility, emergency shelter, psychiatric hospital, halfway house, or foster group home.

(Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Attendance Rate: Attendance rates reported in AEIS are based on student attendance for the entire school year. Only students in grades 1-12 are included in the calculations. Attendance is calculated as follows:

total number of days students were present in 2003-04
divided by
total number of days students were in membership in 2003-04

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment based on their attendance rate. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual.

Attendance rates are shown for 2003-04 and 2002-03. (Source: PEIMS, June 2004, June 2003)

Auxiliary Staff (District Profile only): This shows the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) count of staff reported without a role but with a PEIMS employment and payroll record. Counts of auxiliary staff are expressed as a percent of total staff. For auxiliary staff, the FTE is simply the value of the percent of day worked. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Average Actual Salaries (regular duties only): For each professional staff type, the total salary is divided by the total FTE count of staff who receive that salary. The total actual salary amount is pay for regular duties only and does not include supplemental payments for coaching, band and orchestra assignments, and club sponsorships. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Average Teacher Salary by Years of Experience (regular duties only): Total pay for teachers within each experience group is divided by the total teacher FTE for the group. The total actual salary amount is pay for regular duties only and does not include supplements. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Average Years Experience of Teachers: Weighted averages are obtained by multiplying each teacher's FTE count by years of experience. These amounts are summed for all teachers and divided by the total teacher FTE count, resulting in the averages shown. This measure refers to the total number of (completed) years of professional experience for the individual in any district. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Average Years Experience of Teachers with District: Weighted averages are obtained by multiplying each teacher's FTE count by years of experience. These amounts are summed for all teachers and divided by the total teacher FTE count, resulting in the averages shown. This measure refers to tenure, i.e., the number of years employed in the reporting district, whether or not there has been any interruption in service.

Campus Group: Each campus is in a unique comparison group of 40 other public schools (from anywhere in the state), that closely matches that campus on six characteristics. Comparison groups are provided so that schools can compare their performance to that of other schools with whom they are demographically similar. Comparison groups are also used for determining Comparable Improvement Gold Performance Acknowledgment.

The demographic characteristics used to construct the campus comparison groups include those defined in statute as well as others found to be statistically related to performance. They are:

• the percent of African American students enrolled for 2004-05;
• the percent of Hispanic students enrolled for 2004-05;
• the percent of White students enrolled for 2004-05;
• the percent of economically disadvantaged students enrolled for 2004-05;
• the percent of limited English proficient (LEP) students enrolled for 2004-05; and
• the percent of mobile students as determined from 2003-04 cumulative attendance.

All schools are first grouped by type (elementary, middle, secondary, or multi-level). Then the group is determined on the basis of the most predominant features at the target school. In the attached example (Appendix D), the target school (Sample H S) has 40.5% African American, 20.9% Hispanic, 32.5% White, 35.6% economically disadvantaged, 11.2% limited English proficient, and 21.7% mobile students. Of these features, the most predominant (i.e., the largest) is the percent of African American students, followed by the percent of economically disadvantaged students, the percent of White students, the percent of mobile students, the percent of Hispanic students, and finally, the percent of limited English proficient students. The following steps illustrate the group identification process:

Step 1: 100 secondary campuses having percentages closest to 40.5% African American are identified;

Step 2: 10 schools from the initial group of 100 are eliminated on the basis of being most distant from the value of 35.6% economically disadvantaged;

Step 3: 10 of the remaining 90 schools that are most distant from 32.5% White students are eliminated;

Step 4: 10 of the remaining 80 schools that are most distant from 21.7% mobile students are eliminated;

Step 5: 10 of the remaining 70 schools that are most distant from 20.9% Hispanic students are eliminated;

Step 6: 10 of the remaining 60 schools that are most distant from 11.2% limited English proficient students are eliminated; and

Step 7: 10 of the remaining 50 schools that are most distant from 20.9% Hispanic students and/or 32.5% White students are eliminated. (This last reduction step is based on the least predominant characteristics among the four student groups evaluated in the accountability system: African American, Hispanic, White, and economically disadvantaged.)

The final group size is 40 schools. This methodology creates a unique comparison group for every campus. Please note the following:

• With this methodology, the number of times a school appears as a member of other groups will vary.
• In cases where the campus has a missing mobility value, the district's average mobility is used as a proxy. This will happen for schools in their first year of operation.
• Districts are not grouped.

In the performance section of a campus AEIS report, the value given in the Campus Group column is the median of the values from the 40-school group for that campus. (The median is defined as that point in the distribution of values, above and below which one-half of the values fall.) In the profile section of the report, the value given in the Campus Group column is the mean, or average value. If a report contains question marks (?) in the Campus Group column, this means there were too few schools in the comparison group (specifically, fewer than 25 schools) to have confidence in the median values. Such small numbers are considered too unstable to provide an adequate comparison group value.

See Comparable Improvement and Texas Growth Index.

Campus #: The campus number is the unique 9 digit identifying number assigned to every Texas public school. It consists of the county number (assigned alphabetically from 001 to 254), followed by the district number (9-- is used primarily for regular districts, 8-- for charter operators), and ending with the campus number (generally 00- for high schools, 04- for middle schools, and 1-- for elementary schools).

Class Size Averages by Grade and Subject: These values show the average class size for elementary classes (by grade) and for secondary classes (by subject) for selected subjects. Districts do not report actual class size averages. The class size averages are computed by the TEA based on the teacher role and class schedule information reported in the PEIMS 090 record by the district each fall. The following principles are used in deriving the average class sizes:

1) classes identified as serving regular, compensatory/remedial, gifted and talented, career and technology, and honors students are included in calculation;

2) subjects in the areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign language, computer science, business education, vocational, and self-contained are included in the calculation;

3) classes where the number of students served is reported to be zero are not included in the calculation;

4) service codes with the "SR" prefix are not included in the calculation;

5) only teacher roles coded as "special duty teacher", "teacher", and "substitute teacher" are included in the calculation;

6) only class settings coded as "regular class" are included in the calculation;

7) missing partial FTE counts are not included in the calculation;

8) if a teacher teaches more than one class at the same time, the records are combined into a single class; and

9) elementary classes where the number of students exceeds 100 are excluded from the calculation.

The methodology differs depending on whether the class is elementary or secondary due to differences in reporting practices for these two types of teacher schedules. For secondary classes, each unique combination of teacher and class time is counted as a class. Averages are determined by summing the number of students served (in a given subject at the campus) and dividing by the calculated count of classes.

For elementary classes, the number of records reported for each grade is considered. For example, a teacher teaching a variety of subjects to the same group of fourth graders all day should have only one record indicating the total number of fourth grade students served. However, an elementary teacher who teaches a single subject to five different sections of fourth graders each day will have five separate records reported, each with a unique count of students served. Average class sizes are calculated by summing all the students served (in a given grade at the campus) and dividing by the sum of the teacher FTE counts for those records. So, for example, a full-time mathematics teacher with five sections of fourth graders, with 20 different students in each, would have an average of 100/5 or 20 students.

College Admissions Tests: See SAT/ACT Results.

College Readiness - Texas Success Initiative: See Texas Success Initiative (TSI) - Higher Education Readiness Component.

Commended Performance: See TAKS Commended Performance.

Community Services (2003-04) (District Profile only): Expenditures for activities or purposes other than regular public education. These are activities relating to the whole community, such as the operation of a school library, swimming pool, and playgrounds for the public (objects 6100-6400, function 61).

Note this item is reported as actual expenditures, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Comparable Improvement: Comparable Improvement (CI) is a measure that calculates how student performance on the TAKS mathematics and reading/English language arts tests has changed (or grown) from one year to the next, and compares the change to that of the 40 schools that are demographically most similar to the target school.

CI is calculated separately for reading/ELA and mathematics, based on individual student Texas Growth Index (TGI) values. The student-level TGI values are aggregated to the campus level to create an average TGI for each campus. The average TGI values for the 40 member group are rank ordered. Schools that fall into the first quartile (i.e. top 10 schools of the 40 in their campus group), receive Gold Performance Acknowledgment for CI.

For a complete explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgments, refer to Chapter 5 of the 2005 Accountability Manual; for a detailed explanation of TGI, see Appendix E of the manual, available at www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2005/manual/index.html. See also Campus Group, Texas Growth Index, and Appendix D.

Completion Rate: This indicator shows the status of a group (cohort) of students after four years in high school. The cohort consists of students who first attended ninth grade in 2000-01. They are followed through their expected graduation as the class of 2004. Any student who transferred into the 2000-01 cohort is added to it, and any student who transfers out of the 2000-01 cohort is subtracted from it.

• A student who transfers into the cohort is one who, for example, moves into the cohort from another high school in Texas or from out of state.
• A student who transfers out of the cohort is one who, for example, moves to another high school in Texas; note that these students are then transferred into the cohort of the receiving high school and district. There are also students who move out of the state or out of the country, or students who transfer to private schools or who are home-schooled. These types of transfers cannot be tracked and are taken out of the cohort.
• Students do not change cohorts even if they repeat a grade or skip a grade. If they begin with the 2000-01 ninth grade cohort, they remain with that cohort. This means, for example, that a student who started the ninth grade in 2000-01, but takes 6 years to graduate (i.e., in May 2006) is still part of the 2000-01 cohort; they are not switched to the 2002-03 cohort.
• Special Education students who graduate with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are included as graduates.
• Students who met their high school graduation requirements but failed all or part of the exit-level TAKS test are taken out of the completion rate calculation; they are not in the denominator or the numerator.

This indicator is computed and reported for districts as well as for high schools that have had continuous enrollment in grades 9-12 since at least the 2000-01 school year. Campuses that only serve some of these grades and campuses that have been in existence for fewer than five years have their district's rate substituted.

The four possible student outcomes are:

(1) Graduated. Based on the 2000-01 cohort, this shows the percent who received their high school diploma on time or earlier - by the end of the 2003-04 school year. It is calculated as follows:

number of students from the cohort who received a high school diploma by the end of 2003-04
divided by
number of students in the 2000-01 cohort*

(2) Received GED. Based on the 2000-01 cohort, this shows the percentage who received a General Educational Development certificate before March 1, 2005. It is calculated as follows:

number of students from the cohort who received a GED
divided by
number of students in the 2000-01 cohort*

(3) Continued High School. Based on the 2000-01 cohort, this shows the percentage still enrolled as students in the fall of the 2004-05 school year. It is calculated as follows:

number of students from the cohort who were enrolled for the 2004-05 school year
divided by
number of students in the 2000-01 cohort*

(4) Dropped Out (4-yr). Based on the 2000-01 cohort, this shows the percentage who dropped out and did not return by the fall of the 2004-05 school year. It is calculated as follows:

number of students from the cohort who dropped out before the fall of the 2004-05 school year
divided by
number of students in the 2000-01 cohort*

These four outcomes sum to 100% (some totals may not equal exactly 100% due to rounding).

For the 2004-05 AEIS reports, the Completion Rate is shown three different ways:

(1) Completion /Student Status Rate. This shows all of the above measures separately. The prior rate (class of 2003) is also shown.

(2) Completion Rate II (w/GED). This indicator sums together the first three of the above outcomes: the percent of students in the 2000-01 cohort who received their high school diplomas by the end of the 2003-04 school year, those who received GEDs, and those who were still enrolled as high school students for the 2004-05 school year. The rate is calculated as follows:

number of students from the cohort who received a high school diploma by the end of 2003-04, received GEDs or were enrolled for the 2004-05 school year
divided by
number of students in the 2000-01 cohort*

This rate was used for determining the 2005 accountability ratings, both standard and alternative education accountability. For comparison, the prior rate (class of 2003) is also shown.

(3) Completion Rate I (w/o GED). This indicator sums together the first and third of the above outcomes: the percent of students in the 2000-01 cohort who received their high school diplomas by the end of the 2003-04 school year and those who were still enrolled as high school students for the 2004-05 school year. The rate is calculated as follows:

number of students from the cohort who received a high school diploma by the end of 2003-04 or were enrolled for the 2004-05 school year
divided by
number of students in the 2000-01 cohort*

* The cohort in the denominator of the formulas shown above includes those students who graduated, continued in school, received a GED, or dropped out. It does not include data errors or leavers with leaver reason codes 03, 16, 19, 21, 22, 24, 30, 31, 60, 61, 63, 64, 66, 72, 78, 80, 81, 82, or 83.

Other important information:

• Completion Rate I will be used in determining the 2006 accountability ratings under standard procedures; it is provided in this year's report as a preview. Completion Rate II will continue to be used for alternative education accountability in the future.
• Completion rates for districts serving Texas Youth Commission facilities do not include students from the facilities unless the students have been attributed to the regular campuses through campus of accountability procedures.

For further information on these rates, see the report Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, June 2004, Oct. 2003, June 2003, Oct. 2002, June 2002, Oct. 2001, June 2001, Oct. 2000, June 2000, June 1999, June 1998, and General Educational Development Information File)

Criterion Score: This refers to the scores on SAT and ACT college admissions tests and the AP and IB tests. For college admissions tests, the criterion scores are at least 24 on the ACT (composite) and at least 1110 on the SAT (total). For AP and IB tests, the criterion scores are at least 3 on AP tests, and at least 4 on IB tests. These criterion scores were set by the State Board of Education. Each college and university establishes its own score criteria for admitting or granting advanced placement or credit to individual students. See also SAT/ACT Results and AP/IB Results.

Data Quality (District Profile only): The AEIS reports show the percent of errors a district made in two key data submissions: 1) the PID Error rate in PEIMS Student Data, and 2) the percent of Underreported Students in PEIMS Student Leaver Data.

(1) PID Error Rate. The Person Identification Database (PID) system ensures that each time information is collected for a student, the identifying information matches other data collections for that student. This allows student data to be linked, such as enrollment records, which are collected in October, to attendance records, which are collected in June; or data to be matched across years. It also helps maintain student confidentiality by assigning an ID that does not divulge the student's identifying information.

During the data submission process each district has the ability to run PID Discrepancy Reports that show any PID errors found. The district then has time to correct the errors before its submission is finalized. While the PID error rate has declined significantly over the years, any amount of error has a detrimental effect on the calculation of longitudinal measures such as the four-year dropout rate and the high school completion rate. The AEIS reports show the PID error rate in PEIMS Student Data, collected in Submission 1 (Oct. 2004).

The rate is calculated as follows:

number of student PID errors found in PEIMS submission 1 (fall 2004)
divided by
number of student records in PEIMS submission 1 (fall 2004)

(2) Percent of Underreported Students. Underreported students are 7th - 12th graders who were enrolled at any time the prior year, whom the district has not accounted for in the current year. In other words, they were not reported as returning to school nor were they reported as a leaver. Leaver reasons include: having graduated or received a GED, having died, having dropped out or having transferred to another school. (For a more complete definition of leavers, see Leaver Records.)

The rate is calculated as follows:

number of underreported students
divided by
number of returning students + leavers (incl. overreported leavers) + underreported students

Note that in some cases districts overreport students as leavers. This means that a district might report a student as having left the district but there is no record of the student having been at the district in the prior year. These students are not taken out of the above formula.

Under the accountability rating system, there have been consequences for districts that exceeded certain thresholds for this measure. For 2005, in order to receive a rating of Exemplary or Recognized, a district's percent and number of underreported students could not exceed 5.0% or 100, respectively. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, June 2004, Oct. 2003)

Distinguished Achievement Program: See RHSP/DAP Graduates.

Dropout: A student is identified as a dropout if he or she is absent without an approved excuse or documented transfer and does not return to school by the fall of the following year, or if he or she completes the school year but fails to re-enroll the following school year.

Dropout counts are obtained from PEIMS records. Districts report the status of all students who were enrolled in grades 7 - 12 in the district during the prior school year in one of two ways: as being currently in school (Enrollment record) or as having left school (Leaver record). The Leaver record provides 30 possible reasons for leaving school. Generally, a school leaver can be put into one of four categories:

(1) The student graduated or received a GED.

(2) The student died.

(3) The student left school with appropriate documentation of continuing education elsewhere.

(4) The student left school for other reasons.

Many students coded with reasons under the fourth category are considered dropouts. However, before the annual dropout rate is finalized, a statewide reconciliation system is run in which information about reported leavers is merged with statewide enrollment and attendance records, graduation records, and GED records. Students who are found in these files, indicating that they should not be counted as dropouts, are excluded from the annual dropout rate for the school and district. Students not found in those files are considered official dropouts. See also Annual Dropout Rate. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, June 2004, Oct. 2003, June 2003, Oct. 2002, and June 2002; and General Educational Development Information File)

Dropout Rate: See Annual Dropout Rate.

Economically Disadvantaged: The percent of economically disadvantaged students is calculated as the sum of the students coded as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or eligible for other public assistance, divided by the total number of students:

number of students coded as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or other public assistance
divided by
total number of students

See also Campus Group and Total Students. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003; and TEA Student Assessment Division)

Educational Aides: Educational aides are staff who are reported with a role of 033 (Educational Aide), 036 (Certified Interpreter), or 037 (Non-Certified Interpreter). These aides are referred to as paraprofessional staff. The FTE counts of educational aides are expressed as a percent of the total staff FTE. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Enrollment: See Total Students.

Equity Transfers (2003-04) (District Profile only): The amount, "excluded from revenues," is the expenditures reported by districts for reducing their property wealth to the required equalized wealth level (function 91). The amount, "excluded from expenditures," is the expenditures reported by districts for the cost of reducing their property wealth to the required equalized wealth level (function 91). Payments to Charter Schools (function 96) are also included in both items in this category.

Note this item is reported as actual expenditures, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Ethnic Distribution: Students are reported as White, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American. In the profile section, both counts and percentages of the total number of students in each of these categories are shown. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003; The College Board; ACT Inc.; The International Baccalaureate Organization; and TEA Student Assessment Division)

FTE: Full-Time Equivalent.

Fund Balance Information (District Profile only): The amount of undesignated, unreserved fund balance that existed at the end of the 2003-04 school year is reported for each district.

The unreserved fund balance is not legally restricted and has two components: designated and undesignated. The designated component requires local board action to earmark the balance for bona fide purposes that will be fulfilled within a reasonable period of time. The undesignated component is available to finance monthly operating expenditures.

The amount reported in the AEIS report is the undesignated component, calculated as the difference between the total unreserved fund balance and the designated unreserved fund balance. This balance amount is expressed as a percent of the total budgeted expenditures (for the general fund) for the current year (2004-05) as specified in statute.

A district can have a negative undesignated, unreserved fund balance when the district's reserved fund balance is greater than the district's total fund balance.

Note that while other finance items are now reported as actual, fund balance information is still expressed as a percent of total budgeted expenditures for the current year as required in statute. (Source: Financial Audit Report, Jan. 2005)

General Fund: This is a governmental fund used for operations of on-going organizations and activities. Beginning with this year's AEIS reports, amounts reported in this fund classification are reported separately from All Funds. General fund reporting includes fund codes 101-199 and 420. Fund 420 Foundation School Program and Other State Aid is included in the general fund for charter schools only.

Note that all financial data shown by fund is actual data, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Gold Performance Acknowledgment: A school or district may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment for their students' performance on any of the following 13 indicators:

• Advanced Course/Dual Enrollment Completion
• AP/IB Examination Results
• Attendance Rate
• Commended Performance on TAKS: Reading/English Language Arts
• Commended Performance on TAKS: Mathematics
• Commended Performance on TAKS: Writing
• Commended Performance on TAKS: Science
• Commended Performance on TAKS: Social Studies
• Comparable Improvement: Reading/ English Language Arts (campus only)
• Comparable Improvement: Mathematics (campus only)
• Recommended High School Program/Distinguished Achievement Program
• SAT/ACT Results (College Admissions Tests)
• TAAS/TASP Equivalency

Schools and districts receive one of three possible categories for each indicator. Acknowledged signifies they met the Gold Performance standard for the indicator; Does Not Qualify signifies that they were evaluated but did not meet the standard for the indicator or that the school or district was Academically Unacceptable; Not Applicable signifies there were no data to be evaluated for the indicator, usually due to the grades served by the district or campus. Schools labeled as Not Rated: Other, or districts labeled Not Rated: Data Integrity Issues are not evaluated for Gold Performance Acknowledgment and are noted as Not Applicable.

Refer to the 2005 Accountability Manual for detailed information on the standards for Gold Performance Acknowledgment. The manual is available on the Division of Performance Reporting's website at www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2005/manual/index.html.

See also Advanced Courses, AP/IB Results, Attendance Rate, Comparable Improvement, RHSP/DAP Graduates, SAT/ACT Results, TAAS/TASP Equivalency, and TAKS Commended Performance.

Graduates (Class of 2004): In the profile section, this is the total number of graduates (including summer graduates) for the 2003-04 school year, as reported by districts in the fall of 2004. The value includes 12th graders who graduated as well as graduates from other grades. Students in special education who graduate are included in the totals, and are also reported as a separate group. Counts of students graduating under the recommended high school or distinguished achievement programs are also shown.

Students graduating with the class of 2004 could be coded with one of the following types:

• Minimum High School Program
• Recommended High School Program
• Distinguished Achievement Program
• Special Education student completing an IEP

Counts of graduates are calculated slightly differently for three of the indicators on the performance section of the AEIS report:

• College Admissions results do not indicate whether the examinee is served in special education; therefore, there is no way to know if a student taking the SAT or ACT is served in special education. However, because relatively fewer students served in special education take college admissions tests, only non-special education graduates are included in the denominator.
• The TAAS/TASP Equivalency denominator includes some special education graduates, but not all. It excludes those who graduate under an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and are therefore exempt from taking the exit-level TAAS, the performance measure used to create this indicator.
• The RHSP/DAP (Recommended High School Program/Distinguished Achievement Program) indicator includes all graduates, special education and non-special education.

See also Completion Rate and RHSP/DAP Graduates. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Instructional Expenditure Ratio (2003-04) (District Profile only): This measure, required by TEC 44.0071, indicates the percentage of the district's total actual expenditures for the 2003-04 fiscal year that were used to fund direct instructional activities. The instructional expenditure ratio is a district-level only measure, and is calculated as follows:

expenditures reported in function codes 11, 12, 13, 31 and object codes 6112 through 6499
divided by
expenditures reported in function codes 11-52, 92,and 95 and object codes 6112 through 6499

Contact the School Financial Audits Division at (512) 463-9095 for further details on this measure. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Instructional Staff Percent (District Profile only): This measure, required by TEC 44.0071, indicates the percentage of the district's full-time equivalent employees whose job function was to directly provide classroom instruction to students during the 2004-05 school year. The instructional staff percent is a district-level only measure, and is calculated as follows.

total number of hours district staff reported under expenditure object codes 6112, 6119, and 6129, and function codes 11, 12, 13, and 31
divided by
total number of hours worked by all district employees

Contact the School Financial Audits Division at (512) 463-9095 for further details about this measure. See Appendix A. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

International Baccalaureate (IB): See AP/IB Results.

Leaver Record: In the fall of each year, districts report all 7th through 12th grade students who were enrolled or in attendance at any point during the prior year but who did not re-enroll the following fall. This group of "leavers" includes students such as those who graduated or received a GED, moved to another district, state, or country, died, or dropped out. This information is sent to TEA in Submission 1 of the annual PEIMS data collection.

After the data submission process is complete, PEIMS and several other statewide databases are searched to determine if any of the leaver records can appropriately be excluded from consideration as dropouts for accountability ratings purposes. Students' leaver records are excluded from the district and campus list of dropouts if the students:

• have remained enrolled in a public school somewhere in the state, according to the school district attendance and enrollment information provided through PEIMS;
• have received a General Educational Development (GED) certificate and appear on the GED information file at the time the reconciliation procedures are executed;
• graduated from any other district;
• were found to have been ineligible for state Foundation School Program funding;
• were found to have been reported as dropouts from more than one district, and the data cannot confirm which district the students last attended; or
• were identified as a dropout in the past. A student is counted only once as an official dropout in the statewide accountability system, even if the student drops out repeatedly.

See also Data Quality. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, June 2004, Oct. 2003, June 2003, Oct. 2002, and June 2002; General Educational Development Information File; Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools, 2003-04, Texas Education Agency)

Limited English Proficient (LEP): These are students identified as limited English proficient by the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) according to criteria established in the Texas Administrative Code. Not all pupils identified as LEP receive bilingual or English as a second language instruction, although most do. Percentages are calculated by dividing the number of LEP pupils by the total number of students in the school or district.

See also Campus Group and TAKS/SDAA II Participation. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Met Standard: This refers to the TAKS passing standard. For a detailed explanation, see TAKS Panel Recommendation.

Mobile Subset: See Accountability Subset. Note that this calculation is different from that used to determine Mobility (below). See also TAKS/SDAA II Participation and Appendix E.

Mobility (Campus Profile only): A student is considered to be mobile if he or she has been in membership at the school for less than 83% of the school year (i.e., has missed six or more weeks at a particular school).

number of mobile students in 2003-04
divided by
number of students who were in membership at any time during the 2003-04 school year

This rate is calculated at the campus level. The mobility rate shown in the profile section of campus reports under the "district" column is based on the count of mobile students identified at the campus level. That is, the district mobility rate reflects school-to-school mobility, within the same district or from outside the district. See also Campus Group. (Source: PEIMS, June 2004)

n/a: This indicates that data are not available or are not applicable.

Number of Students per Teacher: This shows the total number of students divided by the total teacher FTE count. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Paired Schools: For accountability purposes, schools that reported enrollment but did not have grades in which the state-mandated test was given (e.g. K-2 schools) are paired with schools with which they have a "feeder" relationship to determine accountability ratings. For example, assuming Travis Primary (K-2) feeds students into Navarro Elementary (3-5), the district would pair these two schools for accountability purposes. This means that the TAKS performance of Navarro Elementary is also used for rating Travis Primary and is reported on the AEIS report for Travis Primary.

Panel Recommendation: See TAKS Panel Recommendation.

Performance of Mobile Students (State Performance only): This additional indicator shows the aggregate state-level performance of students who were excluded from the district accountability subset due to mobility across districts between October and the time of testing. It is calculated for each TAKS subject as:

number of mobile students who passed each test
divided by
number of mobile students tested

Results for this indicator are shown on the state report at www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/2005/state.html. Scroll down to Performance of Mobile Students (past TAKS) and click on the link.

The indicator shows performance by subject summed across all grades tested. For purposes of comparison, Performance of Mobile Students is shown for 2005 and 2004. This indicator is not available at the region, district, or campus level. See also Mobility. (Source: Division of Student Assessment)

Professional Staff: This is a full-time equivalent (FTE) count of teachers, professional support staff, campus administrators, and, on the district profile, central administrators. Staff are grouped according to the PEIMS roles reported. Each type of professional staff is shown as a percentage of the total staff FTE. See also Appendix A. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Progress of Prior Year TAKS Failers (Sum of Grades 4 - 11): This indicator provides two measures that show the progress of students who failed the reading/ELA portion or the mathematics portion of the TAKS in the prior year.

(1) Percent of Failers Passing TAKS. Of the students who failed the TAKS in the prior year, this measure shows the percent that passed the corresponding assessment in the current year.

For 2005, the reported values for reading/ELA and mathematics are calculated as:

number of matched students who failed in 2004 but passed in 2005
divided by
number of matched students who failed in 2004

Note that these students would have passed the TAKS at the more difficult 2005 (panel recommendation for grades 4-10, and 1 SEM below PR for grade 11) standard.

(2) Average TGI Growth. For students who failed the TAKS in the prior year, this measure shows their average growth (or change) between the prior year and current year.

For 2005, the reported values for reading/ELA and mathematics are calculated as:

sum of individual student TGI values
divided by
total number of students with TGI values

For 2005, students included in these measures are those who:

• took the spring 2005 TAKS reading/ELA and/or mathematics tests in grades 4-11 (progress is not calculated for third grade test takers since that is their first TAKS test);
• are part of the Accountability Subset;
• can be matched to the spring 2004 TAKS administration-anywhere in the state-to find their prior year score for reading/ELA and/or mathematics;
• failed the 2004 TAKS administration of reading/ELA and/or mathematics (using the 2004 student-level passing standard).

Reports for both these measures by grade are available for each district and campus on the internet, within the AEIS report that appears on the Division of Performance Reporting's website. To view these reports, access the HTML version of a campus or district report from the AEIS site (www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/2005/). The link below Progress of Prior Year TAAS Failers will produce a separate report that provides the progress of prior year failers by grade. See also Texas Growth Index in this Glossary. For a more complete explanation of the Texas Growth Index, see Appendix E in the 2005 Accountability Manual. (Source: TEA Division of Student Assessment)

Reading Proficiency Tests in English (RPTE): See RPTE Change.

Recommended High School Program: See RHSP/DAP Graduates.

Retention Rates by Grade: The retention rate, reported in the profile section, shows the percent of students in Texas public schools who enrolled in fall of 2004-05 in the same grade as their grade in the last reported six-week period of the prior year (2003-04). It is calculated as follows:

total students not advanced to the next grade
divided by
total students advanced to the next grade + total students not advanced to the next grade

Note that all special education retention rates are calculated and reported separately from the rates of non-special education students because local retention practices appear to differ greatly between these two populations of students.

The AEIS report only shows retention rates for grades K-8. Retention rates for all grades may be found in Grade-Level Retention in Texas Public Schools, 2003-04, available from TEA. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, June 2004)

RHSP/DAP Graduates: This indicator shows the percent of graduates who were reported as having satisfied the course requirements for the Texas State Board of Education Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program. It is calculated as follows:

number of graduates reported with graduation codes for Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program
divided by
number of graduates

RHSP graduates are students with type codes of 10, 14, 15, 19, or 22; DAP graduates are students with type codes of 09, 16, 17, 20, or 23. See the PEIMS Data Standards for more information.

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment based on their RHSP/DAP rate. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual. See also Graduates. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003)

RPTE Change (Reading Proficiency Tests in English): These tests are designed to measure annual growth in the English reading proficiency of second language learners, and are used along with English and Spanish TAKS to provide a comprehensive assessment system for limited English proficient (LEP) students.

The RPTE is constructed with items from different levels of proficiency: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. Beginning in 2005, a new proficiency level, Advanced High, was added to the three levels used in 2004. LEP students in Grades 3-12 take the RPTE until they meet state program exit requirements and are classified as non-LEP.

If the students were at the Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced level in 2004, the AEIS report shows what percent of them scored at each of the four levels in 2005. Students included in the measure are those who:

• took the spring 2004 RPTE anywhere in the state;

• scored at the Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced level on the spring 2004 RPTE;

• took the RPTE in spring 2005; and

• were part of the Accountability Subset.

Because the Advanced High proficiency level is new in 2005, only one year of RPTE change is shown. (Source: TEA Student Assessment Division)

SAT/ACT Results: These include the College Board's SAT and ACT, Inc.'s ACT Assessment. Both testing companies annually provide the agency with testing information on the most recent test participation and performance of graduating seniors from all Texas public schools. Only one record is sent per student. If a student takes an ACT or SAT test more than once, the agency receives the record for the most recent examination taken.

Three values are calculated for this indicator:

(1) Tested. This shows the percent of graduates who took either college admissions test:

number of graduates who took either the SAT or the ACT
divided by
number of non-special education graduates

Note that "graduates" in the denominator of equation (1) does not include special education graduates; however, special education graduates who took either the SAT or ACT are included in the numerator. (See Graduates.)

(2) At/Above Criterion. This shows the percent of examinees who scored at or above the criterion score on either test (1110 on the SAT, or 24 on the ACT):

number of examinees who scored at or above criterion
divided by
number of examinees

(3) Mean Score. This shows the average (mean) score for the SAT total and the mean score for the ACT composite, calculated as follows:

total score (math plus verbal) for all students who took the SAT
divided by
number of students who took the SAT

and

total composite score for all students who took the ACT
divided by
number of students who took the ACT

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment based on their SAT/ACT performance and participation. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual. See also Criterion Score. (Source: The College Board (SAT) April 2005; Nov. 2003; ACT, Inc. (ACT) Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003; and PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003)

School Type: For purposes of creating the Campus Groups, schools are placed into one of four classifications based on the lowest and highest grades in which students are enrolled (in membership) at the school: elementary, middle (including junior high school), secondary, and both elementary/secondary (K-12). Generally speaking, elementaries are PK-5 or PK-6; middle schools are 6-8, and secondary schools are 9-12.

SDAA: See State-Developed Alternative Assessment II.

SEM: See Standard Error of Measurement.

Special Education: This refers to the population served by programs for students with disabilities. Assessment decisions for students in special education programs are made by their Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee. The ARD committee is made up of their parent(s) or guardian, teacher, administrator, and other concerned parties. A student in special education may take the TAKS or SDAA II tests. If they are exempted from all state administered tests, they must be assessed using a locally-determined alternate assessment (LDAA). Results from LDAA tests are not reported on the AEIS reports.

Other indicators that include the performance of students in special education are: advanced course/dual enrollment completion, attendance rate, annual dropout rates, completion rate, RHSP/DAP, RPTE, TAKS exit-level cumulative pass rate, TAAS/TASP equivalency, and the Texas Success Initiative. Information that would allow the separation of performance of special education students on college admissions tests and on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate examinations is not available. Note that in the profile section of the report, retention rates are shown separately for special education and non-special education students. See also State-Developed Alternative Assessment II and TAKS/SDAA II Participation. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003, and TEA Student Assessment Division)

Staff Exclusions: These are counts of individuals who serve public school students, but are not included in the FTE totals for any of the other employee statistics. There are two types of these entries: individuals participating in a shared services arrangement and individuals on contract with the district to provide instructional services. Shared Services Arrangement (SSA) Staff work in schools located in districts other than their employing district, or their assigned organization (in PEIMS) shows a code of 751, indicating that they are employed by the fiscal agent of an SSA. Only the portion of a person's total FTE amount associated with the school in another district (or with the 751 organization code) is counted as SSA. SSA staff are grouped into three categories: Professional Staff (which includes teachers, administrators, and professional support); Educational Aides; and Auxiliary Staff. Note that SSA Auxiliary Staff are identified by the type of fund from which they are paid. Contracted Instructional Staff (District and Campus Profiles) refers to counts of instructors for whom the district has entered into a contractual agreement with some outside organization. Through the contract, the outside organization has committed to supplying instructional staff for the district. They are never employees of the reporting school district. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Standard Error of Measurement (SEM): A way to understand the standard error of measurement as it relates to tests is the following:

If a single student were to take the same test repeatedly (with no new learning taking place between testings and no memory of questions), the standard deviation of his/her repeated test scores is denoted as the standard error of measurement.

The TAKS transition plan implemented by the State Board of Education uses the standard error of measurement to phase in the student passing standard over three years (2002-03 to 2004-05). For a complete explanation of the plan, see TAKS Panel Recommendation. (Source: Student Assessment Division)

Standardized Local Tax Base (comptroller valuation) (District Profile only): The Comptroller conducts a study each year that uniformly evaluates the property values within school district boundaries. Locally assessed values may vary from the Comptroller's study values. The values certified by the Comptroller's Property Tax Division (Comptroller Valuation) are standardized in that they are deemed to be comparable across the state. Note that the values shown are final for tax year 2004. This is not the property value used for school funding calculations.

• Value (after exemptions). This refers to the market value of all property in a district, minus certain exemptions and deductions. The value after exemptions reflects deductions for the state-mandated homestead exemptions, the disabled veterans' exemptions, the school tax ceiling for homeowners over age 65 or disabled, and other state-mandated exemptions.
• Value per Pupil. This refers to school district property value, or Standardized Local Tax Base, divided by the total number of students. This per pupil figure is one definition of "wealth." Note that the values shown are final for tax year 2004. At the state level, the per pupil amount is created by dividing by the total number of students in districts with property value. Some districts don't have property value. Their students are not included.
• Value by Category. This shows aggregates of individual property tax categories expressed as a percent of the Comptroller's property value before the exemptions are applied. Thus, the sum of the category values will exceed the value used for per pupil calculations. Note that the values shown are final for tax year 2004.
  • Business -
    • real property: commercial and industrial;
    • real and tangible personal property: utilities; and
    • personal property: commercial and industrial.
  • Residential - real property: single-family, residential; multifamily, residential; and inventory.
  • Land - real property: vacant lots and tracts; acreage at market value, and farm and ranch improvements; acreage at productivity value.
  • Oil and Gas - real property: oil, gas, and other minerals.
  • Other - tangible personal property: other; and intangible personal property.

(Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, July 2005)

State-Developed Alternative Assessment II (SDAA II): This test assesses special education students in Grades 3-10 who are receiving instruction in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) but for whom TAKS is not an appropriate measure of their academic progress. New for 2005, the State-Developed Alternative Assessment II (SDAA II) assesses more of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) than the previous SDAA did; asks questions in more authentic ways; and includes grades 9 and 10 for the first time.

SDAA II tests are given in the areas of reading/ELA, writing, and mathematics. Students are assessed at their appropriate instructional levels, as determined by their Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committees. The SDAA II is administered on the same schedule as TAKS.

Two indicators are calculated for SDAA II:

(1) SDAA II Examinations Met ARD Expectations: This is a single measure showing the percent of SDAA II tests that met ARD expectations, summed across grades (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th) and subjects (reading/ELA, writing and/or mathematics):

number of SDAA II tests meeting ARD expectations
divided by
number of SDAA II tests taken

This indicator is used in determining state accountability ratings for campuses and districts.

(2) SDAA II Examinees Met ARD Expectations: This shows the percent of SDAA II examinees who met ARD expectations on each subject area test, summed across the grades tested:

number of SDAA II examinees meeting ARD expectations, by subject
divided by
number of SDAA II examinees tested, by subject

Other important information:

• All Tests Taken. The second indicator - (2) above - also shows the percent meeting expectations on all tests taken. That is, if a grade 4 student meets expectations on his mathematics and reading tests but fails to meet expectations on the writing test, then he has not met expectations on all tests taken.
• Baseline. SDAA II does not require student performance to be 'baselined' in a prior year. For those students with no prior testing information, their Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee will set an improvement expectation within the school year. This means that the performance of third graders and other students taking the SDAA II for the first time are included in the results shown.
• Accountability Subset. Only those students who were part of the Accountability Subset are included. For more information on SDAA II and accountability, refer to the 2005 Accountability Manual.

See also Accountability Subset, and TAKS/SDAA II Participation. (Source: Student Assessment Division)

Student Enrollment by Program: Students are identified as served in programs and/or courses for Special Education, Career and Technology Education, Bilingual/ESL Education, or Gifted and Talented Education. The percentages do not sum to 100, as a student may be enrolled in more than one of these programs. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Student Success Initiative (SSI): In 1999, as part of the mandate for the new TAKS tests, the Texas Legislature included new grade advancement testing requirements. For tests administered in the spring of 2005, students in 3rd grade needed to pass the reading portion of the TAKS in order to be promoted to the 4th grade, and students in 5th graded needed to pass both the reading and mathematics portions of the TAKS in order to be promoted to 6th grade. Students were given three opportunities to pass each required test. In addition to promotion based on passing the test, some students were promoted based on the recommendation of their grade placement committee (GPC), given the committee members unanimously decided that the student was likely to perform on grade level after receiving accelerated instruction. The AEIS report shows four measures for this indicator:

(1) Students Requiring Accelerated Instruction. For each subject and grade, this shows the percent of students who did not pass the first administration of the TAKS. Students who did not pass the test during the first administration must be provided accelerated instruction in preparation for the second administration:

number of eligible students who did not meet the standard
divided by
number of eligible students

The number of eligible students is calculated from the test answer documents and includes all students who were tested, students who should have been tested but were absent, and students who were not tested for other reasons. (The count of eligible students does not include students who have a special education or LEP exemption.) Students who were absent during the first administration or were not tested for other reasons are included in the counts of students requiring accelerated instruction.

(2) TAKS Cumulative Met Standard: For each subject and grade, this shows the cumulative (and unduplicated) percent of students who took and passed the tests in the first and second administrations combined:

number of students who passed the test in either of the first two administrations
divided by
cumulative number of students who took the test in either of the first two administrations

The values shown for this measure are the ones used in determining state accountability ratings. In most cases, this value will not match the TAKS performance shown by grade in the first few pages of this AEIS report. The "by grade" results are based on the first administration of each test only.

(3) TAKS Failers Promoted by Grade Placement Committee: This shows the percent of grade 3 students who failed all attempts to pass the reading test but were promoted to the next grade by their grade placement committee:

number of students promoted by their GPC
divided by
cumulative number of students who failed all administrations of the grade 3 reading TAKS

Because 2005 is the first year grade 5 students are subject to SSI requirements, this indicator is only available for grade 3.

(4) TAKS Met Standard (Failed in Previous Year): This presents two calculations for students who failed all administrations of the grade 3 reading test in 2004.

For those who were promoted to fourth grade, the first measure shows the percentage that passed the grade 4 reading test in 2005.

number of students promoted by their GPC who passed grade 4 reading in 2005
divided by
number of students who were promoted by their GPC and took the grade 4 reading

For those who were retained in third grade, the second measure shows the percentage that passed the grade 3 reading test in 2005.

number of students retained who passed grade 3 reading in 2005
divided by
number of students retained and took grade 3 reading

Because 2005 is the first year grade 5 students are subject to SSI requirements, this indicator is only available for grade 3.

The values include results from both the English and Spanish versions of the TAKS. Note also that the student's standard for passing the TAKS increased in difficulty from 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation (in 2004) to Panel Recommendation (in 2005).

Students in grade 8 will have to pass the reading and mathematics tests beginning in 2007-08. For more information on the Student Success Initiative, go to the website for TEA's Student Assessment Division at www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/.

Students by Grade: Percentages are calculated by dividing the number of students in each grade by the total number of students. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Students with Disciplinary Placements: Counts and percents of students placed in alternative education programs under Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code (Discipline; Law and Order) are shown (for the 2003-04 school year) in the AEIS reports. Disciplinary placement counts are obtained from PEIMS records. Districts report the disciplinary actions taken toward students who are removed from the classroom for at least one day. Although students can have multiple removals throughout the year, this measure counts students only once and includes only those whose removal results in a placement in a disciplinary alternative education program or juvenile justice alternative education program. It is calculated as follows:

number of students with one or more disciplinary placements
divided by
number of students who were in attendance at any time during the school year

The following 19 reason codes on the PEIMS 425 record are included as disciplinary placements: 02, 03, 04, 07, 08, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 59, 60, and 61. (Source: PEIMS, June 2004)

TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills): The TAAS was the state-mandated assessment of student performance given to Texas public school students from 1990 through 2002. In 2003 the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) was administered for the first time.

TAAS/TASP Equivalency: This indicator shows the percent of graduates from the class of 2004 who did well enough on the exit-level TAAS to have a 75% likelihood of passing the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test, now called the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA). To be counted for this indicator a student must have achieved a Texas Learning Index (TLI) value of X-81 or higher on the TAAS reading test, a TLI of X-77 or higher on the TAAS mathematics test, and a scale score of 1540 or higher on the TAAS writing test.

Test takers included in the TAAS/TASP Equivalency:

• All 10th graders who took the exit-level TAAS test for the first time in spring 2002.
• All 11th graders who took the exit-level TAAS test for the first time in October 2002 or spring 2003.
• All 12th graders who took the exit-level TAAS test for the first time in October 2003 or spring 2004.

Test takers NOT included in the TAAS/TASP Equivalency:

• Students who were special education (ARD) exempt during all testing periods.
• Students who took the exit-level TAAS but did not get a Texas high school diploma
  • because they dropped out,
  • because they moved out of state, or
  • because they died.

Results of the TAAS/TASP Equivalency are also shown for the class of 2003. Note that the Accountability Subset does not apply to this indicator.

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment based on their TAAS/TASP equivalency. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual.

This year is the last time this indicator will be reported, as the class of 2004 was the last class in which students were required to pass the exit-level TAAS in order to graduate.

See also TASP and Graduates. (Source: TEA Student Assessment Division; PEIMS, Oct. 2004, and Oct. 2003)

TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills): The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) is a comprehensive testing program for public school students in grades 3-11. The TAKS is designed to measure to what extent a student has learned, understood, and is able to apply the important concepts and skills expected at each tested grade level. It was first administered in the spring of 2003.

Students are tested during the spring semester of each school year in various subjects. The grades and subjects shown on the AEIS reports (for the first administration of the test only) are:

• Grade 3 - reading and mathematics (English and Spanish versions)
  (Results for grade 3 reading on subsequent test administrations can be found under Student Success Initiative.)
• Grade 4 - reading, mathematics, and writing (English and Spanish versions)
• Grade 5 - reading, mathematics, and science (English and Spanish versions)
  (Results for grade 5 reading and mathematics on subsequent test administrations can be found under Student Success Initiative.)
• Grade 6 - reading and mathematics (English and Spanish versions)
• Grade 7 - reading, mathematics, and writing
• Grade 8 - reading, mathematics, and social studies
• Grade 9 - reading and mathematics
• Grade 10 - English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies
• Grade 11 - English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. This test is known as the exit-level test; students are required to pass it in order to qualify for graduation from high school. Note that in the spring of 2005, students in grade 11 were required to achieve a score at 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation in order to pass.

Every TAKS test is directly linked to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum. The TEKS is the state-mandated curriculum for Texas public school students. Essential knowledge and skills taught at each grade build upon the material learned in previous grades. For more information on TEKS, see the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills website at www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/.

For 2004-05, the AEIS report shows percent passing TAKS in several ways. Below are key definitions:

• TAKS Met Standard, By Grade: The first indicator shown on the report is percent passing TAKS by grade for each subject area and for all tests taken. This measure is based on TAKS results of the first administration. As described above, the number of tests given varies by grade. This means that the number of tests included in "All Tests Taken" varies by grade.

The report also shows performance by subject summed across all grades tested, which could be any combination of grades 3 through 11, depending on the school or district grade span.

• TAKS Met Standard (Sum of All Grades Tested) (Accountability Indicator). This is the percent used for determining the accountability rating, using the applicable passing standards for 2004-05. Note the following:
  • The passing rate on each test is calculated at Panel Recommendation for grades 3-10.
  • The passing rate on each test is calculated at 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation for grade 11.
  • The measure includes the cumulative passing rate from the first and second administrations for grade 3 reading and grade 5 reading and mathematics.
• TAKS Met Standard (Sum of All Grades Tested) (Panel Recommendation). The passing rate on each test is calculated at Panel Recommendation for grades 3-11. Note that the student passing standard in spring 2006 will be Panel Recommendation for all grades. including grade 11.
• TAKS Met Standard (Sum of All Grades Tested) (Commended Performance). The passing rate on each test is calculated at the Commended Performance level.
• "Sum of all grades tested" refers to the grades tested at the particular school. For example, the percent passing for reading in an elementary school with a grade span of K-5 is calculated as follows:

number of students who passed the reading test in grades 3, 4, & 5
divided by
number of students who took the reading test in grades 3, 4, & 5

See the definition for TAKS Panel Recommendation for additional information. For a complete list of standards for each grade and subject see Appendix F.

Other important information:

• Rounding of Met Standard Percent. TAKS performance on the AEIS is rounded to whole numbers. For example, 49.877% is rounded to 50%; 79.4999% is rounded to 79%; and 89.5% is rounded to 90%.
• Masking for Very High and Very Low Performance. Since 2004, more stringent masking rules have applied to results for the TAKS and SDAA II tests. In cases where performance is at or near 100% the value is shown as ">99%." In cases where performance is at or near 0%, the value is shown as "<1%." It is necessary to mask data that potentially reveals the performance of every student in order to be in compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• TAKS Met Standard for 2004. Note that for purposes of comparison, all prior year (2004) performance on TAKS has been recomputed to Panel Recommendation for grades 3-10 and 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation for grade 11.
• Accountability Subset. Only test takers who were enrolled on the last Friday in the previous October are included. This is referred to as the "October subset" or the Accountability Subset. For the district, a student who moved into the district after October 29, 2004 would not have their performance included at the district level. At the campus level, a student who changed to a different campus within the same district after October 29, 2004 would not have their performance included at that school, though it would be included at the district level. See Accountability Subset for more information.
• All Tests Taken. Although "All Tests Taken" is not a measure evaluated for accountability ratings purposes, it is shown on the AEIS report, both "by grade" and "summed across grades." This value shows the percent of students who passed every test they took. For example, a group of 100 students tested in reading and mathematics at the 3rd grade might have the following results: 90 students passed reading and 80 students passed mathematics. However, only 75 of those students passed BOTH reading and mathematics. For this reason, while the percent passing reading would be 90%, and the percent passing mathematics would be 80%, the percent passing All Tests Taken would be only 75%, not an average of 80% and 90%. All Tests Taken is always equal to or less than the percent of students who passed any of the individual subject areas. The more tests taken and considered for this measure, the more likely the All Tests Taken value will be lower than any of the individual subject areas.

See also TAKS/SDAA II Participation. (Source: TEA Student Assessment Division)

TAKS Commended Performance: This refers to the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education on the TAKS. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that was considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested. Unlike the Met Standard level, there is no phase-in period for this standard. For all subjects and grades, a scale score of 2400 or above is commended.

Schools and districts may qualify for Gold Performance Acknowledgment based on their TAKS Commended Performance on reading/ELA, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science. For a more detailed explanation of Gold Performance Acknowledgment, see the 2005 Accountability Manual. For more information see TAKS and TAKS Panel Recommendation. Also see Appendix F for a complete list of standards for each grade and subject.

TAKS Exit-level Cumulative Pass Rate (District Performance only): Reported for the first time this year, the TAKS cumulative pass rate shows the percent of students who first took the TAKS exit-level test in spring 2004, and eventually passed all TAKS tests taken (in the same district) by spring 2005. (Students who failed the first time had four additional opportunities to retake and test(s) before their graduation date.) This measure is intended to show the relative success of districts in their efforts to help all their students pass the exit-level TAKS, which is a requirement for graduation from Texas public schools. Students in the class of 2005 were the first required to pass the exit-level TAKS to be eligible to receive a high school diploma.

Test takers included in the TAKS Exit-level Cumulative Pass Rate for the class of 2005:

• Any student who took the test for the first time in spring 2004.
• All special education students who took the test.
• All above students, whether or not they were in the Accountability Subset.

Test takers NOT included in the TAKS Exit-level Cumulative Pass Rate:

• Students who first took the exit-level test in District A, did not pass all sections and then moved to District B and retested. These students are taken out of both the numerator and denominator, whether or not they eventually passed all tests taken.
• Students who moved out of state, left the country, or died before passing all tests taken. These students are in the denominator but not the numerator. They cannot be removed because they are not specifically identified in the data.
• Students who dropped out of school before passing all tests taken are in the denominator but not the numerator.
• Students who moved into the state after the spring of 2004 are not included, even if they took the TAKS and graduated with the class of 2005.

(Source: TEA Student Assessment Division)

TAKS Met Standard: This refers to the TAKS passing standard. For a detailed explanation, see TAKS Panel Recommendation below.

TAKS Panel Recommendation: This refers to the final phased-in passing standard set by the SBOE for the TAKS. In November 2002, the State Board of Education adopted two performance standards for the TAKS: Met Standard (i.e., passing) and Commended Performance (i.e., high performance). The Board adopted these standards based on recommendations from approximately 350 educators and citizens who served on TAKS standard-setting panels. Because the new TAKS is more challenging than its predecessor, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), the Board agreed to a transition plan to phase in Met Standard over several years. (Commended Performance has no phase-in period.)

The transition plan used the standard error of measurement (SEM) to phase in the panel's recommended passing standards over three years. For 2003, the standard was set at 2 SEM below Panel Recommendation. For 2004, for grades 3 through 10*, the passing standard was set at 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation. For 2005 for grades 3 through 10*, the passing standard was set at Panel Recommendation. In general, this phase-in means that for 2004, students needed to correctly answer one to three fewer questions than for 2005.

* There is a one-year delayed phase-in for the grade 11, exit-level TAKS. This is because the grade 10 tests have been built to be predictors of performance on the grade 11 tests. Therefore, the standards in place when students take the grade 10 TAKS must be extended to grade 11 so that for both years those students are required to meet the same passing standard. TAKS Met Standard for the exit-level exam in 2005 will be 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation; in 2006 the standard will be at the Panel Recommendation.

Note that for purposes of comparison, prior year (2004) performance on TAKS has been recomputed to Panel Recommendation for grades 3-10 and 1 SEM below Panel Recommendation for grade 11.

For a complete list of standards for each grade and subject see Appendix F. See also TAKS.

TAKS/SDAA II Participation: Every student enrolled in a Texas public school in grades 3-11 must be given the opportunity to take the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) or the SDAA II (State-Developed Alternative Assessment II). Although it is the intention to test every student in these grades, there are circumstances under which some students are not tested with either of these assessments. Additionally, the performance of some tested students is not reported on the AEIS reports. The reasons for exclusion are as follows:

• Students may take the test but be excluded from the results reported because they were not enrolled in that district by the last Friday in the previous October (Mobile Subset).
• Students may be absent during every test administration.
• Students may receive an ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) exemption for every test. (These students must take a locally-determined alternate assessment.)
• Students may receive a LEP (Limited English Proficient) exemption for every test and take only RPTE and local tests.
• Tests may not be scored due to illness during testing or other test administration irregularities.

The percentages of students participating and not participating in testing are based as much as possible on the total number of students enrolled at the time of testing. Districts are required to submit a TAKS or SDAA II answer document for every student enrolled in grades 3 through 11. Students who take subject tests from different assessments (for example, TAKS mathematics and SDAA II reading) will have multiple answer documents. The methodology used to create TAKS/SDAA II Participation eliminates, as much as possible, duplicate counts of students resulting from multiple answer documents. Appendix E provides a description for each component of TAKS/SDAA II Participation. (Source: Division of Student Assessment)

TAKS Passing Standard: See TAKS Panel Recommendation.

TAKS Progress Measure (AEA Campus and AEA Charter Operator Performance only): This measure is used in determining accountability ratings under alternative education accountability (AEA) procedures. The TAKS progress measure is based on tests taken. It sums performance results across grades 3 though 11 and across all subjects to provide a single measure. It is calculated as follows:

number of TAKS tests that meet the standard or have a TGI ≥ 0 and number of TAKS exit-level retests that meet the standard
divided by
number of TAKS tests taken and number of TAKS exit-level retests that meet the standard

This measure is only shown on the AEIS reports for AEA campuses and AEA charter operators.

• AEA Campus. On reports for registered alternative education campuses, the value shown for the Campus Group column is a dash (-); the value for the District column is an asterisk (*) unless the campus is run by an AEA charter operator; and the State column shows aggregates of the AEA campuses only.
• AEA Charter Operator. On reports for AEA charter operators, the value shown for the State and Region columns show aggregates of the AEA campuses only.

For more information on this measure, see Chapter 11 in the 2005 Accountability Manual.

TASP: The Texas Academic Skills Program, now called the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA), measures reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency. Until 2003, it was required of all persons entering Texas public institutions of higher education for the first time. The TASP was administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. See also TAAS/TASP Equivalency.

Teachers by Ethnicity and Gender: These are counts of teacher FTEs by the major ethnic groups and by gender. Counts are also expressed as a percent of the total teacher FTEs. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Teachers by Highest Degree Held (District Profile only): This shows the distribution of degrees attained by teachers in the district. The FTE counts of teachers with no degree, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees are expressed as a percent of the total teacher FTEs. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Teachers by Program (population served): Teacher FTE counts are categorized by the type of student populations served. Regular education, special education, compensatory education, career and technology education, bilingual/ESL education, gifted and talented education, and miscellaneous other populations served are shown. Teacher FTE values are allocated across population types for teachers who serve multiple population types. Percentages are expressed as a percent of total teacher FTEs. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Teachers by Years of Experience (District Profile only): This is the FTE count of teachers with years of professional experience that fall into the ranges shown. Experience in these categories is the total years of experience for the individual, not years of experience in the reporting district or campus. Teacher counts within each range of experience are expressed as a percent of total teacher FTEs. A beginning teacher is a teacher reported with zero years of experience. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Texas Growth Index (TGI): The Texas Growth Index (TGI) is an estimate of a student's academic growth on the TAKS tests, over two consecutive years (in consecutive grades). For the state accountability system, it is used to calculate Comparable Improvement in reading/ELA and mathematics for Gold Performance Acknowledgments, and to calculate the TAKS Progress Indicator under the alternative education accountability procedures. Average TGI is also one of the measures reported for prior year TAKS failers.

A TGI of zero means that the year-to-year change in average scale score is equal to the average predicted changes as calculated in the 2003 to 2004 base comparison years. A positive TGI means the group demonstrated growth that is larger than the expected growth for that group. A negative TGI indicates the group grew less than expected.

For a detailed explanation of how TGI is determined and used, refer to Appendix E of the 2005 Accountability Manual at www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2005/manual/index.html.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) - Higher Education Readiness Component: The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a program designed to improve student success in college. It began in 2003, after the 77th Legislature replaced the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) with the TSI.

The TSI requires students to be assessed in reading, writing and mathematics skills prior to enrolling in college, and to be advised based on the results of that assessment. A difference between the previous use of the TASP and the TSI's use of THEA is that with the TSI each institution determines what to do with students who don't pass one or more parts of the test. That is, institutions have the flexibility to determine the best path for individual students to take to become college ready and to demonstrate that they are indeed ready for college-level courses. Also, colleges and universities have the choice of using a number of examinations to determine if a student is college ready.

Students may be exempted from taking a test for the Texas Success Initiative if they have a high enough score on their exit-level TAKS tests for mathematics and English language arts, as set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The qualifying scores are scale scores of 2200 on their TAKS mathematics and English language arts with a written composition score of '3' or higher on the writing component. This indicator shows the percent of students who achieved this level or proficiency by subject (English language arts and mathematics) for 2005 and 2004. Beginning in 2006, results on the TSI - Higher Education Readiness Component will be evaluated for GPA in the state accountability system. This indicator will replace the TAAS/TASP Equivalency acknowledgment.

Total Expenditures by Object (2003-04) (District Profile only): Total actual expenditures are grouped by object of expense. Total actual expenditures for groups of object categories are expressed as a percentage of total expenditures. The values in the Per Student column show actual expenditure object categories divided by the total number of 2003-04 students in membership. Note that the number shown is not the amount actually spent on each and every student, but rather a per-student average of the total.

Object codes appear in parentheses.

• Payroll Costs. gross salaries or wages and benefit costs for all employees (6100);
• Other Operating Costs. services rendered to school districts by firms, individuals and other organizations; supplies and materials including fuel for vehicles; other reading materials (not including the cost of state-adopted textbooks); food service supplies; and other expenses necessary for the operation of the school district (6200-6400).
• Debt Service. all expenditures for debt service including the retirement of debt and bond principal, and all interest expenses (6500); and
• Capital Outlay. expenditures for fixed assets, such as land, buildings, and equipment (6600).

Note this item is reported as actual expenditures, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Total Operating Expenditures by Function (2003-04): Actual total operating expenditures are grouped by function of expense. Actual operating expenditures for groups of function categories are expressed as a percent of actual total operating expenditures. The values in the Per Student column show actual operating expenditures by function divided by the total number of 2003-04 students in membership. Per student operating expenditures are shown for total operating expenditures and for various groupings of operating categories. Note that the number shown is not the amount actually spent on each and every student, but rather a per-student average of the total.

When comparing averages for school-level expenditures note that the state and district averages include all types of schools. For example, a high school's per student expenditure may not be comparable to the state average because the state value includes elementary and middle schools, which typically have lower per student expenditures than high schools. Other variables that may affect comparisons are the experience level of teachers and administrators, the types of instructional programs offered, and the student characteristics.

Some charter schools used function "00" to report expenditure data. This amount will be included in their total operating expenditures. For these charter schools, the sum of the individual functions (listed below) will not sum to the total amount since function "00" is not a line item amount.

Function codes appear in parentheses.

• Instruction - all activities dealing directly with the interaction between teachers and students, including instruction aided with computers (11); and, expenditures to provide resources for Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (95).
• Instructional-Related Services - expenditures for educational resources and media, such as resource centers and libraries (12); and, curriculum development and instructional staff development (13).
• Instructional Leadership - managing, directing, supervising, and providing leadership for staff who provide instructional services (21).
• School Leadership - directing and managing a school (23).
• Support Services - Student - guidance, counseling, and evaluation services (31); social work services (32); and, health services (33).
• Student Transportation (District Profile Only) - transporting students to and from school (34).
• Food Services - food service operation, including cost of food and labor (35).
• Cocurricular Activities - school-sponsored activities during or after the school day that are not essential to the delivery of instructional services (36).
• Central Administration (District Profile Only) - managing or governing the school district as an overall entity (41); costs associated with the purchase or sale of attendance credits either from the state or from other school district(s) (92); and for Charter Schools only, fund raising (81).
• Plant Maintenance and Operations - keeping the physical plant and grounds in effective working condition (51).
• Security and Monitoring Services - keeping student and staff surroundings safe (52).
• Data Processing Services - data processing services, whether in-house or contracted (53).
• Other Campus Costs - (Campus Profile Only) combines functions 35, 36, 51, 52, 53 above.

Note this item is reported as actual expenditures, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Total Operating Expenditures by Program (2003-04): Actual total operating expenditures are grouped by program of expense. Actual operating expenditures for groups of program categories are expressed as a percent of actual total operating expenditures. The values in the Per Student column show actual total operating expenditures divided by the total number of 2003-04 students in membership. Per student operating expenditures are shown for total operating expenditures by program for various groupings of operating categories. Note that the number shown is not the amount actually spent on each and every student, but rather a per-student average of the total.

Program codes appear in parentheses.

• Regular - costs to provide the basic services for education/instruction to students not in special education (11).
• Gifted & Talented Education - the cost to assess students for program placement and provide instructional services beyond the basic educational program, designed to meet the needs of students in gifted and talented programs (21).
• Career & Technology Education - the cost to evaluate, place and provide educational and/or other services to prepare students for gainful employment, advanced technical training or homemaking. This may include apprenticeship and job training activities (22).
• Special Education - services to students with disabilities. The costs incurred to evaluate, place and provide educational and/or other services to students who have Individual Educational Plans (IEP) approved by Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committees. These plans are based on students' abilities and/or learning needs (23).
• Accelerated Education - the cost to use instructional strategies in accordance with campus/district improvement plans to provide services in addition to those allocated for basic services for instruction, thereby increasing the amount and quality of instructional time for students at risk of dropping out of school and the costs incurred to provide services in support of Title I, Part A schoolwide campuses with at least 40% educationally disadvantaged students. (24, 30).
• Bilingual/ESL Education - cost to evaluate, place and provide educational and/or other services that are intended to make the students proficient in the English language, primary language literacy, composition and academic language related to required courses (25).
• Other - costs incurred to provide services to students who are separated from the regular classroom to a nondisciplinary or disciplinary alternative education program (26-29).
• Athletics/Related Activities (District Profile only) - costs incurred to provide for participation in competitive athletic activities, including coaching costs as well as for sponsors of drill team, cheerleaders, pep squad or other organized activity to support athletics excluding band (91).

Note this item is reported as actual operating expenditures by program, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Total Revenues by Source (2003-04) (District Profile only): Actual total revenues are grouped by revenue source. Actual revenues for groups of object categories are expressed as a percent of total revenue. The values in the Per Student column show actual total revenues divided by the total number of students in membership during the 2003-04 school year. Per-student revenues are shown for total revenues by source for various groupings of revenue categories. Note that the number shown is not the amount actually received for each and every student, but rather a per-student average of the total.

The amounts appearing as revenue in any of the categories shown are the amounts that were reported by districts for the general fund and all funds. Object codes appear in parentheses.

• Local Tax - district income from local real and personal property taxes (objects 5710-5719, less functions 91 & 96 expenditures);
• Other Local and Intermediate - revenue for services to other districts, tuition and fees from students, transfers from within the state, revenue from cocurricular and enterprising activities, revenues from intermediate sources (county), and all other local sources (objects 5720-5769);
• State - per capita and foundation program entitlements, revenue from other state-funded programs, and revenue from other state agencies. State revenue also includes Teacher Retirement System benefits paid by the State of Texas on behalf of employees in the district (object 5800 series); and
• Federal - revenue received by the district directly from the federal government or distributed by the TEA or other state entities for programs such as career and technology education, programs for educationally disadvantaged children (Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act), food service programs, and other federal programs (object 5900 series).

Note this item is reported as actual revenues, not budgeted. Accordingly, the information is from the prior year (2003-04). See also Appendix B. (Source: PEIMS, March 2005)

Total Staff: Total staff includes professional staff (teachers, professional support, administrators), educational aides, and (on the district profile) auxiliary staff. Minority staff is the sum of the FTE counts for all non-white staff groups (African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American). This FTE count is expressed as a percent of the total staff FTE. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Total Students: This is the total number of public school students who were reported in membership on October 29, 2004 at any grade, from early childhood education through grade 12. Membership is a slightly different number from enrollment, because it does not include those students who are served in the district for less than two hours per day. For example, the count of Total Students excludes students who attend a nonpublic school but receive some services, such as speech therapy-for less than two hours per day-from their local public school district. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004)

Turnover Rate for Teachers (District Profile only): This percent shows the total FTE count of teachers from the fall of 2003-04 who were subsequently not employed in the district in the fall of 2004-05, divided by the total teacher FTE count for the fall of 2003-04. Social security numbers for teachers employed in the district in the fall of 2003-04 were checked to verify their employment status in the same district in the fall of 2004-05. Staff who remained employed in the district but not as teachers were also counted toward teacher turnover. (Source: PEIMS, Oct. 2004, Oct. 2003)

Value by Category: See Standardized Local Tax Base (comptroller valuation).

Who to Call

Information about the calculation of all Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) data elements is provided in this Glossary. Information on the calculation of accountability ratings is available in the 2005 Accountability Manual. If, after reading these documents, you have questions about the calculation of AEIS indicators or accountability ratings, contact the Division of Performance Reporting at (512) 463-9704.

Questions related to programs and policies for the following subjects should be directed to the contacts listed below. All telephone numbers are in the (512) area code.

Appendix A

PEIMS Role Identifications (In Alphabetical Order by Label)

Appendix B

Financial Accounting Codes for Revenue and Expenditure Items

(In Alphabetical Order by Label)

* Funds – The general fund includes fund codes 101 – 199. Fund code 420 is also included in the general fund for charter schools only. All funds includes the general fund plus fund codes 200/300/400 series, 599, 601, 699, and 701.

** Function '00' amounts reported by charter schools as expenditures are included in the total, but not included in the individual functions; therefore, the sum of the individual items will not sum to the total amount for total operating expenditures.

*** Indicates the item appears on the Campus Profile as well as District Profile. All items not marked appear only on the District Profile.

**** Indicates the item appears on the Campus Profile only.

§ Excludes Intergovernmental Charges (function 90 series) except functions 92 & 95.

† Functions 91 and 96 represent tuition transfers for grades not offered, not "Equity Transfers."

†† Functions 91 and 96 represent the expenditure amount reported for the cost of reducing property wealth to the required equalized wealth level and payments to charter schools, respectively.

See the Financial Resource Guide (at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/index.html) for explanations of the fund, function, object, and program codes.

Appendix C

• All courses shown were for the 2003-04 school year.
• An “A” prefix indicates a College Board Advanced Placement course.
• An “I” prefix indicates an International Baccalaureate course.
• Dual Enrollment courses are not specifically shown on this list.

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

1. February 2005 (first administration) Grade 3 Reading TAKS standards.
2. An essay rating of 2 or higher is required for Met Standard on the English Language Arts tests.
3. An essay rating of 2 or higher is required for Met Standard and an essay rating of 3 or higher is required for Commended Performance on the grades 4 and 7 writing tests.

2004-05 AEIS | Performance Reporting