Accountability

Accountability refers to a district or school's overall performance on state assessments and whether or not the district or school meets state requirements. School districts, public schools, and charter schools are held accountable for the performance of their students according to federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and state regulations. Districts and schools are assigned a "status" based on their performance and are subject to certain consequences if their performance is not satisfactory. For more information on accountability, visit http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/accountability/.

AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress

Adequate Yearly Progress is the state's measurement of how districts and schools are progressing toward meeting state academic standards. Adequate yearly progress refers to the minimum level of improvement that districts and schools must achieve each year, according to federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. This progress is determined by a collection of performance measures that the state, its districts, and schools are supposed to meet if the state receives Title I federal funding.

Assessments

Assessments are a means of measuring student progress toward national and state goals. Assessments can be written, verbal, or hands-on tests or examinations. New York State requires public school students to take state assessments in grades 3-12 in various subject areas.

Board of Regents

The Boards of Regents is the governing body of the New York State Education Department. The Regents are responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within the state. The Board is made up of 17 members elected by the New York State Legislature for five-year terms: one from each of the state's 13 judicial districts and four members who serve at large. Regents are unsalaried and are reimbursed only for travel and related expenses in connection with their official duties.

Cohort

A cohort is a group of persons sharing a particular statistical or demographic characteristic. In New York State, a cohort refers to all of the students who entered ninth-grade in a certain year, regardless of whether anyone moved, dropped out, or graduated early.

ELA – English Language Arts

ELA refers to a core curriculum that includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Good Standing

If a district or school has met all the requirements for adequate yearly progress, that district or school is referred to as "in Good Standing."

Graduation Rate

Graduation rate is the percentage of students completing the requirements for graduation in a certain year. The state requires a set number of credits in the various subjects, along with passing grades on several state Regents examinations in order to graduate.

GST BOCES – Greater Southern Tier Board of Cooperative Educational Services

BOCES is an educational organization that provides various services to districts within its region, called component school districts. All public school districts in the state belong to a BOCES. The 21 districts in the GST BOCES region are Addison Central School, Alfred-Almond Central School, Arkport Central School, Avoca Central School District, Bath Central School District, Bradford Central School District, Campbell-Savona Central School District, Canaseraga Central School District, Canisteo-Greenwood Central School District, Corning-Painted Post Area School District, Elmira City School District, Elmira Heights Central School District, Hammondsport Central School District, Hornell City School District, Horseheads Central School District, Jasper-Troupsburg Central School District, Odessa-Montour Central School District, Prattsburgh Central School District, Spencer-Van Etten Central School District, Watkins Glen Central School District, and Waverly Central School District.

Improvement Year One

Schools that do not reach Adequate Yearly Progress are placed on the Schools in Need of Improvement list. The school must develop a corrective action plan to improve results. The first year on the list is called Improvement Year One.

Needs Improvement

If a school or district does not meet adequate yearly progress requirements for two consecutive years, that school or district is considered "in need of improvement." The school or district must then formulate an action plan detailing how it will improve results in order to meet adequate yearly progress.

NYS SED – New York State Education Department

All schools in New York State are regulated by the Education Department. Visit http://www.nysed.gov/ for more information.

Regents Examinations

Regents examinations are state tests, or final examinations, given at the conclusion of certain New York State courses, or Regents courses. All of the students in a Regents course will take the same final examination, or Regents examination, at the same time across the state. New York State requires students to successfully complete a certain number of Regents courses in order to graduate.

Similar Schools

Similar schools are schools in New York State that serve similar students and have similar resources. Each school report card compares the school's performance with that of similar schools. The state considers the following factors to determine similar schools: a) grade levels served by the school, b) rates of student poverty and limited English proficiency, and c) the income and property wealth of district residents. Student poverty levels are indicated by determining the percentage of children in the school who participate in the free-lunch program.

Standards

Standards are descriptions of what students should know and demonstrate in each subject area. The New York State Education Department has set standards for all grades in all subject areas. For more information on state standards, visit http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/standards.html

Ungraded Students

Ungraded students are those special education students who spend more than 60% of the school day in separate, self-contained classrooms.

65% (passing rate)

A 65% test score is considered a passing score by the New York State Education Department. A score of less than 65% correct is considered a failing score.