Legislative Citation
(1) Policy and Purpose.
It shall be the policy of the State of Illinois that each school
district in this State, including special charter districts
and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, shall submit
to parents, taxpayers of such districts, the Governor, the
General Assembly and the State Board of Education a school report
card assessing the performance of its schools and students.
The report card shall be an index of school performance measured
against statewide and local standards and will provide
information to make prior year comparisons and to set future year targets
through the school improvement plan.
Definitions
School districts,
for purposes of this legislation, include all regular operating
elementary, high school, and unit districts. Excluded are other
state-funded education agencies such as area vocational centers, special
education cooperatives, university laboratory schools, the Illinois Math
and Science Academy, and education organizations within the Departments
of Rehabilitation Services and Corrections.
A special charter
district is any city, township, or district organized into a school
district and operating in whole or in part under a special Act or
charter of the General Assembly. (Section 1-3 of the School Code.)
Submit to parents:
The report card will be disseminated to all parents whose children are
enrolled in the school by the district's usual means of distributing
student report cards, by a comparable method, or by making it available
on the district’s Internet web site as detailed in paragraph (2).
A parent means the
natural or adoptive parent, a guardian, or a person acting as a parent
of a child.
. . . to taxpayers:
The report card will be kept on file by the district and the respective
regional superintendent. According to the Freedom of Information Act,
copies must be made available upon request. A fee to recover actual
costs may be charged.
A taxpayer is
anyone who owns property, resides, or pays taxes in the school district.
. . . to the Governor,
the General Assembly: The report cards will be transmitted to the
Governor and the General Assembly by the State Board of Education.
School,
in current State Board of Education use, is synonymous with
"attendance center." A school is a division of the school
system consisting of students comprising one or more grade groups or
other identifiable groups, organized as one unit with one or more
teachers to give instruction of a defined type and housed in one or more
buildings. More than one school may be housed in one building, as is the
case when elementary and secondary schools are housed in the same
building.
A student is an
individual of legal school age who is enrolled in an educational program
in grades K-12 or in an age-appropriate placement under the jurisdiction
of a school or school district.
An index of school
performance is an indicator that represents accomplishment.
Statewide and local
standards are measures or
criteria established by local and state authority.
Legislative Citation
(2) Reporting
Requirements. Each school district shall prepare a report card in
accordance with the guidelines set forth in this Section which describes
the performance of its students by school attendance centers and by
district and the district's financial resources and use of
financial resources. Such report card shall be presented at a
regular school board meeting subject to applicable notice
requirements, posted on the school district’ s Internet web
site, if the district maintains an Internet web site, made
available to a newspaper of general circulation serving the
district, and, upon request, sent home to a parent (unless the
district does not maintain an Internet web site, in which case the
report card shall be sent home to parents without request). If the
district posts the report card on its Internet web site, the district
shall send a written notice home to parents stating (i) that the report
card is available on the web site, (ii) the address of the web site,
(iii) that a printed copy of the report card will be sent to parents
upon request, and (iv) the telephone number that parents may call to
request a printed copy of the report card. In addition, each school
district shall submit the completed report card to the office of the
district's Regional Superintendent which shall make copies available
to any individual requesting them.
Definitions
Financial resources
include the amount of money that districts receive from all sources as
listed in paragraph (3)(b) of the legislation.
Use of financial
resources refers to "District
expenditure by fund" in paragraph (3)(b) of the legislation.
Applicable notice
requirements are the terms and
procedures of notification specified for regular meetings in the Open
Meetings Act.
Posted on the school
district’s Internet web site:
Districts must provide parents with information relative to the
availability of report cards on the districts’ Internet web sites and
also provide printed copies upon request. Districts that do not maintain
Internet web sites must continue to send printed copies of report cards
home to parents.
Made available to a
newspaper of general circulation
means that the information must be provided to a newspaper that is
circulated in the district and in which the school district usually
publishes notices. This does not include newspapers that are available
for free distribution.
Sent home
is the same as "submit to parents" in paragraph (1) of the
legislation.
Make copies available
means that the report card is kept on file. According to the Freedom of
Information Act, copies must be made upon request. A fee to recover
actual costs may be charged.
Legislative Citation
The report card shall be
completed and disseminated prior to October 31 in each school
year. The report card shall contain, but not be limited to, actual
local school attendance center, school district and statewide data
indicating the present performance of the school, the State
norms and the areas for planned improvement for the school
and school district.
Definitions
Disseminated
is the same as "submit" in paragraph (1) and "made
available" in paragraph (2) of the legislation.
The actual local
school attendance center is the location where a child is housed and
counted as enrolled in school in the fall of the school year.
Present performance
refers to the most recent data available for the various indicators.
State norms
are the quantitative values that constitute the typical performance in
Illinois.
Areas for planned
improvement include academic and
other areas targeted for improvement by local administrators.
Legislative Citation
(3)(a) The report card
shall include the following applicable indicators of attendance center,
district, and statewide student performance: percent of students who
exceed, meet, or do not meet standards established by the State Board of
Education pursuant to Section 2-3.25a [105 ILCS 5/2-3.25a]; composite
and subtest means on nationally normed achievement tests for college
bound students; student attendance rates; chronic truancy
rate; dropout rate; graduation rate; and student
mobility, turnover shown as a percent of transfers out
and a percent of transfers in.
Definitions
Percent of students who
exceed, meet, or do not meet standards established by the State Board of
Education refers to the
distribution of students in the various performance levels based on
their ISAT, PSAE, or IAA scores. These performance levels are defined in
the school report cards.
Composite and subtest
means on nationally normed achievement tests for college bound students
refer to the average ACT scores based on the most recent performance of
students in the school’s class of 2008 who sat for the ACT on a
national test date or PSAE testing. The composite mean is the reported
average composite score while the subtest mean is the reported average
for each of the ACT subtests which include English, mathematics,
reading, and science.
Student attendance rate
is the aggregate days of student attendance divided by the sum of the
aggregate days of student attendance and aggregate days of student
absence multiplied by 100.
Chronic truancy rate
is the number of chronic truants divided by the average daily enrollment
multiplied by 100. Chronic truants include students subject to
compulsory attendance who have been absent without valid cause from such
attendance for 10% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days.
Dropout rate
is the number of dropouts divided by the fall enrollment less
post-graduates multiplied by 100. Dropouts include students in grades
9-12 whose names have been removed from the district-housed roster for
any reason other than death, extended illness, graduation/completion of
a program of studies, transfer to another public/private school, or
expulsion.
Graduation rate
is the number of 2007-08 high school graduates divided by the first-time
ninth grade 2004 fall enrollment less students transferred out plus
students transferred in multiplied by 100. [Numerator = number of
graduates; denominator = (9th grade enrollment-transfers out) +
transfers in]. "Transfers out" include students from the
freshman class who transferred to another school or died prior to
graduation. "Transfers in" encompass 2007 -08 graduates who
were not counted in the first-time ninth grade 2004 fall enrollment;
they may include students who transferred from another school, students
with or without disabilities, and students who graduated in fewer or
more than four years.
Student mobility
(Turnover) reflects any
enrollment change between the first school day in October and the last
day of the school year. It is the sum of the students who transferred
out and the students who transferred in, divided by the average daily
enrollment multiplied, by 100. Students are counted each time they
transfer out or in during the reporting year. Thus, individual students
may be counted more than once.
Transfers out,
relative to student mobility, comprises all incidents of students being
removed from the enrollment roster for any reason.
Transfers in,
relative to student mobility, comprises all incidents of students being
added to the enrollment roster.
Legislative Citation
(b) The report card shall
include the following descriptions for the school, district, and state: average
class size, amount of time per day devoted to mathematics,
science, English and social science at primary, middle and junior high
school grade levels; number of students taking the Prairie State
Achievement Examination under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.64
[105-5/2-3.64], the number of those students who received a score of
excellent, and the average score by school of students taking
the examination; pupil-teacher ratio; pupil-administrator
ratio; operating expenditure per pupil; district expenditure by
fund; average administrator salary; and average teacher
salary. The report card shall also specify the amount of money that
the district receives from all sources, including without limitation
subcategories specifying the amount from local property taxes,
the amount from general state aid, the amount from other state
funding, and the amount from other income.
Definitions
Average class size
is the sum of specified class enrollments from kindergarten through
grade 8 for schools having grades below grade 9 and in all subject areas
in high school divided by the number of classes. For high schools, and
optionally for grades 6 and 8, an average for the 2nd and 5th class
periods is used.
Amount of time per day
devoted to mathematics, science, English, and social science at primary,
middle, and junior high levels is
the average number of minutes of instruction per 5-day school week
reported as allocated for instruction in each of the specified subject
areas at grades 3, 6, and 8 divided by 5.
Number of students taking
the Prairie State Achievement Examination
(PSAE) includes all students in the school who participated in the PSAE.
Number of those students
who received a score of excellent
may be derived by multiplying the number of students taking the PSAE by
the percent in Level 4 (Exceeds Standards) for each subject at the
school.
Average score by school,
for each subject, is the sum of the individual student scores divided by
the total number of students tested in that subject. Average scores
range from a low of 120 to a high of 200.
Pupil-teacher ratio
is the fall enrollment for the school year divided by the number of
full-time equivalent classroom teachers in the district. Excluded are
teachers classified as special education teachers.
Pupil-administrator ratio
is the fall enrollment for the school year divided by the number of
full-time equivalent administrative staff.
Operating expenditure per
pupil is the gross operating cost
of a school district (except summer school, adult education, bond
principal retired, and capital expenditures) divided by the 9-month
average daily attendance for the regular school term.
District expenditure by
fund is the total expenditure
from each of the eight funds: educational; operations and maintenance;
transportation; bond and interest; rent; municipal retirement/social
security; fire prevention and safety; and site and construction/capital
improvement.
Average administrator
salary is the sum of the salaries
for all administrative staff divided by the number of full-time
equivalent administrative staff.
Average teacher salary
is the sum of the salaries for all classroom teachers divided by the
number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers.
Local property taxes.
The receipt of taxes that apply to prior year’s levies as well as
those available from the current levy. Also included are payments in
lieu of taxes as monies from the Corporate Personal Property Replacement
Tax.
General state aid.
Amounts received from the state for the general apportionment (flat
grants) and the equalization portions of the State Aid Formula as
authorized in Section 18-8.05 of the School Code.
Other state funding.
State funds apportioned for various programs such as Transportation Aid,
Bilingual Education, Early Childhood, etc., excluding General State Aid.
Other income.
Revenue from sources including Federal Funding (federal programs, grants
and contracts) and Other Local Funding (such as interests on
investments, tuition, and sale of property).
Legislative Citation
(c) The report card shall
include applicable indicators of parental involvement in each attendance
center. The parental involvement component of the report card shall
include the percentage of students whose parents or guardians
have had one or more personal contacts with the students' teachers
during the school year concerning the students' education, and such
other information, commentary, and suggestions as the school
district desires. For the purposes of this paragraph, "personal
contact" includes, but is not limited to, parent-teacher
conferences, parental visits to school, school visits to home, telephone
conversations, and written correspondence. The parental involvement
component shall not single out or identify individual students, parents,
or guardians by name.
Definitions
Percentage of students
is the number of students whose parents or guardians had one or more
personal contacts with the students' teachers during the school year
concerning the students' education, divided by the average daily
enrollment multiplied by 100. There are no multiple counts; each student
is counted only once even if his or her parents made more than one
contact with the teachers during the school year.
Teachers,
referred to in this section of the legislation, include all certified
staff.
Such other information
may include matters related to students' behavior, social, and physical
well-being that a district chooses to report.
Personal contact
includes visits in person and individualized communication. The
following are excluded: form letters or notices, parental letters
relating to student absences, regular notification of grades, student
progress report cards, school report cards, attendance at school
athletic, music, drama events, and other co-curricular activities.
Legislative Citation
(d) The report card
form shall be prepared by the State Board of Education and provided
to school districts by the most efficient, economic and appropriate
means.
Definitions
The report card form
is a document designed by the State Board of Education to reflect the
minimum required content to be reported by school districts and provide
districts with the necessary statewide data.
Most efficient, economic
and appropriate means refers to
electronic dissemination.
Supplemental Information
The report cards also
contain information not specifically required in state legislation. Some
of the data elements are required by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Act of 2001. Following are definitions of the supplemental information.
Definitions
Enrollment total
is the total student enrollment in the school and district in the fall
of the school year.
The percent of students
for each racial-ethnic group
(White, Black, Hispanic, Asian- Pacific Islander, American
Indian-Alaskan Native, and Multiracial/Ethnic) is the count of students
belonging to a particular racial/ethnic group divided by the total fall
enrollment multiplied by 100.
Low-income students
are pupils aged 3 to 17, inclusive, from families receiving public aid,
living in institutions for neglected or delinquent children, being
supported in foster homes with public funds, or eligible to receive free
or reduced-price lunches. The percent of low-income students is the
count of low-income students divided by the total fall enrollment
multiplied by 100.
Limited-English-proficient
students are those students who
have been found to be eligible for bilingual education. The percent of
limited-English-proficient students is the count of
limited-English-proficient students divided by the total fall enrollment
multiplied by 100.
The percent of teachers
by race/ethnicity is the number
of full-time equivalent classroom teachers belonging to that particular
racial-ethnic group as reported for the district divided by the total
number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers multiplied by 100.
The percent of teachers
by gender is the number of
full-time equivalent classroom teachers for a particular gender divided
by the total number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers
multiplied by 100.
Pupil-certified staff
ratio is the fall enrollment
divided by the number of full-time equivalent certified staff, excluding
adult education personnel.
Average teaching
experience is the sum of the
years of teaching experience for all full-time equivalent classroom
teachers in the district divided by the total number of full-time
equivalent classroom teachers.
Percent of teachers with
Bachelor's degrees is the sum of
all full-time equivalent classroom teachers with Bachelor's degrees as
reported in the district divided by the total number of full-time
equivalent classroom teachers multiplied by 100.
Percent of teachers with
Master's degrees and above is the
sum of all full-time equivalent classroom teachers with Master's degrees
and above in the district divided by the total number of full-time
equivalent classroom teachers multiplied by 100.
Percent of teachers with
emergency or provisional credentials
is the number of full-time equivalent teachers teaching with emergency
or provisional credentials divided by the total number full-time
equivalent teachers multiplied by 100.
Percent of classes not
taught by highly qualified teachers
is the number of classes not taught by highly qualified teachers divided
by the total number of classes multiplied by 100.
Equalized assessed
valuation per pupil, an
indication of district wealth, is the district’s equalized assessed
valuation divided by the 9-month average daily attendance.
Total school tax rate per
$100, an indication of district
effort, is the district’s total tax rate for education (per $100) as
shown on local property tax bills.
Instructional expenditure
per pupil: Instruction al
expenditures divided by the 9-month average daily attendance.
"Instruction" includes activities dealing with the teaching of
pupils or the interaction between teachers and pupils. Teaching may be
provided for pupils in a school classroom or in another location such as
a home or hospital and may include other learning activities. It may
also be provided through some other approved media such as television,
radio, telephone, or correspondence. Included here are the activities of
aides or assistants of any type (clerks, graders, teaching machines,
etc.), which assist in the instruction process. (Excluded are Capital
Outlay expenditures which are reported separately.)
Expenditure by function
consists of expenditures for instruction, general administration,
supporting services, and other expenditures.
Overall Student
Performance, presented
graphically, shows the percentage of student scores meeting or exceeding
Illinois Learning Standards in all the state assessments for the most
recent two years, in compliance with NCLB legislation.
Percentage of students
not tested in state testing programs
is the number of students not tested for each state assessment divided
by the enrollment as reported during the testing windows, multiplied by
100. This is another NCLB requirement.
Illinois Alternate
Assessment (IAA) is administered
to students with significant cognitive disabilities whose Individualized
Education Programs indicate that participation in the ISAT or PSAE, even
with accommodations, is not appropriate.
Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) is an NCLB indicator of
progress. To make AYP, a school must meet certain levels established
for: the percent of students tested; the academic performance of
students; and either the attendance rate for non-high schools or the
graduation rate for high schools. Also, for schools not making AYP
solely because of the IEP subgroup, 14% is added to the percent meeting
and exceeding standards for this subgroup to calculate AYP, as allowed
by the federal 2% flexibility provision. For schools with Grade 2 as the
highest grade, AYP decision will be based on the Grade 3 assessment
results of the receiving school in which the students eventually enroll.
(See individual school report cards for AYP details).
School Improvement
Status. NCLB legislation requires
that Title 1 schools and districts that are identified as being in need
of improvement be listed in all district and state report cards.
SOURCES OF DATA FOR THE
REPORT CARDS
1. School Report Card
Data Form (ISBE86-43). 2007-08
2. Teacher Service Record
(ISBE 87-05), 200 7-08
3. Public School Fall
Enrollment and Housing Report (ISBE 87-03), 2007-08
4. Annual Financial
Report (ISBE 50-35)/General State Aid Claim for 2006-07 payable in
2007-08 (ISBE 54-33)
5. Special file from ACT
for Class of 2008
6. State Assessment
Files, 2007-08
7. Special File from Data
Systems Division, 2007-08
REPORT CARD ELEMENTS
SOURCE(S)
Parental Involvement (1)
Dropout Rate (1),(3)
Student Attendance Rate
(1)
Student Mobility (1)
Chronic Truancy Rate (1)
Average Class Size (1)
Amount of Time Devoted to
Math, Science, English and Social Science
at the Primary, Middle,
and Jr. High School Levels (1)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
(2),(3)
Pupil-Administrator Ratio
(2),(3)
Average Teacher Salary
(2)
Average Administrator
Salary (2)
Operating Expenditure Per
Pupil (4)
District Expenditure by
Fund (4)
ACT Scores (5)
Graduation Rate (1)
Overall Student
Performance (6)
ISAT (6)
PSAE (6)
IAA (6)
Areas for Planned
Improvement Local
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Grades in the School (3)
Enrollment by
Race/Ethnicity (3)
Low-Income Enrollment (3)
Limited-English-Proficient
Enrollment (3)
Teacher Distribution by
Race/Ethnicity and Gender……………………………………...
(2)
Pupil-Certified Staff
Ratio (2),(3)
Average Teaching
Experience (2)
Teachers with Bachelor's
Degree and Master's Degree and Above (2)
Teachers with Emergency
or Provisional Credentials (7)
Classes Not Taught by
Highly Qualified Teachers (1)
Other School Finance
Indicators (4)
Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) (6)
School Improvement Status
(6)
Rc08_def.doc
