School report cards and ratings are common nationally.
Iowa’s School Report Card was developed by the Iowa Department of Education in response to a 2013 legislative requirement that called for a web-based system for evaluating and rating Iowa schools.
The Iowa School Report Card includes information on student proficiency rates in math and reading, student academic growth, narrowing achievement gaps among students, college and career readiness, student attendance, graduation rates, and staff retention.
Based on each school’s performance on those measures over a two-year period, the report card assigns one of six ratings: Exceptional, High-Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement, and Priority.
For most measures, ratings are based on the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years.
The 2016 Iowa School Report Card includes the following changes from the initial release one year ago:
- Minor changes in methodology to include more schools in scores and ratings.
- Two additional categories in the “Closing Achievement Gap” measure, which initially measured the progress a school made in narrowing gaps in achievement among students with disabilities, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals and English Language Learners. The two new categories include information on achievement gaps by race and ethnicity.
- A summary of responses to a statewide survey of Iowa teachers on their practices and perceptions regarding parent involvement. This summary is provided for informational purposes and is not included in school scores or ratings. A survey of Iowa parents regarding parent involvement will be distributed statewide in 2017. Parent involvement eventually will become a measure on the Iowa School Report Card, as required by law.
