Local Educational Agency Sessions

Reading First Achievement Index

Page last updated 2/16/05

For Round 1 and 2 Reading First LEAs, the "Pilot Version" of the Reading First Achievement Index (AI) is reported in the fall for purposes of completing the LEA's Internal Evaluation Report.

General Information on the Achievement Index

The RF Achievement Index (AI) is an integrated or consolidated student achievement score (with 100 scale points) at the school level based on weighted performances on several measures: the STAR:CST (grades 2 and 3), STAR:CAT6 (grade 3), and the RF End-of-Year Assessments (grades K-3).

• The STAR:CST produces sixty percent of the total score, 30 percent from the second grade CST and 30 percent from the third grade CST. The score is generated through weights set by performance levels: "0" score for "far below basic" and "below basic" students, "0.5" for "basic students," and "1.0" for "proficient and above" students.
• The STAR:CAT6 for third grade produces ten percent of the total score, with 6 percent for Reading, 2 percent for Language Arts, and 2 percent for Spelling. The weights are set at each national percentile rank (NRP) level: "0" for students below 25th NPR, "0.5" for students between 25th and 50th NRPs, and "1.0" for students above 50th NRP.
• The End-of-Year Assessments produce thirty percent of the total score, with the distribution of scores set at 5 percent for the Kindergarten Skills Assessment, 10 percent for the grade 1 Oral Fluency Assessment, 10 percent for the grade 2 Oral Fluency Assessment, and 5 percent for the grade 3 Oral Fluency Assessment.
• The "Note" column shows where RFAI calculations were made based on missing data. "Z" means that one ore more components were assigned zero value in calculating the RFAI because data that should have been submitted was missing. "P" means that one or more components of the RFAI were prorated because that component was not available for that school (e.g., the school does not offer grade 3, in which case grade 3 data were statistically prorated based on the data available for that school).

Interpretation

The report provides a scale score for each school, ranks each school within the district, and provides the index score for schools, the mean of LEA's schools, the mean of the state's Reading First schools, and the percentage of LEA's schools at or above the state mean and percentage of LEA's schools below state mean.

Updated Reports

The current reports reflect STAR version 1 data. They are currently being updated with STAR version 2. If you find an error in your district's data, please email us (see the log-in page) for instructions. We will issue revised reports, including Achievement Index, as we receive updated data.

District Reports

Click here to see the Index scores for your district.

Reading First Assurances Survey

Round 1 and 2 Reading First LEAs completed a survey related to meeting the goals described in the Reading First assurances required to be part of the LEA's Internal Evaluation Report.

As an additional aid to LEAs, C-TAC scored the quantifiable portions of the Assurances Survey and created an Assurances Index Score for each area of implementation and overall for each LEA.

Each category ("Leadership," "Monitoring," etc.) as well as one overall Assurances Index Score. Also shown are the statewide averages for those scores among Reading First LEAs.

If any survey items were missing, resulting in a score of zero, that is indicated on the report.

Each category score as well as the overall score is based on a scale of 10.

District Reports

Click here to see the Assurances Index scores for your district.

Implementation Index Scores

The Reading First Implementation Index (RFII) scores for each Reading First school were calculated by Educational Data Systems (EDS) from the results of surveys administered during school year 2003-04 (see below). The RFII is a measure of overall degree of implementation of the Reading First program. The RFII, like the RFAI, can range from 0 to 100. For context, district and state means and ranges are also given. Details about its calculation and interpretation were discussed at C-TAC meetings for LEAs on February 9 and 16, 2005. See the LEA Sessions area of calread.net for downloadable copies of LEA session presentations.

The RFII is a combination of three components, given on your district's report and described here:

• Program Elements (weighted 70%)—This component of the RFII is based on survey questions about the use of instructional materials, pacing schedules, planning time, grade level meetings, and monitoring assessments. It also includes questions about the support provided by the principal and the Reading First coaches and the degree to which teachers work within the guidelines of the Reading First program.
• Program Understanding (weighted 20%)—This component of the RFII combines survey questions about teachers', coaches', and principals' understanding of the Reading First program's goals, methods, materials, and teaching strategies.
• Professional Development (weighted 10%)—This component of the RFII is based on survey questions about teachers' and coaches' (but not principals') Reading First professional development, including the 40-hour professional development institutes, the 80-hour follow-up, and the coach training provided by the California Reading First Technical Assistance Center (C-TAC).

District Reports

Click here to log in and view your district's Reading First Implementation Index scores.

Implementation Survey Data Files

Educational Data Systems (EDS) administered, compiled, and reported on Implementation Surveys. As a convenience, we are offering links to EDS and access information to the data files for LEAs here.

District Reports

Click here to find access information for your EDS Implementation Survey data files.

Skills Assessment Supplement: Focus on Language Arts Standards

The purpose of the Skill Assessment Supplement: Focus on Language Arts Standards is to help teachers determine which grade-level skills and strategies not addressed in the 6-8 week Skill Assessments have been mastered or need to be learned. Two forms (Form A and Form B) are presently available to Reading First school districts. Form A may be used to inform teachers about areas of student strength or weakness in regards to California's English-Language Arts Content Standards. Form B could be used after focused instruction, based on the results of Form A, has occurred.

Formal directions for the administration of the Skill Assessment Supplement have purposefully not been developed so teachers will have flexibility in how they are used. No time limit has been suggested for any section. Individual districts or schools may choose to develop their own administration guidelines.

Click here to download Skill Assessment Supplement documents for grades 2-6.