NSCAS Accountability 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which entity is primarily responsible for designing a state's accountability system?
- The federal Department of Education
- Each individual school district
- The state education agency (Correct answer)
- The U.S. Congress
Correct answer: The state education agency
ESSA gives states the authority and responsibility to design their own accountability systems within federal guidelines.
Question 2: In Nebraska's NSCAS accountability framework, what does a school's 'index score' represent?
- The average attendance rate of all students
- A composite measure of multiple performance indicators (Correct answer)
- The total number of students who passed state assessments
- The school's ranking compared to neighboring states
Correct answer: A composite measure of multiple performance indicators
Nebraska's accountability index score combines several indicators such as achievement, growth, graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism into a single composite score.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT typically used as an accountability indicator in Nebraska's school rating system?
- Academic achievement
- Student growth
- Teacher salary levels (Correct answer)
- Chronic absenteeism
Correct answer: Teacher salary levels
Teacher salaries are not an accountability indicator; Nebraska's system focuses on student outcomes like achievement, growth, graduation rates, and attendance.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of identifying schools as 'Comprehensive Support and Improvement' (CSI) schools under ESSA?
- To close the schools permanently
- To provide targeted resources and intervention for the lowest-performing schools (Correct answer)
- To reward schools with high test scores
- To merge struggling schools with higher-performing ones
Correct answer: To provide targeted resources and intervention for the lowest-performing schools
CSI designation triggers additional support and intervention resources to help the lowest-performing schools improve student outcomes.
Question 5: How often must Nebraska submit its accountability plan for review under ESSA requirements?
- Every year
- Every two years
- States submit a plan that can be amended as needed (Correct answer)
- Every ten years
Correct answer: States submit a plan that can be amended as needed
Under ESSA, states submit a consolidated state plan that remains in effect but can be amended; there is no fixed annual resubmission requirement.
Question 6: Which subgroup performance gap is Nebraska's accountability system specifically designed to highlight?
- Gaps between rural and urban teacher salaries
- Achievement gaps between student subgroups such as low-income and non-low-income students (Correct answer)
- Gaps between Nebraska and other states' test scores
- Gaps between elementary and high school funding
Correct answer: Achievement gaps between student subgroups such as low-income and non-low-income students
Nebraska's accountability system tracks performance of specific student subgroups to identify and address achievement gaps.
Question 7: What action is a Nebraska school district required to take when one of its schools is identified for 'Targeted Support and Improvement' (TSI)?
- Immediately replace the principal
- Develop and implement a school improvement plan (Correct answer)
- Transfer all students to another school
- Reduce the school's budget by 10%
Correct answer: Develop and implement a school improvement plan
TSI-identified schools must develop and implement an evidence-based improvement plan focused on the underperforming student subgroup.
NSCAS Accountability 2
Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which entity is primarily responsible for designing a state's accountability system?