NSCAS Accountability 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What minimum participation rate must students meet in Nebraska state assessments for a school's scores to count in accountability calculations?
- 75%
- 80%
- 95% (Correct answer)
- 100%
Correct answer: 95%
ESSA requires at least 95% of all students and each student subgroup to participate in state assessments for accountability purposes.
Question 2: Which NSCAS assessment is administered to measure English Language Arts and Math achievement in Nebraska?
- NAEP
- ACT
- NSCAS General Summative (Correct answer)
- PSAT
Correct answer: NSCAS General Summative
The NSCAS General Summative assessments measure ELA and Math achievement for students in grades 3–8 and high school.
Question 3: Under Nebraska's accountability system, 'student growth' measures which of the following?
- How much taller students have grown since the previous year
- The change in a student's academic performance compared to academically similar peers over time (Correct answer)
- The increase in district enrollment from year to year
- How quickly students complete their assignments
Correct answer: The change in a student's academic performance compared to academically similar peers over time
Student growth in accountability contexts measures academic progress relative to peers with similar prior achievement, not physical growth or enrollment.
Question 4: A Nebraska school that consistently underperforms for several years would most likely be classified as which type of school?
- Exemplary school
- Comprehensive Support and Improvement school (Correct answer)
- Targeted Support and Improvement school
- Priority Achievement school
Correct answer: Comprehensive Support and Improvement school
Schools in the lowest 5% of performance or with very low graduation rates for multiple years are identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'chronic absenteeism' as used in Nebraska's accountability system?
- Missing more than 3 days per semester
- Missing 10% or more of school days for any reason (Correct answer)
- Being tardy to class more than 5 times per month
- Missing school without a doctor's note
Correct answer: Missing 10% or more of school days for any reason
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days, which equals about 18 days in a typical 180-day school year.
Question 6: What is the role of Nebraska's State Board of Education in the NSCAS accountability system?
- It administers all state assessments directly to students
- It sets policies, approves the accountability framework, and oversees implementation (Correct answer)
- It determines individual teacher evaluations statewide
- It manages federal funding allocations to each classroom
Correct answer: It sets policies, approves the accountability framework, and oversees implementation
The State Board of Education sets educational policy and approves the accountability framework that guides assessment and school improvement in Nebraska.
Question 7: When Nebraska reports disaggregated data for accountability, which student subgroup is required to be reported separately under ESSA?
- Students who walk to school
- English Learners (EL students) (Correct answer)
- Students enrolled in after-school programs
- Students whose parents attended college
Correct answer: English Learners (EL students)
ESSA requires states to report and track performance for specific subgroups including English Learners, economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and racial/ethnic groups.
NSCAS Accountability 3
What minimum participation rate must students meet in Nebraska state assessments for a school's scores to count in accountability calculations?