Making AYP: The Game (Pennsylvania Edition)

January 16, 2006

After the passage of No Child Left Behind, each state had to come up with a system for measuring student progress, complete with metrics for success on a number of different criteria. Schools that don't meet the goals must at least show they're making progress each year, which is called "Adequate Yearly Progress" or AYP.

Here's Pennsylvania's plan, presented as a game.

Making AYP: The Game (Pennsylvania Edition) (Link to PDF) was developed by Benjamin Herold and designed by Bryan Lathrop as a joint project of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook and Research for Action's Learning from Philadelphia's School Reform Project.

For your enjoyment, we've reproduced the text only here, as a sequence of questions. Can you navigate the waters to meeting AYP?

START HERE

1. PARTICIPATION Did 95% of students in my school take the appropriate standardized test (PSSA) this year, or did an average of 95% of students take the test over the last three years?
If Yes, go to #2. If No, go to #13.

2. ATTENDANCE/GRADUATION a) If my school did not have a graduating class, was the attendance rate 90% or above, or was the attendance rate better than last year? b) If my school did have a graduating class, did 80% of that graduating class actually graduate, or was the graduation rate higher than last year?
If Yes, go to #3. If No, go to #13.

3. SUBGROUP PARTICIPATION Did my school meet its participationtargets for all subgroups (broken downby race, ethnicity, low-income status, disability status, and English language proficiency) in which there were at least 40 students?
If Yes, go to #4. If No, go to #13.

4. PERFORMANCE Did my school meet its Pennsylvania proficiency performance targets for percentages of students scoring proficient or above in reading and math on the PSSA?
If Yes, go to #5. If No, go to #6.

5. SUBGROUP PERFORMANCE Did all the subgroups in my school meet their yearly Pennsylvania proficiency performance targets?
If Yes, go to #10. If No, go to #6.

6. CONFIDENCE INTERVAL Did my school come within a statistical margin of error on the proficiency targets it has not met?
If Yes, go to #10. If No, go to #7.

7. SAFE HARBOR Did my school reduce the number of students who scored below proficient on the PSSA by at least 10% from last year on the proficiency targets it has not met?
If Yes, go to #10. If No, go to #8.

8. SAFE HARBOR CONFIDENCE INTERVAL Did my school come within a statistical margin of error on the “Safe Harbor” targets it has not met?
If Yes, go to #10. If No, go to #9.

9. APPEAL Did my school successfully appeal its AYP results by demonstrating a) significant growth for proficiency performance targets it has not met, b) data error, and/or c) special circumstances?
If Yes, go to #10. If No, go to #13.

10. YES My school met all of its AYP targets...
Go to #11.

11. Last year, did my school meet its AYP targets, or get a warning for not meeting AYP?
If Yes, go to #24. If No, go to #12.

12. Last year, your school had "School Improvement" or "Corrective Action" status. This year, your school stays at the same status, but is "Making Progress." Get in the Balloon!
Go to #23.

13. NO My school did not meet all of its AYP targets. Try again next year.
Go to #14.

14. Last year, did my school have “Warning,” “School Improvement,” or “Corrective Action” status?
If Yes, your school has repeatedly missed AYP. Go to #17 through 21, depending on last year's status.
If No, go to #15.

15. Last year, did my school have “Making Progress” status?
If Yes, your school has repeatedly missed AYP. Go to #17 through 21, depending on last year's status.
If No, go to #16.

16. Last year, your school made AYP. This year your school did not. For now, you get a warning.
Go to #22.

17. CORRECTIVE ACTION II (SECOND YEAR) Your school has failed to meet AYP for six consecutive years. The school restructuring plan must be implemented.

18. CORRECTIVE ACTION II Your school has failed to meet AYP for five consecutive years.

19. CORRECTIVE ACTION I Your school has failed to meet AYP for four consecutive years.

20. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT II Your school has failed to meet AYP for three consecutive years.

21. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT I Your school has failed to meet AYP for two consecutive years.

22. WARNING Your school has failed to meet AYP just this year.

23. "MAKING PROGRESS" BALOON Make all your targets next year and ride to the top!


24. MET AYP End of this round. Don't worry, you'll be playing again next year.