STUDENT GROWTH
STUDENT GROWTHNorth Carolina's educator effectiveness model is designed to support and enhance the overall outcome of effective teaching: student learning. In order to know whether, and the degree to which, students are learning, the State must use a variety of assessments and processes for examining student progress over time. The educator effectiveness system focuses on growth of students, not on their proficiency level.
WHAT IS STUDENT GROWTH?
Student growth is the amount of academic progress that students make over the course of a grade or class. Students enter grades and course at different places; some have struggled while some have excelled. Regardless of how they enter a grade or course, students can make progress over the course of the school year.
WHAT IS STUDENT PROFICIENCY?
Student proficiency is whether or not students have scored at a level that indicates that they consistently demonstrate mastery of the content standards and are well prepared for the next grade or course. On the End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments, students are considered proficient if they score a Level III.
A teacher can help students grow at high rates even though they do not reach proficiency. Effective educators can push students to make progress regardless of where they started.
North Carolina's content standards are diverse; our assessments must be as well. The State uses multiple assessments and processes to measure student learning.
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End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments
for grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics, grades 5 and 8 science, and Biology, Math I, and English II
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Career and Technical Education State Assessments
for Career and Technical Education courses at the middle school and high school levels
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NC Final Exams
for courses and subjects in grades 4-12 English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies when an End-of-Grade or End-of-Course assessment is not administered (underlined should be hyperlinked to the new URL for the Common Exams page once moved to the Accountability site)
- Analysis of Student Work for courses and subjects that are more focused on student performance, including Arts Education, Healthful Living, World Languages, and International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses
- K-3 Checkpoints for measuring students' reading skill development in grades K-3