STUDENT GROUPS

How does NCLB define student groups in a school?

The student groups are: 1) the School as a Whole; 2) White; 3) Black; 4) Hispanic; 5) Native American; 6) Asian; 7) Multiracial; 8) Economically Disadvantaged Students; 9) Limited English Proficient Students; and 10) Students With Disabilities. Most schools do not have all groups represented in their school. Forty students or more across all tested grades in a school comprise a group.

How many groups can a student be in?

A student can be in only one group (School as a Whole) if he/she is part of a group represented by less than 40 students across the tested grades in a school. On the other hand, a student can be in as many as five groups, depending on his or her designation. Some of the state's most at-risk students are represented in several student groups. This is the law's intention and represents a challenge to each state.

Does NCLB address academically or intellectually gifted students?

NCLB does not specifically address academically or intellectually gifted students as a group. The ABCs program, however, has a strong focus on individual student growth. Students at Achievement Level IV, the highest of the four achievement levels in the ABCs, can continue to grow academically within that range and are expected to do so as part of their school's growth calculations.

Who are the students included in the economically disadvantaged students group?

In North Carolina, economically disadvantaged students are defined as those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Who are the students included in the students with disabilities group?

North Carolina's public schools serve students with disabilities who have wide-ranging abilities and needs. About 190,000 of the state's 1.3 million students, or 14.5 percent, are students with disabilities.

Student groups within this category, in order of prevalence, are: specific learning disabled, speech-language impaired, behaviorally-emotionally disabled, other health impaired, developmentally delayed (ages 3-7), educable mentally disabled, autistic, trainable mentally disabled, hearing impaired, multihandicapped, orthopedically impaired, visually impaired, severely/profoundly mentally disabled, traumatic brain injured, and deaf/blind. Students with disabilities may be impacted by other factors including limited English proficiency, poverty, attendance, gender, race, ethnicity and culture.

Who are the students included in the limited English proficient group?

About 5 percent of the state's student population is identified as limited English proficient. In 2002-03, 54,428 of the 69,522 limited English proficient students spoke Spanish. All but three school districts in North Carolina had limited English proficient students that year. In North Carolina, a limited English proficient student is defined as any student whose primary language is not English and who is insufficiently proficient in English to receive instruction exclusively from regular education programs and function on an academic par with his/her peers. In addition, the student must have scored below superior in a least one domain on the state English language proficiency test. The state test assesses three domains - oral, reading and writing.

How are limited English proficient students' test scores calculated in AYP?

Demonstrating improvements in academic achievement made by the limited English proficient student group can be challenging because limited English proficient students exit that designation once they attain English language proficiency.

Limited English proficient students who score below a certain standard on the reading section of the language proficiency test in their first year may be excluded from AYP for that first year. After their first year, limited English proficient students' scores are included in AYP calculations. A limited English proficient student who has exited limited English proficiency services within the past two years may be included in AYP calculations only if the student group already meets the minimum number of 40 students for a group.

If a student belongs to a group of less than 40, will his/her test scores be counted?

There must be 40 students in a student group designation in a school. Students who are part of a group with fewer than 40 students will have their test scores counted under the "School as a Whole" group. The student's scores, however, may be counted in "District as a Whole" and another student group, i.e., Native American, at the district level when calculations bring the group total to 40 or above.