Throughout this session, we have seen and heard a lot regarding education, particularly in our PK-12 schools. But where do our schools rank and how are they ranked? The Iowa School Performance Profiles is an online tool that shows how public schools have performed on multiple measures. Each school receives an overall score based on its performance on certain accountability measures.
Schools then receive a score for each accountability measure and then the scores are combined into an overall score. Schools also receive a score for each subgroup of students, such as students with disabilities. Subgroups must have 20 or more students to receive a score. The average overall statewide school score is 54.91. These scores are used in two ways: identifying schools in need of support and improvement (Comprehensive and Targeted) and assigning ratings of Exceptional, High Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement, and Priority.
The two categories we hear the most about are Comprehensive and Targeted schools. A school is identified for Comprehensive support and improvement if its overall score falls within the lowest five percent of Title I schools in the state or its graduation rate falls below 67.1 percent. A school is identified for Targeted support and improvement if a student subgroup score is as low as the lowest five percent of schools in the state. Comprehensive and Targeted schools maintain their designations for three years, giving the schools time to come up with a meaningful, effective plan for improvement.
Schools receive ratings based on their overall score across several categories detailed on the Iowa School Performance website linked below. The ratings, corresponding score ranges and percent of schools are shown in the table. House District 64 has at least one school in each category, except for the Exceptional category.
To view where your school falls, visit https://www.iaschoolperformance.gov.
