Frequently Asked Questions

Higher Performing

  1. Are higher performing schools identified across the country, or just in specific states?  top
    Higher performing schools are identified within one state at a time, using that state’s NCLB-related test as the performance measure. Although tests are different in every state, the identification process remains as standard as possible across states by applying a consistent methodology. NCEA currently identifies higher performing schools in almost 20 states.
  2. How are the higher performing schools identified?  top
    Higher performing schools are identified using a rigorous set of criteria that consider performance in comparison to similar schools, consistency, and participation rates. To see the standard NCEA criteria, please see our identification methodology. To see how close your school was to being higher performing, please use the criterion table, found under the consistency charts for your state.
  3. How are the higher performing schools used?  top
    The higher performing schools are used both as a measure of success/proximity to success for individual schools, and as a basis of the NCEA Best Practice research. Higher performing schools are visited alongside average performing schools in order to determine the successful practices that differentiate the higher performers. For more information on our Best Practice research, click here.
  4. How can my school become a higher performing school?  top
    The criteria used to identify higher performing schools are based on consistent success across three years of performance data. To see the standard NCEA criteria, please see our identification methodology. To see how close your school was to being higher performing, please use the criterion table, found under the consistency charts for your state.
  5. How many schools are identified as higher performing?  top
    There is no set number of schools identified as higher performing, and the lists are composed of all schools that meet the specified criteria.
  6. How often are schools identified as higher performing?  top
    Schools are identified as higher performing once a year based on three years of performance data; the most recent test results are analyzed along with the results from the two prior years.
  7. If my school is a higher performing school this year, will we be one next year?  top
    Your school will continue to be a higher performing school if you meet the criteria again in the following year. Remember, the identification process is based on three years of consistent higher performance, so next year’s data will be analyzed along with data from the two prior years.
  8. What is a higher performing school?  top
    Higher performing schools demonstrate three years of consistent success across multiple grades, in at least one tested subject, when compared to similar schools. There is a standard methodology used to identify higher performers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. While the NCEA criteria stay as consistent as possible across states and levels, at times the methodology is modified based on available data. To find out more about higher performing schools in your state, select your state from the drop down at the top of the page and click “Go!” and look for the higher performing schools link under the Inspire section of your state. Not all states have higher performing schools identified.
  9. What is an average-performing school?  top
    Average performing schools demonstrate three years of consistently average performance across multiple grades and subjects, when compared to similar schools. Although these schools are never identified on the website, they are visited in order to find the practices that truly differentiate higher performing schools from those with average levels of success.
  10. What is the difference between top comparable and higher performing schools?  top
    Top comparable schools are identified for one tested grade, subject and year, and are based on their comparability to one school at a time. These schools are the basis for the opportunity gap, which is a measure of performance specific to a particular school for a particular grade, subject and year. Although the higher performing analysis also considers performance in comparison to similar schools, the higher performing analysis has a more mathematical measure of comparability, and these schools demonstrate consistent higher performance across three years of data and all tested grades.
  11. Where does NCEA/JFTK get the state data?  top
    Most of the data used by NCEA/JFTK is provided by the state’s department of education.

The Framework

  1. Does The Framework apply only to one type of school or one state?  top
    The Framework findings emanate from schools with somewhat varied demographics and in a number of states. The school identification methodology points to schools that are “beating the odds” based on their student demographics. In each study, an effort is made to study primarily schools with higher levels of student poverty (using percent eligible for free and/or reduced price lunch) and with larger numbers of English language learners. In some state contexts, the distribution of schools relative to these variables coupled with consistent performance prevents strict adherence to this standard. As a result, readers are cautioned against viewing The Framework as a prescription for working with particular student populations.
  2. Does the information in The Framework get old?  top
    The Framework is continually updated with visits to higher and average-performing schools. The standards and accountability environment is now about 15 years old. With federal and state policies continually evolving, schools are constantly changing, too. The Framework is built on six years of study in commonly identified higher performing schools. The general principles represented have held up during that time. As the standards movement ages, average-performing schools are beginning to adopt many of the approaches that distinguished high-performers five years ago. At the same time, higher performing schools are becoming more sophisticated in their programs and processes. Continual study of these schools enables NCEA to enrich and refine our descriptions of higher performing school systems.
  3. How do I find out about a particular school that was studied?  top
    The Framework is a composite picture built from many individual cases. Without the context of the great numbers of consistently higher performers provided by the Framework, information from individual schools should be considered carefully. Certainly, the stories from each higher performing school can be interesting, but readers are cautioned against focusing too intently on the details of an individual case to the exclusion of the bigger picture.
  4. How do I find out the best mathematics or reading program to adopt?  top
    The Framework is not a compendium of programs and strategies to adopt. At a certain point in the school improvement process, educators need to know “Do we use Success for All or Everyday Math?” The Framework does not provide the type of information that would inform those sorts of decisions. Instead, experimental evaluation research is needed to answer those questions and to draw causal links between particular activities and higher student achievement levels.