Purpose
Pursuant to the California Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 (Education Code Section 52052[h]), the Alternative Schools Accountability Model (ASAM) provides school-level accountability for alternative schools serving highly mobile and highly at-risk students. The ASAM accountability data provides supplemental information to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and the Academic Performance Index (API) requirements. The ASAM also provides important information for the majority of ASAM schools who do not meet AYP criteria nor have valid API scores due to their difficulties in meeting the requirements of participation in NCLB (e.g., test participation rates, time in school, percent proficient in English Language Arts and Mathematics, subgroup numbers, and API requirements, among others).
Program and Services
ASAM is a voluntary program where qualifying schools select three of 14 reporting indicators measuring student learning readiness, transition, and academic performance. Participating schools annually report on these three indicators. ASAM program components include:
- Indicator Reporting Guide designed to assist local administrators and staff of participating schools in the annual reporting of school-level ASAM indicator data.
- Online reporting of ASAM school indicator data using the Online Reporting System (ORS).
- Online reporting of ASAM student assessment data using the Pre-Post Assessment and Tracking System (PATRS).
- Annual School Reports providing demographic and ASAM indicator data.
- Program services for participating schools, districts, and county offices of education:
- ASAM Web site with access to:
- School Reports
- ORS
- Correspondence from California Department of Education
- Program Timeline
- Public Notices
- Contact Information
- Technical assistance by telephone, e-mail, Web site, and mail
Outcomes
ASAM provides a framework for school-level accountability to over 1,000 participating schools. Using the reported indicator data, ASAM schools are able to identify multi-year trends on the selected indicators. ASAM schools continue to receive an API score, but are not included in the API rankings. The ASAM program currently has no impact on AYP results.
Funding
State Administrative Operation: $234,800
Federal Title VI Local Assistance: $775,000
Students Served
The ASAM serves over 1,000 community day, continuation, opportunity, county-operated court and community schools, Division of Juvenile Justice schools, and other alternative schools that meet the eligibility requirements approved by the State Board of Education (SBE). It is estimated that the total number of students annually served by ASAM is approximately 450,000 (280,000 unduplicated) primarily in grades eight through twelfth. The demographic characteristics of ASAM students enrolled in an individual school generally reflect those of the broader school district population.
Results
Over 1,000 ASAM schools are participating in the 2007-08 school year. Each school collects data on three performance indicators from a list approved by the SBE in March 2001. Each year, ASAM school reports are posted on DataQuest [http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/] providing indicator performance and SBE approved one-year accountability status reports.
