In order to be eligible to apply for the 2012 California Distinguished School Awards, elementary schools must meet requirements in the following areas:
- Eligible Grade Levels
- Previous Distinguished School Status
- Number of Years in Operation
- Accountability as Measured by:
- Academic Performance Index (API)
- Closing the Achievement Gap (CTAG)
- Intervention or Sanction Status
Eligible Grade Levels
The California Department of Education (CDE) has developed standard criteria to define schools as elementary, middle, or high for the API. For the purposes of the California Distinguished School Awards Program, schools are required to use the school type assigned to them by those criteria. A school defined as “elementary” on its API Report has met the grade level eligibility requirement for the 2012 cycle. Information regarding school type designations may be found in the 2010–11 Academic Performance Index Reports Information Guide available on the CDE API Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/].
Previous Distinguished School Status
2010 Distinguished Elementary Schools are not eligible to apply this cycle. They may apply for recognition again in the 2014 cycle.
Number of Years in Operation
Schools must have been operating since 2009–10 in order for growth results to be calculated for the API and be eligible.
Accountability Results
In order to apply for the Distinguished School Award, schools must meet the eligibility criteria for API and closing the achievement gap.
1. API Eligibility
Schools must meet all of the following requirements:
- Elementary schools must have a schoolwide 2011 Growth API ≥ 832.
- Schoolwide 2011 Growth API must meet or exceed the school's growth target.
- All numerically significant subgroups must make their growth targets.
2. CTAG Eligibility
In addition to the API eligibility criteria above, schools must also meet the specific CTAG criteria based upon the school’s student population as described below:
Category 1. Schools with one or more numerically significant disadvantaged subgroups* and a numerically significant white and/or Asian subgroup.
Category 2. Schools with only numerically significant disadvantaged subgroup(s)* and no numerically significant white and/or Asian subgroups.
Category 3. Schools with no numerically significant disadvantaged* subgroups.
*Disadvantaged subgroups, for CTAG purposes, are defined as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged (SED), or English learners (ELs).
Category 1 Schools Eligibility Criteria: Category 1 schools must meet the CTAG criteria in either 1A or 1B to be eligible to apply for the California Distinguished School Award.
1A - Must meet the conditions below :
- All numerically significant disadvantaged subgroups improved more than the average statewide 2011 Growth API growth for their subgroup:
Black or African American > 6 points
Hispanic or Latino > 11 points
SED > 10 points
ELs > 13 points
- And at least one of the numerically significant disadvantaged subgroups grew more than the white and/or Asian numerically significant subgroup by more than the average statewide elementary school API growth of ( > 8). (If the white or Asian subgroup growth declined, the “more than” growth calculation is made from zero.)
— OR —
1B - For those schools in Category 1 that do not meet the criteria for 1A, all numerically significant subgroups must be above the 90th percentile (>919) for the school to be eligible.
Category 1A Example: ABC Elementary School shows the following numerically significant subgroups and their API data:
| Subgroup | API | Growth |
|---|---|---|
White |
854 | 10 points |
| Hispanic or Latino | 801 |
21 points |
| SED | 799 | 54 points |
The school has met both conditions of Category 1A, both disadvantaged numerically significant subgroups grew more than the statewide average for their subgroup (Hispanic or Latino >11 and SED >10), and at least one of the disadvantaged subgroups, in this case the SED subgroup, grew more than the white subgroup by greater that the statewide average growth (>8), resulting in a narrowing of the achievement gap.
Category 1B Example: XYZ Elementary School is a Category 1 school but did not meet the Category 1A criteria. The school has the following numerically significant subgroups and 2011 Growth API data:
| Subgroup | API |
|---|---|
| White | 929 |
| Black or African American | 922 |
| SED | 920 |
The school has met the conditions of 1B because all three numerically significant subgroups’ API scores are above the 90th percentile score of 919.
Category 2 Schools Eligibility Criteria: Category 2 schools must show that all numerically significant subgroups grew more than the average statewide API growth for that subgroup. The average statewide 2011 API growth for each subgroup is:
Black or African American > 6 points
Hispanic or Latino > 11 points
SED > 10 points
ELs > 13 points
Category 3 Schools Eligibility Criteria: Category 3 schools must have a schoolwide 2011 Growth API and any numerically significant subgroup 2011 Growth API (i.e. white, Asian, etc.) above the API 75th percentile (>961)for the school to be eligible.
Intervention or Sanction Status
Schools that are subject to the School Assistance and Intervention Team interventions are not eligible to apply for this program. Schools that are subject to federal Program Improvement sanctions are, likewise, not eligible to apply for this program.
Schools in the Process of Correcting Data
The 2011 API reports were released for public information in the fall of 2011. Districts may, on behalf of their schools, make data corrections for API. Schools for which districts are making data corrections may begin the 2012 Elementary School Application process if their district offices are confident the schools will ultimately meet the eligibility criteria based on the final API reports released in February 2012. It is the responsibility of these schools to determine if they are willing to submit an application by the November 30, 2011, deadline, knowing that final eligibility for these schools will not be determined until February 2012.
Schools With Testing Irregularities
Schools for which districts have concluded that an adult testing irregularity occurred are ineligible to apply.
Schools With Outstanding State and Federal Issues of Non-Compliance
While outstanding issues of non-compliance do not affect a school’s eligibility, districts should be aware that any school with an unresolved compliance issue, defined as a required action issued by the CDE as a result of a Uniform Complaint Procedure Appeal investigation, may be prevented from receiving the California Distinguished School designation.
