Exploring Sustained Improvement in Low Performing Schools. PACE Working Paper Series.

Since the approval of the No Child Left Behind Act, there have been new ways of evaluating student success. Evaluation is based on progress or improvement, not only on achievement. This report describes a study that examined student progress, or sustained improvement, in California over a 2-year period (1999-2000). In analyzing sustained improvement, the study looked at California Academic Performance Index scores in low-performing schools. The study took into account demographic and school-level variables known to relate strongly to student achievement. The report explores three issues: (1) how to conceptualize and measure sustained improvement in California public schools; (2) how the way sustained improvement is conceptualized affects schools that exhibit sustained improvement; and (3) how well predictors of student achievement relate to sustained improvement measures. The study found that the variables most commonly associated with achievement test scores were not particularly helpful in explaining sustained improvement. Social and demographic measures were not predictive of sustained improvement. Also, a potential influence on sustained improvement could be school-district support. Finally, conceptualizing and measuring sustained improvement can be approached in a variety of ways, and further research is warranted. (Contains 9 tables and 11 references.) (WFA)