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2010 Eligibility Criteria for the Excellence in Urban Education Award

NCUST will consider applications for public schools or public charter schools that meet the following criteria:

1. Non-Selective Admissions: Students are not required to meet any academic criteria in order to attain or retain enrollment.

2. Urban Location: The school is located in a city with a population of at least 50,000 people.

3. Low-Income Student Population: For elementary schools, at least 60 percent of the school’s students must qualify for the federal free- or reduced-price lunch program or the state education agency’s low-income classification. For middle schools (or schools including grades as high as 7 or 8), at least 50 percent of the school’s students must meet the same low-income criteria. For high schools, at least 40 percent of the school’s students must meet the same low-income criteria.

4. Adequate Yearly Progress: The school achieved adequate yearly progress in both of the past two school years.

5. High Attendance Rates: Student attendance rates were at least 92 percent in both of the past two school years.

6. High Proficiency Rates:A high percentage of students demonstrated proficiency on state assessments of English Language Arts, reading, mathematics, writing, science, or social studies in both of the past two school years. Choose A or B.

A. The school’s composite performance index score for each of the last two school years was higher than the state average and among the top ten percent of schools serving comparable populations of students.

Or B. In at least two grade level subject assessments (e.g., 6th grade reading and 7th grade mathematics), the percentage of students proficient exceeded the state average, and in at least two grade level subject assessments, the percentage of students proficient was among the top 10 percent of schools serving comparable populations of students.

7. Small Achievement Gaps: The most recent year state assessment performances of demographic groups served at the school showed a small or no achievement gap. Choose A or B.

A. The composite performance index for the lowest performing racial/ethnic group was at least 85 percent of the performance index for the highest performing racial/ethnic group, and the performance index for the lowest performing demographic group (including students meeting low-income criteria, English learners, and students with disabilities) was at least 75 percent of the performance index for all students. (Note: NCUST will use this criterion in considering demographic groups that include 50 or more students at the school.)

Or B. In two subject area assessments, the gap between the highest and lowest performing racial/ethnic groups was less than 15 percentage points, and in two subject area assessments, the gap between the highest and lowest performing demographic groups (including students meeting low-income criteria, English learners and students with disabilities) was less than 25 percentage points. (Note: NCUST will use this criterion in considering demographic groups that include 50 or more students at the school.)

8. High Graduation Rate: For schools that served 12th grade, the latest four-year adjusted cohart graduationrate (as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) is at least 70 percent for each major demographic group of students.

9. Proportionate Enrollment in Special Programs:

The enrollment of students of different racial/ethnic groups in special education and gifted/talented education is proportionate to the overall racial/ethnic composition of the school.

The demographic group with the highest percentage of students receiving special education is not more than 1.5 times as likely to receive special education services as is typical for the entire school, and

The demographic group with the lowest percentage of students participating in the gifted/talented education program cannot be less than .75 times as likely to receive gifted/talented education services as is typical for the entire school. (Note: NCUST will use these criteria in considering demographic groups that include 50 or more students at the school.)

10. Few Suspensions/Expulsions: For every demographic group of students, the total number of days students were out of school because of suspensions or expulsions was less than one day per student enrolled.

11. Other Evidence of Strength:There is other strong evidence of academic and or extra-curricular excellence such as high percentages of students passing advanced placement examinations, high percentages of students completing rigorous courses of study, or awards for school-wide excellence in academic disciplines, art, music, drama, career and technical education, or physical education.