This Audit of Educational Effectiveness has been conducted to examine the degree to which the Indian Prairie Schools achieve results that are achieved by the top 15%-20% of schools that are similar in students demographic make-up. Each school district and school population is examined against populations nationwide with similar demographics, some of which are currently achieving educational effectiveness and which have firmly established the conditions of effectiveness. The SchoolMatch approach compares student populations rather than school systems in order to provide more fair, accurate, and comprehensive cohort comparisons.
SchoolMatch maintains databases on each of the nation's over 15,800 operating public school systems and more than 14,000 accredited private schools. From the SchoolMatch database of public school populations, other student and staff populations in the United States with similar demographic characteristics to the population in the Indian Prairie School District were identified (this large group is the Indian Prairie School District School District cohort group).
Within the Indian Prairie School District cohort group exist similar populations which have achieved effectiveness in one or more of the areas analyzed by an Audit of Educational Effectiveness (approximately 15-20% of the entire population). Also within the cohort group are student populations which perform at or below the average (mean) for the entire group, in a given category (approximately 15-20% of the population). In order to form the basis for comparison with these demographically similar populations, SchoolMatch calculates the average (mean) performance level for the cohort group in every category analyzed in the audit process. This demographically-matched set of populations (the cohort group) can be described in terms of the average (mean) in each performance area. As a result, we may refer to the cohort group as the mean-matched group.
Once the averages in each measurable category are calculated, the cohort group is now mean-matched. Once the mean for each category is determined, the effectiveness level (one standard deviation above the mean) can be calculated.
This Audit establishes effectiveness levels for the Indian Prairie School District and for each regular individual school within the district. The report presents the effectiveness levels, the averages (means) obtained by schools with similar populations, and the current levels of school system and school achievement in Indian Prairie.
A chart showing the degree to which the Indian Prairie School District is currently achieving effectiveness is attached as Appendix A. Districtwide test results are included as Appendix B (Norm-Referenced Tests) and Appendix C (Standards-Based Tests).
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