New York schools are graded A-F

By Katherine Sellgren
BBC News education reporter

New York schools are graded to help parents judge how they are doing

The report cards being planned for schools in England could be based on a system used in New York city in the United States.

School progress reports were brought in by the city's Department of Education for the school year 2006-07.

The aim is to help parents, teachers, school leaders and others to understand how well schools are doing.

Under the system, each elementary, middle and high school is graded with an A, B, C, D or F.

These grades are based on three areas of school life: the school environment (15% of a school's overall score), student performance (25% of the overall score) and student progress (60% of the overall score).

SCHOOL GRADES 2006-07 A: 23% B: 38% C: 25% D: 8% F: 4% Source: New York Department of Education

If schools are awarded a grade D or F, they are subject to school improvement measures and target setting, as well as possible leadership change.

The same principle is applied for schools receiving a C for three years in a row. Over time, schools given a grade of F are likely to be closed.

Schools that get As and Bs, meanwhile, are eligible for financial rewards.

The New York Department of Education says all schools should be accountable for making progress and should receive an overall grade of A, B or C.

In total, 1,224 progress reports were given out to schools for the school year 2006-07. Of those, 279 (23%) got an A, 461 (38%) were awarded a B, 312 (25%) got a C, 99 (8%) received a D and 50 (4%) were given an F.

Surveys

The school environment category is based on attendance rates and on the results of questionnaires completed by parents, pupils and teachers.

Parents are questioned on a range of issues, such as how well the school welcomes them and communicates with them.

They are asked about school discipline, bullying policies and drug or alcohol abuse in school.

Pupils are also given an opportunity to comment on similar issues, while teachers are asked about the quality of school leadership, discipline and the expectations held for pupils.

Student performance is measured in elementary and middle schools by pupils' scores on the New York state tests and in high schools by diplomas and graduation rates.

The third and main category for the school report - student progress - measures elementary and middle school pupils' progress from one year to the next on the New York state tests in English language, the arts and mathematics.

For high schools, progress is measured by credit accumulation and by how many Regents tests (state exams needed to complete a high school diploma) students pass.

A school's results in each area are compared to results of all schools serving the same school years throughout the city. Results are also compared to up to 40 similar schools.

The government says the design and contents of report cards in England will be subject to a full consultation by the end of the year. A white paper will be published in the spring.