General

1. What is the maximum number of schools that CAPE can nominate to the USDE for recognition?

Fifty.

2. What if CAPE receives more exemplary applications from qualifying schools than it can nominate?

The CAPE review panel will narrow the field to 50 by eliminating applications not in compliance with the requirements of the program (including submission deadlines and other technical requirements) and by evaluating the quality and responsiveness of the essay questions. Download the scoring guidelines (PDF) that reviewers will use for the program. CAPE will give preference to schools that applied in previous cycles of the BRS program but were unsuccessful because of technical (as opposed to substantive) violations.* Preference will be given to schools that did not win the award in the years 2007-2017 (schools that won after those years are not eligible to apply). Finally, efforts may be made to avoid an excessive concentration of schools from the same state. After that, all applications of eligible schools that meet the requirements of the program and that provide exemplary responses to the essay questions will be pooled, and nominated schools will be selected randomly.

*To receive this preferential treatment, schools that fall in this category should attach a note to the draft application submitted in December to let CAPE know that the application is a second try. The note should indicate the year and violation of the initial application.

3. Must a school have a minimum enrollment to apply?

Schools must have an enrollment of 100 or more students. Also, it must have at least 10 tested students in each grade for which test scores are reported (which should be each grade in which tests are administered from grade 3 up).

4. May a K-12 school apply to have only part of its school recognized (e.g., the elementary division or the middle school division)?

Schools located on the same campus (physical location and mailing address) must apply as an entire school (i.e. K-8; 6-12; K-12 school). Two (or more) schools located on separate campuses, must apply individually even if they have the same principal. A single school located on multiple campuses with one principal must apply as an entire school.

5. If a school received the NBRS award in the last five years may it apply for the 2023 award?

No. Only schools that have not received the award in the past five years are eligible for the program. Note that priority in the selection process will be given to private schools that did not win the award in the last 15 years. 

6. May a new school apply?

A nominated school must be in existence with its current grade configuration for at least five full years. Merged schools are considered new schools for purposes of this rule.

7. May for-profit schools apply?

No. Only not-for-profit schools may apply.

8. What assessment verification must schools submit to CAPE?

Depending on how they qualify for the program, schools must include the following information with the hardcopy of the application that is due at CAPE in December:

EXEMPLARY HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN NATION: A copy of a printout from the testing publisher (it generally has the company’s logo on it) that identifies the school’s scores in reading and math for the most recently completed school year in ALL grades tested from grade 3 up. We prefer a single sheet covering all grades, but if your testing company does not report scores that way, then submit a separate sheet for each grade. Attach the document(s) to the very end of your application.  The point of the assessment verification document(s) is to verify the accuracy of the scores the school has reported for the most recently completed school year, so the scores on the online application and the assessment verification document(s) should match. Many schools are disqualified from the program either because they do not submit an assessment verification sheet, or they report the wrong kinds of scores (e.g., school percentiles instead of student percentiles), or the scores in the online tables do not match the assessment verification scores.  Please contact CAPE if you have questions about any of this. Also, high schools using SAT and ACT scores from multiple testing dates (see #21 below) should contact CAPE regarding assessment verification.

EXEMPLARY HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN STATE: A copy of the printout(s) from the state education department that identifies the school’s scores in reading and math for the most recently completed school year in ALL grades tested from grade 3 up. The school must also provide evidence from the state education department that the scores reported in the most recently completed school year place the school in the top 15 percent of schools in the state in both reading and math for each grade tested from grade 3 up. Finally, if the school is required to report disaggregated results for student subgroups (see guidelines here), it must provide evidence from the state education department that results for student subgroups in the most recently completed school year are at the 60th student percentile or higher on state tests.

9. Where do I find the nationally standardized test scores that I should be reporting and that qualify my school for the program?

It’s different for each testing company, but here is guidance for the most popular K-8 tests. You can report scores as scale scores OR as percentiles, but not both. You must report scores consistently across all grades. Note, however, that if you have to disaggregate scores for subgroups (see guidelines here), you should report all scores as scale scores.

IOWA ASSESSMENTS (ITBS FORM E)

If Reporting Scale Scores: On the testing company’s summary report for the grade in question, look at the row marked “Average Standard Score (SS)” (sometimes listed as “Average NSS”) and go to the columns marked “Reading” and “Mathematics.”   Report these scores for all grades tested (3 and higher).  To see if your school qualifies for the program, take these scores for each grade tested in the most recently completed school year and compare them to the cut scores found for the appropriate grade and subject under the table marked “School Mean Scale Score at 85th Percentile of National School Norms” on the ITBS page of the Education Department’s cut scores document.  BE SURE TO USE THE HIGHER FORM E SCORES WHERE APPLICABLE. Note that there are two different score columns for fall and spring administrations of the test. Use the column that applies to your school.

If Reporting Percentiles: On the testing company’s summary report for the grade in question, look at the row marked “National Percentile Rank of Average SS” (sometimes listed as NPR of Average NSS) and go to the columns marked “Reading” and “Mathematics.”   Report these scores for all grades tested (3 and higher).  To see if your school qualifies for the program, take these scores for each grade tested in the most recently completed school year and compare them to the cut scores found for the appropriate grade and subject under the table marked “Student Percentile Equivalent for the 85th School Percentile” on the ITBS page of the Education Department’s cut scores document.  BE SURE TO USE THE HIGHER FORM E SCORES WHERE APPLICABLE. Note that there are two different score columns for fall and spring administrations of the test. Use the column that applies to your school.

TERRA NOVA 3 

If Reporting Scale Scores: On the testing company’s summary report for the grade in question, look at the row marked “Mean Scale Score” and go to the columns marked “Read” and “Math” (not “Read Compst” and “Math Compst”). Report these scores for all grades tested (3 and higher).  (Note: In some reports the columns and rows are switched, in which case you would use the column marked “MSS” and the rows marked “Reading” and “Mathematics.”) To see if your school qualifies for the program, take these scores for each grade tested in the most recently completed school year and compare them to the cut scores found for the appropriate grade and subject under the table marked “School Mean Scale Score at 85th Percentile of National School Norms” on the Terra Nova 3 page of the Education Department’s cut scores document Note that the Terra Nova 3 table reports separate scores for spring and fall administrations of the test. Use the scores that apply to your school.

If Reporting Percentiles: On the testing company’s summary report for the grade in question, look at the row marked “NP of the Mean NCE” and go to the columns marked “Read” and “Math” (not “Read Compst” and “Math Compst”). Report these scores for all grades tested (3 and higher).  (Note: In some reports the columns and rows are switched, in which case you would use the column marked “MDNP” and the rows marked “Reading” and “Mathematics.”) To see if your school qualifies for the program, take these scores for each grade tested in the most recently completed school year and compare them to the cut scores found for the appropriate grade and subject under the table marked “Student Percentile Equivalent for the 85th School Percentile” on the Terra Nova 3 page of the Education Department’s cut scores document. Note that the Terra Nova 3 table reports separate scores for spring and fall administrations of the test. Use the scores that apply to your school.

STANFORD ACHIEVEMENT TEST

Special Note: Schools using the SAT should be sure to read the special note on page 1 of the cut scores document prepared by the U.S. Department of Education.

If Reporting Scale Scores: On the testing company’s summary report for the grade in question, look at the row marked “Mean Scale Score” and go to the columns marked “Total Reading” and “Total Mathematics.” Report these scores for all grades tested (3 and higher). To see if your school qualifies for the program, take these scores for each grade tested in the most recently completed school year and compare them to the cut scores found for the appropriate grade and subject under the table marked “School Mean Scale Score at 85th Percentile of National School Norms” on the SAT page of the Education Department’s cut scores document.  Note that there are different SAT pages reflecting different SAT editions.

If Reporting Percentiles: On the testing company’s summary report for the grade in question, look at the rows marked “National PR-S of the Mean National NCE and to the the columns marked “Total Reading” and “Total Mathematics.”  Note that the PR-S row gives two scores, the percentile and the stanine, separated by a dash. The first two digits are the percentile. Only use that score. Report these scores for all grades tested (3 and higher). To see if your school qualifies for the program, take the scores for each grade tested in the most recently completed school year and compare them to the cut scores found for the appropriate grade and subject under the table marked “Student Percentile Equivalent for the 85th School Percentile” on the SAT page of the Education Department’s cut scores document.  Note that there are two different SAT pages reflecting different SAT editions.

10. Does a school have to meet or exceed the cut scores for every grade tested from grade 3 and higher?

Yes

11. If a school is in a state that requires private schools to take state tests, should the school use nationally normed tests or state tests to qualify for the program?

If a private school administers state tests and nationally normed tests, the school must report both sets of test results and be in the top 15 percent in both. In other words, such schools must qualify under state standards and national standards.

12. If a private school elects to, but is not mandated to, administer state tests in addition to national tests, must it report the state test results and meet the state test cutoff scores?

Yes

13. Where can I find out what state tests to report, how to report them, and whether my school is in the top 15 percent of schools in the state?

For questions about state assessments, call your state department of education using the State Contacts List. NOTE: The application does not provide an opportunity to record results from state tests. A private school that administers state tests will have to submit with the application to CAPE a copy of the printout(s) from the state education department that identifies the school’s scores in reading and math for the most recently completed school year in ALL grades tested from grade 3 up. The school will also have to provide evidence from the state education department that the scores reported in the most recently completed school year place it in the top 15 percent of schools in the state in both reading and math for each grade tested from grade 3 up.

14. If a school uses nationally standardized tests for which qualifying cut scores have not been determined by the USDE, is there any way it can qualify under the “top 15 percent in the nation” category?

We’re sorry, but at this point there is not. If a school wishes to qualify under the “top 15 percent in the nation” category, it must use a test whose publisher has provided the U.S. Department of Education with qualifying cutoff scores.

15. Under what circumstances must a school disaggregate assessment data for certain groups of students?

The school must disaggregate the data for the following groups of students only if the subgroup represents at least 10 percent of the school’s total enrollment in the current school year:

  1. students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals,
  2. any minority (non-white) ethnic/racial group,
  3. limited English proficient students,
  4. students with disabilities.

In the application itself, refer to Part II, Demographic Data items 4, 6, 7, and 8 for the percentages of total current enrollment of potential subgroups.

Important Note: If indeed the school meets the 10 percent standard described above, it then only needs to report assessment results for subgroups if there are at least 10 tested students in the subgroup in a given grade. If the number of students assessed in any subgroup is fewer than 10, do not report the test results or the number of students assessed for the subgroup.

With respect to meal-eligible students, the school must disaggregate the data (assuming the conditions above apply) whether or not the school actually offers the federal school meal program.

Disaggregated results for student groups must be similar to the levels of all students tested. At a minimum, student subgroups must be at the 60th student percentile or higher on nationally standardized tests or state tests if administered.

Note that you cannot average percentiles when calculating disaggregated scores. You can average scale scores, however. Accordingly, if you have to disaggregate scores, you should report all scores for all grades as scale scores so that your score reporting is consistent. Also, you must provide evidence from the testing company and/or the state that disaggregated scale scores are at the 60th student percentile or higher. It gets complicated, so you might want to contact CAPE on this point.

SPECIAL NOTE: There has been lingering confusion regarding disaggregation. When a school reports test scores for an entire grade and measures those scores against the cut scores for the program, the expectation is that those scores reflect the performance of ALL students in the grade. If schools are required to report disaggregated results for certain groups because they meet the conditions described above, those groups and their results are not then removed from the scores for the entire grade. In effect, the results for those groups are reported twice: once as part of the entire grade and once as a disaggregated group.

16. When reporting test scores in the online application, I am supposed to enter the number and percentage of students alternatively assessed. What is an alternative assessment?

An alternative assessment is an assessment designed for the small number of students with disabilities who are unable to participate in the regular grade-level standardized assessment, even with appropriate accommodations.  An alternative assessment can measure progress based on alternate achievement standards.  The term does not refer to adjustments in the administration of a standardized test in order to accommodate student needs.  Note that an explanation must be provided if the percentage of students alternatively assessed is greater than two (2) percent of all students tested.

17. May the assessment results reported by the testing company be adjusted to allow for special circumstances (e.g., by excluding the scores of a student who falls asleep during the test and thereby brings the group’s average down)?

No. The only scores that count are those reported by the testing company. The school may not make adjustments to these scores.

18. Does the “top 15 percent” requirement mean that the school has to demonstrate that all student groups in the school score equally well?

No. Schools may use aggregate scores to qualify. However, each student group for whom there are disaggregated data must achieve at levels similar to the majority students; at a minimum, student subgroups must be at the 60th student percentile or higher on nationally standardized tests or state tests if administered.

19. We are a high school, but ninth grade is the highest grade we test, may we use those scores to qualify for the program?

No. High schools may only use scores for tenth grade or higher to qualify.

20. What if the nationally normed high school test used is the ACT or SAT?

If 90 percent or more of students from the most recent graduating class took the SATs, but not the ACTs, use the SATs to qualify for the program. If 90 percent or more of students from the most recent graduating class took the ACTs, but not the SATs, use the ACTs to qualify for the program. If 90 percent or more of students took some combination of the SATs and ACTs (e.g., 50 percent take SATs and 40 percent take ACTs) use both tests to quality for the program. If fewer than 90 percent take the tests, the results cannot be reported. The school has the responsibility to demonstrate that, in the aggregate, the students in a school achieve in the top 15 percent of the nation on these tests and that any disaggregated results (if required) for student groups are at the 60th student percentile or higher.

21. If a student takes the ACT or SAT multiple times, may a school use the highest scores attained by that student in calculating the class average?

Yes, but contact CAPE on how to provide assessment verification.

22. Should high schools submit PSAT or PLAN results?

No.

23. If a high school has 90 percent or more of its seniors taking some combination of the ACT and SAT, must it submit those scores and must they meet or exceed the cut scores for the program?

Yes.

24. If a high school has its seniors take a standardized test other than the ACT and SAT but also has 90 percent or more or its seniors taking some combination of the ACT and SAT, must it submit both sets of scores and must they both meet or exceed the cutoff scores for the program?

Yes.