Confidence Interval:Schools or groups with proficiency index of zero or higher are considered to have made AYP. In order to ensure statistically sound decisions, confidence intervals (CI) are placed around the proficiency index scores for schools and groups. The confidence interval provides a test for whether or not a proficiency index is statistically different the goal. If a school or group’s proficiency index falls below the goal, but the goal is within the confidence interval, the school or group is considered to have met AYP.

2% Flexibility Option:

The state is allowed to make a mathematical adjustment to the proficiency index to provide additional credit to schools that missed AYP based solely on the achievement of special education students. There is an additional 2% interim flexibility for special education students in 2009. This is in addition to the 1% already allowed for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.

NCLB includes a safe harbor provision. If a subgroup of students in a school falls short of the AYP target, the school can still meet AYP is (a) the percentage of students who score below the proficient level is decreased by 10% from the year before, (b) the group met the participation rate, and there is improvement for that subgroup on other indicators.

If the proficiency index or the participation rate for the current year does not meet the goal, the participation rate or proficiency index for the previous two years and this year will be averaged. If the average met the goal, the school, or group will be considered to have made AYP.