The Academic Progress indicator, is one of four (4) indicators utilized in Maine’s Model of School Supports and is used for grades 3-8. Academic Progress is defined as the comparison of individual student assessment performance scores from one year to the next, aggregated to the school level.
At the state, district, school, and classroom levels, Maine educators are committed to creating a culture of support and encouragement for families with children experiencing challenges. In the past, Maine has focused solely on achievement and in particular, achievement gaps between student groups. Academic achievement records the number of students on average, who are performing at state expectations. Although this is beneficial to track, when conducting a more detailed analysis of data, academic achievement does not take into account the individual growth of a student.
What does this look like in Maine?
Each year students in grades three through eight are administered statewide assessments in both English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Student performance on the state assessment is scored on a scale of 1 to 4. A performance level of 3 or above indicates that a student is meeting grade-level expectations. Every student grades 3 -8 who has been in the same school for two consecutive years will receive a progress score by looking at his or her assessment results from the previous year in comparison to the current year. Individual students are assigned scores of 0 to 450 according to academic achievement scores from one year to the next. A score of 100 indicates expected growth. An individual score of less than 100 indicates that a student has not yet made adequate growth. The progress scores of all eligible students are added together and then divided by the number of eligible students. The resulting number is the school indicator scores for ELA and math.
The above is repeated to determine a progress indicator score for mathematics and a progress indicator score for ELA.
How will academic progress data be presented on the school report card?
The school as a whole will receive a performance measure related to the percentage of students who are making academic progress. Academic progress rates will never be reported at the student level.
The school level descriptors for academic progress are as follows:
Academic Progress – English Language Arts (ELA)
| Emerging | Developing | Meeting | Excelling |
| A score of less than 100 for all eligible student groups | A score of at least 100 for at least one eligible student group | A score of at least 100 for all eligible student groups | A score of at least 150 for all eligible student groups |
Academic Progress – Mathematics
| Emerging | Developing | Meeting | Excelling |
| A score of less than 100 for all eligible student groups | A score of at least 100 for at least one eligible student group | A score of at least 100 for all eligible student groups | A score of at least 150 for all eligible student groups |
Eligible student groups include: Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Two or More Races, White, Students with Disabilities, Economically Disadvantaged, Migrant students, and English Learners.
Academic progress data will be presented on the initial page of the report card in the following way:
To assist parents and community members in understanding academic progress, the report card provides “hover over” features that explain the definition of the performance level.
Further questions can be directed to Janette Kirk, Acting Director, Office of Learning Systems at janette.kirk@maine.gov