Vertical Equating for State Assessments: Issues and Solutions in Determination of Adequate Yearly Progress and School Accountability.

Of all the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, the definition and determination of adequate yearly progress (AYP) is perhaps the most challenging. NCLB requires states to administer reading and mathematics assessments at least once each year to students in grades 3 through 8 (and once more within grades 10-12) by 2005-06, and adds a science assessment administered at least once in each of three grade spans by 2007-08. States may select their own assessments and define their own proficiency levels, but they must submit plans to the U.S. Department of Education to establish goals for what percentages of students in various subgroups (e.g., low income, minority, limited English proficient) will meet or exceed proficiency levels on the state’s assessments each year.