N-Size in ESSA State Plans
All4Ed’s analysis of the minimum number of students in a school, or n-size, states chose for their school accountability systems and report cards under ESSA.
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All4Ed, joined by more than thirty civil rights, disability, and data-focused organizations, sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Education to decrease its proposed n-size threshold (the minimum number of students in a particular demographic group needed to be disaggregated on school report cards and for school accountability) from thirty to ten in the final ESSA accountability regulations.
In order for every student in the United States to succeed, they must first count. One of the most important equity-focused provisions of ESSA is the requirement for schools with consistently underperforming subgroups to be identified for evidence-based, targeted intervention. An unnecessarily high n-size would circumvent the intention of the law under the pretext of protecting student privacy and statistical reliability. Download the full letter below, or see our additional resources below to learn more about how a low n-size ensures states and districts pay attention to and address the needs of all students.
Ensuring Every Student Matters What Is N-Size and Why Is It Important?
How do states set the minimum number of students needed to form a subgroup and what does that mean for monitoring outcomes of historically underserved students?
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Ensuring Equity in ESSA: The Role of N-Size in Subgroup Accountability
States should set a minimum number of students needed to form a student subgroup (or “n-size”) for federal reporting and accountability as low as 10 students.
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