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Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents (IAPSS)
ESSA Recommendations May 2016
Dr. J. T. Coopman, Executive Director
IAPSS ESSA Work Group
March 11, 2016
Embassy Suites, Indianapolis, IN
Work Group Members: Tippecanoe County Schools, Robert Taylor, Ann Linson, Ryan Snoddy, Sharon Johnson-Shirley, Tom Edington, Jeff Hendrix, Steve Fisher, Rich Arkanoff, Travis Madison, Greg Hinshaw, Jeff Butts, Mark Keen, Rocky Killion, Scott Turney, Judy Beukert, Jim Snapp, Phil Downs, Chris Himsel, Tony Bagshaw, Cameron Rains, Janet Flores, Noelle Ellerson
The IAPSS work group came together with the express intent of assembling a recommendation regarding the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The plan document would include recommendations for Indiana Assessments, Accountability, and Teacher Evaluations that would meet the intention and guidelines of ESSA. The plan document would be shared with work group members in order to develop consensus among the group. Following consensus, the plan document would be shared with the IAPSS members to garner further input. Once all stakeholders were allowed input, the plan document would be placed in the hands of “decision – makers” as the IAPSS recommendations for Indiana’s ESSA educational plan.
Documents and Review:
ESSA was signed into law December 10, 2015 and rolls back much of the federal government’s footprint on education policy from testing and teacher quality to low performing schools and gives leeway to states in developing their own guidelines. ESSA takes full effect in 2017-18.
Key elements
Accountability Plans:
States must submit accountability plans to the Federal Education Department. Goals must be long and short term. These goals must address proficiency on tests, English-language proficiency, and graduation rates. Goals must address achievement gaps and graduation rates.
States need to incorporate at four indicators into their accountability systems: proficiency on state tests, English-language proficiency, and some other factor which could be growth on state tests.
One additional factor must be submitted at the state’s choice and could include things like: student engagement, educator engagement, access to and completion of advance coursework, post-secondary readiness, school climate and safety.
States need to figure participation rates on state tests.
Weighted factors must be determined for each indicator.
Low Performing Schools:
States must identify and intervene in the bottom five percent of performers and identified every three years.
States must identify high schools with graduation rates less than 67%.
States must identify struggling sub groups.
School Interventions:
Work with teachers and school staff with an evidence based plan of improvement that will be monitored by the state. If schools continue to flounder for four years, the state will step in with its own plan.
Struggling Sub Groups:
Schools must come up with evidence based plans to help groups of students falling behind, such as minorities and special needs students.
Districts must monitor these plans and if needed step in to assist, although there is no specific timeline.
In schools with chronically underperforming subgroups, the state and district must develop a comprehensive improvement plan.
The school improvement grant in Title I allows up to 7% percent be set aside for school improvement.
Testing:
States must test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math and one time in high school. Data must be broken out for whole schools, plus different sub groups, such as ELL, special education, racial minorities, and poverty. ESSA maintains 95% participation rate. ESSA does not require a summative end of year test.
Districts can use local nationally recognized tests at the high school level such as the SAT and ACT.
States can create their own opt out laws and decide what happens in schools that miss those targets.
States must adopt challenging academic standards.
Waivers under NCLB are null and void August 1, 2016.
Accountability for ELL students moves from Title III to Title I.
ELL student scores can be included after the student has resided in the country for a year. During the first year, ELL students test scores will not count toward a school’s rating, but ELL students will need to take both assessments and have the results publicly reported. In the second year, the results for both reading and math must be incorporated using some form of growth. In the third year in the country, ELL student scores will be treated like all other student scores.
One percent of overall students can be given alternative tests. That is usually about 10% of special education students.
Teachers:
States will no longer have to do teacher evaluation through student outcomes. Highly qualified teacher under NCLB is no longer a requirement.
IAPSS Work Group Recommendations:
Assessments:
What are the educational goals for our states assessment? What are the cost factors for developing and giving assessments? Cut down on the time for administering assessments in one sitting. Assure a reasonable turnaround time for reporting scores. Assessments should inform instruction and guide learning outcomes. Assessments should focus on individual student growth. Assessments should be given multiple times in a formative format and be developmentally appropriate.
Accountability:
Does the state accountability system utilize assessments that …
- comply with ESSA by assessing student progress annually in grades 3-8 and once in grades 10-12 in the curriculum areas of math, reading, and, as required, science; AND
- accommodate the vast diversity of students served within the current educational system (i.e., English Language Learners (ELL), special needs students, Children in Needs of Services (CHINS), mobility, etc.);
- identify student strengths and weaknesses and report them in immediate, actionable formats;
- effectively report student strengths and weaknesses in a way that is easily understood by parents, teachers, students, principals, etc.;
- effectively report student strengths and weaknesses in a manner that can inform school/district wide continuous improvement action plans;
- significantly reduce the amount of time students are engaged in completing state-mandated tests so that the amount of instructional time is maximized;
- establish criterion-based minimum grade level expectations;
- allows for a definition of student academic growth that reflects diversity of Indiana schools and students; AND
- accurately identify and monitor achievement gaps as required by ESSA?
Does the accountability system also incorporate …
- student and parent voice;
(i.e., surveys related to research/evidence-based actions typical of high performing schools/districts such as HSSSE which was administered by CEEP at IU, 5 Essentials from the University of Chicago, What Works in Schools by Marzano, etc.);
- measurements of performance towards attainment of identified 21st century skills;
(i.e., collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity; the 4 C’s rubrics from EdLeader21)
- authentic evidence of …
- college readiness;
(i.e., college credits earned via dual credit programs or Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores; FAFSA completion; rate of successful completion of Algebra 2; meeting standardized college assessment benchmarks such as SAT or ACT – (ACT can meet the federal testing requirement since it is an achievement assessment that includes Reading, Math, and Science content areas))
- career readiness;
(i.e., career pathways completed; industry credentials earned; completion of at least 25 hours of community service; individual attendance rates exceeding 90%; participation in two or more organized extra-/co-curricular activities; successful completion of a work-based experience/internship; results on career-based assessments such as the ASVAB [which also may comply with the federal high school testing requirement under ESSA]; etc.)
- citizenship readiness;
(i.e., graduation rates [which are also required as a part of ESSA]; voter registration; evidence of meeting civics-related academic standards; participation in community service activities; attendance rates; etc.)
- school/district compliance mandates; AND
(i.e., statutorily required curriculum, federally required equity such as IDEA requirements and OCR reports, Title I audits, food service audits, etc., state safety requirements such as fire drills, health department inspections, Fire Marshal inspections, bus inspections, etc.; other mandates such as submission of school safety plan, school improvement plan, evaluation plan, etc.)
- evidence of creating effective conditions for learning?
(i.e., implementing strategies to overcome obstacles to learning, climate audits, attendance rates, implementing a process for developing and sustaining a staff of effective and highly effective teachers, partnerships with community social agencies, etc.)
Teacher Evaluations:
Should be locally developed and should not continue to have performance pay metrics included.