1. Accountability in a Post-NCLB World: What the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Means for Minnesota
Stephanie Graff, Chief Accountability Officer
Michael Diedrich, ESEA Policy Specialist

2. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in December of 2015.
The U.S. Department of Education released draft regulations about accountability under ESSA at the end of May.
The school year will be a year of transition, with ESSA fully implemented in the school year.
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Alone, then with a partner: 3 things I know about ESSA, 2 questions I have, 1 concern or hope I have

3. Minnesota’s Tentative Timeline
When?
What?
Spring 2016
Informational topic meetings to share the law and begin to collect feedback.
Summer 2016
Additional feedback is gathered from stakeholder groups to inform focus areas.
Summer-Fall 2016
Stakeholders convene in certain topic areas to make recommendations.
Fall-Winter 2016
Regional listening sessions.
January 2017
Draft plan made available for public comment.
March 2017
Final plan submitted to U.S. Department of Education.

4. Accountability Workgroup: Two Committees
Advisory Committee
Charged with ensuring the technical committee’s work remains true to the needs of all Minnesota students and schools and to offer direction and advice on concepts and values the accountability system reflects.
Technical Committee
Charged with doing the deep technical analysis necessary to identify and define the indicators that will be used in Minnesota’s accountability system, the weights that will be attached to the indicators, and the calculations required to determine the criteria for identification.

5. Committee Meetings Committee meetings are open to the public
Advisory Committee and Technical Committee schedules are on the MDE ESSA webpage

6. Each of these changes somewhat
ESSA: The Latest Draft
Retained concepts
Assessment  Accountability  Improvement
State and local report cards
Each of these changes somewhat

7. Accountability and Improvement
Changes in effect in
Draft regulations require identification of schools for based on data
Assessment  Accountability  Improvement
MCAs/MTAS and graduation rates still used to identify schools for improvement
English Learner accountability will be included in Title I (moving from Title III)
At least one other indicator of student success or school quality will be added
School identification categories will change

8. Groups
ESSA requires that the following groups be included in accountability calculations
Students from low-income backgrounds (e.g. students receiving free or reduced price meals)
Major racial and ethnic groups
English learners
Students with disabilities

9. NCLB Waiver vs. ESSA - Indicators
Proficiency
Academic Achievement
Growth
Academic Progress
(OPTIONAL FOR HIGH SCHOOLS)
High School
Grad Rate
High School Grad Rate
AMAOs
Gap Reduction Calculation
Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency
School Quality or Student Success
Focus Rating

10. NCLB Waiver vs. ESSA - Categories
Reward Schools
Celebration (Eligible) & Continuous Improvement
Targeted Support and Improvement
Schools where groups are consistently underperforming, including a subset of schools with particularly low-performing student groups
School and LEA create plan.
AMAO Designations
Focus Schools
Comprehensive Support and Improvement
Lowest 5% of accountability system
High schools with <67% Grad Rate
Schools with particularly low-performing student groups, if the school doesn’t improve quickly
School, LEA, and SEA create plan.
Grad Focus Schools
Priority Schools

11. Goals
Goals and interim measurements of progress must be set for all students and for each student group for academic achievement (proficiency) and for graduation rates
These goals must make significant progress in closing performance gaps between groups
Goals and interim measurements must also be set for the number of English learners making progress toward English language proficiency

12. Weights
Significantly more weight must be given to the academic indicators (achievement, progress, graduation rates, and progress toward English language proficiency) than to the indicator(s) of school quality or student success
Per draft regulations, these weights should be set such that no school is identified for improvement, or avoids such identification, based on its performance on the indicator(s) of school quality or student success

13. Participation
ESSA requires that the state as a whole achieve a 95% participation rate for all students and for each student group
The state’s accountability system must reflect this requirement
Additionally, the calculation of the percentage of students who are proficient must be based on either the number of students who took the test or 95% of eligible students, whichever is higher
Statewide MTAS participation cannot exceed 1%

14. State and Local Report Cards
Changes in effect in
Most existing information still required
New data on school climate, preschool participation, and participation in advanced coursework
New disaggregation of some academic achievement and graduation rate data
Homeless (already under way in Minnesota)
Foster care
Children of active duty military service members (achievement only; NOT graduation rates)

15. World’s Best Workforce
World’s Best Workforce means striving to:
Have all students ready for kindergarten
Have all third-grade students achieve grade-level literacy
Close the achievement gap among all groups
Have all students graduate from high school
Have all students attain college and career preparedness
Federal accountability system primarily focuses on Title I schools; WBWF includes all districts
Minnesota has an opportunity to build a cohesive accountability and support system around common goals

16. For More Information… Us Stephanie.Graff@state.mn.us
ESSA web page on MDE website
education.state.mn.us/MDE/SchSup/ESSA
MDE ESSA inbox
(For questions, suggestions, interest, etc.)
Federal information, including FAQs
ed.gov/essa