1. Overview of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and
Considerations for Selecting
School Accountability Indicators
December 6, 2016

2. Defining “State Accountability System”
What is the purpose of state accountability systems?
Hold schools responsible for helping all students achieve their full potential;
Set clear goals to rally around — goals that are meaningful, ambitious, and achievable;
Provide information to parents, educators, and community members about school performance;
Prompt and support improvement where it’s needed; and
Protect taxpayer investment in education.
Components of a state accountability system
Standards
Assessments
School Accountability (A-F)
Reporting / Dashboards
Supports and Interventions
College and career aligned standards
Valid and reliable measures of student performance.
Establish ambitious but achievable goals; annually differentiate among schools and identify the lowest performing schools using the most important student outcome measures.
Multiple measures helping to inform the public, guide practice, and identify the right interventions.
Menu of student supports and interventions to improve low performing schools.

3. Shifts in Accountability Policy: Who is Responsible?
NCLB
ESSA
Standards
State
but, under waivers, Feds required Common Core or sign off by higher ed.
must demonstrate alignment to college coursework
Assessments
with Federal review and approval
Goals
Federal
School Accountability
must incorporate certain indicators
for each subgroup
Supports and
Interventions
Cascading set of Federal consequences, states choose amongst SIG options
States and Districts

4. Timeline 2015-16 School Year: Bill Passage and Initial Rulemaking
August
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
March
April
May
June
July
USED Rulemaking
ESSA passes.
USED develops drafts regulations.
Negotiated rulemaking panel (NPRM) meets.
NPRM sent to Congress for review.
NPRM is open for public comment.
(Dates are estimates.)
School Year: Transition
August
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
March
April
May
June
July
USED Rulemaking
States Develop and Submit Plans by April or September 2017
States must continue interventions in identified schools (i.e., focus and priority schools).
ESEA Waivers null and void.
Final regulations released (ongoing)
Competitive grant programs take effect in new fiscal year based on new program structure.
President Trump & Secretary DeVos
Formula grant programs take effect for upcoming school year.
School Year: New Systems in Place
August
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
March
April
May
June
July
New Accountability Systems Take Effect
States identify schools for comprehensive/targeted support for the school year

5. Requirements for Goals and School Accountability/Identification
States must establish “ambitious, state-designed long-term goals” and interim progress targets for all students and for each subgroup for:
Academic achievement
High school graduation
English language proficiency (all students only)
Identification of Schools
The accountability system must identify at least three categories of schools:
Comprehensive support and improvement schools
Targeted support and intervention schools
Additional schools
School Accountability
States must establish a system of meaningfully differentiating schools on an annual basis, based on the following indicators for all students and separately for each subgroup. The system must give substantial weight to each indicator. Each indicator must meaningfully differentiate among schools and be valid and reliable; and final regulations require that each indicator have at least 3 performance levels.
Academic achievement indicator
Another academic indicator (growth, grad rate)
English proficiency
Additional indicator of school quality or
student success
In the aggregate, the system must give much greater weight to these indicators

6. School Grades: Fundamental Principles
A-F school grades provide transparent, objective, and easily understood data to parents, educators and the public to spur improvement among all schools. 5
Focus on the progress of the lowest performing students in each school 6
Report results as close to the end of the school year as possible 1
Use clear and transparent descriptors of A, B, C, D, and F 7 2
Include objective, concise student learning outcome measures
Communicate clearly to parents 8
Establish rigorous criteria, with automatic increases, in order to earn A, B, C, D or F grades 3
Balance measures of student performance and progress 4
Calculate student progress toward grade level and advanced achievement 9
Use grades to identify schools for recognition, intervention, and support

7. Selecting School Accountability Indicators: Key Questions
Is the indicator valid, reliable and accurate?
Does it relate to improved student achievement?
Does the indicator differentiate among schools?
Can the indicator be disaggregated by student subgroups?
What perverse incentives might result from including the indicator?
Will adding the indicator dilute the emphasis on student outcome measures?
Does the indicator measure something that is actually under the school’s control?
Does the value of the indicator outweigh the administrative burden of collecting and verifying the accuracy of data for that indicator?
Is the indicator aligned to the overall policy goals of the state’s education system?

8. Example: Applying the Key Questions
School Climate Survey
Validity and reliability
Selection bias in respondents
Pressure to make a school look good
If not valid and reliable, cannot accurately differentiate among schools
Perverse incentives
Schools may focus on prepping students for survey over academics
Dilutes emphasis on student learning outcomes
Cannot be disaggregated by student
Administrative resources
Very expensive to procure
Time intensive for schools, districts, and state education agencies to collect, validate and aggregate new survey data

9. School Accountability vs
School Accountability vs. Public Reporting: Finding the Appropriate Role for Every Indicator
Standards
Assessments
School Accountability (A-F)
Report Cards / Dashboards
Supports and Interventions
Report Cards / Dashboards
Required Under ESSA
Accountability system details
Disaggregated results
Disaggregated assessment participation rates
The state’s minimum N
Civil Rights Data Collection
Educator qualifications
State, local and federal per-pupil expenditures
NAEP results
Disaggregated grad rates/college enrollment
Optional
Attendance
Expulsion/Suspension
School Climate
Parent/Teacher Survey
Social & Emotional Supports
School Accountability
State determined goals
Proficiency
Growth
Graduation rates
English language proficiency
College and career ready
Lowest performing 25% students

10. School Accountability Rating

11. Claire@ExcelinEd.org – 202.805.8511
Claire Voorhees
Director of K-12 Reform –