1. Maryland State Board of Education October 25, 2011
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility

2. ESEA Flexibility Improve educational outcomes for all students
Close achievement gaps and increase equity
Improve the quality of instruction
To receive flexibility through waivers of NCLB requirements, a state must develop a rigorous and comprehensive plan addressing 3 critical areas designed for 3 purposes:

3. Supporting Ongoing Reform and Innovation
44 States and District of Columbia have adopted Common Core State Standards
46 States and District of Columbia are developing high-quality assessments aligned with college- and career-ready standards
Many states are implementing reforms in teacher and principal evaluation and support for low-performing schools
44 states and DC have adopted a common set of state-developed college and career-ready standards;
24 states in PARCC; 30 states in Smarter Balance
Many of these innovations and reforms were not anticipated when NCLB of 2001 was enacted nearly a decade ago. Unintentially many NCLB requireeemtns have become barriers to state and local implementation of reforms. The waiver is intentioned as a new time to support innovation and reform in the states while maintaining a high bar for the success of all students.

4. Principles of ESEA Flexibility
Transitioning to college- and career-ready standards and assessments
Developing systems of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support
Evaluating teacher and principal effectiveness and support improvement
Reducing duplication and unnecessary burden

5. Waivers of Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)

6. ESEA Flexibility: What Will Be Waived?
Ambitious but achievable goals in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics
Flexibility regarding the timeline for achieving 100 Percent Proficiency

7. ESEA Flexibility: What Will Be Waived?
Lowest-performing schools and schools with the largest achievement gaps
Interventions tailored to the unique needs of schools, districts, and students
Recognize and reward schools that are highest-achieving and students making the most progress
Flexibility Regarding District and School Improvement and Accountability Requirements

8. ESEA Flexibility: What Will Be Waived?
Funds to meet student needs
Funds for rural districts
Funds to meet the needs of particular populations of disadvantaged students protected
Flexibility Related to the Use of Federal Education Funds

9. Submission Windows November 14, 2011
A date to be announced in mid-February 2012
Additional opportunity following the conclusion of the school year
As of October 13: 17 States – November states plus DC and Puerto Rico – February 2012
2 states – Intend to submit with no date; 11 states – no response

10. Principles for Improving Student Academic Achievement and Increasing the Quality of Instruction

11. Adopt College- and Career-Ready standards for all students
Include English Language Learners and students with disabilities
Support transition
Administer statewide tests aligned with college and career
Principle 1: Transitioning to College- and Career-Ready Standards and Assessments

12. Gives credit for progress toward college- and career-readiness
Recognizes and rewards highest-achieving schools that serve low-income students and those showing greatest progress (Reward Schools)
Implements rigorous Interventions for 5 percent of the lowest-performing schools (Priority Schools)
Targets strategies for 10 percent of schools with low graduation rates, large achievement gaps, and low student subgroup performance (Focus Schools)
Principle 2: Developing Systems of Differentiated Recognition, Accountability, and Support

13. Principle 2 Options
Option A: Sets AMOs to reduce by half the percentage of students in the “all students” group and in each subgroup who are not proficient with 3 years.
Option B: Sets AMOs for 100 percent of students achieving proficiency no later than the end of
Option C: Use another method that is educationally sound and results in ambitious but achievable AMOs for LEAs, schools, and subgroups.

14. Establish basic guidelines for teacher and principal evaluation
Develop with input from teachers and principals
Will be based on multiple measures, including student progress over time
Include multiple measures of professional practice
Provide clear feedback to teachers on how to improve instruction
Principle 3: Evaluating and Supporting Teacher and Principal Effectiveness

15. Priority Schools
Focus Schools
Reward Schools
Definitions

16. Priority Schools Lowest 5 percent of Title I Schools
Based on achievement of “all students” in proficiency on statewide assessments that are part of the differentiated recognition, accountability, and support system
Title I-participating or Title I-eligible high school with graduation rate less than 60 percent
Tier I or Tier II school under the School Improvement Grant (SIG)
Priority Schools

17. Title I School with largest within-school gaps between the highest-achieving subgroup(s) and the lowest-achieving subgroup(s); or at high school level, has the largest within-school gaps in graduation rates; or
A school that has a subgroup(s) with low achievement or, at the high school level, low graduation rates.
Must also identify a Title I high school with a graduation rate less than 60 percent over a number of years that is not a priority school
Focus Schools

18. Highest-performing school which is a Title I school with the highest absolute performance for “all students” group and for all subgroups
High-progress school which is a Title I school among the 10 percent of Title I schools in the State that are making the most progress in improving the performance of “all students” and, at the high school level, is also among the Title I schools in the State that are making the most progress in increasing graduation rates
Reward Schools

19. Consultation ESEA Flexibility
Communicate with and solicit input from diverse stakeholders and community in the development of the request.
Consultation

20. Questions
&
Discussion