The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information regarding the 2011-12 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability school status and the correction process for the 2011-12 data used in the status calculations. Some of the 2012 components that could possibly be changed include the following: percent tested, alternate portfolios included as proficient, students with enrollment but no matching test records, students with test records but no matching enrollment, and former Limited English Proficient (LEP) or students with disabilities (SWD) that schools want to include back in their exited subgroups for up to two calendar years. Only data for the 2011-12 school year can be changed. Graduation rates cannot be changed because they are generated from four years of district-certified data that has been archived in the Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN) database.
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) requested flexibility from some of the requirements in the ESEA relating to Adequate Yearly Progress. The United States Department of Education granted the flexibility request. The ADE is no longer required to label schools for the number of years they have not made Adequate Yearly Progress. One hundred percent proficiency in literacy and math by 2013-14 is no longer required. Test scores from 2010-11 were used to establish new Annual Measureable Objectives (AMOs) for each student subgroup in each school. The proficiency level for each student subgroup in 2010-11 was subtracted from 100 to find the proficiency gap. The proficiency gap should be reduced by 50 percent within six years. Over the six year period, subgroup AMOs will establish the yearly targets with equal increments leading to the 50 percent gap reduction in 2016-17. AMOs were established for growth and graduation rates (for high schools) as well as proficiency.
To ensure that more schools will be accountable for closing the gap between top performing students and historically underperforming student subgroups, a Targeted Achievement Gap Group (TAGG) was formed. The TAGG is made up of students who are economically disadvantaged and/or English learners and/or students with disabilities. Students who met more than one of the TAGG categories were only included once in the TAGG.
Each school is labeled “Achieving” or “Needs Improvement.” Achieving schools must meet the proficiency or growth AMOs for the All Students group and the TAGG in math and literacy. Achieving schools must test at least 95 percent of the All Students group and the TAGG. High schools must meet the graduation rate AMOs for the All Students group and the TAGG in addition to the proficiency or growth AMO requirements in math and literacy and percent tested requirements. ADE was approved to use an important safeguard that credits schools in the highest range of performance. Schools/Districts will be credited as Achieving when the All Students group and the TAGG meet or exceed 94 percent proficient or percent meeting growth, and graduation rates (for high schools) are 94 percent or higher. The 95 percent tested requirement must still be met for a school to be considered Achieving.
The ADE website for the approved Arkansas flexibility request is http://arkansased.org/programs/pdf/AR%20Final%206.18.12%20Revised%20.pdf.
A) Superintendents and local school board presidents will be notified by certified mail of ESEA Accountability “Needs Improvement” school(s) in the districts. Superintendents are asked to please make principals and other school administrators aware of the ADE notification of school status.
B) Schools should use the preliminary 2012 ESEA Accountability Status to develop ACSIP plans.
C) Confidential Preliminary 2012 ESEA Accountability reports are available in the 2012 Reports tab of the NORMES' ED.STATS Portal located at http://normes.uark.edu under Private Access. Principals and superintendents can access the private reports using the NORMES' username and password.
D) Confidential preliminary 2012 ESEA accountability student-level data for corrections/data discrepancies are available on the NORMES' ESEA Accountability Corrections link located at http://normes.uark.edu under Private Access. Principals and superintendents can access the corrections data discrepancy tables using the NORMES' username and password. To access the data, take the following steps:
· Go to http://normes.uark.edu.
· In the Private Access window, click on the ESEA Accountability Corrections link.
· Log in with ED.STATS username and password.
· The Home page presents the summary of ESEA Accountability student level data tables for your school or district. Review the table name and parenthetical information to determine which tables have student data for your review.
· Choose a table by clicking on the blue link of the table.
E) All data set corrections must be made electronically using the NORMES ESEA Accountability Corrections link. All data corrections must be supported by a superintendent's signature on the completed Superintendent Certification Form. If the correction is based on student data coded incorrectly in APSCN such as incorrect 10-digit identification or Social Security Number, incorrect Local Educational Agency Number, or incorrect course enrollment data, click the blue link of the NORMES student data table and click on a student record to select it for modification. Directions for accessing and correcting ESEA Accountability student data are located on http://normes.uark.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012_Appeals_Instructions.pdf
Only district logins will be able to access the 1 percent cap data tables.
All corrections including all required documentation must be received no later than 4:30 PM on the 30th calendar day from receipt of the superintendent/school board president notification, in accordance with Section 9.05 of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment & Accountability Program (ACTAAP) Rule.
F) Documents are sent to the ADE. Required documentation including Superintendent Certification and Correction Form(s) supporting a district’s corrections for school(s) in the district must be provided to the ADE either electronically or through the mail.
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION:
Superintendent Certification and Correction Form(s) e-mailed to louis.ferren@arkansas.gov. It is important that the subject line reads as follows:
ESEA Accountability, followed by district name, followed by district LEA
Example: ESEA Accountability, Great School District, 9901
OR
PAPER SUBMISSION:
Superintendent Certification and Correction Form(s) should be mailed to Louis Ferren, Arkansas Department of Education, Four Capitol Mall, Room 204-B, Little Rock, AR 72201
Please choose either e-mail or postal service for sending the required documents. Do NOT send some documents by e-mail and other documents by postal service.
The Superintendent Certification and Correction Form(s) for all schools in a district should be sent in the same e-mail or same mailing. Depending on district size, more than one e-mail may be necessary.
Required documents sent to the ADE:
1. Superintendent Certification
Complete Superintendent Certification. File one certification that lists all schools in the district that have corrections. Do not send a separate certification for each school.
2. Correction form(s)
Complete a separate form for each school needing corrections. A justification (see space on form) should be given, and supporting evidence must be provided where required. For example, the following requests for corrections require supporting evidence:
· Exit dates for Limited English Proficient (LEP) and students with disabilities (SWD) that you wish to include in their respective subgroups for up to two calendar years
· For No Match APSCN Reasons Not Tested codes 8, 9, 10, 14 and 19
· Requests for changes to demographics such as mobility, Free-Reduced Lunch Status, LEP, SWD, etc.