ESEA FLEXIBILITY: DEVELOPING THE SEA REQUEST

1. ESEA FLEXIBILITY: DEVELOPING THE SEA REQUEST September 28, 2011

2. RESOURCES To prepare a high-quality request, an SEA should refer to all of the provided resources: ESEA Flexibility ESEA Flexibility Request ESEA Flexibility Review Guidance ESEA Flexibility Frequently Asked Questions (forthcoming)

4. FLEXIBILITIES AND ASSURANCES An SEA’s request would include each of the ten waivers of ESEA provisions listed in the ESEA Flexibility Request As an SEA requests flexibility, it must also indicate that all assurances will be met

5. ESEA FLEXIBILITY PRINCIPLES 1. College- and Career-Ready Expectations for All Students 2. State-Developed Differentiated Recognition, Accountability, and Support 3. Supporting Effective Instruction and Leadership 4. Reducing Duplication and Unnecessary Burden

6. OVERALL REQUEST GOAL Provide a comprehensive and coherent approach for implementing the requirements in each of the principles, as well as across the principles, that is likely to increase the quality of instruction and improve student achievement

7. HIGH-QUALITY REQUEST • Comprehensive and coherent approach • Indicates how flexibility will help SEA and LEAs improve student achievement and quality of instruction for students • If an SEA has met a principle, provides description and evidence • If an SEA has not met a principle, provides a plan to do so

8. High-Quality Plan • Key milestones and activities • Detailed timeline • Party or parties responsible • Evidence • Resources • Significant obstacles

9. PRINCIPLE 1: COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS

10. PRINCIPLE 1: KEY REQUIREMENTS Adopt college- and career-ready (CCR) standards in at least reading/language arts and mathematics by the time the SEA submits its request Transition to and implement CCR standards no later than the 2013−2014 school year Develop and administer Statewide, aligned, high-quality assessments that measure student growth no later than the 2014−2015 school year

11. PRINCIPLE 1: GOAL Adopt, transition to, and implement CCR standards, and develop and administer annual, statewide, aligned high-quality assessments that measure student growth.The plan to accomplish this goal must be comprehensive, coherent and likely to improve student achievement and the quality of instruction for students

12. PRINCIPLE 1: KEY DEFINITIONS College- and Career-Ready Standards Standards that are Common to a Significant Number of States State Network of Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) High-Quality Assessment

13. 1.A. ADOPT COLLEGE-AND CAREER-READY STANDARDS Select one of two options: OPTION A: The State has adopted CCR standards that are common to a significant number of States Attach evidence that the State has adopted the standards consistent with the State’s standards adoption process

14. 1.A. ADOPT COLLEGE-AND CAREER-READY STANDARDS OPTION B: The State has adopted CCR standards that have been approved and certified by a State network of IHEs • Attach evidence that the State has adopted the standards consistent with the State’s standards adoption process • Attach an MOU or letter from the State network of IHEs

15. 1.B. TRANSITION TO COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY STANDARDS • Develop a plan to transition to and implement no later than the 2013–2014 school year CCR standards statewide in at least reading/language arts and mathematics for all students and schools • Explain how the transition plan is likely to lead to all students, including English Learners, students with disabilities, and low-achieving students, gaining learning content aligned with such standards

16. 1.B. TRANSITION TO COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY STANDARDS Transition plan guidance: See the ESEA Flexibility Review Guidance for a list of questions to consider when developing transition plan An SEA is encouraged to include in its plan activities related to each question in the peer review guidance, or to explain why the activities are not necessary to its plan

17. 1.C. DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER HIGH- QUALITY ASSESSMENTS THAT MEASURE STUDENT GROWTH Select one of three options: OPTION A: SEA is a participant in a Race to the Top Assessment (RTTA) consortia • Attach the State’s MOU under that competition

18. 1.C. DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER HIGH- QUALITY ASSESSMENTS THAT MEASURE STUDENT GROWTH OPTION B: If the SEA has not yet developed high-quality assessments and is not an RTTA consortia member, provide a plan describing activities that are likely to lead to the development and administration of such assessments by the 2014−2015 school year Provide the SEA’s plan

19. 1.C. DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER HIGH QUALITY ASSESSMENTS THAT MEASURE STUDENT GROWTH OPTION C: The SEA has developed and begun administering high-quality assessments Submit evidence that the SEA has submitted assessments and academic achievement standards to the Department for peer review or a timeline showing when the SEA will submit assessments

20. PRINCIPLE 1: SEA ASSURANCES • Adopt corresponding ELP standards no later than the 2013−2014 school year • Develop and administer ELP assessments aligned with ELP standards • Develop and administer alternate assessments for specific students with disabilities no later than 2014−2015 school year • Report annually to the public on college-going and college credit-accumulation rates for all students and subgroups in each LEA and each public high school no later than the 2014−2015 school year

21. PRINCIPLE 2: STATE-DEVELOPED DIFFERENTIATED RECOGNITION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SUPPORT

22. PRINCIPLE 2: KEY REQUIREMENTS • Develop a differentiated recognition, accountability, and support system • Set ambitious but achievable AMOs • Reward schools: Provide incentives and recognition for high-progress and highest-performing Title I schools • Priority schools: Identify lowest-performing schools and implement interventions aligned with turnaroundprinciples • Focus schools: Close achievement gaps by identifying and implementing interventions in Title I schools with the greatest achievement gaps, low-performing subgroups, or low graduation rates • Provide incentives and supports for other Title I schools

23. PRINCIPLE 2: GOALS • Develop and implement a system of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support that is likely to improve student achievement, close achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction for students • Combine the required components to create a coherent and comprehensive system that supports continuous improvement

24. PRINCIPLE 2: KEY DEFINITIONS • Reward Schools • Priority Schools • Focus Schools • Turnaround Principles

25. 2.A. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A STATE-BASED SYSTEM OF DIFFERENTIATED RECOGNITION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SUPPORT • Describe differentiated recognition, accountability, and support system • Plan for implementation no later than 2012–2013 SY • Explain how this system is designed to improve student achievement and school performance, close achievement gaps, and increase the quality of instruction for students

26. 2.A. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A STATE-BASED SYSTEM OF DIFFERENTIATED RECOGNITION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SUPPORT • An SEA can incorporate multiple measures of school performance into its differentiated accountability system • An SEA will identify priority, focus, and reward schools based on student achievement on State assessments and graduation rates, but may use additional measures to identify the needs of other schools • An SEA might revise an existing State accountability system so the State is implementing a single system, so long as the new system meets the principles

27. 2.A. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A STATE-BASED SYSTEM OF DIFFERENTIATED RECOGNITION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SUPPORT OPTION A: The SEA only includes achievement on reading/language arts and mathematics assessments OPTION B: The SEA includes achievement on additional assessments. Provide the percentage of students performing at the proficient level Explain how the included assessments will be weighted

28. 2.B. SET AMBITIOUS BUT ACHIEVABLE ANNUAL MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES Set new AMOs using one of three options: OPTION A: Set AMOs in annual equal increments toward a goal of reducing by half the percentage of students in the “all students” group and in each subgroup who are not proficient within six years. Use current proficiency rates as the starting point.

29. 2.B. SET AMBITIOUS BUT ACHIEVABLE ANNUAL MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES OPTION B: Set AMOs that increase in annual equal increments toward a goal of 100 percent proficiency no later than the end of the 20192020 school year. Use average statewide proficiency as the starting point.

30. 2.B. SET AMBITIOUS BUT ACHIEVABLE ANNUAL MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES OPTION C: Describe another method that is educationally sound and results in ambitious but achievable AMOs for all LEAs, schools, and subgroups Provide an educationally sound rationale Provide current average statewide proficiency Require LEAs, schools, and subgroups that are further behind to make greater rates of progress Review Guidance: Are AMOs similarly ambitious to Options A and B?

31. 2.C. REWARD SCHOOLS Describe methodology to identify highest-performing schools and high-progress schools and provide a list of the reward schools Describe how SEA will publicly recognize and, if possible, reward highest-performing and high-progress schools. Review Guidance Reasonable explanation of why proposed recognition and rewards are likely to be considered meaningful by schools

32. Table 2: Reward, Priority, and Focus Schools

33. REWARDSCHOOL DEFINITION Highest-performing school Title I school among the schools with highest absolute performance for the “all students” group and for all subgroups At the high school level, is also among the Title I schools with the highest graduation rates Must be making AYP for the “all students” group and all of its subgroups and not have significant achievement gaps High-progress school Title I school among the ten percent of schools making the most progress 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 Cannot have significant achievement gaps

34. 2.D. PRIORITY SCHOOLS • Describe methodology for identifying a number of lowest-performing schools equal to at least 5% of State’s Title I schools as priority schools and provide a list of the priority schools • Priority School Definition: A school that has been identified as among the lowest-performing schools in the State. • A school among the lowest 5% of Title I schools in the State based on the achievement of the “all students” group on the statewide assessments and has demonstrated a lack of progress; • A Title I-participating or Title I-eligible high school with a graduation rate less than 60%; or • A Tier I or Tier II school under SIG that is using SIG funds to implement a school intervention model

35. 2.D. PRIORITY SCHOOLS Describe meaningful interventions aligned with turnaround principles Meaningful interventions designed to improve the academic achievement of students in priority schools must be aligned with all of the “turnaround principles”

36. Turnaround Principles Definition : Provide strong leadership Ensure that teachers are effective and able to improve instruction Redesign the school day, week, or year Strengthen the school’s instructional program Use data to inform instruction Establish a school environment that improves safety and discipline and address other non-academic factors Engage families and community Note: A priority school that implements one of the four SIG models satisfies the turnaround principles.

37. 2.D. PRIORITY SCHOOLS Provide timeline to ensure LEAs implement interventions in priority schools no later than 2014−2015 school year Provide criteria to determine when a school making significant progress in improving student achievement exits priority status

38. 2.E. FOCUS SCHOOLS • Describe methodology for identifying a number of low-performing schools equal to at least 10% of State’s Title I schools as focus schools and provide a list of the focus schools Focus School Definition: A school that is contributing to the achievement gap in the State or has low graduation rates. The total number of focus schools in a State must equal at least 10 % of the State’s Title I schools.

39. 2.E. FOCUS SCHOOLS • Describe the process and timeline to ensure LEAs identify specific needs of focus schools and their students, examples of interventions and justifications for interventions • Provide criteria to determine when a school making significant progress in improving student achievement exits focus status

40. 2.F. PROVIDE INCENTIVES AND SUPPORTS FOR OTHER TITLE I SCHOOLS • Describe how the system will provide incentives and supports to ensure continuous improvements in other Title I schools • Describe how the incentives and supports are likely to improve student achievement and schools performance, close achievement gaps, and increase the quality of instruction for students.

41. 2.G. BUILD SEA, LEA, AND SCHOOL CAPACITY TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING Describe SEA’s process for building capacity through: • Timely and comprehensive monitoring of, and technical assistance for, LEA implementation of interventions in priority and focus schools • Holding LEAs accountable for improving school and student performance, particularly for priority and focus schools • Ensuring sufficient support for implementation of interventions in priority, focus, and other Title I schools

42. PRINCIPLE 2: SEA ASSURANCES • Documentation available on additional assessments of student achievement, if applicable • Report to the public its lists of reward, priority, and focus schools

43. PRINCIPLE 3: SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION AND LEADERSHIP

44. PRINCIPLE 3: KEY REQUIREMENTS • Develop and adopt SEA guidelines for local teacher and principal evaluation and support systems • Ensure LEAs implement teacher and principal evaluation and support systems that are consistent with SEA guidelines

45. PRINCIPLE 3: GOAL SEA’s and LEAs’ develop and implement teacher and principal evaluation and support systems that are likely to improve student achievement and the quality of instruction for students

46. SEA GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS Will be used for continual improvement of instruction Meaningfully differentiate performance using at least three performance levels Use multiple valid measures in determining performance levels, including as a significant factor student growth for all students, and other measures of professional practice Evaluate teachers and principals on a regular basis Provide clear, timely, and useful feedback to guide professional development Will be used to inform personnel decisions

47. 3.A. DEVELOP AND ADOPT GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS Select one of three options: OPTION A: The SEA has not already developed guidelines consistent with Principle 3 • Provide a plan to develop and adopt guidelines for local teacher and principal evaluation and support systems by the end of the 2011–2012 school year • Describe process to involve teachers and principles • Assure that the SEA will submit adopted guidelines

48. 3.A. DEVELOP AND ADOPT GUIDELINES OPTION B: The SEA has already developed and adopted one or more, but not all, guidelines Provide the guidelines the SEA has adopted, evidence of adoption, and an explanation of how these guidelines are likely to lead to the development of evaluation and support systems that improve student achievement and the quality of instruction Provide a plan to develop and adopt the remaining guidelines by the end of the 2011–2012 school year

49. 3.A. DEVELOP AND ADOPT GUIDELINES OPTION C: The SEA has developed and adopted all of the guidelines Provide the guidelines the SEA has adopted, evidence of adoption, and an explanation of how these guidelines are likely to lead to the development of evaluation and support systems that improve student achievement and the quality of instruction Describe process to involve teachers and principals

50. 3.B. ENSURE LEAs IMPLEMENT TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL EVALUATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS • Provide SEA’s process to ensure each LEA develops, adopts, pilots, and implements systems consistent with SEA guidelines, with involvement of teachers and principals • Include mechanisms to review, revise, and improve the systems