 |
 |
 |
|
||||
|
Schools must participate in state assessments as outlined in the NCLB Act. Currently, states must annually assess student performance in reading/language arts and mathematics in grades 3-8 and at least once in grades 10-12. Science assessments are administered at least once in each of three grade spans: 3-5; 6-9; and 10-12. Since these accountability provisions require timely and accurate reporting of student performance data, states have been challenged to strengthen their data collection and reporting systems. Schools and districts in turn are developing ongoing systems for providing useful data that informs decisions about how to strengthen student achievement. Under NCLB's accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and ensure all students, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency. They must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress. Schools that do not make progress must provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance; take corrective actions; and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, make dramatic changes to the way the school is operating. Guidance, Regulations, Legislation, and Announcements Guidance Non-Regulatory Guidance, Alternate Achievement Standards for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Word) Provides states with detailed information about how best to use and implement alternate achievement standards. Non-Regulatory Guidance, Alternate Achievement Standards for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Word) Guidance addresses only the implementation of the December 9, 2003 regulation on alternate achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. It does not address the proposed “2 percent” policy or the issue of “modified” achievement standards. Non-Regulatory Guidance, Assessment and Accountability for Recently Arrived and Former Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students (Word) Non-Regulatory Guidance, Improving Data Quaility for Title I Standards, Assessments, and Accountability Reporting (Word) Guidance addresses only data quality issues associated with the annual Report Card required of all States, local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools receiving Title I, Part A funds under Sec. 1111(h) of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Non-Regulatory Guidance, Title I, Part A-Report Cards (Word) For specific information on assessement, refer to section B1. Peer Review Guidance for the NCLB Growth Model Pilot Applications (Word) Secretary of Education Key Policy Letter on Addressing Accountability Provisions to Displaced Students of Hurricane Katrina and Rita (September 2005) USDE: NCLB—A Road Map to State Implementation This U.S. Department of Education publication is a user-friendly guide to help navigate the road ahead in education reform. It describes ways the Department—together with parents, educators and state and local policymakers—is making NCLB work for students and educators. The law sets the same requirements for all states, while recognizing that the paths they take to get there will vary. The road map breaks down a 670-page law into clear principles for success, and it recaps and frames how states have adapted those principles to raise student achievement. For specific information on assessment and accountability, refer to pages 5-7. Regulations Final Regulation, Part 200—Title I—Improving The Academic Achievement Of The Disadvantaged For specific information on assessment, refer to pages 71716-71717. Legislation Final Legislation, Public Law print of PL 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; TITLE 1, SEC. 1116. ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT AND LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Announcements Asst. Secretary of Education’s Letter to Chief State School Officers Regarding Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in State Accountability Systems (March 2004) Additional Guidance Offered to States to Help Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (March 2004) Charting the Course: States Decide Major Provisions Under No Child Left Behind (January 2004) Secretary of Education Letter on Adequate Yearly Progress (July 2002) U.S. Department Of Education Releases More Workable, Common Sense Approach To Implement No Child Left Behind Law (April 2005) Secretary of Education Releases Growth Model Pilot, Addresses Chief State School Officers' Annual Policy Forum in Richmond (November 2005) Secretary of Education Announces Partnership with States to Improve Accountability for Limited English Proficient Students (July 2006) Related Resources from SchoolsMovingUp Useful Links Data Use Tools and Resources Shows educators—and others involved in using data in a classroom, school, or district—a variety of places to find resources, tools, and action steps to foster school improvement. Developed by North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, a project of the US Department of Education. Questions and Answers on No Child Left Behind — Accountability Provides answers to frequently asked questions about school report cards, adequate yearly progress, what parents can do to help their child's school succeed, and more. Developed by the US Department of Education. State Accountability Plans Provides links to every state's accountability plan under NCLB. Developed by the US Department of Education. Testing for Results Explains how improved testing and accountability can help improve student achievement. Developed by the US Department of Education. Tips to Go Audio Tip to Go—Everyone is Involved in Assessment As the year begins, everyone at San Diego’s Los Penasquitos Elementary School knows what’s expected of them, because the assessment plan is developed collaboratively by the school staff. Audio Tip to Go—Endorsing the Endorsement Document Los Penasquitos Elementary School, part of the Poway Unified School District in San Diego, is clear about one thing: everyone is held accountable for student learning — teachers, students, administrators, and parents. Monitoring the Needs of All Students At Reese Elementary, each teacher meets with an administrative team every trimester to discuss individual student data. These "Co-op Meetings" are tremendously effective in helping meet the needs of all students. Events Ideas in Action: Central Union High School January 16, 2008 Central Union High School serves a high minority, high poverty student population and has earned a “similar schools ranking” of 10 (on a 10-point scale) on the California Academic Performance Index (API) and recognition as a 2007 California Distinguished School. Central Union is beating the odds and demonstrating success with its students. In this interactive presentation, school and district leaders interested in learning about innovative uses of data to direct instruction and meet students’ needs will learn from principal Emma Jones. Jones will share how Central Union has improved instructional practice through a system and culture that incorporate routine formal and informal classroom observations, analysis of instructional techniques, and feedback on teacher practices. Topics will include Central Union’s focus on collaboration — both between the district and school and among school staff and administrators — to support instructional practices that boost student achievement. This webinar is presented by the American Institutes for Research and WestEd as partners in the California Comprehensive Center to highlight high-performing schools making a difference in student achievement. Ideas in Action: Baldwin Academy December 5, 2007 Baldwin Academy is an elementary school in La Puente, California with a high poverty, high minority student population that performs well above its peers and has maintained a “similar schools ranking” of 10 (on a 10-point scale) on the California Academic Performance Index (API) for over four years. Baldwin is beating the odds and demonstrating success with its students. How have they accomplished this? In this interactive presentation, California school and district leaders interested in honing their instructional programs will learn from principal Bonnie Wilson about successful strategies at Baldwin. Topics will include Baldwin’s staff focus on participating in shared decision-making and collaboration, providing professional learning opportunities, conducting ongoing analysis of data, and creating a culture of high expectations and extensive family involvement. This webinar is presented by the American Institutes for Research and WestEd as partners in the California Comprehensive Center to highlight high performing schools making a difference in student achievement. Using Formative Assessments to Improve the Achievement of All Students: Key Policy Questions and Practical Decisions (Parts I & II)  December 13, 2006 In this two-part interactive presentation, Robert Anderson, Senior Assessment Specialist at WestEd, will help participants gain a greater understanding of formative assessment, which is currently seen as a key component of district and school program improvement efforts, and as a powerful tool in the efforts to overcome achievement gaps and to ensure educational equity. Assessment and Accountability: Six Habits of a Highly Effective District September 21, 2005 This Online Event will highlight one school district's success in raising student achievement, along with some of the reasons for this improvement. The Vail School District (AZ) and its Mesquite Elementary moved rapidly and effectively to implement an accountability system and significant changes in classroom practice, with excellent results. With implementation support and professional development from WestEd's Local Accountability Professional Development Series (LAPDS), and using ATI's web-based benchmark assessment/data management system, teachers and administrators were able to quickly intervene with students who had missed the opportunity to learn with the help of instant turnaround on benchmark assessment and formative assessment data. Tools Data Collection Matrix This is a tool to help organize the needs assessment process. It also helps to identify sources of information, methods of collection and potential gaps. Author: Sylvie van Heusden Hale Publication Date: 2000 Publisher: WestEd Readings A Principal Looks Back: Standards Matter Author: Marshall, K. Publication Date: 2003 Publisher: Harvard Education Press Accountability in Action: A Blueprint for Learning Organizations, 2nd edition Author: Reeves, D.B. Publication Date: 2000 Publisher: Advanced Learning Press Balancing Local Assessment with Statewide Testing: Building a Program That Meets Student Needs Author: Stanley N. Rabinowitz and Sri Ananda Publication Date: 2001 Publisher: WestEd Bottom-Up Simple Approach to School Accountability and Improvement, The Author: Carr, J., Artman, E. Publication Date: 2002 Publisher: Christopher-Gordon Publishers Data Analysis for Comprehensive Schoolwide Improvement Author: Bernhardt, V. Publication Date: 2004 (2nd edition) Publisher: Eye on Education Focus on Accountability Publication Date: 2003 Publisher: WestEd Locally Tailored Accountability: Building on Your State System in the Era of NCLB Author: Crane, E.W., Rabinowitz, S., Zimmerman, J. Publication Date: 2004 Publisher: WestEd Making Assessment Work for Everyone: How To Build on Student Strengths Author: Kusimo, P., Ritter, M.G., Busick, K., Ferguson, C., Trumbull, E., Solano-Flores, G. Publication Date: 2000 Publisher: WestEd No Schools Left Behind Author: Bernhardt, V.L. Publication Date: 2003, February Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments Author: Francis, D., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., Rivera, H. Publication Date: 2006 Publisher: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement Author: Schmoker, M. Publication Date: 1999 Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Role of Interim Assessments in a Comprehensive Assessment System: A Policy Brief Author: Perie, M., Marion, S., Gong, B., Wurtzel, J. Publication Date: 2007, November Publisher: National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment Setting Our Sights: Measuring Equity in School Change Author: Johnson, R.S. Publication Date: 1996 Publisher: The Achievement Council Software Enabling School Improvement Through Analysis of Student Data Author: Jeffrey C. Wayman, Sam Stringfield, and Mary Yakimowski Publication Date: 2004, January Publisher: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (CRESPAR) Technical Adequacy of Assessments for Alternate Student Populations Author: Rabinowitz, S.N., Sato, E. Publication Date: 2005 Publisher: WestEd The 90/90/90 Schools: A Case Study Author: Reeves, D. B. Publication Date: 2000 Publisher: Advanced Learning Press Understanding Young Readers: The Role of Early Literacy Assessment Author: Rabinowitz, S.N., Wong, J., Filby, N. Publication Date: 2002 Publisher: WestEd Other Resources California State Board of Education Seminar on State Assessments and Accountability Systems (PDF) Author: Flores, G. Publication Date: 2004, May Publisher: California Department of Education Ed Trust - Questions to Ask About NCLB Reports Publication Date: 2004 Publisher: Ed Trust Measuring Teacher Success: Innovative Developments in Assessing Teacher Performance Author: Harvard University's Government Innovators Network; USDE's Office of Innovation and Improvement Publication Date: 2005, July
|
|
|
|
 |
||||
