CDE Submits NCLB Waiver Application
State Chiefs Speak about NCLB Waiver Applications - Monday, November 14, 2011
(From left to right) Mitchell Chester, Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Robert Hammond, Colorado Commissioner of Education, John Barge, Georgia State School Superintendent and Mike Grego, Special Assistant to the Commissioner in Florida
As one of the nation’s leading states in developing an aggressive and meaningful accountability system, Colorado was featured at a recent national news conference regarding its application to waive portions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. Colorado is among the first states to submit a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education.
Colorado’s Education Commissioner Robert Hammond gave an overview of the state’s waiver proposal and the rationale behind the state’s accountability plan which has garnered national attention over the past year. Click here to view the webcast.
Currently, Colorado has two systems of accountability – state and federal. Colorado’s vision is to have a single, comprehensive accountability system that meets both state and federal requirements and drives the state toward the goal of all students being college- and career-ready by the time they graduate. Colorado’s strategy is to set rigorous standards that are taught by effective educators and measured with high-quality assessments.
Colorado’s next generation accountability system provides a more thorough, meaningful and accurate view of how our students, schools and districts are progressing against the measure of college- and career-readiness. It also takes a holistic approach to helping struggling schools by considering the fuller picture of a school’s performance in determining the most appropriate type of support. In short, the Colorado framework will give Colorado the information and tools needed to track progress and improve over time.
Assessment results and other key indicators allow the state to hold schools and districts accountable for performance and to differentiate Colorado schools and districts based on that performance. All levels of the system use our accountability determinations to drive improvement. The state uses the multiple measures of our performance frameworks alongside other key data to identify the schools and districts that need the most intensive support, as well as to determine the most appropriate and effective supports for them. Districts and schools engage in similar inquiry and improvement. Each develops and implements a unified improvement plan each year, reflecting on their progress against state expectations, identifying their greatest performance challenges, and then developing strategies to overcome the root causes of these challenges. Where improvements aren’t seen, there are consequences for low performance.
This cycle of continuous improvement toward the goal of college and career readiness for all students is what Colorado wants our schools and districts to focus on. A single, comprehensive system that builds on Colorado’s current education priorities within standards and assessments, accountability and support, and educator effectiveness would allow us to get the results wanted for all students.
The basic tenets of this accountability system form the foundation of Secretary Duncan and President Obama’s waiver package for which Colorado is applying. Over the last several months, education officials have carefully crafted the application building on the strong reforms that Colorado has put into place over the past several years and seeking input from parents, teachers, administrators and a variety of other stakeholders in the process. Colorado took the President and Secretary’s challenge of raising the bar and pushing innovation forward. Colorado’s education leaders believe they have done that and are excited to work with Secretary to make this waiver a reality for Colorado.
KEY DIFFERENCES IN COLORADO’S WAIVER COMPARED TO OTHER STATES
Colorado’s goal is to have a single, comprehensive accountability system. If granted the waivers included in the request, Colorado will have a single accountability system that is stronger and more credible than the current dual state and federal systems. Here are some key pieces of the Colorado waiver request.
- State established school and district performance frameworks to meet Title I adequate yearly progress requirements
- The integrated use of the much acclaimed Colorado Growth Model and the use of adequate growth/growth to standard within it and the integration of English language proficiency growth data into the model.
- State established educator evaluation rules to meet Title II highly qualified teacher requirements
- State established English language growth and proficiency measures to meet Title III annual measurable achievement objectives requirements
- State established school and district accreditation rules, performance categories, timelines, and consequences to meet Title I school and district improvement requirements
- A unified planning and performance management system as the driver of continuous improvement of school and district performance
- State school and district performance frameworks and performance categories to target Title I School Improvement and Title I Choice and SES set-aside funds
- A web-based portal - SchoolView.org - to meet both state and federal reporting requirements
- Target college and career readiness, not partial proficiency;
- Focus on student progress – catch up, keep up, and move up;
- Maintain choice options for parents of students in struggling schools;
- Focus resources on the lowest performing schools and districts in the state;
- Provide a more streamlined and simpler accountability system;
- Reduce administrative costs and burdens for schools, districts, and the State;
- Give parents and educators unprecedented access to information regarding school and district performance
Colorado NCLB Waiver Request (PDF)
For technical assistance, E-Mail: CDE_Communications_Office@cde.state.co.us