General Questions
Will AYP still be calculated and reported?
AYP will no longer be an accountability measure. Some components of AYP calculations, like participation rates and graduation rates, will still be reported publicly because they are included as a part of the state's accountability system.
Do AYP results have consequences for schools in the 2012-13 school year?
No. AYP was calculated for the last time in 2011, based on 2010-11 data. The waiver replaces AYP with the accountability outlined in the waiver, specifically performance on the state's school and district performance framework reports, the consequences associated with the state system and additional Title I choice and SES requirements.
How does the granting of a waiver change what schools and districts now do?
Rather than having to communicate and respond to results on both a federal and a state accountability system, schools and districts can now work within a single accountability system which sends a consistent set of signals. Accountability determinations under Title IA of NCLB through Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) will be replaced by the state accountability determinations, and certain sanctions under Title IA of NCLB will no longer need to be implemented. Schools and districts can instead focus on the results of the State Performance Framework reports and the improvement planning process that follows. This will allow for targeted attention on student growth, allowing educators to focus their attention on their efforts to move students towards college- and career-readiness. Removing AYP has the added benefit of reducing the amount of time and effort Colorado's school districts and CDE staff spend on AYP calculations and appeals at a time when resources are needed elsewhere.
What happens to schools or districts previously identified for Improvement under AYP?
With implementation of this waiver from provisions of NCLB, schools and districts will only be identified for accountability based on the state system as approved by the US Dept. of Education. Previous designations based on AYP results will no longer apply.
How were the new AMOs calculated?
The AMO targets are now based on the state’s school and district performance frameworks rather than AYP calculations. The AMOs for 2011-2012 are the current requirements for earning a meets rating on the academic achievement indicator of the 1-year school performance framework. The meets cut-point is set at the proficiency rate (percent of students proficient or above) of the 50th percentile of schools in 2010. These cut-points are set separately for reading, math, writing and science, and at the elementary, middle and high school level. The AMO goal is for all schools to earn an exceeds rating on the academic achievement indicator of the 1-year school performance framework by meeting the cut-point for exceeds. The exceeds cut-points are set at the proficiency rate (percent of students proficient or above) of the 90th percentile of schools in 2010. In order to reach this goal, interim targets have been set annually from 2011-12 until 2015-16, with equal incremental increases for each year.
The AMOs are based on the results of the 2009-2010 academic year, which was also the baseline year for the academic achievement cut scores on the state performance frameworks.
What accountability is associated with the new AMOs?
The AMOs are primarily aspirational targets now that AYP is no longer calculated. The only specific use is that they will be used to identify Title IA schools for support that may not already have SPF ratings of Priority Improvement or Turnaround. The AMOs for achievement could be described as ambitious yet attainable targets rather than minimum expectations. Unlike AYP, there are no specific consequences associated with meeting or not meeting the AMOs. The results will be reported, but districts and schools are accountable for the results on the district and school performance framework reports (an accreditation category or plan type of Performance, Improvement, Priority Improvement and Turnaround Plan), not just the AMOs.
How soon will the waiver be applied in Colorado's schools and districts?
Work on implementation planning will take place immediately. However, the noticeable impact will occur in August 2012 when AYP results are not calculated and consequences are no longer based on those results.
Because Colorado's waiver application was based largely on its existing system, the existing state accountability requirements as outlined in SB09-163 will remain in effect, with some small changes. Any changes in accountability determinations and sanctions will be in effect for the coming fall (the 2012-13 school year, based on the results of the 2011-12 assessments and the most recent postsecondary and workforce readiness measures).
Does the waiver impact any kind of funding for the state or districts? Or, is this simply relief from some federal requirements? Will it reduce paperwork, staff time or effort?
Approval of the waiver does not bring any additional funds, nor does it take any existing funds away. Some of the Title I funds allocated to districts may be used with greater flexibility as a result of the waiver. The waiver removes the duplicative reporting requirements, paperwork, and staff time associated with implementing two separate accountability systems.
Are schools that are currently in the Restructuring-Planning year of Title IA School Improvement required to restructure in 2012-13?
Title I schools and districts will only be held to state accountability requirements during academic year 2012-13. NCLB Improvement status will not be calculated; therefore schools that are currently planning for restructuring (in 2011-12) will not be identified as Restructuring- Implementation. However, since the restructuring plan should be based on the root causes of performance challenges in the school and is likely part of the school's UIP, the school should move ahead with restructuring plans.
If a Title I school was designated as Priority Improvement or Turnaround in 2011-2012 but moves to Improvement status in 2012-2013, must choice and SES still be offered?
Yes. The school must have two consecutive state performance framework results with plan types of Improvement or Performance before the choice and SES requirements no longer apply.
Can Title IA districts continue to set aside funds to support pre-school and family literacy?
Yes.
If a Title I school is identified as Priority Improvement or Turnaround, are there any additional requirements for these schools?
Yes. Title I schools identified for Priority Improvement or Turnaround in the 11-12 school year must offer choice and SES in the 12-13 school year.
How much of a district's Title IA funds will be required to be set-aside for public school choice and supplemental education services (SES)?
A district that has any Title I schools on Priority Improvement or Turnaround must set aside an amount equal to 15% of its Title IA allocation for SES and choice.
How will the SES per pupil allocation be determined?
The SES per pupil allocation will be determined as it has in previous years. That is, this amount is set by the USDE when it calculates Title IA allocations to districts.
If SES must be offered, can the district revert the SES set aside funds back to general Title IA once the demand has been met?
Districts will not be able to revert the funds back to general Title I funds during that current year. Once the demand for choice and SES has been met, the use of any remaining choice/SES setaside funds for the balance of the school year is restricted to the provision of additional expanded learning opportunities for students in the affected school(s). Any funds remaining at the end of the school year may be reverted to general Title I funds for the subsequent school year.
What schools must offer Title IA supplemental education services (SES) in 2012-13?
Any Title I school that was identified for Priority Improvement or Turnaround in the 2011-12 school year will be required to offer Supplemental Education Services (SES) in the 2012-13 school year.
If any of a district's Title I schools are first identified for Priority Improvement or Turnaround in FY 12-13, must SES and Choice be offered in that year?
If a district finds that it has Title I school(s) identified for Priority Improvement or Turnaround as a result of newly released SPfs in August of 2012, the schools will not be required to offer SES or Choice during the 2012-13 school year. The district will have the remainder of the identification year to develop plans to offer choice and SES in the subsequent 2013-14 school year.
Will there be additional guidance regarding the implementation of Title I choice and SES under the waiver?
Yes. CDE recognizes the complexity of these requirements and the need to roll out additional information quickly. The Department is currently soliciting input from district stakeholders regarding the new rules and will release more comprehensive guidance as soon as it is finalized.
What happens to the current Title IA School Improvement clock?
With the start of the 2012-13 school year, the current Title IA school improvement statuses disappear. The waiver replaced the Title IA system with the state system, specifically the requirement that no school or district may remain on Turnaround or Priority Improvement for more than 5 years.
How much of a district's Title IA funds will be required to be set aside for professional development?
If a district that accepts Title IA funds had a designation of Priority Improvement or Turnaround in the 2011-12 school year, then the district will be required to set aside 10% of its Title I allocation for professional development in the areas where it is not meeting state expectations. Additionally, a district with an Improvement plan designation or a district with Title I schools on Turnaround or Priority Improvement may, at its discretion, set aside 10% of its Title I allocation for professional development in the areas that it is not meeting expectations.
As a transition year, districts not identified as Turnaround or Priority Improvement in 2011-12, but that were identified for Title IA Program Improvement or Corrective Action during the 2011-12 school year may, at their discretion, continue to take this set-aside for the 2012-13 school year.
What happens to the unused program improvement, corrective action and professional development set-asides from the current 2011-12 school year year?
The funds revert to the general Title I fund for 2012-13
Are districts required to set aside funds for equitable services for eligible non public school students?
Yes.
Will districts that get $500,000 still be required to set aside 1% for parental activities?
Yes. Additionally, 95% of the 1% must go to Title IA schools.
Are the Title IA public school choice notification letters still required?
School districts that must offer choice and SES will be required to send written notification to parents of their availability. CDE is currently soliciting input from stakeholders regarding reasonable rules for this requirement.
What schools will need to offer Title IA public school choice in 2012-13?
Any Title I school that was identified for Priority Improvement or Turnaround in the 2011-12 school year will be required to offer public school choice in the 2012-13 school year.
What happens to students that choiced out under the old AYP system? Must they return to their home school?
Students that choiced out under the AYP system are entitled to stay in the choice school until the end of that school's grade span. However, the district is no longer obligated to pay for their transportation.