There is a first time for everything. We have seen that
this year, in terms of the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement for student
subgroups under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and understanding NCLB
overall.
Because this is the first year, it is our benchmark or
baseline if you will. It is our starting point, our launching pad from which we
need to reach greater goals by 2014.
And, as you are likely now aware, this week we announced
that we had identified hundreds of schools which met all federal and state
Adequate Yearly Progress criteria, with the exception of test participation
rates for student subgroups. The result: “not making
AYP.”
It was a reality that created an unstable launching
pad.
So we announced that we will rectify this, because if we
want to reach these goals, we need to be given an honest
chance.
Letters will be sent out to each of the identified
schools on Monday informing them of the steps that they need to take to rectify
their AYP status. Our effort to contact these schools is simultaneous with our
informing the media, so your communities are not misinformed of your school’s
status. Some media organizations have already decided not to publish or post
online AYP data for subgroups. The memos are posted on the ISBE web home page,
www.isbe.net
On an additional note, as I wrote to you each last week,
our staff and board are drafting our recommended FY 05 education budget. And, we
have been discussing how the current budget has forced many of you to do more
with less. We fully realize that this attitude of funding education is hurting
not helping our districts. Again I ask each of you to ponder the thought: Given
the opportunity to make priorities in what the legislature funds, what would you
fund first and last, so the needs of all
Lastly, I want to share with you our intent to soon
release the Condition of Public Education Report for 2003. This report will be
used to inform your local policymakers of the need to properly fund education,
particularly when all schools face additional pressures to meet AYP under NCLB.
We will be issuing a series of articles on several issues included in the
report, and ask each of you for your editorial support. Please illustrate to
your local constituents through a letter to the editor the impact of inadequate
funding on your school district and what is needed to alleviate some of these
pressures.
I appreciate your support and welcome your
insight.
Robert Schiller
State Superintendent
of Education
Also in this week’s
message:
Alternate
Assessment Work Group
ISBE convened an Illinois Alternate Assessment Work
Group on December 8 and 9th to resume statewide discussions on the
IAA. The Work Group will review and
implement recommendations of the Assessment and Accountability Task Force,
determine how best to assess students with disabilities given new federal
regulations and will assist the state in determining parameters for subsequent
requests for proposals for an alternate assessment. The group is expected to meet monthly
over the next year.
Lynne Curry, Director of Policy and Planning and
Christopher Koch, Director of Special Education are co-chairing the committee
with Sue Ireland of the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education
serving as facilitator.
The first meeting included a presentation from Rachel
Quenemoen of the
Most states are reviewing alternate assessment
instruments and practice as a result of this new guidance from the U.S.
Department of Education. NCEO
outlined best practice among states for development and maintenance of alternate
assessments including:
1)
Careful stakeholder and policymaker development of
desired student outcomes for the populations, reflecting the best understanding
of research and practice.
2)
Careful development, testing, and refinement of
assessment methods.
3)
Scoring of evidence according to professionally accepted
standards.
4)
Standard-setting process to allow use of results in
reporting and accountability systems.
5)
Continuous improvement of assessment
process.
The work group recognized the importance of developing
clear alternate standards with access points for all students and a subcommittee
was established to review this in more detail.
Ms. Quenemoen’s presentation, a listing of participants,
minutes from the first meeting, and final regulations will be located on ISBE’s
website early next week at www.isbe.net/assessment/IAA.htm.
Irradiated
Ground Beef Available To Schools as United State Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Commodity
Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, schools
participating in the USDA Food Distribution Program will be able to order
irradiated ground beef, as a choice, in addition to non-irradiated ground
beef. While the product has
complete USDA approval, it remains somewhat controversial. Therefore, the
Illinois State Board of
Appeals
Advisory Committee Update
Considerable time and energy has been spent with
districts seeking to file an appeal with the Appeals Advisory Committee
regarding the recent school report cards. Over 50 appeals had been formally
filed, and many more inquired about the process. Following ISBE’s decision to
allow districts to verify test participation rate data, the number of appeals
(for other reasons) is much smaller.
Staff will be contacting all of the appealing districts regarding
status.
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