Tricky Balance in Shifting From ESSA Blueprint to K-12 Reality

Tricky Balance in Shifting From ESSA Blueprint to K-12 Reality

By 
(Originally published December 30, 2016)

One year ago, President Barack Obama and longtime education leaders in Congress burst through years of deadlock to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act, the first update to the nation’s main K-12 law in over a decade.

Now the law remains a work in progress, as states, districts, and a shifting cast of federal officials work furiously to prepare for its full rollout this fall.

ESSA’s architects said the law struck a careful compromise. On the one side, it moved away from what they saw as the worst aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act—the previous version of the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act—including what many deemed an overemphasis on standardized tests and a too-heavy federal footprint. At the same time, it kept key safeguards for historically overlooked groups of students…

Read the full article here. May require an Education Week subscription.

Scrambling to Fill Out ESSA’s Policy Details

Scrambling to Fill Out ESSA’s Policy Details

(Originally published December 30, 2016)

With just months to go until the nation’s overhauled K-12 law goes into effect, state policymakers are still scrambling to firm up the infrastructure for their education systems, under the new blueprint laid out in the Every Student Succeeds Act.

They’re doing it at a time of political change and policy uncertainty at the national level, with a new team taking the field at the White House—and at the U.S. Department of Education—that may have its own ideas about how details of the new law play out on the ground.

There’s plenty about ESSA that remains familiar from the No Child Left Behind Act, the previous version of the half-century-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act. That includes mandatory state testing at certain grade levels, tagging and intervening in low-performing schools, and federal sign-off on state accountability plans…

Read the full article here. May require an Education Week subscription.

Education Secretary John King Focuses on Education, Leadership, and Equity in Final Policy Speech

Education Secretary John King Focuses on Education, Leadership, and Equity in Final Policy Speech

In his last major policy speech, U.S. Secretary of Education John King delivered what could be seen as a motivational speech for education advocates preparing for President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to expand school choice options for students through a $20 billion voucher program that would allow federal funds to follow students to private schools.

“For all who believe that strong, equitable public education is central to a healthy democracy and a thriving economy, now is the moment for us to set aside the policy differences that we have let divide us, and move forward together courageously to defend and extend this fundamental American institution,” King said on December 14.

King discussed progress over the last eight years, including a high school graduation rate at an all-time high of 83 percent, closing achievement gaps, and the largest and most diverse college graduation class in history. Still, he acknowledged that too many students fail to graduate from high school and those who do are frequently unprepared for the rigors of college.

“Ensuring more Americans get the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in our country matters more than ever,” King said. “It is not enough for those already prosperous to prosper. Unless we are ensuring that all Americans can meaningfully participate in our nation’s growth, our nation will not succeed. The simple fact, confirmed by the research, is that reducing income inequality positively influences economic output. When everyone has a fair chance, whole societies are healthier, better off and more productive.”

King said the Every Student Succeeds Act “rightly empowers state and district leaders to develop strategies that address their unique challenges and needs,” but he cautioned them to maintain “guardrails” for protecting students.

He spoke strongly in support of college- and career-ready standards and urged states to “fight the inevitable efforts” to water down high expectations. King stressed the need for accountability—saying, “Without accountability, standards are meaningless and equity is a charade”—and urged states to develop accountability systems that are “rich and varied” and include “measures such as chronic absenteeism, access to and success in advanced courses, or new approaches to discipline that help students improve their behavior and their academic achievement.”

Looking ahead, King discussed “growing bipartisan consensus” around increased access to preschool and free community college and other options to make high education available to more students without a mountain of debt.

King spoke passionately about equity and funding disparities that exist across the country. “Money is never the only answer, but money does matter,” King said. “It pays for higher salaries and for school counselors. Money builds science labs and repairs leaky roofs. Yet, in districts all across the country, students who need the most still get the least.”

He also encouraged schools to embrace diversity and inclusion and reject segregation. “Diverse schools are great preparation for all students,” King said. “They help more children succeed, help broaden students’ perspectives, and help prepare them to participate in a global workforce. And I am convinced that the growing conflicts in this country over race and religion and language would be profoundly reduced if our children were able to learn and play alongside classmates who were different from themselves and if they regularly encountered teachers and leaders of color in their schools.”

How many of the Obama administration’s education policies will continue into a Trump administration is an open question, but, with his passionate defense of equity and public education, King is betting that his words will remain with people even if some of his policies do not.

A transcript of King’s speech is available at
http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/education-leadership-and-equity-look-forward.

Jason Amos is vice president of communications at the Alliance for Excellent Education.

VIDEO: Take Charge on ESSA!

VIDEO: Take Charge on ESSA!

(National Education AssociationPublished on Jul 28, 2016) — For 14 long years, students and educators have lived under the deeply flawed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) returns decision making for our nation’s education back where it belongs – in the hands of local educators, parents, and communities – but only if we all work together to make sure this new law becomes the game changer it promised to be.

VIDEO: New education law shifts federal influence over public schools

VIDEO: New education law shifts federal influence over public schools

(PBS NewsHour DECEMBER 10, 2015) — After years of debate, President Obama and Congress have finally agreed on a new education law. The Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor of No Child Left Behind, still requires annual testing of some students, but it does not give the federal government the power to impose penalties on underperforming schools. Alyson Klein of Education Week joins Judy Woodruff for a closer look.

VIDEO: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and English Language Learners (ELLs)

VIDEO: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and English Language Learners (ELLs)

(Originally published on Jul 8, 2016) — NCLB is being replaced by ESSA as the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Dr. Wayne E. Wright, Purdue University professor and author of Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners (2015, Caslon Publishing), addresses how this the new federal education policy is different, and discusses the implications for English Language Learners.

Alaska’s Current Reality and ESSA Provisions (Handout)

Alaska’s Current Reality and ESSA Provisions (Handout)

Standards Assessments Alaska Current Reality Handout

Standards Assessments Alaska Current Reality Handout

Download the PDF

STANDARDS

Adopt challenging academic content standards for all students

ESSA Provisions

Adopt challenging academic content standards for all students

  • Mathematics, language arts, science
  • Aligned to entrance requirements for credit-bearing coursework in the state higher education • Aligned with relevant state career and technical education standards
  • States may choose to adopt additional standards for any content area

Not less than 3 levels of achievement

May adopt alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant disabilities Aligned with ELA, math, science academic content standards

Adopt English language proficiency standards

  • Derived from 4 domains of speaking, listening, reading, writing
  • Proficiency levels of English learners making progress in learning English
  • Aligned with state academic standards

Current Reality in Alaska

Adopted ELA and math standards in 2012

  • ELA = reading, writing, listening, speaking
  • Math = content and practices
  • ELA, math standards developed with Alaskan educators and stakeholder feedback; more challenging; comparable to other states’ standards • cultural standards

Science grade level expectations adopted in 2006.

  • Science standards have not been reviewed to determine alignment to credit-bearing higher education courses.

Adopted standards in other content areas, including cultural standards.
The state does not currently have CTE standards, but is in process of developing them.

The current ELA and math achievement standards include 4 levels (1 – 4, levels 3 and 4 are meeting standards) The current science achievement standards include 4 levels (advanced, proficient, below proficient, far below proficient)

Alaska has adopted the Essential Elements, which are alternate achievement levels linked to the Learning Map and to our AK standards in ELA, Math and to alternate grade level expectations in science for students with significant cognitive disabilities

Alaska has adopted the WIDA English language proficiency standards.


ASSESSMENTS

Implement a set of high quality student academic assessments for all students, all public schools

ESSA Provisions

Implement a set of high quality student academic assessments for all students, all public schools

  • Mathematics, language arts, science
    • aligned with the challenging State academic standards,
    • measure student attainment of such standards in at least three achievement levels
    • whether the student is performing at the student’s grade level
    • be used for purposes for which such assessments are valid and reliable, consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical testing standards, objectively measure academic achievement, knowledge, and skills
    • do not evaluate or assess personal or family beliefs and attitudes, or publicly disclose personally identifiable information
    • be of adequate technical quality
  • May assess other subjects

Math, language arts

  • In each grade 3–8
  • once in grades 9 – 12

Science

  • once in grades 3-5
  • once in grades 6-9
  • once in grades 10-12

Current Reality in Alaska

Current assessment, Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP), is aligned to the ELA and Math standards.

  • Not yet peer reviewed for technical quality (technical report available this month and technical advisory committee (TAC) will be reviewing)
  • All items reviewed by EED, educators for bias and sensitivity
  • ELA and math assessment does not yet measure the full depth and breadth of the standards
    • Listening is field-tested this year
    • Performance tasks were planned for 2017 to assess writing and math problem solving/practices
  • AMP assessments is administered to grades 3-10.

The Alaska Science Assessment is aligned to the science GLEs.

  • Peer reviewed for technical quality.
  • All items reviewed by EED, educators for bias and sensitivity
  • Alaska science assessment is administered to grades 4, 8, 10

ASSESSMENTS

Design: growth, assessing high-order thinking skills, summative or interim, computer adaptive

ESSA Provisions

Involve multiple up-to-date measures of student academic achievement, including measures that assess higher-order thinking skills and understanding,

  • may be partially delivered in the form of portfolios, projects, or extended performance tasks

May include measures of student academic growth

At the state’s discretion administered through

    • a single summative assessment <br/ >OR
    • multiple statewide interim assessments during the course of the academic year that result in a single summative score that provides valid, reliable, and transparent information on student achievement or growth

May develop and administer computer adaptive assessments

  • Measure student’s academic proficiency on grade level standards
  • Growth toward standards
  • May use items above or below student’s grade level

Current Reality in Alaska

Measuring higher order thinking

    • AMP ELA and math assessment item specifications includes depth of knowledge (DOK) measures of 1-4
    • ELA and math assessment plan was to include performance tasks (field test planned for 2016 postponed).
    • Science assessment does not include high order thinking measures

Growth

  • Growth can be measured on AMP ELA and math assessments, but decisions not yet made on how to measure student growth
  • a value table was used on previous assessment (SBA)
  • growth was not measured on science assessment

Adaptivity

  • ELA/Math was planned to go adaptive in the spring 2017 administration.
    • Alaska currently administered a summative assessment in a stage format. Stages can be taken all at once or spaced out over any number of days.
    • AMP had a stage adaptive design (as opposed to an item adaptive design)
    • Adaptive assessments allow for greater score precision, especially for students who score at either end of the scale
    • Adaptive assessments require a more robust item bank
    • Items require a process to write, review, and field test
    • AMP was designed to adjust item difficulty, but not go below grade level (high achieving students would see some items from one grade level above)
  • AK Science test was not adaptive.

ASSESSMENTS

Nationally-recognized high school academic assessment option

ESSA Provisions

States may approve nationally recognized high school academic assessments for districts to choose to administer in lieu of the state high school assessment for math, language arts, and science.

  • Aligned to state standards
  • Equally or more rigorous
  • Provides data that differentiates between schools

Current Reality in Alaska

Alaska has given a college & career ready assessment (CCRA) for two years (2015, 2016), as required by statute. It required students to take the SAT, ACT, or WorkKeys assessment as a graduation requirement.

Previously AK required students to take WorkKeys in their grade 11 year.
This statute has been repealed.

Not all schools/communities in AK are able to administer the ACT or SAT test during the school day without a state contract due to the requirements of the vendor.


ASSESSMENTS

Participation; assessment time limits

ESSA Provisions

Allowed: state or local laws that allow parents to decide about their child’s participation in academic assessments.
States may set a target limit on the amount of time devoted to the administration of state required assessments for each grade (percentage of instructional hours)

Current Reality in Alaska

Alaska does not currently have state laws that address parents’ rights about having their child tested. Some districts have local procedures to document parent and student refusal.

2015 was the first year there was a significant issue in AK with participation. The issue was concentrated primarily in correspondence schools and few communities.
Alaska does not currently have a limit on state required testing.


ASSESSMENTS

Accommodations, reports, language assessments

ESSA Provisions

Accommodations required for

  • students with disabilities
  • English learners

Reports

Produce individual student reports of achievement on math, language arts, science assessments

  • interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic
  • allow parents, teachers, principals, and other school leaders to understand and address the specific academic needs of students
  • in an understandable and uniform format
  • to the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENTS.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each State plan shall identify the languages other than English that are present to a significant extent in the participating student population of the State and indicate the languages for which annual student academic assessments are not available and are needed. ‘‘(ii) SECRETARIAL ASSISTANCE.—The State shall make every effort to develop such assessments and may request assistance from the Secretary if linguistically accessible academic assessment measures are needed. (English learners required to take the tests in English after 3 years in US schools, with the possible exception up to 5 years on a case-by-case basis. English learners entering school in Kindergarten would be required to test in English in grade 3.)

Current Reality in Alaska

Accommodations

  • Our current computer based ELA, math and science assessments offer both universal tools for all students as well as innovative accommodation tools for students with disabilities, ELs, etc.

Reports

  • ELA and Math reports for AMP 2015 were not well-received by educators or the public. Criticisms:
  • Too much text
  • Reading level too high
  • Confusing graphs (subscores)
  • Not enough detailed information
  • Not enough information to know what to do next for student
  • Student scores were based on 55 items. This makes reporting out on specific skills difficult to do reliably.
  • Reports were available only in English.

Language

Currently assessments are administered in English only.