ESEA FLEXIBILITY INFORMATION FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT PATRICIA I. WRIGHT
August 3, 2012
Access to Preliminary Federal Accountability Results Based on Revised Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)
Effective today, school division personnel may access division- and school-level federal accountability results for the 2012-2013 school year, based on assessment results from the 2011-2012 school year, via the Federal Annual Measurable Objectives Reports application through the VDOE Single Sign-On for Web Systems (SSWS) portal. The AMO reports application reflects the provisions of Virginia’s approved accountability plan under U.S. Department of Education flexibility from certain requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and replaces the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Reports. A summary of the accountability plan is available: Accountability 2012-2013 (PDF).
AMO Reports
The AMO reports will display participation rates and performance results on reading and mathematics assessments for each of the following subgroups:
- All students
- Gap Group 1 – students with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students (unduplicated count)
- Gap Group 2 – Black students, not of Hispanic origin, including students with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students
- Gap Group 3 – Hispanic students, of one or more races, including students with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students
- Asian students
- Economically disadvantaged students
- Limited English proficient students
- Students with disabilities
- White students
For high schools with a graduating class, the AMO reports will also display the four-, five-, and six-year federal graduation indicator (FGI) rates for each of the subgroups above. Reading and mathematics AMOs and the methodology used to establish revised AMOs were released in the attached Superintendent’s communication sent July 24, 2012, entitled Revised Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) Under the Provisions of Virginia’s Approved Application for U.S. Department of Education Flexibility from Certain Requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
The AMO reports include the preliminary identification of priority and focus schools, as well as other schools with one or more subgroup(s) not meeting the federal AMOs which need to create and implement an improvement plan. Please note that the AMO target may be met based on the current year's performance, the three-year average, or by reducing the failure by 10 percent as compared to the previous year's pass rate.
Appeals of Federal Accountability Results
Schools and school divisions may appeal their results through the appeals processes outlined in Superintendent’s Memo #177-12, dated July 20, 2012. The Virginia Department of Education must receive school and division appeals within one month of the school division receiving notice of the results, but no later than Tuesday, September 4, 2012.
Final Determination of School Status
Under the provisions of ESEA flexibility, Virginia must identify five percent (36) of the state’s Title I schools as priority schools based on the reading and mathematics performance and graduation rates of all students, and 10 percent (72) of the state’s Title I schools based on the reading and mathematics performance of proficiency gap groups as focus schools. A summary of the criteria and methodologies used to identify priority and focus schools is found in Attachment C (PDF), and additional details may be found in Sections 2.D and 2.E of Virginia’s approved ESEA flexibility application (PDF).
The appeals process may result in some schools no longer being identified as priority or focus schools. As well, priority and focus schools were determined based on those schools identified as Title I schools in the 2011-2012 school year. Schools newly identified as Title I schools for 2012-2013 are subject to identification as priority or focus schools based on the same criteria and methodologies used to identify existing Title I schools. Based on changes resulting from the appeals process and the identification of new Title I schools for the 2012-2013 school year, it may be necessary to revise the identification of certain schools from “Improvement Plan Needed” to priority or focus status.
Contact Information
School divisions may submit questions about federal accountability results or related issues to the following Department contacts:
- General questions about ESEA flexibility: ESEA@doe.virginia.gov
- Requests for TBD status and appeals of federal accountability results: Marsha Granderson, grants and reports manager, Office of Program Administration and Accountability, at AMOTBD@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 786-1993
- Student assessment records and record changes: Office of Test Administration, Scoring and Reporting at student_assessment@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 225-2102
- AMO calculations: Office of Information Management at resultshelp@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 225-2099
- Priority, focus or improvement plan status: Dr. Kathleen Smith, director, Office of School Improvement, at Kathleen.Smith@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 786-5819
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