Goodbye NCLB, Hello ESSA!

1. Goodbye NCLB, Hello ESSA! OPI Title Team

2. Pre-session Activity • What do I know about the ESSA? • What do I want to know about the ESSA? • Table discussion • Note cards

3. Goals of Session • To learn how the OPI plans to update and build upon the existing work. • To learn about the accountability indicators in ESSA. • To learn about how and when the schools most in needwill be identified for school improvement. • To learn how the OPI plans to engage communities in ESSA development. • To learn about changes to Title programs. • To provide opportunity for future input: ESSAinput@mt.gov.

4. History of Title I • Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law in 1965. • ESEA has been reauthorized many times since then. • Most recently as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). • Before that, it was called Improving America’s Schools Act or IASA. • Focus has always been about bringing equity of opportunity to high poverty schools and the lowest performing students.

5. What we are leaving behind… • A strict accountability system. • Federally mandated school improvement processes. • SES/PSC/PD set asides. • No focus or ability to look at growth. • Unrealistic expectations for student achievement. • Requirements based upon a student number of 675.

6. Montana Consolidated State Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act • The purpose of the Montana ESSA Plan is to show how Montana is working to ensure federal standards are met on various federally-funded programs while allowing flexibility and ensuring community input. We want to use ESSA as a vehicle to accomplish our priorities, goals, and vision for education in Montana.

7. Montana Proud • College, Career, and Community Ready • Hope for Montana Students • Montana Math Achievement • More local control and flexibility. • Engaging communities, families and leaders for learning in putting Montana students first.

8. Update and Build Upon… • Honoring the work done previously. • OPI staff will be providing ESSA updates regularly throughout the state as well as seeking input. • The website will have regular updates. • ESSAinput@mt.gov is live. • Focus groups and work sessions will be conducted across the state for ESSA development and will include a wide variety of community partners.

9. What's New? • Montana will use the new template and submit our plan in September. • One of our first steps will be to revisit long term goal setting and extend the goals out further. • We will dive deeper into college and career readiness. • As of March 13, 2017, there are three new requirements that we need to address in the updated plan.

10. Evaluation of the Plan • In July 2017, we will have a draft ready for the public to review and will be asking for feedback and input. • In August 2017, we will submit the plan to the Governor for review. • The first week of September 2017, final changes will be made and the plan will then be submitted. • We have gotten feedback from multiple sources on technicalities that could be improved upon for the new plan, as well as areas on which they thought we could build. The Center for Assessment, Education Northwest, and CCSSO all had similar comments for us to consider. • The Title I section of the plan is one of the main areas the peer reviewers will focus on when we submit the plan.

11. Accountability System • ESSA Accountability System–to differentiate schools on a yearly basis and identify schools for comprehensive and targeted support every three years. • On March 9, 2017, Congress repealed regulations related to state plans, accountability systems, and data reporting. • The OPI now has more flexibility regarding these areas to be guided by the ESSA alone.

12. Required Data Elements Required Data Elements-The State has flexibility in selecting weighting. • English Learner (EL) Progress: by law must apply to all schools. • Statewide Assessment Proficiency: by law must apply to all schools. • Statewide Assessment Improvement: Law states this only needs to apply to K-8 schools (this could be included for all schools because it shows growth). • Graduation Rate High Schools: by law must apply to high schools. • School Quality or Student Success: by law must apply to all schools.

13. One main goal was to use data the OPI already collects. • Several other possibilities were also analyzed. • Other data considerations: • Sample size=10 • 92 schools (14 percent) will not be able to be rated by this system. • Sample size=30 • 281 schools (42 percent) will not be able to be rated by this system.

14. State Goals • Must establish long-term goals and interim measures of progress for all students and each subgroup of students for: • Academic achievement as measured by proficiency on state assessments. • High school graduation rates, including the four-year adjusted cohort rate and any extended-year rates. • Increases in the percentage of ELs making progress in achieving English language proficiency. • Goals and interim measures must be designed to enable subgroups who are behind on achievement and graduation rate to make significant progress in closing the gap. (Section 1111(c)(4)(A))

15. Subgroups Considered • American Indian students • Hispanic students (once this group reaches 5 percent of student population statewide) • Students eligible for free and reduced lunch • Students with disabilities • English language learners

16. Identification of Schools • At least once every three years, a state must identify for comprehensive support and improvement: • Not less than the lowest performing 5 percent of Title I schools in the state. • All high schools with a graduation rate below 67 percent. • Schools identified for targeted support and improvement that fail to improve. • A state may identify additional categories of schools. (Section 1111(c)4)(D)) • Update…

17. Comprehensive Support and Improvement For each school identified by the state as needing comprehensive support and improvement, a district must develop and implement a plan to improve student outcomes that: • Address the state’s indicators. • Includes evidence-based interventions. • Is based on a school-level needs assessment. • Identifies resource inequities. • Is approved by the school, district, and state. • Is monitored and periodically reviewed. (Section 1111(d)(1)(B))

18. Targeted Support • A state must notify each district of any school in which any subgroup of students is “consistently underperforming” based on all the state’s indicators. (Section 1111(d)(2)(A)) • An identified school must develop and implement a targeted support and improvement plan to improve student outcomes for each subgroup that was identified which: • Addresses the state’s indicators. • Includes evidence-based interventions. • Is approved and monitored by the district. • An identified school is subject to additional action if it does not successfully implement its plan after a number of years. (Section 1111(d)(2)(B))

19. Partner Discussion • What do these changes mean for my district/school? • Further questions.

20. Title I, Part A

21. Teachers and Paraprofessionals Under NCLB, teachers had to meet the highly qualified standards. Under the ESSA, teachers must meet state licensure and certification requirements. Paraprofessional qualifications remain the same: • Two years of college, • A two-year degree, or • Pass a district developed test showing competency in the areas where students will receive assistance.

22. Schoolwide Programs • Districts wanting schools to become a Schoolwide Program needed to meet the 40 percent poverty threshold under NCLB. • Districts may now request a waiver from the SEA to go from Targeted Assistance to a schoolwide program. • The requirements will be placed in the State Plan.

23. Rank and Serve • Under NCLB and ESSA, schools must be served in rank order of schools with the highest poverty levels down to the lowest levels. • Under the ESSA, high schools with a poverty rate of 50 percent or greater can be served ahead of a higher ranked school. • Rank and serve does not apply to LEAs with less than 1,000 students.

24. Graduation Rates • High schools with a graduation rate of below 67 percent must be treated as a Title I school, and they could fall under Targeted or Comprehensive Support. • This will occur even if the school does not receive nor qualify for Title I services.

25. Supplement/Not Supplant • The three presumptions of supplanting do not exist under the ESSA. • Title I funds were used to provide services that are required to take place. • Title I funds were used to provide services that were provided with nonfederal funds in the prior year. • Title I funds were used to provide services to Title I eligible students while those same services were provided to non-Title I students with nonfederal funds. • Districts will determine if they meet this rule. • Districts have options to determine if they have supplanted. • Federal programs are to supplement the regular educational program that all students receive. • All students get cake, Title I students get frosting and ice cream.

26. Maintenance of Effort • An SEA must reduce an LEAs allocation under a covered program if the LEA fails to maintain effort in a given fiscal year and also failed to maintain effort in one or more of the five immediately preceding fiscal years. • Still exists, but waivers are available. • Language change added ”a change in the organizational structure of the LEA” as a criteria for the waiver.

27. Private Schools • Private school equitable share is now determined before the district set asides. • This will increase the amount available for the private schools. • Consultation has been firmed up. • Private school equitable share funds must be obligated in the fiscal year they were received. • State must appoint an Ombudsman to advocate for the private schools.

28. Title II

29. TitleII,PartA • The ESSA TitleII,PartAformula grantprogram providesawider menu of possible supportfor teachers,principals,and otherschoolpersonnel. • No longer applies only to core subject teachers. • Must be used to supplement, not supplant, nonfederal funds. (Sectio103) • Private school equitable services must be provided if requested. (Section 8501)

30. TitleII,PartA • Must address learning needs of all students, including children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted and talented students. (Section 2103) • Mayprovide the choices on the next slides. (Section 2103)

31. TitleII,PartA ESSA Title II, Part A may provide: • Evaluation and support systems for teachers, principals, or other school leaders. • Initiatives to recruit, hire, and retain effective teachers in low-income schools with a high percentage of ineffective teachers. (Section 2103)

32. TitleII,PartA • Has initiatives to recruit qualified individuals from other fields to become teachers, principals, or other school leaders. • Reduction of class size to an evidenced-based level. • High-quality personalized professional development.

33. TitleII,PartA ESSA Title II, Part A may provide high-quality, personalized professional development to: • Integrate technology into curriculum and instruction. • Use data to improve student instruction. • Engage parents, families, and community partners. (Section 2103)

34. TitleII,PartA • Help all students develop reading readiness and academic success. • Provide experiential learning through observation. • Help teachers to effectively teach students with disabilities. • Improve instruction in early grades. • Select and use various assessments.

35. TitleII,PartA ESSA Title II, Part A may provide high-quality personalized professional development to: • Identify gifted and talented students. • Support instructional services provided by effective library programs. • Train all school personnel in how to recognize student sexual abuse. (Section 2103)

36. TitleII,PartA • Promote high-quality instruction in STEM, including computer science. • Develop feedback mechanisms to improve school working conditions. • Develop and integrate rigorous academic content, career and technical education, and work-based learning to prepare students for post-secondary education or the workforce.

37. Title III English Learners

38. Title III-Purpose • To help ensure that English learners (ELs), including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement in English. • To assist all English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to achieve at high levels in academic subjects so that all English learners can meet the same challenging state and academic standards that all children are expected to meet. • To assist teachers (including preschool teachers), principals and other school leaders, state educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools in establishing, implementing, and sustaining effective language instruction educational programs designed to assist in teaching English learners, including immigrant children and youth.

39. Title III-Purpose 4. To assist teachers (including preschool teachers), principals, and other school leaders, state educational agencies, and local educational agencies to develop and enhance their capacity to provide effective instructional programs designed to prepare English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to enter all-English instructional settings. 5. To promote parental, family and community participation in language instruction educational programs for the parents, families, and communities of English learners.

40. Title III Requirements • States must set common statewide EL entrance and exit procedures with assessment of all potential ELs within 30 days of enrollment within a state. • States must identify effective EL instructional programs.

41. Requirements in Title I • States must adopt English Language Proficiency Standards that address speaking, listening, reading, and writing. • States must adopt an annual assessment to measure the English Language Proficiency Standards. • Accountability requirements regarding the percentage of ELs making progress toward English and academic achievement (no more Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives in Title III).

42. Requirements in Title I • Notification of parents of ELs regarding identification as ELs, instructional programs offered and parent’s options in a language the parents understand (to the extent practicable). • Requires Title I LEAs to conduct outreach, including regular meetings for parents of ELs.

43. Other Changes • LEAs may use Title III funds to offer early college and high school or dual enrollment for ELs to succeed in postsecondary education. • Defines “English learner with a disability.” • Replaces Limited English Proficiency (LEP) with English Learner (EL).

44. ESSA provides a framework to support collaboration and coordination of all Title Programs to support English learners and immigrant students.

45. Outreach • Webinars • Technical Assistance • Guidance Documents • Teacher Hub Course https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/english-learner-toolkit/eltoolkit.pdf

46. Questions Natalee Hawks nhawks@mt.gov 406-444-3482

47. Title IV, Part A and B

48. Title IV A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants • Intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of SEAs, LEAs, and local communities to: • Provide all students with access to a well-rounded education. • Improve school conditions for student learning. • Improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. • Section 4101

49. Title IV B: 21st Century Community Learning centers • Competitive and nonprofits are allowed to apply. • Greater alignment with the school day. • Greater outcomes. • Target students who attend low-performing schools.

50. Title IV B: 21st CCLC • Provide opportunities for academic enrichment. • Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities. • Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.