Group to set standards for 2017-2018 school accountability

(Frankfort, KY) – A group of education stakeholders and policymakers will gather Aug. 22 to set performance standards for 2017-2018 school accountability. The meeting is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET in the State Board Room (No. 514), at the Kentucky Department of Education, 300 Sower Blvd., in Frankfort.

This is a transition year for Kentucky’s new accountability system. Schools will be identified only for the federally-required accountability designations of Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) – those with one or more low-performing groups – and Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) – those in the bottom 5 percent by level (elementary, middle or high); or that have a 4-year graduation rate of less than 80 percent. All other schools will be designated as “other.”

Indicators contributing to how a school is classified for the 2017-2018 school year include:

Proficiency – based on student performance on tests in reading and mathematics
Separate Academic Indicator – (elementary and middle schools only) based on student performance on tests in science, social studies and writing
Growth – (elementary and middle schools only) based on student growth toward proficiency on reading and mathematics tests; and English learners’ growth toward English attainment
Graduation Rate – (high schools only) the percentage of students who graduate within a specified period compared with the cohort of students who started high school the same year.
Transition Readiness – (high school only) based on students earning a high school diploma and meeting either academic or career readiness as defined in Kentucky’s accountability system. Not all components of the transition readiness indicator are available for reporting this fall. This year’s data will include college admissions exam (ACT), Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Advanced International, industry certifications, Career and Technical Education End of Program assessments and KDE/Labor Cabinet-approved apprenticeship; dual credit and verification of exceptional work experience will be included in transition readiness starting in the 2018-2019 school year, once data are available. High school transition readiness also is based on English language learners’ attainment of English language proficiency.

The Standard Setting Committee will review assessment data and recommend accountability criteria to determine whether a school is classified as CSI, TSI or other. TSI and CSI schools must develop improvement plans and will be eligible for additional support. They must demonstrate improvement to exit their TSI or CSI designation in future years.

After reviewing the committee’s recommendations, Interim Commissioner Wayne Lewis will make a recommendation to the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), which it will consider at a special meeting on Sept. 5.

Members of the Standards Setting Committee bring a variety of educational experiences and expertise to the standard-setting process.

“I am grateful for this diverse group of leaders from across the commonwealth who have accepted the invitation to serve on this committee,” Lewis said. “This committee’s work is critically important, as it will inform decisions about how we balance the multiple components of Kentucky’s new accountability system.”

Members of the committee include:

Hal Heiner, chair, KBE
Gary Houchens, member, KBE
Houston Barber, superintendent, Frankfort Independent schools
Aaron Collins, superintendent, Fulton County schools
Marty Pollio, superintendent, Jefferson County schools
Jim Evans, superintendent, Lee County schools
Amanda Reed, district assessment coordinator, LaRue County schools
Rhonda Colvin, director of special education, Lawrence County schools
Larry Garrity, principal, Webster County Area Technology Center
Travis Wilder, principal, Corbin Primary School, Corbin Independent schools
Wayne Young, executive director, Kentucky Association of School Administrators
Ann Elisabeth Larson, dean, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville
Travis Burton, manager, public affairs, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Nancy Hutchinson, executive director, Kentucky Educational Development Corporation
John Scott, parent, Covington Independent schools and member of Commissioner’s Parent Advisory Council