1. Advancing Deeper Learning and Equity Through Your Own ESSA State Plan December 13, 2016

2. Introduction and Overview

3. Introduction and Overview
How much do you know about ESSA? Raise between 1 and 5 fingers (with 1 being the least amount of knowledge). Arrange yourselves into groups with people who have opposite numbers than you.
Introduce yourself to your group: where do you work, and what is your role? Are you involved in your state or district ESSA planning process? To what extent will your work be impacted by ESSA?

4. ESSA in One Slide
ESSA focuses on two overarching themes: (1) College- and Career- Readiness and (2) Equity
ESSA then devolves authority toward states and districts to design key systems (e.g., assessment, accountability, supports, educator quality) and includes important pilot and incentive programs (e.g., innovative assessment, principal leadership, weighted funding, preschool development)
But ESSA requires those state and local actions to be aligned with college- and career-readiness and equity goals; connected through research/evidence-based actions; informed by stakeholder engagement; and continuously improved over time (and includes certain guardrails)

5. Opportunities for deeper learning in ESSA

6. Key State Decision Points – Consolidated State Plans
College and Career Readiness
Assessment
Accountability
Teachers & School Leaders
Support for English Learners
Support for All Learners
Continuous Improvement
Stakeholder Engagement

7. Key State Decision Points
Accountability:
Key State Decision Points
Developing a theory of action around accountability
Choosing indicators
Weighting summative determinations
Designating low-performing schools for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement

8. Decision Tree Activity

9. Decision Tree Activity
Within each choice point, there are a number of key decisions to be made.
Please select a state in which you live, work, or another state one of you is very familiar with
Walk through these key decisions, using the context of that state, as you complete a decision tree.

10. Decision Tree Activity
Consider a number of tradeoffs, for example:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Simplicity/transparency
Political will
Capacity/funding
Readiness

11. Articulating a theory of action around accountability:
IF we design accountability in XX way, THEN we will advance equity and deeper learning. IF we use accountability to YY, then we will advance equity and deeper learning.

12. Decision Tree Activity
Accountability
Required Indicator
Your Choice
A. Academic achievement (proficiency)
B. In elementary schools and secondary schools (not high schools), other academic indicator
C. In high schools, graduation rate
D. Progress in English language proficiency
E. Student Success and/or School Quality
F. Summative Determinations
G. Reporting

13. Decision Tree Activity
Accountability
All accountability indicators and measures must be:
Uniform statewide (within elementary vs middle vs high schools)
Disaggregated
Valid and Reliable

14. Decision Tree Activity
Tradeoffs:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Simplicity/transparency
Capacity/funding
Political will
Decision Tree Activity
Accountability
Academic Achievement (Proficiency)
What academic proficiency levels will you include? (At least 3)
Will you include additional points for performance above and below proficiency? (e.g. below basic, basic, proficient, advanced)
Will you include growth measures for high schools?

15. Decision Tree Activity
Tradeoffs:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Expectations/transparency
Capacity/funding to measure
Decision Tree Activity
Accountability
In High Schools, Graduation Rate
ESSA requires inclusion of the 4-year graduation rate. Will you also include the extended year graduation rate for students who take longer to graduate? Why or why not?

16. Decision Tree Activity
Tradeoffs:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Capacity/funding to measure
Political will
Decision Tree Activity
Accountability
In Elementary Schools and Middle Schools, Other Academic Indicator
Will you use growth on reading or math assessments?
Or will you include another academic subject (e.g. performance in science/social studies performance on a test)? If so, how might this other academic indicator measure or promote deeper learning?

17. Decision Tree Activity
Tradeoffs:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Simplicity/transparency
Policy/practice incentives
Political will
Capacity/funding to measure
Validity/reliability
Decision Tree Activity
Accountability
Student Success and/or School Quality
ESSA requires at least one indicator for student success and/or school quality. Which indicators will your state use (e.g. success in advanced courses, discipline data, school climate surveys, opportunity to learn indicators, chronic absenteeism)?
Will you include multiple measures of student success and/or school quality, or just one?
How can the indicator(s) selected help advance deeper learning and equity? What will it tell you and how will policy/practice respond?

18. Decision Tree Activity
Tradeoffs:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Simplicity/transparency
Political will
Decision Tree Activity
Accountability, cont'd.
Decision point: How should these indicators come together to determine which schools are identified for improvement or otherwise identified?
This must include a summative rating for each school with at least three categories statewide (e.g. comprehensive support and improvement, targeted support and improvement, and all other schools).
What categories will you use?
Will you use a dashboard, summative index, matrix, or some other model/combination to determine which schools are in which category?

19. Decision Tree Activity
Tradeoffs:
Advancing deeper learning
Advancing equity
Simplicity/transparency
Policy incentives
Political will
Capacity/funding
Decision Tree Activity
Accountability, cont'd.
Decision point: How can your system report on deeper learning outcomes and school outcomes in a way that's useful for teachers, parents, and students, and other stakeholders?
Which indicators will be used to provide additional information beyond accountability or help the state, district, and school diagnose the supports and interventions that schools and districts might need?

20. What advice would you give to those designing state ESSA plans?
Share Out
Choose One of Three Questions
What were some of your hardest decision points to make, and why? Easiest?
What is your sense of some of the biggest tradeoffs your state will have to make to incorporate deeper learning throughout your accountability system?
What advice would you give to those designing state ESSA plans?

21. Contact Us Bethany Little bethany.little@educationcounsel.com
Kathryn Young
Charmaine Mercer
Joey Hunziker