Growth Models Across America -- And More Pilots To Come

Alexander Russo @ This Weeek in Education asks:

"...[W]ho needs a reauthorization when you can just change the law as much as you want without anyone really protesting?"

...[Yesterday] the EdSec announced more growth model approvals. The latest three include Alaska, Arizona, and (last week) Florida.

...Additional waivers/pilots to look for in the coming months while reauthorization languishes include: that "just missed" AYP designation that she talked about last week in USA Today, a blanket waiver of some kind on [Highly Qualified Teachers] (statutorily, it's time to declare 40-plus states out of compliance and start doing compliance agreements).

This from the U S Education Secretary's press release.

To date, seven states have been fully approved to implement their growth models. In May 2006, North Carolina and Tennessee received full approval for the 2005-2006 school year. Last November, Delaware and Arkansas received full approval for the 2006-2007 school year. Additionally, Florida was conditionally approved by the Department in November and received full approval on June 26 to implement their growth model for the 2006-2007 school year. Ohio’s growth model [Does anyone remember Mitchell Chester, one of Kentucky's Commish finalists? He's in charge of Ohio's testing program and might have provided much needed leadership and competence to a state with a jumbled assessment system - and apparently a newly dumbed down test.] was approved in May on the condition that the state adopt a uniform minimum group size for all subgroups, including students with disabilities and limited English proficient students, in AYP determinations for the 2006-2007 school year. The Department plans to approve no more than 10 high-quality growth models for the pilot program.

"A growth model is a way for states that are already raising achievement and following the bright-line principles of the law to strengthen accountability," Secretary Spellings said. "Alaska and Arizona were recognized by our impressive group of peer reviewers to have written strong growth models that adhere to the core principles of No Child Left Behind."

...The bright-line principles for high-quality growth models are:

· Ensure that all students are proficient by 2014 and set annual state goals to ensure that the achievement gap is closing for all groups of students;

· Set expectations for annual achievement based upon meeting grade-level proficiency and not upon student background or school characteristics;

· Hold schools accountable for student achievement in reading/language arts and mathematics;
· Ensure that all students in tested grades are included in the assessment and accountability system, hold schools and districts accountable for the performance of each student subgroup, and include all schools and districts;

· Include assessments, in each of grades 3 through 8 and high school, in both reading/language arts and mathematics that have been operational for more than one year and have received approval through the NCLB standards and assessment review process for the 2005-06 school year. The assessment system must also produce comparable results from grade to grade and year to year;

· Track student progress as part of the state data system; and
· Include student participation rates and student achievement as separate academic indicators in the state accountability system.