ARRA Update State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and School Improvement Grants

1. ARRA UpdateState Fiscal Stabilization Funds and School Improvement Grants January 2010 Marilyn Peterson Data and Federal Programs

2. NCLB Allocations 2010-11 • 2010 appropriation signed (funds for the 2010-11 school year) • Level funding for almost all ESEA programs except • Title II, Part D (Enhancing Education Through Technology) – cut 63% • Title IV, Part A (Safe and Drug Free Schools) – no appropriation so no grants for districts

3. Closeout 2008-09 • All but 2 districts closed out by end of December - Thanks! • Closing out generates an email notification if carryover is available • Carryover needs to be amended into the 2009-10 NCLB Consolidated Application • Over $10 million of carryover funds (total for all NCLB programs and all districts)

4. SFSF Phase II Application • Four Assurances • Achieving Equity in Teacher Distribution • Improving Collection and Use of Data • Standards and Assessments • Supporting Struggling Schools • Application contains 37 Descriptors and Indicators • If each is not currently in place, the State must submit a plan to meet the requirements by September 30, 2011, except as noted

5. Nebraska’s Application and Plan • Submitted January 11, 2010 • ARRA Transparency and Accountability • SFSF Application Phase II and all data collected through this plan will be updated regularly and • Posted on NDE ARRA webpage and linked to State’s Nebraska.Recovery.gov

6. Teacher Evaluation Systems • Each district must describe their teacher evaluation system and how the results of the evaluations are used in • Teacher development • Compensation • Promotion • Retention • Removal

7. Evaluation Descriptions The description must indicate whether the system includes • student achievement outcomes as an evaluation criterion (see next slide); • ratings or levels of performance by name and number (of levels); and • if the number and percentage of teachers at each level of performance is reported to the public

8. Student Achievement Outcomes • Student achievement outcomes includes, at a minimum, one of the following: • student performance on summative assessments, or on assessments predictive of student performance on summative assessments, in terms of absolute performance, gains, or growth; • student grades; and • rates at which students are on track to graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma • rates at which students are on track to graduate can include credit accumulation, student attendance, core course failures, and behavior referrals

9. Principal Performance • Each district must describe their principal evaluation system and how the results of the evaluations are used in • Principal development • Compensation • Promotion • Retention • Removal

10. Principal Performance • The description must include an indication of whether the principal evaluation system include levels of performance and the name and number of levels • Note: Principal performance results are not required to be publicly reported by school

11. Teacher and Principal Data • Descriptions of teacher and principal evaluation systems will be collected in the Spring 2010 • From this collection, NDE will learn the performance levels (if any) in these evaluation systems • NDE will collect the number and percent of teachers and principals at each performance level in Spring 2011.

12. Improving Collection and Use of Data The 12 Data Elements of America COMPETES Act Elements 1 – 4: Extend NSSRS to all postsecondary schools Implications for districts? • Postsecondary institutions will have access to all PK-12 data for research

13. 12 Data Elements Continued Elements 6 – 7 and 10 • NSSRS already has in place • Includes student test results, including the number of students not tested. • New statewide tests (NeSA) being designed to capture the data needed • College readiness scores – ACT scores being added

14. 12 Data Elements Continued 8. Teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students • Unique ID for teachers • Teachers to courses to classes to students 9. Student transcript information, including courses completed and grades earned at high school level • NE can meet these requirements by using a new Student Grade template that contains a Section identifier (for each class) and by modifying the new online Curriculum Report to include this Section identifier

15. 12 Data Elements Continued Postsecondary 11. Extent to which students transition successfully to postsecondary including whether students enroll in remedial classes • Using cohort graduation data (cohort data not available until after 2010-11 school year) 12. Information to address alignment and adequate preparation for success in postsecondary education

16. Improving Collection and Use of Data • State to provide growth data to teachers of Reading and Math on their current and previous years’ students in grades 3-8 and 11 in a manner that is timely and informs instruction • Application and plan need to indicate the State has the means to do this by September 30, 2011 • NeSA will provide this for Reading by Sept. 2011 and Math by Sept. 2012

17. Improving Collection and Use of Data • The State to provide teachers of Reading and Math in grades 3-8 and 11 with reports of individual teacher impact on student achievement • State Plan must indicate it has the means to provide the reports by September 30, 2011 • NeSA will provide this for Reading by Sept. 2011 and Math by Sept. 2012

18. Standards and Assessments • Approval Status of State’s assessment system, including alternate assessments (Nebraska’s alternate assessments based on grade level achievement standards) • Nebraska’s status is “In process” with our compliance agreement • Number and percentage of English Language Learners and Students with disabilities included in the State assessments of Reading and Math • Reported on the State of the Schools Report

19. Standards and Assessments • Analysis of the appropriateness and effectiveness of accommodations for • English Language Learners, and • Students with disabilities • Whether the State provides native language assessments • NAEP results reported • Included on the State of the Schools Report

20. Standards and Assessments • The number and percentage of students who graduate from high school using the cohort graduation data • Report by district and school • Disaggregated by NCLB subgroups • Minimum group size (30) applies • Cohort graduation rate data becomes available in 2010-11 and will be reported on the State of the Schools Report

21. Standards and Assessments • Of the students included in the cohort graduation data, the number and percentage who enroll in an institution of higher education within 16 months of receiving a regular high school diploma • Report by district and school • Disaggregated by NCLB subgroups • Minimum group size (30) applies • Cohort graduation rate data becomes available in 2010-11

22. Standards and Assessments • Of the students included in the cohort graduation data who enroll in a public institution of higher education, the number and percentage who complete at least one year’s worth of college credit (applicable to a degree) within two years of enrollment • Report by district and school • Disaggregated by NCLB subgroups • Minimum group size (30) applies • Cohort graduation rate data becomes available in 2010-11

23. Supporting Struggling Schools • Average statewide school gain in the “all students” and for each NCLB subgroup in Reading and Mathematics and the number and percentage of Title I schools in school improvement that have made progress • Reading = 71.43% (15 of 21) • Math = 66.67% (14 of 21)

24. Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools (PLAS) • A process that replaces AYP for identifying schools with the greatest needs • Very different rules than AYP • NDE (not Title I) must identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools now and must post the names on the NDE ARRA homepage when this SFSF Application is approved

25. Supporting Struggling Schools Persistently lowest-achieving schools • Lowest performing schools, as ranked for combined Reading and Math results, for the “all students” group over a number of years • Plus any high school with a graduation rate of less than 60% over a period of time. Nebraska is seeking a waiver to also include schools with a graduation rate of less than 75%

26. Waiver Request • A waiver request to also include secondary schools that are Title I eligible, but not served, with graduation rates of less than 75% over a period of three years in the definition of PLAS • Request will be posted on the NDE ARRA website for public comment for 10 days (notice included in NDE Bulletin) • All public comments must be submitted with the waiver request to USDE

27. PLAS Process • Performance Rank – based on last year’s AYP results • Number at proficient level in Reading and Math combined • Divided by the total of FAY counts for both subjects • Resulting percent proficient is ranked • Progress over time – based on last 3 years’ AYP results • Number at proficient level for 3 years in Reading and Math • Divided by the total of FAY counts for three years • Resulting percent is ranked for a progress rank • Final Rank – add the weighted (2 X) performance rank to the progress rank and rank again

28. Graduation Rate • Schools that have a graduation of less than 60% over three years are added as PLAS • Using the AYP graduation data for the last available three years (2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08), calculate a PLAS graduation rate • NOTE: NeSA test results will replace AYP data and the cohort graduation data will replace the AYP graduation data when these data become available.

29. Tiers of Schools • Tier I –Title I schools identified as being in need of improvement, corrective action or restructuring • Lowest 5 schools using the Final Rank • Plus any Title I school with a Graduation rate of less than 60% (PLAS 3 year rate) • Tier II – PLAS of all secondary schools that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I • Lowest 5% of the schools using the Final Rank (5% = 10) • Plus any secondary school with a PLAS Graduation rate of less than 60% (PLAS 3 year rate)

30. Supporting Struggling Schools • Of the persistently lowest-achieving schools, the number and identity of those schools that, in the last year, have been • Turned around • Restarted • Closed, or • Transformed • Must collect this data by October, 2010

31. ARRA School Improvement Grants • ARRA SIG – Section 1003(g) of Title I (now known as Accountability Funds) • ARRA added allocation to make about 17 million dollars for these grants this time • ARRA SIG application and guidance on the NDE ARRA homepage and the Title I homepage

32. Waivers for NDE for School Improvement Grants • Out for public comment now • Extend time for use of funds to 2012-13 • Allow PLAS Tier I schools to “start over” for AYP • Allow PLAS Tier I schools to be schoolwide projects even if poverty level is below 40% • Allow SIG grants to Tier II (eligible but not served) schools • On ARRA and Title I website and emailed • Send comments to Diane Stuehmer at NDE

33. ARRA SIG Grants • Three year grants (if waiver is approved) • Tier I PLAS (5 lowest Title I identified schools plus PLAS graduate rate schools) • Tier II PLAS (10 secondary schools plus PLAS graduate rate schools) • Tier III – any Title I identified school that is in improvement and is one of the 5 PLAS

34. Four Models for SIG Grants • School and district must • Commit to one of the following four models • Must meet all grant requirements • Establish and continue to meet goals to continue being funded for all three years • Nebraska has 17 million dollars for this round of SIG grants • Must identify new PLAS each year but won’t have as much money for grants in the future

35. Turnaround Model Requirements • Replace principal (unless already new in last two years) • Screen all staff and rehire no more than 50% • Implement strategies to recruit, place and retain staff • Provide job-embedded professional development • Adopt a new governance structure • Implement research-based instructional program K-12 • Promote continuous use of student data • Increase learning time • Provide appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented services

36. Restart Model Requirements • Convert a school or close and reopen a school under a charter school operator, a charter management organization or an education management organization • A restart model must enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wished to attend • Note – Nebraska does not have a law allowing or disallowing a charter school

37. School Closure Model • School is closed and all students are assigned to other schools in the district that are higher achieving

38. Transformation Model Requirements • Develop and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness • Replace the principal • Use teacher evaluations with a significant emphasis on student achievement to identify and reward teachers improving student achievement and to remove those that are not • Provide job-embedded, ongoing, high-quality professional development • Implement strategies to recruit, place and retain staff

39. Transformation Model Requirements • Comprehensive instructional reform strategies • Use data to identify and implement a research-based instructional program aligned K-12 • Promote continuous use of student data to inform and differentiate instruction

40. Transformation Model Requirements • Increasing learning time and creating community-oriented schools • Establish schedules and strategies that provide increased learning time (as defined in the guidance) • Provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement

41. Transformation Model Requirements • Providing operational flexibility and sustained support • Give the school sufficient operational flexibility to implement fully a comprehensive approach to substantially improve student achievement outcomes and increase high school graduation rates • Ensure the school has ongoing, intensive technical assistance and support

42. ARRA SIG Timelines • State application due to USDE on Feb. 8, 2010 • District applications will be due in late Spring or early Summer • Grants are to begin in the 2010-11 school year (and if waiver approved, will be approved through 2012-13) • Districts interested in applying will have technical assistance and support