MASSENA — The state Education Department plans to restart the federally required school accountability system, which had been put on hold during the pandemic, but is seeking public comment on its plan before submission to the U.S. Department of Education.
Public comments will be accepted until Friday, with more information available at wdt.me/EFJfun.
The state Board of Regents had requested to skip assigning accountability designations to schools and school districts in the fall because of pandemic disruptions, but that request was denied by the U.S. Department of Education in February.
With the denial, the state Education Department will need to follow its federally approved plan to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act by identifying schools and districts that are in need of improvement in fall 2022 based on 2021-22 school-year results.
The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law in 2015, replacing and updating the No Child Left Behind Act, enacted in 2002. The updated law took effect for the 2017-18 school year. The Every Student Succeeds Act retained the annual standardized testing requirements introduced by the No Child Left Behind Act, but moved accountability to the state level, which must submit an accountability plan to the federal department.
State Education Department officials said the COVID-19 pandemic “brought multiple irregularities and disruptions” throughout the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 school years.
“Based on statutory requirements and guidance from the United States Department of Education (USDE), NYSED consulted with accountability and assessment experts, educational leaders from other states, and stakeholders to develop a State Plan Addendum to restart the accountability system,” they said in a news release.
The proposed plan, which would require U.S. Department of Education approval, includes modifications to New York’s accountability indicators, revisions to the methodology for determining accountability identifications, and modification of exit criteria for identified schools.
“Accountability is a two-way street and for the process to be effective, there must be a system that focuses on continuous improvement through a sustainable partnership between our Department and schools and districts,” State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said in a statement. “New York’s proposed plan to restart the accountability system accounts for the realities of the past three school years during the pandemic and how it affected the state’s ability to collect data on student learning. The accountability restart plan is required by federal law, and we will use it as a basis to continue to provide supports and resources to those schools and districts that most need them.”
Following U.S. Department of Education approval, SED staff will ask the Board of Regents to amend commissioner’s regulations so the modified accountability system can be implemented during the 2022-23 school year.
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