Resolution - 2012 Accountability System
Accountability System Resolution
Adopted on July 12, 2012
WHEREAS, the State Board of Education believes that all students deserve an excellent and equitable education and that there is an urgent need to strengthen a system of continuous improvement in student achievement for all schools and districts; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Legislature has established as the primary goal of our educational system the provision of instruction of sufficient quality and quantity to prepare students to graduate with a meaningful diploma that prepares them for postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Legislature assigned the State Board of Education responsibility and oversight for creating an accountability framework that provides a unified system of support for challenged schools, increases the level of support based upon the magnitude of need, and uses data for decisions; and
WHEREAS, the Achievement Index developed by the State Board of Education in 2009 was intended to be the foundation of the new accountability system and has since been used for school recognition purposes only due to constraints contained within the federal No Child Left Behind legislation; and
WHEREAS, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act flexibility waiver process presents the opportunity to reform Washington’s accountability framework to utilize one unified methodology for recognizing schools and identifying schools in need of assistance; and
WHEREAS, the State Board of Education recognizes the persistent achievement and opportunity gaps among English Language Learners, students of color, students with disabilities, and students in poverty; and
WHEREAS, the incorporation of student growth data into the Index will support a fair and equitable approach to measuring the state’s progress toward the paramount goal of the educational system.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the State Board of Education will begin development and implementation of “Phase II” of the accountability system established under RCW 28A.657, will focus on revising the Achievement Index to incorporate student growth, and will establish a unified system for evaluating school and district performance in Washington State; and
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED that the State Board of Education is hereby adopting the following principles and statements of belief to guide its revision of the Index:
- The key performance indicators utilized in the revised Index will be aligned with the goals of preparing students for postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship.
- The incorporation of student growth data will establish a fair and equitable means of evaluating school and district performance over time.
- Aggregate assessment results mask large achievement and growth gaps impacting our most vulnerable student populations. Disaggregation by subgroup is a necessary feature of any revised Index.
- The revised Index will be transparent and will support both external accountability and internal improvement purposes.
- The revised Index will incorporate both school and district level achievement data in recognition of the unique roles of each in an accountability framework.
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED that the State Board of Education hereby establishes a stakeholder workgroup with broad-based representation to provide focused and constructive input relating to the key design features of a revised Index, and system changes necessary to implement “Phase II” of the accountability system envisioned under RCW 28A.657; and
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED that the State Board of Education establishes a goal of developing a revised Achievement Index prototype by February of 2013, and a final Achievement Index for the beginning of the 2013-14 school year.
About the State Board of Education: The State Board of Education provides advocacy and strategic oversight of public education. The board is comprised of 16 members: five are elected by school board directors, seven are appointed by the Governor, two serve as student representatives, and one serves as a private school representative. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is also a member.
