Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability Index
Under Iowa’s plan for the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), there are two methods through which schools are identified as in need of additional supports. The first of these is a direct measure of the graduation rate (67% and below); the second is an Accountability Index which schools and districts are required to be measured on to determine which schools and districts across Iowa are eligible to receive either “Comprehensive” or “Targeted” assistance.
• Comprehensive site identification:
o Any public high school graduating less than 67% of their kids;
o Any public school receiving Title I funds that performs in lowest 5% of Title I schools based on the ESSA Accountability Index
• Targeted site identification:
o Any public school (Title I and non-Title I) with a subgroup performing at or below the cut point set by the lowest 5% of Title I schools based on the ESSA Accountability Index.
Link: Accountability Index Overview, DMPS Version
• Comprehensive site identification:
o Any public high school graduating less than 67% of their kids;
o Any public school receiving Title I funds that performs in lowest 5% of Title I schools based on the ESSA Accountability Index
• Targeted site identification:
o Any public school (Title I and non-Title I) with a subgroup performing at or below the cut point set by the lowest 5% of Title I schools based on the ESSA Accountability Index.
Link: Accountability Index Overview, DMPS Version
District Goals
The DMPS leadership team has established four levels of performance for each measure of school improvement plan goals. These performance levels communicate expectations for performance as each school moves on an individualized trajectory towards a long-term goal of achievement within the level four performance band. It is expected that each school set a goal of moving to the next performance level guided by contextual knowledge of the work occurring within the school. District goals were set by calculating a district-wide average for measures if all schools meet their goals of moving to the next performance band. For thriving measures (health of core and out-of-school suspensions), we will focus on disproportionality as a system with most schools not having an all students goal and setting goals around subgroups only.