WHY ARE THERE SO MANY NEW INITIATIVES IN WASHINGTON EDUCATION?

(CCSS, SBAC, SGPS, AMOS, TPEP, FRAMEWORKS, ACHIEVEMENT INDEX)

To understand why there are so many significant initiatives in todays public schools, it helps to look at the
historical context of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESEA is a federal law that emphasizes
equal access to education, sets high standards for academic performance, and demands a rigorous level of
accountability from schools and districts. ESEA authorizes the distribution of federal funds to support eligible
schools and districts in states.
ESEA began in 1965 with President Johnsons War on Poverty, the Title Programs are a provision of this Act. Since
1965 ESEA has changed and been reauthorized with each new president including significant revisions occurring
in 1994 with President Clintons Improving Schools Act and in 2001 with George Bushs No Child Left Behind
(NCLB). Support for NCLB was universal and nonpartisan, everyone thought it was a great idea at that time. It is
important to note democrats and republicans both endorsed and supported NCLB with Senator Ted Kennedy
leading the democrats.
As we approached 2014 it became very clear that NCLB was not good policy and the need to reauthorize became
more evident. Nevertheless, ESEA has not been reauthorized since NCLB in 2001 and federal politicians do not
agree on the solution.
In lieu of an ESEA reauthorization, in 2012 President Obama devised a system to give states the option to be
waived from the NCLB requirements as well as relief from the sanctions. Over 40 states currently have been
granted this waiver.


1965 JOHNSON ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT ~ WAR ON POVERTY ~ TITLE PROGRAMS
1994 CLINTON IMPROVING AMERICAS SCHOOLS ACT ~ GOALS 2000: EDUCATE AMERICA ACT
2001 BUSH (KENNEDY) NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND (NCLB) ~ ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) 100% BY 2014
2012 OBAMA (DUNCAN) ESEA FLEXIBILITY WAI VER (40+ STATES)
HOW DO THESE INITIATIVES CONNECT?
The reauthorization in 2001, still in effect today, requires 100% of the students to meet state standards in reading and math by
2014. Sanctions are only imposed on Title I schools that fail to meet this requirement, these sanctions get gradually more punitive
over five steps.
The ESEA flexibility waiver process was developed in 2011 to allow states to request flexibility in meeting some of the requirements
under NCLB in the absence of the laws reauthorization.
In 2012, Washington State applied for a waiver Three significant elements were required in the state flexibility waiver:
1) ADOPT COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS (CCSS)
COLLEGE AND CAREER READY STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS THAT MEASURE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND
GROWTHSMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENTS (SBAC) CAME AS A RESULT
2) DEVELOP NEW ACHIEVEMENT INDEX
A DIFFERENTIATED ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM THAT BOTH RECOGNIZES HIGH-ACHIEVING, HIGH PROGRESS SCHOOLS
(REWARD SCHOOLS) AND SUPPORTS CHRONICALLY LOW-ACHIEVING SCHOOLS (PRIORITY AND FOCUS
SCHOOLS)STUDENT GROWTH PERCENTILES (SGP) AND THE ACHIEVEMENT INDEX CAME AS A RESULT.
3) CHANGE THE WAY WE EVALUATE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS
TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL EVALUATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTIONFRAMEWORKS, GROWTH
GOALS & TEACHER PRINCIPAL EVALUATION PROJECT (TPEP) CAME AS A RESULT.
Washington State put the laws in place and met the three requirements to receive the waiver. Washington had the waiver for two
years but was warned that they were at high risk of losing the waiver if they didnt make an adjustment to the state law requiring
state tests to be included in the evaluation of teachers and principals. Washington legislators refused to make the change and
Washington lost the waiver. However the laws that had been put in place to receive the waiver are still in place and those laws that
we had been waived from are back. The result, both systems and the laws guiding them are now in effect.
Washington is one of only two states in this situation.
NCLB WAIVERS: A STATE BY STATE BREAKDOWN



WHAT ARE THE SANCTIONS UNDER NCLB?
The sanctions under NCLB are punitive and only applied to Title I schools. Once a Title I school does not meet
adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years the school is identified for School Improvement; NCLB
defines five steps of required actions. A school must meet AYP for two years in a row to get out of the School
Improvement status. The sanctions with each of the five steps include mandates that redirect the Title I funds
to implement certain required actions ending with the implementation of a plan for alternate governance which
could lead to replacement of principal and a majority of the staff at that school.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT?
No one knows for sure what might happen next politically, however here are some possibilities:
Scenario 1: The federal legislature may reauthorize ESEA; however this seems highly unlikely and most estimate
the earliest for this to occur would be under a new presidential administration after 2016.
Scenario 2: Washington state legislature may decide to change the law to include state tests in teacher and
principal evaluations and resubmit Washingtons request for a waiver.
Scenario 3: Washington state legislature may decide to adjust the state laws to better accommodate two
accountability systems.
Scenario 4: Washington state legislature may decide to do nothing.
In the meantime this is a very complex, political situation.



AYP
2013/14

2012/13
Awards
AI
2012/13

Aylen Jr High Step 5

4.21

Ballou Jr High Step 5

6.05

Puyallup High School Step 5

Award 7.27

Rogers High School Step 5

Award 6.93

Edgemont Jr High Step 4

6.38

Emerald Ridge High School Step 4

Award 6.5

Ferrucci Jr High Step 3

3.99

Glacier View Junior High Step 3

6.03

Stahl Junior High Step 3

5.66

Carson Elementary Step 2

6.35

Firgrove Elementary Step 2 Title

4.39

Kalles Junior High Step 2

5.53

Puyallup Online Academy Step 2


Waller Road Elementary Step 2 Title

6.57

Brouillet Elementary Step 1

6.1

Karshner Elementary Step 1 Title Focus ELL 7.09

Shaw Road Elementary Step 1

6.17

Sunrise Elementary Step 1 Title Award 7.05

Edgerton Elementary Warning

6.22

Fruitland Elementary Warning

5.98

Maplewood Elementary Warning

7.75

Meeker Elementary Warning

4.87

Mt View Elementary Warning

7.4

Northwood Elementary Warning

6.3

Pope Elementary Warning

5.43

Ridgecrest Elementary Warning

Award 7.8

Stewart Elementary Warning Title

6.4

Warren Hunt Elem Warning Title

5.82

Wildwood Elementary Warning Title

6.32

Woodland Elementary Warning Title Award 8.43

Zeiger Elementary Warning

5.68

Spinning Elementary Met AYP Title Award 7.93

Walker High School Met AYP



PSD AYP Status:
A School by School Breakdown (w/ Achievement Index (AI) Scores )