Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-12.8 - Accountability for student achievement
Schools and
(1)
School
improvement advisory committee . Each school and school district will
establish a school improvement advisory committee that is governed by Iowa Code
section 280.12.
a.
Community involvement.
(1) Local community. The school or school
district will involve the local community in decisionmaking processes as
appropriate. The school or school district will seek input from the local
community about, but not limited to, the following elements at least once every
five years:
1. Statement of philosophy,
beliefs, mission, or vision;
2.
Major educational needs; and
3.
Student learning goals .
(2) School improvement advisory committee . To
meet provisions of Iowa Code section
280.12(2), the
board will appoint and charge a school improvement advisory committee to make
recommendations to the board . Based on the committee members' analysis of the
needs assessment data, the committee will make recommendations to the board
about the following components:
1. Major
educational needs;
2. Student
learning goals ;
3. Long-range goals
that include, but are not limited to, the state indicators that address
reading, mathematics, and science achievement; and
4. Harassment or bullying prevention goals,
programs, training, and other initiatives.
(3) At least annually, the school improvement
advisory committee will also make recommendations to the board with regard to,
but not limited to, the following:
1.
Progress achieved with the annual improvement goals for the state indicators
that address reading, mathematics, and science in subrule 12.8(3);
2. Progress achieved with other locally
determined core indicators ; and
3.
Annual improvement goals for the state indicators that address reading,
mathematics, and science achievement.
b.
Data collection, analysis, and
goal setting.
(1) Policy. The board
will adopt a policy for conducting ongoing and long-range needs assessment
processes. This policy will ensure involvement of and communication with the
local community regarding its expectations for adequate preparation for all
students as responsible citizens and successful wage earners. The policy will
include provisions for keeping the local community regularly informed of
progress on state indicators as described in subrule 12.8(3), other locally
determined indicators and the methods a school district will use to inform
kindergarten through grade 3 parents of their individual child's performance
biannually. The policy will describe how the school or school district will
provide opportunities for local community feedback on an ongoing
basis.
(2) Long-range data
collection and analysis. The long-range needs assessment process is to include
provisions for collecting, analyzing, and reporting information derived from
local, state, and national sources. The process will include provisions for
reviewing information acquired over time on the following:
1. State indicators and other locally
determined indicators ;
2. Locally
established student learning goals ; and
3. Specific data collection required by
federal and state programs.
Schools and
(3)
Long-range goals . The board , with input from its school improvement advisory
committee , will adopt long-range goals to improve student achievement in at
least the areas of reading, mathematics, and science.
(4) Annual data collection and analysis. The
ongoing needs assessment process will include provisions for collecting and
analyzing annual assessment data on the state indicators , other locally
determined indicators , and locally established student learning
goals .
(5) Annual improvement
goals . The board , with input from its school improvement advisory committee ,
will adopt annual improvement goals based on data from at least one
districtwide assessment. The goals will describe desired annual increase in the
curriculum areas of, but not limited to, mathematics, reading, and science
achievement for all students, for particular subgroups of students, or both.
Annual improvement goals may be set for the early intervention program as
described in subrule 12.5(18), other state indicators , locally determined
indicators , locally established student learning goals , other curriculum areas,
future student employability, or factors influencing student
achievement.
c.
Content standards and benchmarks .
(1) Policy. The board will adopt a policy
outlining its procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating its total
curriculum . The policy will describe a process for establishing content
standards, benchmarks , performance levels , and annual improvement goals aligned
with needs assessment information.
(2) Content standards and benchmarks . The
board will adopt clear, rigorous, and challenging content standards and
benchmarks in reading, mathematics, and science to guide the learning of
students from the date of school entrance until high school graduation.
Included in the local standards and benchmarks are the core content standards
from Iowa's approved standards and assessment system under the applicable
provisions of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as effective
on February 7, 2024. Standards and benchmarks may be adopted for other
curriculum areas defined in rule
281-12.5 (256).
d.
Determination and
implementation of actions to meet the needs. The school or school
district will specify actions it will take in order to accomplish its
long-range and annual improvement goals as established in Iowa Code section
280.12(1)
"b."
(1) Actions
will include addressing the improvement of curricular and instructional
practices to attain the long-range goals , annual improvement goals , and the
early intervention goals as described in subrule 12.5(18).
(2) A school or school district will document
consolidation of state and federal resources and requirements. State and
federal resources will be used, as applicable, to support implementation of the
plan.
(3) A school or school
district may have building-level action plans.
e.
Evaluation of plan. A
school or school district will develop strategies to collect data and
information to determine if it is accomplishing the goals it set.
f.
Assessment of student
progress. Each school or school district will provide for districtwide
assessment of student progress for all students. It will identify valid and
reliable student assessments aligned with local content standards, which
include the core content standards referenced in subparagraph
12.8(1)"c"(2). These assessments are not limited to
commercially developed measures. School districts receiving early intervention
funding described in subrule 12.5(18) will provide for diagnostic reading
assessments for kindergarten through grade 3 students.
(1) State indicators . Using at least one
districtwide assessment, a school or school district will assess student
progress on the state indicators in reading, mathematics, and science as
specified in subrule 12.8(3). At least one districtwide assessment will allow
for the comparison of the school or school district 's students with students
from across the state and in the nation in reading, mathematics, and
science.
(2) Performance levels . A
school or school district will establish at least three performance levels on
at least one districtwide valid and reliable assessment in the areas of reading
and mathematics for at least grades 4, 8, and 11 and science in grades 8 and 10
or use the achievement levels as established by the Iowa testing program to
meet the intent of this subparagraph.
g.
Assurances and support. A
school or school district will provide evidence that its board has approved and
supports the actions under this rule. This assurance includes the commitment
for ongoing improvement of the educational system.
h.
Statewide summative
assessment.
(1) For purposes of this
chapter, the statewide summative assessment of student progress administered by
school districts for purposes of the core academic indicators is the summative
assessment developed by the Iowa testing program within the University of Iowa
college of education and administered by the Iowa testing program's designee.
The department may require the Iowa testing program to enter into agreements
with such designee to ensure the department is able to comply with Iowa Code
chapter 256; this chapter; the provisions of the federal Every Student Succeeds
Act, Pub. L. N o. 114 -95; the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C.
1232g; and any other applicable state or
federal law.
(2) For the school
year beginning July 1, 2018, and each succeeding school year, the statewide
summative assessment referred in this paragraph is to meet all of the following
provisions:
1. All students enrolled in
school districts in grades 3 through 11 will be administered an assessment in
mathematics and English language arts, including reading and writing, during
the last quarter of the school year, and all students enrolled in school
districts in grades 5, 8, and 10 will be administered an assessment in science
during the last quarter of the school year.
2. The assessment, at a minimum, will assess
the core academic indicators identified in Iowa Code section
256.7(21)
"b"; be aligned with the Iowa common core standards
in both content and rigor; accurately describe student achievement and growth
for purposes of the school , the school district , and state accountability
systems; provide valid, reliable, and fair measures of student progress toward
college or career readiness; and meet the summative assessment provisions of
the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L.N o. 114 -95.
3. The assessment will be available for
administration in both paper-and-pencil and computer-based formats and include
assessments in mathematics, science, and English language arts, including
reading and writing.
4. The
assessment will be peer-reviewed by an independent third-party evaluator to
determine that the assessment is aligned with the Iowa core academic standards,
provides a measurement of student growth and student proficiency, and meets the
summative assessment provisions of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub.
L. N o. 114 -95. The assessment developed by the Iowa testing service within
the University of Iowa college of education will make any necessary adjustments
as determined by the peer review to meet the provisions of this
paragraph.
5. The costs of
complying with this paragraph will be borne by the Iowa testing program within
the University of Iowa college of education.
(2)
Annual
reporting. A school or school district will, at minimum, report
annually to its local community about the progress on the state indicators and
other locally determined indicators .
a.
State indicators . A school or school district will collect
data on the following indicators for reporting purposes:
(1) The percentage of all fourth, eighth, and
eleventh grade students achieving proficient or higher reading status using at
least three achievement levels and by gender, race, socioeconomic status,
students with disabilities , and other subgroups as required by state or federal
law.
(2) The percentage of all
fourth, eighth, and eleventh grade students achieving proficient or higher
mathematics status using at least three achievement levels and for gender,
race, socioeconomic status, students with disabilities , and other subgroups as
required by state or federal law.
(3) The percentage of all eighth and tenth
grade students achieving proficient or higher science status using at least
three achievement levels.
(4) The
percentage of students considered as dropouts for grades 7 to 12 by gender,
race, students with disabilities , and other subgroups as required by state or
federal law.
(5) The percentage of
high school seniors who intend to pursue postsecondary
education/training.
(6) The
percentage of high school students achieving a score or status on a measure
indicating probable postsecondary success. This measure should be the measure
used by the majority of students in the school , school district , or attendance
center who plan to attend a postsecondary institution.
(7) The percentage of high school graduates
who complete a core program of four years of English-language arts and three or
more years each of mathematics, science, and social studies.
b.
Annual progress
report. Each school or school district will submit an annual progress
report to its local community, its respective area education agency, and the
department . That report will be submitted to the department by September 15 of
each year. The report will include the following information:
(1) Baseline data on at least one
districtwide assessment for the state indicators described in subrule 12.8(3).
Every year thereafter the school or school district will compare the annual
data collected with the baseline data . A school or school district is not to
report to the community about subgroup assessment results when a subgroup
contains fewer than ten students at a grade level. A school or school district
will report districtwide assessment results for all enrolled and tuitioned-in
students.
(2) Locally determined
performance levels for at least one districtwide assessment in, at a minimum,
the areas of reading, mathematics, and science. Student achievement levels as
defined by the Iowa Testing Program may be used to fulfill this
provision.
(3) Long-range goals to
improve student achievement in the areas of, but not limited to, reading,
mathematics, and science.
(4)
Annual improvement goals based on at least one districtwide assessment in, at a
minimum, the areas of reading, mathematics, and science. One annual improvement
goal may address all areas, or individual annual improvement goals for each
area may be identified. When a school or school district does not meet its
annual improvement goals for one year, it shall include in its annual progress
report the actions it will take to meet annual improvement goals for the next
school year.
(5) Data on multiple
assessments for reporting achievement for all students in the areas of reading,
mathematics, and science.
(6)
Results by individual attendance centers, as appropriate, on the state
indicators as stated in subrule 12.8(3) and any other locally determined
factors or indicators . An attendance center, for reporting purposes, is a
building that houses students in grade 4 or grade 8 or grade 11.
(7) School districts are encouraged to
provide information on the reading proficiency of kindergarten through grade 3
students by grade level. However, all school districts receiving early
intervention block grant funds will report to the department the progress
toward achieving their early intervention goals.
(8) Other reports of progress as the director
of the department requires and other reporting requirements as the result of
federal and state program consolidation.
(3)
Accreditation, monitoring, and
enforcement. Accreditation, monitoring, and enforcement is as
referenced in Iowa Code section
256.11(10) and
256.11(11).
Notes
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