Engage, Encourage, Empower…Educate!

Schools to be Evaluated on More than just Test Scores

Testing is an important tool for evaluating performance but as we all know test scores does not always capture the entire story about a school. Many other factors can show areas where schools are doing well and where they may need to improve.

As a result, the State of California is in the final phase of developing a new school accountability system that looks at a variety of criteria, including:

ü  Graduation and suspension rates

ü  Chronic absenteeism

ü  Parent Engagement

ü  School Climate

ü  College and career readiness

ü  Proficiency for English Learners

This new process that includes “multiple measures” is an extension of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which replaces the No Child Left Behind act. ESSA maintains an emphasis on high-quality state assessments while expanding the types of measures that states can look at in considering their own accountability systems.

This system moves away from the program improvement model that was viewed as punitive. The new system focuses on providing assistance and support and that is a big shift from the prior accountability system.

The hope is that this new system will help schools better address students’ social and emotional needs to ensure they are ready to learn. It is also intended to make the data user- friendly for parents, students, educators, and the community.

The new accountability system is scheduled to take effect in the 2017-2018 school year.

The San Benito County Office of Education looks forward to supporting our districts through this process by providing assistance, support and guidance when needed.

Sincerely,

Krystal Lomanto

San Benito County Superintendent of School