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To: Superintendents
From: Tim Boyd, Director of District and School Effectiveness
Date: October 19, 2022
Re: Accountability and School Improvement Update
Dear Superintendents,
This letter is general in nature and offers a broad and simple update regarding how ODE has completed a review of schools that have previously been identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) or Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) as part of federal school improvement responsibilities along with information regarding newly identified schools.
What’s most important to understand?
- ODE accountability data is publicly released tomorrow and alongside it, ODE has federal responsibilities to review, exit, identify or re-identify schools in need of improvement.
- Early next week, ODE will release specific letters to each school superintendent, where applicable, with a tailored update regarding federal school improvement designations.
- Designation of federal school improvement is not directly related to receiving funding for federal school improvement.
- In an effort to focus resources, while supporting school level planning and improvement through district level funding, federal funds will be distributed to school districts serving three or more CSI or TSI schools or districts where 50% or more of the total number of schools are identified for additional support.
- Schools that were previously identified as CSI or TSI and have been reidentified this fall, as well as newly identified CSI or TSI schools, will move through community engagement and needs assessment processes in accordance with Aligning for Student Success - Integrated Guidance for Six ODE Initiatives.
- Moving forward, these funds will be called Federal School Improvement Funds to CSI & TSI Schools.
Quick summary of school identification
- 156 schools have been determined by ODE to have met exit criteria
- 103 schools remain identified
- 80 schools have been newly identified
The Accountability Detail Sheets for schools will reflect whether or not the school has exited status or if they are identified as a CSI or TSI school. The “Suggested Level of Support” will be listed for SY 17-18, SY18-19 or SY 21-22, depending on the year(s) the school was identified.
Additional detail on background and on what’s ahead
Background
The 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB). ESSA requires states to develop accountability models to monitor how school districts and schools improve student outcomes and a system for meaningful differentiation used to identify Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) schools that need additional support in improving student achievement. ESSA requires states to identify CSI schools once every three years and to annually identify TSI schools. The federal government paused accountability and identification requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years, but is resuming these requirements.
The Oregon Department of Education first identified CSI and TSI schools in the Fall of 2018 and launched a revised support model that aimed to situate school performance as part of the larger school district system.
The revised model empowers educators, students, families and communities to all work together to improve educational outcomes for students in all 36 counties in the state. Oregon’s ESSA Plan calls for making necessary investments where they are needed most – and where they belong – and putting the resources where they need to be: with each student. This model replaces an outdated, counterproductive punitive approach that labeled schools rather than fully support them.
With this in mind, ODE allocated what was described as ESSA Partnership funds to school districts with identified schools. The funds were to pay for improvement activities that would be led by the central office to strengthen implementation efforts in addressing the needs of focal students. ODE identified TSI schools again in the Fall of 2019 and adjusted allocations of ESSA Partnership funds accordingly. The development of plans to support CSI and TSI schools was integrated into the district Continuous Improvement Planning (CIP) process, with districts developing budgets aligned to the activities in the CIP.
Districts continued to receive ESSA Partnership funds over the last two years despite no additional CSI or TSI school identification and we recognize the myriad of challenges faced in implementing the developed improvement activities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking Ahead
Schools that were previously identified as CSI or TSI and have been reidentified this fall, as well as newly identified CSI or TSI schools, will move through community engagement and needs assessment processes in accordance with the Aligning for Student Success - Integrated Guidance.
ODE received significant feedback pertaining to the name of the grant to support CSI and TSI schools. Moving forward, these funds will be called Federal School Improvement Funds to CSI & TSI Schools. In an effort to focus resources, school districts serving three or more CSI or TSI schools or districts where 50% or more of the total number of schools are identified for additional support will be eligible for funding.
These funds will continue to be allocated to the school district. ODE will provide allocations for each identified school in the district eligible for school improvement funds to develop and implement school-level activities. ODE will allow for flexibility in collaborative planning, community engagement and agreement from building leaders. Additional information will be provided shortly. Please contact Tim Boyd if you have any immediate questions.
Thank you for your commitment to serving Oregon’s students and communities.
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