 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
school report cards; letter grades
Purpose
Replaces the annual achievement profile A through F letter grade system with performance classifications adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE). Modifies requirements relating to school report cards and notification procedures.
Background
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) must annually compile and recommend to the State Board of Education (SBE) a profile for each school and local education agency (LEA) that reflects achievement. The achievement profile uses classifications based on an A through F letter grade system to measure the following performance indicators: 1) year-to-year student academic growth; 2) proficiency in English language arts, math and science; 3) the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners; 4) indicators that an elementary student is ready for success in high school; and 5) indicators that high school students are ready to succeed in a career or higher education and high school graduation rates. A letter grade must be applied to each performance indicator and the SBE must assign an overall letter grade to the school or LEA. Each school, charter holder and school district must submit any data ADE requests that is necessary to compile the achievement profile. A school or LEA that fails to submit necessary information is not eligible to receive Classroom Site Fund monies (A.R.S. § 15-241; SBE).
If a school is assigned a D or F letter grade, the school district governing board (governing board) must provide written notification of the classification to each residence within the district school's attendance area and a charter school must notify the parents of the students attending the charter school within 30 days. For a district school or charter school assigned a D letter grade, the governing board or charter holder must develop an improvement plan within 90 days. For a district school assigned an F letter grade, the governing board must evaluate needed changes to the improvement plan and consider plan recommendations within 60 days. For a charter school assigned an F letter grade, the charter school's sponsor must either take action to restore acceptable performance or revoke the charter school's charter (A.R.S. § 15-241.02).
Each public
school must distribute an annual report card that contains specified
information relating to the school, including: 1) a description of the school's
regular, magnet and special programs; 2) a summary of student results and
progress; 3) attendance and graduation rates;
4) total enrollment; 5) expenditure data; and 6) average class sizes. A school
report card must also include the classification on each performance indicator
of the annual achievement profile. A school must distribute the report card to
parents before the last day of school of each fiscal year, and send a copy of
the report card to ADE for an annual report that contains each school's report
card (A.R.S.
§ 15-746).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Annual Achievement Profile Performance Classifications
1. Requires the annual achievement profile to use performance classifications based on a system adopted by the SBE, rather than classifications based on an A through F letter grade system in which a letter grade of A reflects an excellent level of performance, and a letter grade of F reflects a failing level of performance.
2. Applies the performance classifications, rather than an A through F letter grade system, to each annual achievement profile performance indicator.
3. Directs the SBE to assign an overall performance classification, rather than a letter grade, for each public school or LEA.
4. Allows the SBE to assign the lowest performance classification, rather than an F letter grade, to a school for each performance indicator of the annual achievement profile if the SBE determines that the school is among the persistently lowest-achieving Arizona schools for a majority of the annual achievement profile performance indicators.
5. Modifies the annual achievement profile appeals process for a school or LEA to appeal a final assigned performance classification, rather than a letter grade.
6. Applies the requirements relating to the K-3 reading program for a school district or charter school assigned a letter grade of C, D or F to a school district or charter school assigned a performance classification indicating that the school district or charter school does not exceed the expected standards.
7. Applies the annual achievement letter grade requirements to the SBE's performance classifications for the purposes of school district requests from regulatory exemptions.
8. Applies the requirements relating to alternative operation plans for a school district with schools assigned a D or F letter grade to a school district with schools that receive a performance classification indicating that the schools failed to meet the expected standards.
9. Applies the requirements relating to school improvement plans:
a) for a school assigned a D letter grade to a school assigned a failing performance classification that is not the lowest performance classification; and
b) for a school assigned an F letter grade to a school assigned the lowest performance classification.
10. Exempts a Career and Technical Education District from being assigned an annual achievement profile performance classification, rather than a letter grade.
11. Modifies school district consolidation eligibility by including consolidations to change the boundaries of a school district that has received a performance classification indicating that the school district exceeded the expected standards, rather than an A or B letter grade.
12. Modifies teacher evaluation policy requirements by prescribing:
a) incentives for teachers in the two highest performance classifications to work at schools assigned a failing performance classification, rather than a D letter grade; and
b) protections for teachers who are transferred to schools that are assigned a failing performance classification, rather than a D or F letter grade.
13. Requires a menu of achievement assessments provider to demonstrate that assessment scores can be scaled for establishing comparable student performance levels for achievement profiles and performance classifications, rather than letter grades.
14. Modifies the definition of qualified student by including an Arizona resident who is attending or resides within the attendance boundary of a school district that was assigned a failing performance classification, rather than a D or F letter grade, for the most recent year in which performance classifications were assigned.
15. Modifies eligibility criteria for achievement district schools by requiring a school to be assigned the annual achievement profile's highest performance classification, rather than an A letter grade.
School Report Cards and Performance Classification Notifications
16. Requires the school report card to explain whether the performance classification assigned to the school to indicate that the public school:
a) meets the expected standards;
b) fails to meet the expected standards; or
c) exceeds the expected standards.
17. Requires each school district and charter school to prominently post the report cards for each school operated by the school district or charter school on the website of the school district or charter school and, if available, the school's website.
18. Removes the requirements for a school district with schools assigned a D or F letter grade to provide written notice of classification to each residence within the attendance area of the school and for a charter school assigned a D or F letter grade to notify the parents of each student within 30 days after receiving notice of the classification.
19. Requires, within 60 days after receiving notification that a charter school or school within a school district has been assigned a failing performance classification, the charter school governing body or the governing board to provide the parents of each student:
a) notification that the school has been assigned a failing performance classification; and
b) the school's report card.
20. Specifies that a school may provide a web address for or hyperlink to the school's report card to satisfy the notification requirement.
21. Allows a school district or charter school to electronically deliver the notification if the school district or charter school electronically communicates with the parents of students in the ordinary course of business.
22. Replaces the requirement for ADE to publish a list of schools assigned an F letter grade twice a year in a newspaper of general circulation in each county with a requirement to post a list of schools assigned the lowest performance classification in a conspicuous location on its website and on all official communication channels, including any social media platform for which ADE has an account.
23. Requires ADE to publish the annual report that contains each school's report card on its website.
24. Specifies that a public school may satisfy the school report card distribution and notice requirements by electronic communications if the school district or charter school electronically communicates with the parents of pupils in the ordinary course of business.
25. Requires electronic communications sent to contain hyperlinks to websites that provide further information.
Miscellaneous
26. Makes technical and conforming changes.
27. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 2/13/24 DP 6-3-1-0
3rd Read 2/22/24 31-28-0-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 4, 2024
MH/LB/slp