Section 22-2C-12 - Alternative school accountability system pilot project. - New Mexico Statutes

22-2C-12. Alternative school accountability system pilot project.

A.     The "alternative school accountability system" is created as a six-year pilot project to provide an opportunity for public school districts and charter schools to participate in an accountability system, aligned with state academic content and performance standards, that demonstrates the usefulness of a student growth model of accountability for targeting resources to improve elementary and middle schools most in need, and for recognizing elementary and middle schools that make the greatest progress in increasing student academic performance.

B.     The alternative school accountability system shall complement but be separate from the statewide assessment and accountability system established pursuant to federal law.  It shall be based on: 

(1)     a growth model that measures change in academic performance as demonstrated on state standards-based assessments from year to year for each student in participating school districts and charter schools in grades four through eight; 

(2)     in cases of students with disabilities, demonstration of proficiency on the state standards-based assessments or alternative assessments as specified in their individualized education plans, without regard to any predetermined number or percentage of students that may be counted as proficient based on demonstration of proficiency on alternative assessments; and 

(3)     in cases of students with limited English proficiency, achievement of English language proficiency as demonstrated on the New Mexico English language proficiency assessment within a period to be specified by the department based on current scientific research.

C.     The alternative school accountability system shall include annual reports for each participating school that: 

(1)     are easily understood by school personnel, parents, students and community members; 

(2)     report results for all students and for groups based on ethnicity, race, limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, poverty and gender; and 

(3)     report relative improvement in academic achievement of students in schools that have comparable levels of students at risk because of high mobility, poverty and limited English proficiency.

D.     The alternative school accountability system shall be administered by the department and shall be phased in over two years.

E.     During year one, the department shall convene an assessment and accountability work group composed of representatives of school district superintendents, assessment and accountability specialists, public school principals, public school teachers and teacher organizations, educators in federal bureau of Indian education schools, bilingual educators, special education teachers and administrators, parents and members of the public to assist the department in designing a uniform alternative accountability system for school districts and charter schools that voluntarily choose to participate in the pilot project.  The design shall include:

(1)     a value table based on four levels of academic proficiency, from beginning step through advanced, that compares the achievement level that a student earns to the level the student earned the previous year and assigns a numerical value to the change;

(2)     a methodology for establishing peer groups among participating schools based on comparable levels of student mobility, poverty and percentage of English language learners;

(3)     the timetable that the department will use to supply annual student growth calculations and any other necessary accountability data to school districts and charter schools that participate in the pilot project; a schedule for producing accountability reports; the information to be included in the report; and a process for disseminating reports to school communities and the public; and

(4)     a detailed application process with evaluation criteria for the pilot project, including a description of how the applicant proposes to use the results of the alternative school accountability system for school improvement and recognition.

F.     During year two and subsequent years of the pilot project, depending on the availability of funds appropriated by the legislature or from other available sources, the department shall make awards to applicant school districts and charter schools to participate in the pilot project.  Awarded funds may be used, as described in participants' applications, for school improvement activities, including initiatives to improve school district and charter school capacity to analyze and use assessment data for targeted school improvement and to improve student achievement through individualized instruction.

G.     The department shall establish reporting and evaluation requirements for school districts and charter schools that participate in the pilot project.