Westminster Public Schools2016 District Accreditation Rating Appeal

Overview of CDE Position

State Board of Education Meeting

April 24, 2017

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• Overview• Part I: CDE’s Determination of a Priority

Improvement Rating • Part II: Information Concerning Each of

Westminster Public School’s Claims • Conclusion: CDE Recommendation

Agenda

Overview

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• State Board of Education rules allow districts to appeal a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Accreditation rating to the State Board of Education (1 CCR 301-1 22-2-R-6.00)

• The district shall:“set forth the specific grounds for the assertion that the District or Institute should not be placed in the category of Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan or Accredited with Turnaround Plan.” (1 CCR 301-1 22-2-R-6.03)

Role of the State Board of Education

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• Does an Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan rating appropriately describe the student performance in Westminster Public Schools?

• Today’s decision does not determine a consequence of that performance or whether the district should lose it’s accreditation status.

• If the appeal is denied, accountability clock decisions will occur at an Accountability Hearing scheduled for May 4th.

• If the appeal is accepted, the district will no longer be on the clock and there would be no hearing on May 4th.

State Board of Education - Decision-Point

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• The performance frameworks and subsequent accreditation ratings are a description of student performance.

• The ratings are used to direct support and attention to districts and schools where students have the greatest academic needs.

• The student performance in Westminster Public Schools (WPS) is appropriately described by a Priority Improvement rating, based upon:

• Student achievement results• Student growth results• Student graduation rates, dropout rates and college

entrance assessment results

CDE Position

Part I. CDE’s Determination for a Priority Improvement Rating

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WPS earned 40.0% of the total possible points on the District Performance Framework. This falls well within the Priority Improvement rating range. This includes:• A does not meet rating on nearly every

achievement indicator, across all grade levels and disaggregated groups.

• An approaching rating across all content areas at all grade levels on every growth indicator and for almost all disaggregated groups.

• An approaching rating overall in postsecondary and workforce readiness.

• Taken together, the district is performing below state expectations across all grade levels.

2016 Performance Framework

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District Accreditation Ratings from 2010-2016

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016

District 41.2 40.2 46.4 44.6 46.8 PI• Achievement 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 Does Not Meet

• Growth 47.2 44.4 52.4 48.8 52.4Approaching

• Growth Gaps 41.7 41.7 49.4 45.6 52.2

• Post Secondary Workforce Readiness

41.7 41.7 48.4 48.4 48.4 Approaching

Notes:The percent of points earned from 2010 to 2014 are not comparable to 2016. This table reflects the data from the official results (3 year results in 2010 and 2013, 1 year results in 2011, 2012 and 2014).

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2016 District Achievement

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

100.00%

WestminsterPublic Schools

Colorado WestminsterPublic Schools

Colorado

English Language Arts Math

Percent of Students at Benchmark

Elementary Middle High

650

700

750

800

850

Westminster PublicSchools

Colorado Westminster PublicSchools

Colorado

English Language Arts Math

Mean Scale Score

Elementary Middle High

4 out of 5 students in WPS are not meeting benchmarks in English

language arts, and fewer in math.

The average performance of

students in WPS is at a “Partially Met

Expectations” level, the second lowest performance level.

Approaching Exp.Partially Meets

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2016 District Growth

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Westminster PublicSchools

Colorado Westminster PublicSchools

Colorado

English Language Arts Math

Median Student Growth Percentiles

Elementary Middle High

Median Growth Percentiles for WPS are lower than the state; lower for math

than English language arts

Growth is not sufficient for students to reach benchmarks

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Graduation Trends

The four year graduation rate is declining for

WPS.

More students are graduating in additional years, but still almost 1 in 4 students in

WPS do not graduate within 7 years.

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

4-Year Rate 5-Year Rate 6-Year Rate 7-Year Rate

Graduation Rates

AYG 2012 AYG 2013 AYG 2014 AYG 2015 AYG 2016

*”AYG” is Anticipated Year of Graduation and is assigned to students when they enter high school in 9th grade.

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Dropout Rates

Dropout rates in WPS for 2016 are

nearly twice the state’s.

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

3.00%

3.50%

4.00%

4.50%

5.00%

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Westminster Public Schools State

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Composite Colorado ACT Score Trends

1

6

11

16

21

26

31

36

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Westminster Public Schools State

The composite Colorado ACT score in WPS is well below the state average and does not reflect a college ready score.

Part II: Information Concerning Each of Westminster Public

School’s Claims

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District Westminster Sheridan Denver Mapleton Weld 8Number of Students 9,504 1,538 90,234 8,738 2,354Percent English language learner

41.3% 37.8% 31.6% 29.8% 30.6%

Percent minority(non-white)

84.6% 86.6% 77.3% 68.8% 74.9%

Percent eligible for free/reduced meals

82.8% 83.8% 68.5% 61.2% 71.3%

Percent with an individualized education program (IEP)

12.0% 12.6% 10.6% 11.1% 8.2%

2016 percent of points Earned

40.0% 46.6% 54.2% 50.0% 54.0%

2016 accreditation rating Accredited with Priority

Improvement Plan

Accredited with

Improvement Plan

Accredited with

Improvement Plan

Accredited with

Improvement Plan

Accredited with Improvement

Plan

WPS Claim #1: WPS Serves a Highly Mobile, Low Income, Minority-Majority Population with an Innovative Competency Based System

CDE Response: Other districts with similar student demographics have shown that higher student performance is attainable.

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WPS Claim #2: WPS Has Shown a Sustained Trend of School and District Improvement

CDE Response: In 2016, there was a notable decrease in school performance with eight schools re-identified for Priority Improvement or Turnaround plans.

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016

SUNSET RIDGE ES MESA ES SUNSET RIDGE ES MESA ES FAIRVIEW ES COLORADO STEM ACADEMY

FLYNN ES HARRIS PARK ES MESA ES TENNYSON KNOLLS ES SUNSET RIDGE ES MESA ES

TENNYSON KNOLLS ES SUNSET RIDGE ES FLYNN ES SUNSET RIDGE ES MESA ES SUNSET RIDGE ES

CLARA E. METZ ES HIDDEN LAKE HS* SKYLINE VISTA ES FRANCIS M. DAY ES TENNYSON KNOLLS ES HIDDEN LAKE HS*

HIDDEN LAKE HS CLARA E. METZ ES FAIRVIEW ES FLYNN ES FLYNN ES TENNYSON KNOLLS ES

IVER C. RANUM MS SKYLINE VISTA ES FRANCIS M. DAY ES SKYLINE VISTA ES HARRIS PARK ES SHERRELWOOD ES

SHAW HEIGHTS MS JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ES HIDDEN LAKE HS* COLORADO STEM ACADEMY FRANCIS M. DAY ES SKYLINE VISTA ES

HARRIS PARK ES TENNYSON KNOLLS ES SHERRELWOOD ES SHERRELWOOD ES SHERRELWOOD ES M. SCOTT CARPENTER MS

WESTMINSTER ES SHAW HEIGHTS MS HARRIS PARK ES CLARA E. METZ ES SKYLINE VISTA ES JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ES

SKYLINE VISTA ES FAIRVIEW ES WESTMINSTER ES HIDDEN LAKE HS* IVER C. RANUM MS WESTMINSTER ACADEMY

WESTMINSTER HS FRANCIS M. DAY ES TENNYSON KNOLLS ES HARRIS PARK ES COLORADO STEM ACADEMY WESTMINSTER ES

M. SCOTT CARPENTER MS FLYNN ES JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ES SHAW HEIGHTS MS JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ES CLARA E. METZ ES

MESA ES WESTMINSTER ES SHAW HEIGHTS MS JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ES WESTMINSTER HS SHAW HEIGHTS MS

SHERRELWOOD ES M. SCOTT CARPENTER MS WESTMINSTER HS WESTMINSTER HS CLARA E. METZ ES WESTMINSTER HS

FAIRVIEW ES WESTMINSTER HS CLARA E. METZ ES IVER C. RANUM MS SHAW HEIGHTS MS FLYNN ES

FRANCIS M. DAY ES SHERRELWOOD ES M. SCOTT CARPENTER MS FAIRVIEW ES HIDDEN LAKE HS* FRANCIS M. DAY ES

JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ES IVER C. RANUM MS IVER C. RANUM MS WESTMINSTER ES WESTMINSTER ES IVER C. RANUM MS

M. SCOTT CARPENTER MS M. SCOTT CARPENTER MS HARRIS PARK ES

*: Indicates rating based upon AEC performance framework. FAIRVIEW ES

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Claim #2: WPS Has Shown a Sustained Trend of School and District Improvement

CDE Response: When looking at individual school performance, there is variation in progress.

School Name 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016SUNSET RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 66.7 58.2 87.3 65.8 81.9 55.7FLYNN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 53.3 40.3 74.0 61.8 61.9 36.0TENNYSON KNOLLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 51.6 46.9 48.2 68.2 63.1 52.1CLARA E. METZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 50.5 51.1 39.7 54.2 48.7 40.0HIDDEN LAKE HIGH SCHOOL AEC Default 54.1* 57.0* 53.2* 48.0* 58.8*SKYLINE VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 43.8 51.1 71.6 61.2 52.3 49.8HARRIS PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 44.5 59.4 49.2 53.1 56.7 34.2SHAW HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL 45.9 45.3 43.6 51.1 48.4 39.5WESTMINSTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 43.8 37.6 48.9 43.8 44.3 School ClosedWESTMINSTER HIGH SCHOOL 39.4 36.1 43.2 47.4 49.3 37.7IVER C. RANUM MIDDLE SCHOOL New School 26.3 38.2 46.7 51.7 35.2MESA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 27.1 71.8 79.2 74.7 67.0 59.3FRANCIS M. DAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 26.3 43.3 63.5 62.0 54.8 35.4JOSEPHINE HODGKINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 26.3 50.1 44.4 49.6 50.0 46.1M. SCOTT CARPENTER MIDDLE SCHOOL 36.7 37.6 38.6 41.6 39.5 47.8FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 26.6 43.8 64.4 46.4 85.7 26.1SHERRELWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 26.7 28.2 54.1 58.5 52.9 52.1COLORADO STEM ACADEMY New School 51.3 75.9WESTMINSTER ACADEMY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES New School

Note. The presented values reflect the percent of points earned on the performance framework. The colors correspond to the identified plan type.

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WPS Claim #3: Continuous Student Improvement in WPS is Closing Achievement Gaps

CDE Response: While improving, the English language arts achievement percentile ranks are still far below state expectations for the district as a whole and major student groups.

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WPS Claim #3: Continuous Student Improvement in WPS is Closing Achievement Gaps

CDE Response: Mixed performance is shown for math achievement percentile ranks, which are still far below state expectations for the district as a whole and major student groups.

7 10 13 130

20

40

60

80

100

2012 2013 2014 2016

Perc

entil

e Ra

nk

Achievement Percentile Ranks:Elementary School Math

All StudentsELLFRLMinorityIEP

5 8 11 90

20

40

60

80

100

2012 2013 2014 2016

Perc

entil

e Ra

nk

Achievement Percentile Ranks:Middle School Math

2 3 412

0

20

40

60

80

100

2012 2013 2014 2016

Perc

entil

e Ra

nk

Achievement Percentile Ranks:High School Math

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The State Review Panel and AdvancED reports that WPS referenced, also included areas for improvement:• “prioritize the focus on best first instruction and data driven instructional

practices. The Panel notes that the district has undertaken a large number of initiatives with the need to make multiple revisions to several of the practices and processes adopted. The multiple revisions and the substantial number of initiatives currently in place appear to be interfering with the district’s ability to move forward effectively. ”

- State Review Panel, 2015• “evidence from interviews and presentations clearly showed that

stakeholders, especially system personnel, could ‘talk the talk,’ though there was evidence that not all stakeholders had truly adopted the philosophies associated with CBS nor learned the necessary skills to implement CBS with fidelity” - AdvancED, p 36.

WPS Claim #4: WPS’s Success Is Well Recognized by the Education Field

CDE Response: While external reviewers have noted promise in the WPS work, they have also pointed out areas of concern that need attention for effective implementation.

*CBS stands for Competency Based System

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Claim: CDE has refused to allow WPS to assess students at their actual instrumental level.

Claim #5: Scores on State Assessments Under Measure WPS’s Performance

CDE Response

• State law is clear that assessments are administered according to grade level:

“each student enrolled in a public school is required to take the state assessments… at the student’s grade level…”

• State statute allows a student’s grade level to be determined “by the enrolling local education provider,” id.

• Federal law also requires testing at grade level.

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Claim: The District’s CBS is still responding to the recent change to the Common Core and PARCC.

WPS Claim #5: Scores on State Assessments Under Measure WPS’s Performance

2008

•CAP4K passes –directs State Board to establish academic standards in 10 content areas

2009

• Colorado Academic Standards in 10 content areas adopted by State Board of Education

2010

• Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts adopted by State Board of Education

2013-14

• Full implementation of Colorado Academic Standards

• New aligned assessments begin

CDE Response: All Colorado school districts had three years to review and revise their local curriculum and resources to align with new standards in 2013-14. Districts’ performance on the Colorado Academic Standards was fully measured and used for accountability for the first time during spring 2016, more than five years after the last adjustment to the standards.

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Claim #6: CDE’s Priority Improvement Rating is Based on an Unfair, Unbalanced, Subjective, and Inconsistent Comparison with Other Districts

CDE Response:• The performance frameworks are a description of observed

student performance.• Normative targets are baselined and don’t change over time,

meaning districts can show progress against a consistent set of state expectations.

• In its quest to “educate students to their full potential,” § 22-7-1002(4)(a), C.R.S. (2016), the General Assembly has sought through educational accountability to ensure that every student regardless of background “achieves the required level of proficiency on standards as he or she progresses through elementary and secondary education…” Id.

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WPS Claim #7: The 2016 District Performance Framework Magnifies the Defects in the State Accountability System

Indicator 2010-2014 weighting

2016 weightings

Academic Achievement

15% 30% (includes disaggregated achievement results)

Academic Growth

35% 40% (does not include adequate growth)

Academic Growth Gaps

15%

Post-Secondary Workforce Readiness

35% 30%

CDE Response: While the weightings were changed by the SBE for the 2016 frameworks, the changes did not more negatively impact high poverty districts.

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WPS Claim #8: Testing Data is so Unreliable that WPS’s Performance Cannot Be Compared to the Measurements for other School Districts

CDE Response:• Based on a review of previous achievement levels, it appears

that if all students in the state had participated in 2016, the state expectations would have been higher.

• This means that the performance of WPS would have been lower, relatively, than was reported

• Appropriate technical measures were undertaken to ensure that the paper and online results were comparable

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WPS Claim #9: The New District Performance Framework was Illegally Applied Retroactively to the Last Year of the Accountability Clock

CDE Response:

• The process, decision points and changes for the 2016 School and District Performance Frameworks were widely communicated.

• Changes were necessary based on the transition to a new assessment.

• Changes did not prejudice WPS in any way.

Conclusion: CDE Recommendation

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CDE does not recommend approval of the Westminster Public School’s accreditation rating appeal.• The performance of students in WPS warrants a Priority

Improvement rating based upon the achievement, growth, graduation rate, dropout rate and college entrance assessment data.

• Students in WPS need support and attention to meet postsecondary and workforce readiness goals.

• Important work has begun to focus on improvements, through the accountability pathway plan.

Depending upon today’s decision, the SBE may hear the proposed accountability pathway plan on May 4th.

Conclusion: CDE Recommendation