Dear Allies,
In December of 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which requires that states develop a new accountability system for their schools. This new law mandates that schools be rated mostly on academic factors, including test scores and graduation rates. It ALSO allows the inclusion of a non-academic factor that would assess school quality in a more holistic way.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is currently circulating a survey soliciting feedback on the additional “school quality indicator” to be included in our state’s ESSA accountability plan. NYS Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) and Class Size Matters have created an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Index that we strongly believe should be that indicator and we hope you will support it. Please complete the state’s survey by March 20th and also consider attending a regional NYSED ESSA meeting to have your voice heard.
Our Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Index incorporates evidence-based factors proven to strengthen student outcomes and supports what parents want to see in their children’s schools, such as small class sizes, arts education, and low teacher attrition and student suspension rates. The NYSED ESSA survey only briefly mentions an Opportunity to Learn index. NYSAPE and Class Size Matters are gravely concerned that most of the options included are academic, test-based factors. Not only are these factors redundant (they are already included in the other indicators), they do little to address the conditions that must be in place for true and meaningful education to occur.
Please respond to NYSED ESSA survey by March 20th. Some of the factors we include in our OTL Index are cited as separate options and we urge you to mark “Support” for them. These can be found in survey questions:
● #2. Chronic Absenteeism,
● #7. Student Attendance,
● #15. Student Suspension Rate,
● #17. Teacher Attendance,
● #19. Teacher Turnover,
● #23. Parent and Community Engagement,
● #34. Student access to arts education,
● #35. Student access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math,
● #36. Student access to early learning programs, and
● #37. Student access to a full educational program that includes Science, Arts, Music, and Physical Education.
In addition, we urge you to mark “Strongly support” for # 22. Opportunity to Learn Indicators (e.g., class sizes; guidance counselors; many other possibilities) even though the factors cited as part of this are only a few of those we have included in our proposal.
The other options offered in the survey we do NOT support because:
● They are too academic and/or test-based, especially since the rest of the accountability system will be based on these factors, or
● They are too hard to objectively measure or
● They would tend to violate student privacy.
What Can YOU Do? In summary, please TAKE this ACTION:
1. Please complete the NYSED ESSA survey NOW. Survey closes by March 20th.
2. Please also share our Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Index with your school boards and meet with other parents and community members to discuss what you want for your schools.
3. Attend a regional NYSED ESSA meeting to have your voice heard. Please bring a copy of the OTL Index with you to share.
Thank you!
NYS Allies for Public Education & Class Size Matters
In December of 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which requires that states develop a new accountability system for their schools. This new law mandates that schools be rated mostly on academic factors, including test scores and graduation rates. It ALSO allows the inclusion of a non-academic factor that would assess school quality in a more holistic way.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is currently circulating a survey soliciting feedback on the additional “school quality indicator” to be included in our state’s ESSA accountability plan. NYS Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) and Class Size Matters have created an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Index that we strongly believe should be that indicator and we hope you will support it. Please complete the state’s survey by March 20th and also consider attending a regional NYSED ESSA meeting to have your voice heard.
Our Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Index incorporates evidence-based factors proven to strengthen student outcomes and supports what parents want to see in their children’s schools, such as small class sizes, arts education, and low teacher attrition and student suspension rates. The NYSED ESSA survey only briefly mentions an Opportunity to Learn index. NYSAPE and Class Size Matters are gravely concerned that most of the options included are academic, test-based factors. Not only are these factors redundant (they are already included in the other indicators), they do little to address the conditions that must be in place for true and meaningful education to occur.
Please respond to NYSED ESSA survey by March 20th. Some of the factors we include in our OTL Index are cited as separate options and we urge you to mark “Support” for them. These can be found in survey questions:
● #2. Chronic Absenteeism,
● #7. Student Attendance,
● #15. Student Suspension Rate,
● #17. Teacher Attendance,
● #19. Teacher Turnover,
● #23. Parent and Community Engagement,
● #34. Student access to arts education,
● #35. Student access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math,
● #36. Student access to early learning programs, and
● #37. Student access to a full educational program that includes Science, Arts, Music, and Physical Education.
In addition, we urge you to mark “Strongly support” for # 22. Opportunity to Learn Indicators (e.g., class sizes; guidance counselors; many other possibilities) even though the factors cited as part of this are only a few of those we have included in our proposal.
The other options offered in the survey we do NOT support because:
● They are too academic and/or test-based, especially since the rest of the accountability system will be based on these factors, or
● They are too hard to objectively measure or
● They would tend to violate student privacy.
What Can YOU Do? In summary, please TAKE this ACTION:
1. Please complete the NYSED ESSA survey NOW. Survey closes by March 20th.
2. Please also share our Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Index with your school boards and meet with other parents and community members to discuss what you want for your schools.
3. Attend a regional NYSED ESSA meeting to have your voice heard. Please bring a copy of the OTL Index with you to share.
Thank you!
NYS Allies for Public Education & Class Size Matters