PUBLIC NOTICE
Submission to the United States Department of Education
Application for Waiver of State Education Agency Requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
In March 2020, responding to the impact of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic on schools across the nation, the US Department of Education (USED) granted states waivers for the 2019-20 school year from annual assessment and accountability duties required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, USED is offering states the opportunity to apply for waivers related to accountability provisions required under ESSA.
The State Educational Agency (SEA) is inviting the public and interested LEAs to comment in the manner provided below.
Summary of Waiver Request
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) plans to seek a waiver in all areas offered by the USED. Those areas include the following provisions:
1. Accountability and school identification requirements in ESEA sections 1111(c)(4) and1111(d)(2)(C)-(D): the requirements that a State measure progress toward long-term goals and measurements of interim progress; meaningfully differentiate, on an annual basis, all public schools, including by adjusting the Academic Achievement indicator based on a participation rate below 95 percent; and identify schools for comprehensive, targeted, and additional targeted support and improvement based on data from the 2020-2021 school year.
2. Report card provisions related to accountability in ESEA section 1111(h) based on data from the 2020-2021 school year. These include:
a. Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i)(I)-(IV) and (VI) (Accountability system description, other than the list of comprehensive, targeted, and additional targeted support and improvement schools).
b. Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(iii)(I) (Other Academic indicator results for schools that are not high schools).
c. Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(v) (School Quality or Student Success indicator results).
d. Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(vi) (Progress toward meeting long-terms goals and measurements of interim progress).
e. Section 1111(h)(2)(C) with respect, at the local educational agency (LEA) and school levels, to all waived requirements in section 1111(h)(1)(C).
This waiver request would replace earlier targeted support and intervention schools and academic assessments waiver requests from the DPI.
As required under ESEA section 8401(b)(3)(A), the SEA must provide the public and interested LEAs notice and a reasonable opportunity to comment in the manner in which the SEA customarily provides similar notice and opportunity to comment to the public.
Further Information and Location for Providing Written Comments
Public comment on the application described above may be submitted by using the Department’s form for submitting comment at https://forms.gle/MiKYTqH5MRrKqGMB6. Questions or additional comment may be accepted by using the contact information below. Written comments should be submitted no later than noon on Friday, April 2, 2020, in order to receive consideration. Agency Contact Person
Viji Somasundaram, Director
Office of Educational Accountability
Division for Student and School Success
Department of Public Instruction
125 South Webster Street
P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
