I commend the Commonwealth for making the following changes to its School Performance and Support Framework, which move Virginia closer to best practice, and support the twin goals of equity and excellence:

1) ELL FOCUS. The new accountability system stops the abhorrent practice of excluding the progress (or lack thereof) of Virginia's English language learners. Progress in English language proficiency is now part of the "mastery" calculation at each grade band. Under the old state accreditation system's combined rate, non-proficient English Learners were excluded for up to 5.5 years (11 semesters). The new system lowers that adjustment period to 1.5 years.

This will newly include 35,000 students who were excluded under the old state accreditation system.

By including most ELL students in its accountability system, Virginia will encourage school divisions to pay greater attention and provide strong supports to this critical student group.
 
2) N-SIZE adjustment. In the past, VA has left out too many students in its accountability system. Virginia will lower the n-size for disaggregation of information by each subgroup of students for accountability purposes. Virginia will change the minimum n of 30 to 15 students. The State will now better identify low performing schools and provide supports to groups of students within these schools without inappropriately identifying successful schools or permitting unsuccessful schools to avoid accountability.

This is a major step in the right direction!

3) Middle School Advanced Coursework: Prioritizing advanced coursework in middle school to prepare students for success, particularly in math.

This is in line with the recommendations of the National Working Group on Advanced Education, and should significantly increase the number of Virginia students, including those from marginalized groups, ready to access and succeed in challenging high school courses, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Dual Enrollment.

4) Performance Labels: Virginia is proposing clear and transparent language to show how schools are performing and ensure accountability.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on Virginia's much improved accountability system.

Cordially,

Michael J. Petrilli
President
Thomas B. Fordham Institute