U.S. Department of Education Approves State Plan to Restart School Accountability System

The following is from the New York State Education Department.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) approved the State Education Department’s plan to restart the federally required accountability system for the 2022-23 school year based upon 2021-22 school year results, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. The accountability plan addresses disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and modifies accountability indicators and processes to best support New York’s schools.

Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, "The plan approved by USDE lays the groundwork for systemic changes to our state's accountability plan to make it more responsive to our parents and communities while meeting the needs of all New York State students. Our accountability system builds on our work to improve academic achievement, provide equitable support systems, and enhance customer service."

Commissioner Rosa said, “Driven by our commitment to developing a reliable, transparent, and better understood accountability system going forward, the restart plan focuses on how we will partner with schools and districts to provide support for improving student learning and academic outcomes.”

The Department consulted with assessment experts, educational leaders, parents, students, community-based organizations, and stakeholders and performed extensive modeling to develop the ESSA Accountability State Plan Addendum submitted to USDE in August 2022. USDE approved amendments to the state’s accountability plan for the 2021–2022 school year that include the following:

• modifications to New York’s accountability indicators;
• revisions to the methodology for determining accountability identifications; and
• modification of exit criteria for identified schools.

To obtain approval of the accountability plan addendum, USDE required New York State to assure that any amendments will impact only accountability determinations based on data from the 2021-22 school year and school identifications in fall 2022. Any possible updates to the New York State Plan beyond the 2022-23 school year must be submitted at a later date.

Based on the plan addendum approval granted by USDE, NYSED presented to the Board of Regents at its October 2022 meeting proposed regulatory amendments to implement the amended plan and to restart the federally required accountability system.

The full text of the accountability plan addendum and resources for districts are posted on NYSED’s school and district accountability webpage. Comments on the proposed regulations will be accepted through December 19, 2022, and may be emailed to REGCOMMENTS@nysed.gov(link sends e-mail).