States Seek New "Ambitious" ESSA Goals

The NCLB law set a 12-year deadline for states to achieve universal proficiency, with progress measured by the adequate yearly progress, or AYP, and benchmarks.  In contrast to the NCLB law, ESSA requires only that states set "ambitious" academic achievement, graduation rate, and English-language proficiency goals without setting specific deadlines.  According to Burnette's article in Education Week, many states are coming up with the “ambitious ... long-term goals” required in the accountability plans they must submit to the federal government later this year under the Every Student Succeeds Act.  For example:

• Delaware: Proposes to increase its graduation rate from 84 to 92 percent by 2030; also wants to boost the proportion of students passing its English/language arts exam from 50 percent to 70 percent and raise the proportion of those passing the math exam from 36 to 70 percent by that same year.

• Hawaii: Has more than 14 goals that include reducing chronic absenteeism by 6 percent, increasing 3rd-grade literacy by 11 percent, and increasing its graduation rate by 4 percent by 2020.

• Illinois: Is proposing that 90 percent of its 3rd graders will read at or above grade level by 2032; that 90 percent of 5th graders will meet or exceed math expectations by that year; and that 90 percent of students will graduate from high school college- or career-ready by then.

• Louisiana: Proposes to “raise the ambition of its long-term goals for students to levels exceeding the national average in every measure.” For example, receiving an A on the state report card, would require that high schools graduate more than 90 percent of their students, that high school students receive at least a 21 on the ACT college-readiness test, which is used as the statewide exam (up from the 18 score currently required), and that the majority of the students receive a “mastery” rating on the state’s standardized test rather than “basic.

• Maryland: Is “proposing to implement an ambitious and rigorous long-term goal of reducing nonproficient students by one-half by the year 2030.” The state wants to cut in half its achievement gap within six years.

• Montana: In its final plan, Montana sets a 2020 target date, but no uniform goals for districts. “Local school districts should take the lead on setting goals for their community schools. Measurement of quality at the state level must be rigorous, yet flexible,” the plan states.

• Oklahoma: Without giving specifics, says it “is a priority ... that the long-term goals are lofty but achievable” and that the state “is committed to providing [local districts], schools and students the supports necessary to achieve these goals.”

• Tennessee: Has proposed, among other things, that the state will rank in the top half of states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress by 2019, that 75 percent of its 3rd graders will be proficient in reading by 2025, and that the average ACT composite score in Tennessee will be a 21 by 2020.

• Washington: Wants to have all of its students “on track” to meeting statewide standards in 20 years.