I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to focus public education strategies on a process that promotes higher academic achievement for all students and ensures broad-based community participation in decisions regarding the implementation of state and federal laws.
II. GENERAL STATEMENT
Implementation of the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards and federal laws will require a new level of accountability for the Moorhead Area Public Schools. The school district also will establish a system to review and improve instruction, curriculum, and assessment which will include substantial input from students, parents/guardians, and local community members. The school district is accountable to the public and the state through annual reporting.
III. DEFINITIONS
A. "Credit" means a student's successful completion of an academic year of study or a student's mastery of the applicable subject matter, as determined by the school district.
B. "World's Best Workforce" means striving to: meet school readiness goals; close the academic achievement gap among all racial and ethnic groups of students and between students living in poverty and students not living in poverty; have all students attain career and college readiness before graduating from high school, and have all students graduate from high school.
IV. ESTABLISHMENT OF GOALS; IMPLEMENTATION; EVALUATION AND REPORTING
A. School District Goals
1. The Moorhead School Board has established school district-wide goals which provide broad direction for the school district. Incorporated in these goals are the graduation and education standards contained in the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards and federal law. The broad goals shall be reviewed annually and approved by the School Board. The School Board shall adopt annual goals based on the recommendations of the Instruction and Curriculum Advisory Committee (ICAC).
2. The improvement goals should address recommendations identified through the ICAC committee process. The ICAC Committee is established by the school board to ensure active community participation in all phases of planning and improving instruction and curriculum affecting state and district academic standards. (Procedure 230.6 MAPS School Board Instruction and Curriculum Committee)
3. The school district-wide improvement goals should address recommendations identified through the ICAC committee process. The school district's goal-setting process will include consideration of individual site goals. School district goals may be developed through an evaluation of student progress and a locally determined process.
B. System for Reviewing All Instruction and Curriculum
Incorporated in the process is the analysis of the school district's progress toward implementation of the Minnesota Academic Standards (Administrative Procedure 601.1: Moorhead Area Public Schools Academic Standards Curriculum Review Cycle). Instruction and curriculum shall be reviewed and evaluated by taking into account strategies and best practices, student outcomes, and principal evaluations under Minnesota Statutes section 123B.147, Subdivision 3, and teacher evaluations under Minnesota Statutes section 122A.40, Subdivision 8, or 122A.41, Subdivsion 5.
C. Implementation of Graduation Requirements
1. ICAC shall advise the School Board on the implementation of the state and local graduation requirements, including K-12 curriculum, assessment, student learning opportunities, and other related issues. Recommendations of this committee shall be published annually to the community. The school board shall receive public input and comments and shall adopt or update this policy at least annually. The ICAC Committee will serve as the Advisory Committee for Comprehensive Continuous Improvement of Student Achievement.
2. The School Board shall annually review and determine if student achievement levels at each school site meet federal expectations. If the School Board determines that student achievement levels at a school site do not meet federal expectations and the site has not made adequate yearly progress for two consecutive school years, ICAC shall work with the school site to adopt a plan to raise student achievement levels to meet federal expectations. ICAC may seek assistance from the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) (the Commissioner) in developing a plan which must include parental involvement components.
3. The educational assessment system component utilized by the School Board to measure individual students' educational progress must be based, to the extent annual tests are administered, on indicators of current achievement that show growth relative to an individual student's prior achievement. Indicators of achievement and prior achievement must be based on highly reliable statewide or district-wide assessments. The School Board will utilize models developed by the Commissioner for measuring individual student progress. The School Board must coordinate with MDE in evaluating school sites and continuous improvement plans consistent with best practices.
D. Comprehensive Continuous Improvement of Student Achievement
1. By October of each year, the ICAC will meet to advise and assist the school district in the implementation of the school district system accountability and comprehensive continuous improvement process.
2. ICAC, working in cooperation with other committees of the school district (technology, grade level, curriculum and assessment committees, etc.), will provide active community participation in:
a. Reviewing the school district instructional and curriculum plan, with emphasis on implementing the Minnesota Academic Standards;
b. Identifying annual instruction and curriculum improvement goals for recommendation to the School Board;
c. Making recommendations regarding the evaluation process that is used to measure school district progress toward its goals;
3. The ICAC shall meet the following criteria:
a. The advisory committee shall ensure active community participation in all planning for instruction and curriculum affecting graduation standards.
b. The advisory committee shall make recommendations to the School Board on school district-wide standards, assessments, and program evaluation.
c. Building teams may be established as subcommittees to develop and implement an education effectiveness plan and to carry out methods to improve instruction, curriculum, and assessments as well as methods to use technology in meeting the school district improvement plan.
d. A local process shall be used for developing a plan for assessment of student progress toward the academic standards as well as program evaluation data for use by the advisory committee in the instruction and curriculum review process. This plan shall annually be approved by the School Board.
5. Translation services should be provided to the extent appropriate and practicable.
6. The advisory committee shall meet the following timeline each year:
September: Organizational meeting of the committee to review the authorizing legislation and the roles and responsibilities of the committee as determined by the School Board. Provide direction to and review the "Summary of the World's Best Workforce Annual Report on Curriculum, Instruction and Student Achievement."
1. September to May: Review evaluation results and prepare recommendations.
2. November: Become familiar with the instruction and curriculum of the cycle content area.
3. November: Present recommendations to the School Board for its input and approval.
D. Evaluation of Student Progress Committee.
A committee of licensed professional staff shall develop a plan for assessment of student progress toward the Minnesota Academic Standards, as well as program evaluation data for use by the ICAC committee in the instruction and curriculum, cultural competencies, including cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication, and student achievement at the school site. This plan shall be approved annually by the School Board.
E. Educational Planning and Assessment System.
The school district may elect to participate in a program to provide a longitudinal, systematic approach to student educational and career planning, assessment, instructional support, and evaluation.
F. Reporting.
1. Consistent with Minnesota Statutes section 120B.36, subdivision 1, the School Board shall publish a report in the newspaper with the largest circulation in the district, by mail or by electronic means on the school district website. The School Board shall hold an annual public meeting to review and revise, where appropriate, student achievement goals, local assessment outcomes, plans, strategies, and practices for improving curriculum and instruction, and to review school district success in realizing the previously adopted student achievement goals and related benchmarks and the improvement plans leading to the world’s best workforce. The School Board must transmit an electronic summary of its report to the Commissioner in the form and manner the Commissioner determines. The school district shall periodically survey affected constituencies about their connection to and level of satisfaction with the school. The school district shall include the results of this evaluation in its summary report to the Commissioner.
2. The school performance report for a school site and a school district must include performance reporting information and calculate proficiency rates as required by the most recently reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
3. The school district must annually report the district's class size ratios by each grade to the commissioner of education in the form and manner specified by the Commissioner.
4. The school district must report whether programs funded with compensatory revenue are consistent with best practices demonstrated to improve student achievement.
Legal References:
Minn. Stat. 120B.02 (Educational Expectations for Minnesota's Students)
Minn. Stat. 120B.018 (Definitions)
Minn. Stat. 120B.11 (School District Process)
Minn. Stat. 120B.128 (Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) Program)
Minn. Stat. 120B.35 (Student Achievement Levels)
Minn. Stat. 120B.36 (School Accountability; Appeals Process)
Minn. Stat. 122A.40, Subd. 8 (Employment; Contracts; Termination)
Minn. Stat. 122A.41, Subd. 5 (Teacher Tenure Act; Cities of the First Class; Definitions)
Minn. Stat. 123B.04 (Site Decision Making Agreement)
Minn. Stat. 123B.147, Subd. 3 (Principals)
Minn. Stat. § 126C.12 (Learning and Development Revenue Amount and Use)
Minn. Rules Part 3501.0640-3501.0655 (Academic Standards for Language Arts)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0700-3501.0745 (Academic Standards for Mathematics)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0800-3501.0815 (Academic Standards for the Arts)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.0900-3501.0955 (Academic Standards in Science)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.1300-3501.1345 (Academic Standards for Social Studies)
Minn. Rules Parts 3501.1400-3501.1410 (Academic Standards for Physical Education)
20 U.S.C. 6301, et seq. (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA))
Cross References:
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 104 (School District Mission Statement)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 601 (School District Curriculum and Instruction Goals)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 613 (Graduation Requirements)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 614 (School District Testing Plan and Procedure)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 615 (Testing Accommodations, Modifications, and Exemptions for IEPs, Section 504 Plans, and LEP Students)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 617 (School District Ensurance of Preparatory and High School Standards)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 618 (Assessment of Student Achievement)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 619 (Staff Development for Standards)
MSBA/MASA Model Policy 620 (Credit for Learning)
Moorhead School Board Policy 104: Mission Statement
Moorhead School Board Policy 601: Curriculum and Instruction Goals of Moorhead Area Public Schools
Moorhead School Board Policy 613: Moorhead Area Public Schools Graduation Policy
Moorhead School Board Policy 619: Staff Development for Minnesota Academic Standards
Moorhead School Board Policy 620: Credit for Learning of Minnesota Graduation Standards
Moorhead School Board Policy 615: Testing Accommodations, Modifications, and Exemptions for IEPS, Section 504 Plans and LEP Students
Moorhead School Board Policy 614: Moorhead Area Public Schools State Mandated Testing Plan and Procedure