DEADLINE: Thursday, May 1, 2003
As required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, the state accountability system must include all public schools in the state even if a school does not have a tested grade.
In Arkansas, schools are configured in many ways. Among these are a small number of schools, such as single-grade kindergarten centers, schools with only the seventh grade, and schools having some combination of kindergarten through second grade.
The accountability plan submitted to the U.S. Department of Education requires districts that have schools without a tested grade (Feeder schools) on the Benchmark or End-of-Course tests to pair with a school having a tested grade. In cases when the school with a tested grade meets the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP,) the Feeder school will also be considered to have met the AYP. If a school fails to meet the AYP, the Feeder school will also be required to meet the same sanction as the school having the tested grade.
In the cases of districts that may have a divided high school—Grades 9-10 on one campus and Grades 11-12 on another campus—those schools will be paired and considered as one unit.
Feeder schools should be paired with a school within the district having the next tested grade.
Examples:
A seventh grade school should be paired with a school testing Grade 8.
A fifth grade school should be paired with a school testing Grade 6.
A kindergarten center should be paired with a school testing Grade 4.
All districts are expected to complete the attached form and mail or fax it to the address listed below no later than Thursday, May 1, 2003. The district of the Feeder schools will be allowed to amend this designation when additional assessments are administered, a new school is added to the district, or a school changes grade configuration.
Arkansas Department of Education
Janinne Riggs, Assistant Director
School Improvement & Professional Development
#4 Capitol Mall, Room 406-B
Little Rock, AR 72201
Fax - 501-682-5756