New Federal Rule Puts Schools’ Standings At Risk

March 31, 2010

Schools around the region could lose their favorable ratings this year because of a new federal guideline on special education.

Even if the performance of Beach special education students improves this year, the school system could see half of its high schools miss federal testing benchmarks. States will no longer be able to add points to the pass rates of students with disabilities, as Virginia schools and divisions have each year since 2005. The passing status of schools in every city is at risk.

"We’re sounding the alarm. This is going to impact all divisions in Virginia," said Jared Cotton, assistant superintendent for accountability in Beach schools. Standards of Learning tests, which determine which schools meet benchmarks next year, will be given to students between April and June.

To meet federal targets known as Adequate Yearly Progress, students in various racial, income and ability groupings must reach annual goals. The pass rates for 2010 are 83 and 85 percent, though Virginia has asked for permission to keep a lower rate.
Through last year, schools where special education students scored below all other groups could tack 15 percentage points onto Standards of Learning reading pass rates and 16 percentage points onto math pass rates through what’s known as a proxy percentage.

All Virginia Beach high schools have met standards for the past few years, even as required pass rates have increased.

Cotton said as many as six high schools, along with five middle schools, are at risk of losing passing status under the new rules. All five of the middle schools already missed in another area. Elementary schools usually have so few special education students in testing grades that their pass rates aren’t calculated separately.

Nationally, 17 states were using proxy percents, but a letter from the U.S. Department of Education ended the practice earlier this month. Each of the states were working to develop alternative tests for special education students.

Virginia’s version, the Virginia Modified Achievement Standards Test (VMAST), will be field-tested this year for eighth-graders. But there are no plans to implement it because of a lack of funding, the state’s super intendent for public instruction said in a memo last month.

Christine Caskey, assistant superintendent for curriculum in Virginia Beach, said her office already works with schools on their individual weak spots.

But with testing weeks away, there’s little time for new strategies.

Dan Edwards, chairman of the School Board, likened it to "changing the strike zone when the pitch is 10 feet away."