Accountability Framework

Publication Date: February 16, 2021

Background

In a state in which nearly two in five (37%) students are or have been English learners, and where the more than 1.1 million English learners have consistently faced opportunity gaps and inadequate public services, we need an accountability system that makes their needs and gaps visible and drives continuous improvement in our system to respond. We can no longer accept an accountability system that fails to set high standards. We call upon California’s leadership – the State Board of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond, and the legislature – to step up and finally build the accountability system English learners (ELs) deserve, and that will serve our state’s goals of equity and quality education for all.

About the Accountability Framework

The Accountability Framework outlines steps to achieve an effective and coherent accountability system for English learners that support all levels of the state’s educational system. It also provides recommendations for addressing high priority gaps that require urgent action, especially in light of the COVID-19 era. Led by Laurie Olsen Ph.D., the framework was developed by Californians Together and several of its coalition members.

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The 5 Components Of An Effective And Coherent Accountability System For ELs

1. Setting High Expectations for All Schools and LEAs Regarding EL Achievement.

Sets high expectations. The system sets aspirational goals for progress and attainment for ELs on the Data Dashboard.

Focuses on closing gaps. The system centers equity, with clear and ambitious goals for closing opportunity and academic gaps between ELs and non-ELs—including setting differentiated growth expectations for ELs in the LCAPs that commit all educators in our system to catching them up to their peers.

Sets clear goals for development of English proficiency. The system focuses on growth toward English proficiency. It encourages the celebration of benchmarks as progress is made—incorporating EL-specific elements such as tracking the length of time ELs have been in the system, tracking the language acquisition programs and services they receive, etc.

Sets expectations for use of resources. The LCAPs and system are designed to track the allocation and use of supplemental and concentration funds and other resources targeted to meet the needs of ELs, establishing accountability for appropriate investment in evidence-based approaches and investments in quality implementation.

Aligns to the vision for EL achievement in the EL Roadmap. The system aligns to the CA EL Roadmap’s asset-based vision and 21st century education goals, including its priority on developing students’ dual language proficiency.

2. Assessing And Monitoring Against Those Expectations (State Accountability And District Continuous Improvement).

Identifies and focuses on subcategories of ELs. Recognizing the diversity within the EL population, the system utilizes meaningful and clear definitions and subcategories of ELs. It is transparent about who is included in definitions for calculating specific dashboard indicators, thus enabling targeted responses and equity/gap analyses. The LCAPs and Dashboard indicators enable disaggregation and analysis by typology of students, programs or services provided, and length of time in U.S. schools. This includes newcomers, Long-Term English learners, and English learners with disabilities.

Utilizes meaningful and reliable assessments. The system uses assessments reported on the Data Dashboard that accurately and validly reflect what EL students know and can do. The assessments are normed for English learners and are standards-based. The ideal case is to match the language of instruction to language in which a student is assessed for dual language programs, which in turn should address any biases in the design.

Monitors access and structures for opportunity gaps. The system tracks access and inputs in the education of ELs, such as instructional minutes, access to digital and other materials, access to the full curriculum, provision of Designated and Integrated ELD, appropriate staffing of programs, etc.—thereby informing continuous improvement towards closing achievement and opportunity gaps.

Focuses on growth. The system and Data Dashboard incorporate a growth model focusing on progress towards goals with clear tracking of starting points, articulation of growth expectations by year, and how timelines to English proficiency will be assigned to a newly identified EL of various typologies.

Addresses goals of biliteracy. The system further codifies California’s goals of increased opportunities for all students to attain proficiency in two or more languages. It recognizes the importance of EL biliteracy by incorporating assessments that track biliteracy progress, all of which

is included in the Data Dashboard.

3. Ensuring Action By Identifying Areas For Improvement And Promise.

Shines a spotlight on the successes. The system identifies the strengths in schools in order to inform action and spotlights promising practices where the system is succeeding.

Highlights areas needing improvement. The system enables identifying areas of need both in terms of student progress and achievement and in terms of practice and implementation as part of all levels of the System of Support.

Informs planning and drives continuous improvement. The system is designed to support learning and inquiry, enabling schools and districts to form hypotheses about why a school or district has certain results, address those results, and inform further actions (such as program planning or resource allocation in the LCAP or budget).

Supports targeting specific subcategories of English learners. The system drives inquiry and planning that identifies and responds to the specific needs of particular subcategories of

English learners.

Builds the capacity of educators. The system includes training and support for educators in understanding and using assessment and accountability data meaningfully for inquiry and informing their planning and services as part of the professional development described in the LCAP.

Ensures implementation of the CA English Learner Roadmap. The system focuses educators’ attention on the comprehensive and inter-related principles of the CA English Learner Roadmap, aligns local policy with the Roadmap, and explicitly facilitates local continuous improvement

goals and plans for implementing the Roadmap as part of all levels of the System of Support.

4. Engaging All Levels Of The System (Including The State) With Clear Roles For The California Department Of Education, The County Offices Of Education, And The California Collaborative For Educational Excellence.

Provides support and guidance. The system provides high-quality guidance and triggers supports for improvement that are robust, appropriate, and EL informed. This requires the California Department of Education as well as California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and County Offices of Education (COEs) to be adequately funded and staffed with EL expertise to support an EL-responsive accountability system.

Incorporates a strong monitoring role for the state. The state monitors differentiated growth targets and holds districts accountable for meeting those targets. It also establishes policies, protocols, and procedures for COEs to monitor and set differentiated growth targets for their districts and monitor the EL English proficiency progress, which is benchmarked to expected growth targets for specific EL typologies.

Empowers COEs to hold districts accountable. The system establishes a consistent message of urgency, expectation, and bottom lines for EL access and growth, with clear consequences of support and, when necessary, oversight and assurance that the EL needs will be addressed, including through LCAP reviews and differentiated assistance by COEs.

Commits to a robust state accountability role in times of unusual threats to equity and access.

The system is responsive to extraordinary circumstances that pose a threat to equity and access, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, by engaging EL expertise at the table, shaping guidance to the field, and defining responsive accountability measures to evaluate and track equity and access.

5. Supporting Key Drivers Of Success Throughout.

Engages stakeholders. The system meaningfully engages stakeholders in linguistically and culturally accessible transparent forums and formats that assure voices and concerns play a meaningful role in shaping the LCAPs and the continuous improvement plans of schools and districts.

Provides transparency. The system is designed to facilitate meaningful involvement of people both inside and outside of the school system. This includes making it possible for all stakeholders to understand how and to what extent the EL student group’s performance counts toward overall school accountability ratings.

Establishes an equity imperative. The system is focused on the equitable distribution of resources and the closing of opportunity gaps.

Focuses on meaningful continuous improvement. The accountability system and the System of Support shine the light and urgency on gaps and celebrate growth and bright spots—holding all stakeholders accountable for continuous improvement at a significant pace.

Provides adequate resources. The system provides resources necessary to implement and maintain the accountability system, including the state’s monitoring of districts and support for professional learning for educators.

Recommendations

We are calling upon the State Board of Education, the State Superintendent of Instruction, and education leaders and policymakers to urgently address the following:

Increase Transparency. Create consistent and transparent definitions of which students are included in the “English learner” category and disaggregate data by the different types of English learners and their program placement.

Set High Expectations. Set high expectations for EL achievement and biliteracy and ensure assessments to measure these expectations are in place. The expected growth for English language development and academic achievement must be aspirational and the California Spanish Assessment needs to be parallel to the English Language Arts assessment to demonstrate biliteracy.

Proactively Close Gaps. Require that LEAs develop differentiated goals and growth targets for subcategories of ELs and establish a work group to focus on the threats to access and equity for English learners as a result of the COVID-19 era.

Support for the Accountability Framework

Californians Together along with the undersigned partner organizations, call upon California’s leadership—the State Board of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond, and the legislature—to step up and finally build the accountability system that ELs deserve, and that will serve our state’s goals of equity and quality education for all.

Association of Mexican American Educators

California Association of Bilingual Educators - Political Action Committee

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