CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has released school accountability results for the 2018-19 school year. Full results are available online.
“The results show improvement from 2017-18 to 2018-19 with more schools exceeding expectations and fewer schools partially or not meeting expectations,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. “Deliberate state and local supports are proving effective in helping schools improve student outcomes.”
This is the second year that schools have operated under a new comprehensive accountability system that reflects requirements from both state and federal accountability systems. School performance is evaluated based on a combination of student performance indicators. Chief among those indicators is student performance on the state assessment, WY-TOPP.
Under state law, all Wyoming elementary, middle, and traditional high schools receive one of four School Performance Ratings (SPR): Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, or Not Meeting Expectations. For the first time, alternative schools also received a rating this year based on their performance on a different scoring model. The 2018-19 SPRs show that 56.1% of Wyoming traditional schools are Meeting or Exceeding Expectations and 70.6% of Wyoming alternative schools are Meeting or Exceeding Alternative School Expectations.
Under federal law, schools in need of support are identified. There are three types of support:
- Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) is for Title I schools performing among the lowest in the state and any school with a graduation rate below 67 percent.
- Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) is for any school that has a specific group of students that is not performing well.
- Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) is for schools that have a specific group of students that is chronically not performing well.
There are currently 20 schools designated as CSI, 42 schools designated as TSI, and one school designated as ATSI.
“State and federal requirements, working together, give us a comprehensive and transparent view of education in Wyoming,” Balow said. “These results give us a picture of which schools are performing well – and which need assistance and support, so we can better serve our students. At the state level we lead efforts to assist our lowest performing schools. The real work takes place when school leaders provide interventions to struggling students and improve school culture.”
The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) will host a media call-in at 1 p.m. on Monday, September 16 to discuss the 2018-19 school performance ratings. To join the call-in, visit www.uberconference.com/wdeuberconference, or dial 888-670-9530 or 307-438-9905, or join us in person in Room 227 of the Herschler East Building, 122 W. 25th St. E200 in Cheyenne.
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Accountability FAQ
Media contact:
Michelle Panos, Communications Director
307-777-2053
michelle.panos1@wyo.gov
