Federal Accountability
Defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Under ESSA, each state submits its own plan with achievement and graduation rate goals for schools, measures for how well schools are doing, and priorities for the use of federal funds.
Under ESSA, states set their own long-term and interim goals for schools. Wyoming’s plan contains goals for achievement in math and reading, the on-time graduation rate, and English language proficiency.
Wyoming’s goals are derived from baselines determined in 2017-18, having each school perform as well as schools in the top 35 percent:
- 88 percent Graduation Rate.
- Grade 3-8 Math = 57 percent of students Proficient or Better.
- Grade 3-8 Reading = 59 percent of students Proficient or Better.
- High School Math = 47 percent of students Proficient or Better.
- High School Reading = 53 percent of students Proficient or Better.
- Growth for students learning English = 59 percent of students learning English making progress.
State Accountability
Defined in the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act (WAEA). This law takes into account measures specifically related to educational goals in Wyoming.
Traditional schools receive one of four overall performance ratings:
- Exceeding Expectations.
- Meeting Expectations.
- Partially Meeting Expectations.
- Not Meeting Expectations.
School performance ratings are determined from a variety of indicators:
- Student growth.
- Readiness.
- Achievement.
- Equity
- English language proficiency.
- Postsecondary readiness.
- Graduation rates.
- Credits earned.
For alternative schools, the measures are similar to traditional schools with the addition of Climate and Engagement as additional indicators. Alternative schools receive one of four SPRs:
- Exceeding Alternative Expectations.
- Meeting Alternative Expectations.
- Partially Meeting Alternative Expectations.
- Not Meeting Alternative Expectations.
Under ESSA, schools that are struggling the most are identified for support. As part of the WAEA, support is provided to help Wyoming schools increase student and school performance. This support includes statewide professional development and district accreditation, school improvement planning, monitoring, and onsite technical support. Additional support is available for schools partially meeting and not meeting expectations through WAEA and those schools federally designated as Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) and Targeted School Improvement (TSI).
