Ed Week Examines Arizona’s ESSA Plan
October 23, 2017
An Education Week blog takes a look at Arizona’s ESSA plan, and how civil rights advocates are concerned how it will impact transient students. The plan, which has already been approved by the U.S. Department of Education, “attaches different weights to students test scores, depending on how long a student has been at a particular school.” According to UNIDOS US Field Campaign Manager Callie Kozlak, it is “concerning that there is a weight based on time in school and that students could potentially count less if they are enrolled in school for a shorter time. This could potentially have a disparate impact on disadvantaged students who move during the school year due to extenuating circumstances.” The Arizona Department of Education doesn’t agree, however, and says the system is designed to make sure schools are truly held accountable “for the work they’ve done with students they’ve been educating for years, as opposed to the kids who just walked in the door.”