TechnicalFactSheet:PrioritySchoolsIdentification
Recently, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) provided Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) with information about Priority Schools that were identified using School Year (SY) 2011‐2012 achievement data. Priority Schools are part of a new accountability system associated with West Virginia’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Request. The ESEA Flexibility request includes guidelines and requirements around the three principles of (1) Standards and Assessments, (2) A Revised Accountability and Support System, and (3) Educator Effectiveness and Support. The WVDE submitted an ESEA Flexibility Request to the U.S. Department of Education in September of SY 2012‐2013 with a planned implementation in SY 2013‐2014. As part of Principle 2, Priority Schools are identified based only using achievement data. The subsequent information details the Priority School identification process, school‐
specific data, implications for Priority Schools, and exit criteria. PrioritySchoolIdentificationOverview
In order to identify a Priority school, the WVDE examines achievement data from WESTEST 2 and APTA for all tested students in grades 3 through 8 using the SY 2011‐2012 data. Please note, the designation of elementary, middle, or high school is based on WV’s accountability classification. It is determined by the highest grade level of accountability (i.e., 4, 8, or 12) in a school, regardless of grade configuration. For example, a school with students in grades K‐8 would be designated a middle school, while a school with students in grades 7‐12 would be designated a high school. To access technical documentation regarding WV’s Accountability System, please visit http://wvde.state.wv.us/esea/support/. A key characteristic of WV’s new accountability system include cell size counts. This new accountability system uses a minimum cell size of 20 students across all grades in a school to identify a valid subgroup. This is taken into account when a school’s Annual Measureable Objectives are calculated. AMOs are proficiency‐based goals that are based on each school’s subgroup‐specific SY 2011‐2012 accountability results. Each subgroup has a trajectory based upon a goal of 75% by 2020. PrioritySchoolIdentificationProcess
Step1:CombineMathematicsandEnglish/LanguageArtsProficiencyRates
Each school’s proficiency rate in Mathematics and English/Language Arts for the All Students subgroup is averaged. This results in a combined Mathematics and English/Language Arts proficiency rate. This combined proficiency rate is used to rank schools in Step 2. Step2:RankSchools
Schools are ranked from top to bottom using the combined proficiency rate. Step3:IdentifyTitleISchoolatthe5thPercentile
The WVDE identifies the Title I school at the 5th percentile within this ranking. This school is the threshold for determining the remaining Priority Schools. Step4:IdentifyremainingPrioritySchools
All schools (i.e., Title I and non‐Title I schools) that exhibit proficiency rates lower than the identified 5th percentile Title I schools are identified as Priority schools.  Historical trend data are used to validate Priority school selections: o Using achievement (i.e., proficiency rates), all schools are ranked from top to bottom. o Once schools are ranked, they are coded from lowest to highest using quartiles (i.e., red, orange, yellow, green). o Schools are also coded by quartile using the three most recent years of achievement data to establish a trend of performance (e.g., 2012, 2011 and 2010). o Schools must demonstrate persistent low performance to be identified a Priority school. Using the process outlined above, the WVDE identified several schools that exceeded the required number of Title I schools (i.e., 5% or 18 of the Title I schools). Because West Virginia has implemented a statewide model and believes that low‐performing schools, irrespective of Title I eligibility, should receive support, the same criteria is applied to all schools in the state. By expanding the scope to include non‐Title I schools, additional schools were identified as having an Achievement Index score less than the highest ranked Title I Priority School. NextSteps
WV’s new accountability system focuses on current performance and improvement. Based on the WVAI scores and AMOs, schools should strive to make progress on both. To help Priority schools meet their established WVAI targets and AMOs, the following Turnaround Principles will be implemented: 
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Provide strong leadership Ensure that teachers are effective and able to improve instruction Redesign the school day, week, or year Strengthen the school’s instructional program Use data to inform instruction Establish a school environment that improves safety and discipline and address other non‐
academic factors Engage families and community A school improvement coordinator is assigned to each Priority school. This coordinator will facilitate implementation of the West Virginia School Improvement Framework for Priority Schools. This framework includes the following components: 
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Diagnostic visit/report Improvement plan Memorandum of Understanding articulating responsibilities of each supporting agency Implementation of Turnaround Principles. Monitoring/progress reports/redirection Funding to support professional development, technical assistance and interventions to implement the School Improvement Framework will come from a variety of existing sources and vary depending on school eligibility for certain funding types. Specific supports and resources for implementation of Priority school improvement plans will be developed through collaborative efforts of all partners. Additionally, WVDE‐approved external partners may be contracted to provide targeted support. Specifically, a Priority school must extend its strategic plan to include a deep analysis to determine root causes and a targeted plan for meeting applicable accountability criteria. ExitCriteria
Once identified, Priority Schools become part of a three‐year cohort. The three years are determined by the first year of interventions. The first cohort is based on SY 2011‐2012 statewide assessment data. The planning year of SY 2012‐2013 does not count towards the three‐year cohort. The cohort cycle begins with intervention taking place in SY 2013‐2014. Schools in the first cohort will have the opportunity to compare their data against the exit criteria in SY 2015‐2016, using the prior two years of data. The next round of cohort identification will take place in SY 2016‐2017 using SY 2015‐2016 statewide assessment data. These cohorts are identified in Table 2. Table 2. Priority School Cohort Calendar Cohort SY 2013‐
2014 Cohort SY 2016‐
2017 Cohort SY 2011‐
2012 Identification Data SY 2012‐
2013 Planning Year SY 2013‐ 2014 Year 1 Interventions SY 2014‐ 2015 Year 2 Interventions SY 2015‐ SY 2016‐ 2016 2017 Year 3 Interventions. Review SY 13‐14 and SY 14‐15 data against exit criteria Identification of new cohort using 15/16 data Priority schools are subject to an annual progress review by local Boards of Education and the State Board of Education. However, due to their significant need, schools will only be eligible to exit Priority status at the conclusion of the third year of their cohort. In order to exit Priority status and be eligible for alternative designation, a school must meet the following criteria: 1. The school’s combined Mathematics and English/Language Arts proficiency rates are no longer below the 5th percentile Title I School; 2. The school demonstrates successful implementation of school turnaround strategies (as measured by High Quality Standards on‐line monitoring tool); and 3. The school must demonstrate for the two most recent years, that a. students in the all subgroup are meeting the AMO, or b. students in the all subgroup are demonstrating adequate growth (i.e., a median gap of zero in the distance between observed growth and target growth). ContactInformation
For more information on West Virginia’ ESEA Flexibility Request, please visit the website: http://wvde.state.wv.us/esea/ For more information on data, assessment, or accountability, please contact the WVDE Office of Assessment and Accountability: (304) 558‐2546 http://wvde.state.wv.us/oaa/ For more information on technical assistance and school improvement, please contact the WVDE Office of School Improvement: (304) 558‐3199 http://wvde.state.wv.us/schoolimprovement/