AYP Title Programs Update

AYP Title Programs Update
7/29/2011 11:33 AM

AYP Issues -- Due to the recent state government shutdown, MDE anticipates that we will not longer be able to publicly release AYP determinations on August 22. Determinations will now be released to the public no later than September 30. Every effort is being made to go through our quality assurance processes and finalize determinations promptly so that they can be released before September 30. MDE will provide districts with preliminary determinations and begin accepting appeals before the public release but there is no date set for the district release. If a pre-September 30 public release becomes possible, MDE will provide districts and the media with one week's notice so they can prepare for the release.

There are several actions connected to the AYP release date of which you should be aware:

Information about the release dates for individual student results to both districts and the media is forthcoming.
MDE will accept AYP appeals for 30 days beginning on the date that preliminary AYP determinations are provided to districts.
MDE is strongly encouraging schools that cannot exit improvement stages next year to send parent notification letters now so parents can make school choice decisions before the school year begins. However, MDE has requested a waiver of the 14-day parent notification requirement that will allow schools that cannot send their letters before the school year to do so after they receive AYP determinations.
MDE has also requested a waiver to allow districts to count spending on Supplemental Educational Services (SES) during a school's first year of school improvement toward the required 20 percent set-aside for identified schools. Schools taking advantage of this flexibility or schools that are already required to provide SES next year should include information about the availability of SES in parent notification letters.
After determinations are released, schools that send parent notification letters early must also notify all parents of the school's stage of school improvement and provide the following information regarding the school's status: an explanation of what the identification means and how the school compares to other schools in the district and Sate in terms of academic achievement, the reasons for the school's identification, and an explanation of how parents can become involved in addressing the academic issues that led to the identification. This notice does not need to come in the form of a letter. It can be released through any school publication that all the parents of the children in that school receive.
Once parent notification letters are sent, schools must give parents 14 days to elect to transfer their child to another school. This 14-day window must be available, regardless of whether parent notification letters go out after the school year has started. Districts should make every effort to transfer students at a time in the school year that causes the least amount of disruption to students' academic progress.

If you have questions, please contact Sam Kramer at 651-528-8454 or samuel.kramer@state.mn.us.

Mission: The Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association is dedicated to promoting and improving education for children and youth, strengthening the role as educational leader for elementary and middle level principals, and collaborating with partners in education to assist in achieving these goals.

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