The Illinois State Board of Education is “exploring potential adjustments to the accountability system to establish clear, transparent criteria that are easily communicated and actionable.” (Assessment & Accountability Redesign)
The proposed accountability system does not clearly include the fine arts as an indicator for School Quality/Student Success (SQSS). A sample draft of a school’s custom report shows that the meta-indicators, including fine arts, are not reflected. ISBE has let us know they “do not have any plans to remove the Fine Arts Indicator from the school report card.” They stated that any specific role that indicator will play “remains unknown at this time,” and ISBE unable to tell us how the indicator would be represented or how this information would be reflected in the redesign materials.
After hearing feedback from ILMEA members and fine arts colleagues who have attended the ISBE Listening Tour sessions thus far, it is evident that the intended audience for these events is school administrators. With that in mind, we are focusing our efforts on encouraging and equipping school administrators to attend these events to speak to the importance of the Fine Arts on the Illinois School Report Card.
Important Things to Know:
The accountability redesign is doing away with weighting altogether. It has been stated that the meta-indicators (including the Fine Arts Indicator) are not being removed. However, there is not a current plan for how they will be included. ISBE is open to hearing ideas about what this might look like.
The next phase of the project rollout in June should include how the meta-indicators will be worked into the redesign.
What Can You Do?
STAY INFORMED
Review the Advocacy Alert for background information on the Fine Arts Indicator.
ISBE has collected the information regarding the accountability system changes at https://www.isbe.net/feedback.
ASK YOUR ADMINISTRATORS TO ATTEND AN ISBE MEETING
ISBE is holding a Listening Tour to gather input on the proposed accountability changes. Encourage your department chair or administrator to attend an upcoming meeting to ask questions about how the indicator will be represented on the redesigned Illinois School Report Card and offer ideas about how it can be an impactful piece of reporting school quality and student success.
All of these events are from 1-3pm, except the Chicago stop from 4-6pm.
April 1 – ROE #3 Professional Development Center
(1500 West Jefferson, Vandalia, IL 62471)April 7 – John A. Logan College
(700 Logan College Drive, Carterville, IL 62918)April 21 – East Moline School District 37
(3451 Morton Drive, East Moline, IL 61244)May 5 – Peoria School District
(3202 N. Wisconsin Ave., Peoria, IL 61603)May 9 – University of St. Francis - St. Clare Campus Assembly Hall
(1550 Plainfield Road, Joliet, IL 60435)May 22 – Chicago World Language Academy
(1340 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607)
You can share the Fine Arts Indicator Talking Points with your administrators to reinforce the many reasons why the Fine Arts indicator is an important piece of reporting and accountability.
Opportunities for questions about the redesign come at the end of the Assessment portion of the presentation and again at the end of the Accountability portion of the presentation. For those in attendance, you may ask questions verbally or utilizing the survey that accompanies the presentation.
CONTACT ISBE
The ISBE Data & Accountability webpage lists [email protected] for questions or comments. You can email State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders at [email protected].
Thank you to Greg Scapillato (Northbrook Junior High School) for his help in putting these resources together and thank you to Ali Stachowicz (Ottawa Township High School) for her feedback on the ISBE Listening Tour events!