The United States Department of Education (USED) has waived assessment and accountability requirements for the 2019-2020 school year, however the requirement for report cards has not been waived. The following items are still needed on the ESSA data dashboard (report card):
- Enrollment data, including student groups
- Teacher data
In addition to these requirements, English Learners have completed their English proficiency assessments for this year, and demographic information is needed for them to load into the Maine Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) for local use.
We will use demographics from the April Enrollment Count Report, requiring only one spring data certification that can be used for multiple purposes. Usually, the student demographic data would be verified by schools on ESEA Demographics Certification Report (formerly known as the Accountability Certification). Because the April Enrollment Count Report does not normally report out demographics, there are some adjustments that need to be made to the report so that data staff can properly validate the student demographics. We are asking superintendents to hold off on certifying the April Enrollment Count Report until we provide further guidance that the report is now available to serve both purposes.
The Data Team will be providing another April Enrollment Count Report webinar in the near future to explain the changes and the dual purpose of the report. Please look for that announcement in the coming weeks. The deadline for this report will be adjusted accordingly. Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure that federal requirements are met in what we hope to be the least disruptive method as possible.