2017-2018 Performance-Based Monitoring Intervention Staging
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ACTION REQUIRED |
October 10, 2017
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:
SUBJECT: 2017-2018 Performance-Based Monitoring Intervention Staging
The Texas Education Agency (TEA or agency) is implementing Performance-Based Monitoring (PBM) activities for the 2017-2018 school year as referenced in 19 Texas Administrative Code §97.1071, Special Program Performance; Intervention Stages. The purpose of this letter is to notify local education agencies (LEAs) that 2017-2018 staging identification for the bilingual education/English as a second language, career and technical education, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and special education program areas, will be available the week of October 16, 2017, through the Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manager (ISAM) application in Texas Education Agency Secure Environment (TEASE).
Descriptions of the criteria that were used to select LEAs for 2017-2018 interventions are available on the program-specific intervention and guidance pages found through the Division of School Improvement webpage. The 2017 PBMAS (Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System) Interventions Framework resource and other important monitoring documents and tools are also available in ISAM. If you need assistance requesting access to the ISAM application in TEASE, uploading documents, or changing contact information in ISAM, please reach out to your PBM contact at your regional education service center (ESC).
A document entitled Guidance for Local Education Agencies Participating in Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System Interventions describes in detail required monitoring and intervention activities, which have been designed to be data-driven and performance-based and to take place within the continuous improvement process of the Texas Accountability Intervention System (TAIS). Determinations regarding monitoring and interventions are the result of a performance-based evaluation process implemented through the PBMAS, the results of which were provided to districts August 15, 2017, in the form of a PBMAS summary report.
The agency has conducted a review of PBMAS data, including determinations resulting from special data analysis for districts, including charter schools, with small numbers of students, and longitudinal data related to PBM interventions. LEAs staged in one or more program areas for 2017-2018 will engage in the TAIS continuous improvement process to develop a targeted improvement plan that is focused on areas of low student performance and systemic and programmatic improvement needs. Needs identified through the PBM process, as well as the state accountability system, will be addressed in a single targeted improvement plan.
Unless a district is also rated Improvement Required in the state accountability system, a LEA assigned a stage of intervention no higher than a stage 2 in program areas is required to retain documentation of the process and targeted improvement plan locally, except when requested otherwise by the agency. LEAs assigned a stage 3 or 4 in any program area will submit the targeted improvement plan to TEA on or before November 17, 2017. Please refer to ISAM, PBMAS guidance, PBMAS Staging Framework and/or the Intervention and Submission Requirements chart for further details.
As in the previous monitoring year, four federal requirement indicators were added to the PBMAS data to assign a stage of intervention and a determination status for special education programs. LEAs who received a 2017 LEA Compliance Report dated October 2, 2017 identifying noncompliance for State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicators 11, 12, and/or 13 have until November 17, 2017 to submit to the agency a corrective action plan, which is a tab within the targeted improvement plan template.
If individual or unanticipated circumstances impact the LEA’s ability to meet required intervention timelines, information detailing individual circumstances, along with a projected date for completion of activities, should be submitted to the Division of School Improvement. Such a request does not automatically defer any other requirements contained in this letter or other monitoring documents, but we will consider individual circumstances or requests for extensions.
Additionally, if data accuracy issues are identified either as part of the agency’s PBMAS data review or during the implementation of intervention activities, the LEA will be required to address procedural and systematic improvements used to collect and submit data. LEAs also may be subject to escalated oversight, interventions, and/or sanctions whenever such action is required. Finally, should your LEA be identified because of any other monitoring activities TEA is required to conduct, including monitoring activities related to accreditation determinations or compliance with federal formula and discretionary grant requirements, you will be notified in a timely manner by appropriate agency staff.
We appreciate your ongoing dedication to continuous improvement and anticipate that a data-driven, performance-based approach to monitoring will continue to assist you in your efforts to improve student achievement. For additional support, please contact the Division of School Improvement at SIdivision@tea.texas.gov or 512-463-5226.
Sincerely,
C. Lizette Ridgeway
Director, Division of School Improvement
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