Maple River Education Coalition PAC
1402 Concordia Avenue
St. Paul">Maple River Education Coalition PAC
1402 Concordia Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55104
952-361-4931
http://edaction.orgNovember 17, 2000
CFL Memos on Federal Mandates
Following is the actual language of the CFL Memos regarding the federal mandates to implement the Profile of Learning.
TO: Superintendents, charter school directors, and Title I LEA representatives
FROM: Jessie R. Montaņo, assistant commissioner,
Office of Teaching and LearningSUBJECT: Required standards for Title I schools
CFL Title I staff have been meeting with U.S. Department of Education officials over the summer to discuss the flexibility to phase in the adoption of Graduation Standards that was granted to districts during the last legislative session. The U.S. department officials confirmed that districts must require the appropriate grade level standards in the learning areas of reading/language arts and mathematics in order to be eligible for Title I funds. These standards and the accompanying classroom-based performance assessments must be in place by the end of this school year.
CFL staff have contacted districts with Title I schools that required no standards and informed them of the U.S. department's requirement in time for them to amend their Minnesota Profile of Learning Content Standards Report. We have since discovered that, while some Title I schools did adopt some content standards in either reading or math for the 2000-2001 school year, several did not require standards in both reading/language arts and mathematics. Since CFL has no desire to jeopardize the eligibility of districts to receive Title I funds, Commissioner Jax has extended the opportunity for amending the Minnesota Profile of Learning Content Standards Report to reflect the requirement for reading/language arts and mathematics standards and the accompanying assessments.
On the morning of Nov. 13, 2000, the Profile of Learning Content Standards Reporting web site will again be open to accept data if your district wishes to amend its report to comply with Title I requirements.
The reporting site will remain open through the end of the day on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000... ###
From: Children, Families & Learning 11/15/00
Title I Federal Requirements and Minnesota State Requirements
Regarding Implementation of StandardsCFL staff have been meeting to discuss issues concerning the flexibility in standards implementation granted to districts during the last Legislative session and the requirements necessary to receive Title I funding. Until the past Legislative session, Minnesota's statutes regarding adoption of state standards by districts and schools were consistent with Federal requirements and no further guidance was necessary. After a decision by the US Department of Education was communicated to the CFL in mid-October, 2000 a memo was drafted and immediately sent to all school districts.
How long have the Title I requirements been in place?
The Title I requirements for the adoption of state standards in reading/language arts and mathematics has been in place since 1995. Title I staff in our local school districts were first informed of this requirement at the Title I regional workshop in the spring of 1995; districts were provided updates of the implications of the federal requirements for standards and assessments at annual meetings and through written and oral guidance.
To what schools does this apply?
This requirement applies to Title I schools served by the district. It applies to all grade levels contained in the school, not just the grade levels served by Title I. For example, if it is a k-6 building that is receiving the Title I monies, then the standards at the primary and intermediate levels would need to be required.
Which standards do the schools need to require?
Districts must at least require the appropriate grade level standards in the learning areas of Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics. That translates this year to the Read, Listen and View Learning Area and Mathematical Concepts and Applications Learning Area. Districts need to look at their curricula and see where the writing skills are first introduced and decide locally if they need to require standards in the Write and Speak Learning Area.
What evidence will there be at the state level to ensure compliance?
The Minnesota Profile of Learning Content Standards Report should reflect the requirements for the reading/language arts and mathematics standards. School boards annually vote to accept federal funds and the requirements that accompany those funds.
District representatives have signed assurances in the Title I annual project application that the district will assist the Title I schools "so that each school can make adequate yearly progress towards meeting the State content and student performance standards."
Does "require" mean to embed, assess, score and record the assessments for the standards in question?
Yes. As defined in Minnesota statute, our comprehensive assessment system has two components: The MCAs which are large scale, on demand assessments, and the classroom based performance assessments. Since the Title I statue requires the adoption of the state standards and the accompanying assessments, Title I schools must participate in both components of the assessment system. Once the standards are required, the Minnesota statutes define what is meant by require.
Does the requirement pertain only to Title I students in grades served by Title I?
No, it pertains to all students and all grades in the school. This is a school level requirement. The school must require the standards relating to reading/language arts and mathematics in the appropriate grades within the grade span of the building, not just to the grade levels served by Title I. For example, if the building served by Title I is a k-6 building, then both the primary and the intermediate standards and assessments must be required, even if the students are served by Title I only in grades k-3. In a k-8 building, the primary, intermediate and middle levels standards and assessments must be required.
Children, Families & Learning Page 2 11/15/00