Education, school grading system, certain English language learners exempt from proficiency assessments considered in grading public K-12 schools, State Superintendent of Education to amend state plan under Every Student Succeeds Act, Sec. 16-6C-2 am'd.
If enacted, the bill will alter how schools are evaluated under the existing A-F grading system mandated by the state. The aim is to prevent penalizing schools for the performance of students who are still acquiring proficiency in English, thus avoiding potential negative impacts on schools that serve high populations of English language learners. Notably, the State Superintendent will still be required to report on the growth and progress of these students through different performance indicators, ensuring that their educational developments continue to be monitored despite the exemption from achievement grading.
House Bill 439 seeks to amend the public K-12 school grading system in Alabama by exempting the academic performance of certain English language learners from being considered in the school's achievement grading for a period of five years. The bill emphasizes that the performance scores of students who are identified as English language learners and have not yet shown proficiency should not count against the school or district's academic achievement ratings. This change aims to provide a fairer assessment of school performance concerning this demographic, acknowledging the unique challenges these students may face during their initial years of education in English-speaking environments.
However, there could be points of contention surrounding HB 439, particularly from those who argue that all students’ performances should be included in accountability measures. Critics may assert that excluding English language learners could lead to a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the overall performance of schools and their ability to adequately support students from various backgrounds. Furthermore, there may be questions about how the other aspects of the state accountability system will accommodate or adapt to these changes, particularly in maintaining transparency and equity in the evaluation of school quality.