UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2464
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A RESOLUTION urging the Kentucky Department of Education to implement 1
flexibilities permitted by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 to improve the 2
assessment and accountability system as it applies to recently arrived English learners 3
and the schools that teach them. 4
WHEREAS, English learners have been among the fastest-growing populations in 5
our schools over the last several decades; and 6
WHEREAS, English learners bring with them valuable cultural diversity and 7
provide immense benefits to their communities; and 8
WHEREAS, English learners also present complex challenges in education, as they 9
may arrive with limited formal education and little to no English proficiency; and 10
WHEREAS, it is anticipated that this student population will continue to grow and 11
impact schools across the Commonwealth; and 12
WHEREAS, the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 attempted to set parameters 13
for a system to raise achievement for disadvantaged children, including recently arrived 14
English learners; and 15
WHEREAS, the high-stakes nature of state assessments and accountability systems 16
combined with the difficulties of ensuring the success of English learners has created an 17
unsustainable situation that causes undue hardships for recently arrived English learners 18
and their school systems; and 19
WHEREAS, recently arrived English learners and Kentucky schools deserve a fair 20
opportunity to work towards English proficiency and content area proficiency in a 21
manner that is grounded in second language acquisition research and respects their 22
unique situation that is not addressed by current state accountability systems; and 23
WHEREAS, it has been determined that there are unutilized flexibilities and 24
modifications available to the Kentucky Department of Education in its implementation 25
of the assessment and accountability system required by the Every Student Succeeds Act 26
of 2015 that would demur to the benefit of schools and English learners alike; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2464
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WHEREAS, the Kentucky Department of Education has expressed some 1
willingness to explore and implement different opportunities to improve the situation 2
faced by this student population and their educators; 3
NOW, THEREFORE, 4
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 5
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 6
Section 1. The House of Representatives respectfully urges the Kentucky 7
Department of Education to explore and implement flexibilities permitted by the Every 8
Student Succeeds Act of 2015 to improve the assessment and accountability system as it 9
applies to recently arrived English learners and the schools that teach them. These 10
flexibilities include but are not limited to: 11
(1) Permitting inclusion of the results of students who were previously identified 12
as English learners and have exited English learner status on the statewide reading or 13
language arts and mathematics assessments in the English learner subgroup for the full 14
four-year period after achieving English language proficiency, as permitted in 20 U.S.C. 15
sec. 6311(b)(3)(B); 16
(2) Revising the English learner growth table to reflect and recognize when 17
English learners meet or exceed expected progress markers grounded in general 18
principles and research indicating that learning an additional language is more difficult 19
when students are older and that English learners progress quickly through beginning 20
proficiency levels and progress slows in the middle and upper proficiency levels; and 21
(3) Any other flexibilities or permitted modifications that would serve to improve 22
the application of the assessment and accountability to recently arrived English learners 23
and the schools that teach them. 24
Section 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is directed to transmit a 25
copy of this Resolution to Representative Kevin Jackson; Governor Andy Beshear, State 26
Capitol, Room 100, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601; and Interim Commissioner of the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2464
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Department of Education, Robin Kinney, 300 Sower Boulevard, Fifth Floor, Frankfort, 1
Kentucky, 40601. 2