Ratings and designations determined using Iowa’s new unified accountability system approved by the U.S. Department of Education this fall
DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Education today released new Iowa School Performance Profiles for the 2023-24 school year, marking the first time new state school performance ratings and federal designations have been determined using an updated state plan for school accountability and support.
“Our performance profiles provide critical, transparent information for families, educators, and communities on how our schools are serving all students,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Built with the feedback of thousands of Iowans, our new, world-class accountability system celebrates school success and supports continuous improvement, focusing resources on the classroom and what has the greatest impact on student achievement and growth. The Department will continue to partner with schools in need of support to accelerate student learning through high-quality instructional materials and practices, evidence-based professional learning, leadership coaching, and learner engagement.”
This is the first year of designations and ratings using Iowa’s new accountability system, which includes a streamlined set of core indicators including proficiency results in English language arts, mathematics, and science, student academic growth, chronic absenteeism, graduation rates and postsecondary readiness. The updates to the approved accountability system provide consistently rigorous, reliable and fair school ratings that are easily understood by families, educators, communities and taxpayers. The school performance ratings also inform the Department’s investment of over 6,000 hours of school improvement assistance each year to schools in need of comprehensive support and improvement.
The new Iowa School Performance Profiles website shows schools that have been identified for additional support and improvement based on their performance in 2023-24 to meet requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Thirty-five (35) schools are in need of comprehensive support and improvement, representing the lowest performing five percent of all Title 1 public schools, as well as schools with graduation rates lower than 66 percent. Of these 35 schools in need of comprehensive support and improvement, 20 are newly identified schools. Fifteen of this year’s identified schools were also identified last year as needing comprehensive support and improvement. The Department celebrates that 16 schools that were previously identified as needing comprehensive support and improvement exited designations this year, following their implementation of comprehensive school improvement strategies supported by their local communities, boards, and the Department.
Three hundred and seventy-seven (377) schools are in need of targeted support and improvement based on the performance of and achievement gaps experienced by a group of their students (students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, English learners, students with disabilities or students by racial/ethnic group). Of these 377 schools in need of targeted support and improvement, 106 are newly identified schools. A total of 271 of the identified targeted schools were also identified last year as needing either comprehensive or targeted support and improvement.
Over 93 percent, or 351 schools, were identified in need of targeted support and improvement because students with disabilities at their school performed below the level of the lowest 5 percent of all schools. Of those schools, 110 were also identified for other student groups in addition to students with disabilities, including 78 schools identified because of the achievement gaps experienced by students who are English language learners. In contrast, this year, fewer schools were identified in need of targeted support and improvement based on achievement gaps experienced by students from low-income backgrounds and students who are Black/African American, Hispanic, or Multi-Racial.
In addition to the federal ESSA accountability designations, state school performance ratings provide an overall score and performance rating for all public schools across a number of updated performance measures, which include student proficiency, growth, chronic absenteeism and attendance growth during the 2023-24 school year. High school ratings include two additional measures—graduation rates and a new postsecondary readiness indicator measuring college credit, work-based learning experiences, and industry-recognized credentials attained by high schoolers. Rating categories include exceptional (highest performing), high performing, commendable, acceptable, needs improvement, and priority/comprehensive (lowest performing).
The Iowa School Performance Profiles, launched in 2018, meets state and federal requirements to publish report cards reflecting the performance of all public schools. Additional data beyond that included in the school performance ratings are available under the Additional Metrics drop-down on the website. This includes measures such as educator effectiveness, postsecondary enrollment, staff retention and per pupil expenditures.
For more information, visit iaschoolperformance.gov.