Request to Amend Accountability Plan – Iowa – NCLB Policy Letters to States

July 8, 2011

The Honorable Jason Glass
Director of Education
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
East 14th & Grand Streets
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0146

Dear Director Glass:

I am writing in response to Iowa’s request to amend its state accountability plan under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as amended. Following discussions between the Department and your staff, you made changes to Iowa’s accountability plan, which are now included in the amended state accountability plan that Iowa submitted to the Department on June 15, 2011. I am pleased 10 approve Iowa’s amended plan, which we will post on the Department’s website. Iowa’s requested amendment is enclosed with this letter. As you know, any further requests to amend Iowa’s accountability plan must be submitted to the Department for review and approval as required by section 1111(1)(2) of Title I of the ESEA.

Please also be aware that approval of lowa’s accountability plan for Title I, including the amendment approved herein, does not indicate that the plan complies with Federal civil rights requirements, including Tit le VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

I am confident that Iowa will continue to advance its efforts to hold schools and school districts accountable for the achievement of all students. If you need any additional assistance to implement the standards, assessments, and accountability provisions of the ESEA, please do not hesitate to contact David.Harmon@ed.gov.

Sincerely,

Michael Yudin
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Policy and Strategic Initiatives

Enclosure

cc: Governor Terry Branstad
Kevin Fangman

The following is Iowa’s amendment request. Please refer to the Department’s website http://www.ed.govhttps://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/index.html for Iowa’s complete accountability plan.

State definition for the public high school graduation rate (Element 7.])

Revision: Iowa will apply a four-year cohort graduation rate and a five-year cohort graduation rate, using the Title I gradation rate methodology. The graduation rate goal remains at 95% for both the four-year cohort graduation rate and the five-year cohort graduation rate. The proposed five-year cohort graduation rate target is 2% higher than the four-year cohort graduation rate target and both targets increase by two percentage points for each subsequent year.

Decision Letters on State Accountability Plans