Request to Amend Accountability Plans – Missouri – NCLB Policy Letters to States

December 27, 2004

Honorable D. Kent King
Commissioner of Education
Missouri Department of Elementary
& Secondary Education
205 Jefferson Street, 6th Floor
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102

Dear Commissioner King:

I am writing in response to Missouri’s request to amend its State accountability plan under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Following our discussions with your staff, those changes that are aligned with NCLB are now included in an amended State accountability plan that Missouri submitted to the Department on December 21, 2004. I am pleased to approve Missouri’s amendments. A list of the changes is attached to this letter. We will post Missouri’s amended plan on the Department’s website.

If, over time, Missouri makes changes to the accountability plan that has been approved, Missouri must submit information about those changes to the Department for review and approval, as required by section 1111(f)(2) of Title I. Please be aware that approval of Missouri’s accountability plan for Title I, including the amendments approved above, does not indicate that the plan complies with Federal civil rights requirements, including Title 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 Missouri will continue to advance its efforts to hold schools and school districts accountable for the achievement of all students. I wish you well in your school improvement efforts. If I can be of any additional assistance to Missouri in its efforts to implement other aspects of NCLB, please do not hesitate to call.

Sincerely,

Raymond Simon

cc: Governor Bob Holden

Enclosure

Amendments to the Missouri Accountability Plan

These statements are summaries of the amendments. For complete details, please refer to the Missouri Accountability plan on the Department’s website: www.ed.govhttps://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/index.html

Intermediate Goals (Elements 3.1, 3.2c)

Revision: Missouri will have ten intermediate goals that increase in equal increments for determining adequate yearly progress.

Decision Letters on State Accountability Plans