This article was originally published in Iowa Capital Dispatch.
The Iowa Department of Education has identified 377 schools in need of targeted support and improvement due to performance and achievement gaps among some groups of students.
The schools were identified as part of the Iowa School Performance Profiles for the 2023-2024 school year, which were released Tuesday. The Profile System, first established in 2018, is the state system for assessing school performance and federal designations.
According to the department, the system has been revamped to include a “streamlined set of key indicators” for assessing school performance and identifying areas where help and improvement are needed. Metrics measured by the profiles include proficiency outcomes in English language arts, math and science, as well as things like chronic absenteeism, graduation rates and student academic growth.
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“The updates to the adopted accountability system ensure consistently rigorous, reliable and fair school assessments that are easily understood by families, educators, communities and taxpayers,” a department news release said. “The school performance assessments also form the basis for the department’s investment in more than 6,000 hours of school improvement assistance per year to schools in need of comprehensive support and improvement.”
Of the 377 schools identified as needing assistance, 93%, or 351 schools, were placed in this category because students with disabilities at the school performed in the bottom 5% of all schools, according to the release. Within that group, 110 schools were also identified as needing assistance to offset achievement gaps with other specified groups of students. The largest subgroup consisted of 78 schools that saw performance gaps between English-speaking students and the larger student population.
The department also found that fewer achievement gaps were found in Iowa schools for students from low-income backgrounds, as well as for Black, Hispanic and multiracial students.
Of the total 377 schools listed as needing targeted or extended support, the majority (271) were schools that were also identified as needing support last year. According to the department, 106 schools were newly identified this year.
In addition to the state’s assessment of achievement gaps for specific groups of students, the profiles also show that 35 schools “are in need of extensive support and improvement” to meet federal requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act. The 35 schools in this category represent the lowest-performing 5% of Title 1 public schools, and schools with a graduation rate lower than 66%, according to the department.
While 20 schools were added to this category this year, the state education department also noted that 16 schools graduated under that designation.
Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in a statement Tuesday that the performance profiles will help inform the department, educators and communities about areas that need improvement and how to best allocate resources.
“Our new world-class accountability system, built with feedback from thousands of Iowans, celebrates school success and supports continuous improvement, focusing resources on the classroom and what has the greatest impact on student achievement and growth,” said Snow. “The department will continue to work with schools that need support to accelerate student learning through high-quality instructional materials and practices, evidence-based professional learning, leadership coaching and student engagement.”
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