[State]

ESEA Flexibility 

Accountability Addendum

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, DC 20202
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

1

In order to move forward with State and local reforms designed to improve academic achievement and increase the quality of instruction for all students in 

a manner that was not originally contemplated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), a State educational agency (SEA) may request flexibility, 

on its own behalf and on behalf of its local educational agencies (LEAs), through waivers of certain provisions of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and their associated regulatory, administrative, and reporting requirements (ESEA flexibility). However, an SEA that 

receives ESEA flexibility must comply with all statutory and regulatory provisions that are not waived. For example, an SEA must calculate a four-year 

adjusted cohort graduation rate, as set forth in 34 C.F.R. § 200.19(b), and disaggregate that rate for reporting. Similarly, an SEA must use an “n-size” that 

ensures, to the maximum extent practicable, that all student subgroups are included in accountability determinations, in accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 

200.7(a)(2)(i)(B). Furthermore, an SEA may continue to use technical measures, such as confidence intervals, to the extent they are relevant to the SEA’s 

ESEA flexibility request. This accountability addendum replaces a State’s accountability workbook under NCLB and, together, an SEA’s approved ESEA 

flexibility request and this accountability addendum contain the elements of the State’s system of differentiated recognition, accountability and support.

Contents

Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs).................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2

Annual Measurable Achievement Objective 3 (AMAO 3) under Title III ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Subgroup Accountability ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

State Accountability System Includes All Schools and Districts.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

State Accountability System Includes All Students................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Assessments................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11

Statistical Reliability ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................12

Other Academic Indicators......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13

Graduation Rate.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13

Participation Rate.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

2

Instructions to the SEA: Please provide the requested information in the “State Response” column in the table below. Please provide the information 

in sufficient detail to fully explain your response. Also, please indicate whether the information provided is the same as that in your State accountability 

workbook under NCLB or reflects a change. Note that these instructions, the “change” column, and the “ED Comments” column of the table will be 

removed in the version of this document that is posted on ED’s website.

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

Annual Measurable Objectives 

(AMOs)

Please attach the State’s AMOs for 

reading/language arts and 

mathematics for the all students 

group and each individual subgroup. 

If the State has different AMOs for 

each school or LEA, attach the 

State-level AMOs and provide a link 

to a page on the SEA’s web site 

where the LEA and school level 

AMOs are available.



Annual Measurable Achievement Objective 3 (AMAO 3) under Title III
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

3

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

Please affirm that the SEA

determines whether an LEA that

receives funds under Title III of the 

ESEA meets AMAO 3 (ESEA 

section 3122(a)(3)(A)(iii)) based on 

each of the following:

 The subgroup of English 

Learners meets or exceeds its

AMOs in reading/language arts 

and mathematics;

 At least 95 percent of English 

Learners participate on the State’s 

assessments in reading/language 

arts and mathematics; and

 The subgroup of English 

Learners meets or exceeds the 

State’s goal or annual targets for 

the other academic indicator, 

including graduation rate for high 

schools.

Subgroup Accountability
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

4

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

What subgroups, including any 

combined subgroups, as applicable, 

does the State use for accountability 

purposes, including measuring 

performance against AMOs, 

identifying priority, focus, and 

reward schools, and differentiating 

among other Title I schools? If 

using one or more combined 

subgroups, the State should identify 

what students comprise each 

combined subgroup.

State Accountability System Includes All Schools and Districts

What is the State’s definition of a

local educational agency (LEA)?

What is the State’s definition of a 

public school? Please provide 

definitions for elementary school, 

middle school, and secondary 

school, as applicable.

How does the State define a small 

school? 

How does the State include small 

schools in its accountability system?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

5

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

How does the State define a new 

school? 

How does the State include new 

schools, schools that split or merge 

grades (e.g., because of 

overpopulation or court rulings), 

and schools that otherwise change 

configuration in its accountability 

system?

How does the State include schools 

that have no grades assessed (e.g., K2 schools) in its accountability 

system?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

6

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

How does the State include 

alternative schools in its 

accountability system? Consistent 

with State law, alternative schools 

include, but are not limited to:

 State schools for deaf and blind,

 Juvenile institutions,

 Alternative high schools, and

 Alternative schools for special 

education students.

If the State includes categories of 

alternative schools in its 

accountability system in different 

ways, please provide a separate 

explanation for each category of 

school.

How does the State include charter 

schools, including charter schools 

that are part of an LEA and charter 

schools that are their own LEA, in its 

accountability system?

State Accountability System Includes All Students
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

7

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

What are the State’s policies and 

procedures to ensure that all students 

are included in its assessment and 

accountability systems?

How does the State define “full 

academic year”?

How does the State determine which 

students have attended the same 

public school and/or LEA for a full 

academic year?

To which accountability indicators 

does the State apply the definition of 

full academic year? 

What are the procedures the State 

uses to ensure that mobile students, 

including students who transfer 

within an LEA or between LEAs, are 

included at the appropriate level 

(school, LEA, and State) of the 

accountability system?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

8

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

Does the State include in 

accountability determinations the 

proficient and advanced scores of 

students with the most significant 

cognitive disabilities on assessments 

based on alternate academic 

achievement standards? If so, does 

the State limit the number of those 

scores at the LEA and State levels, 

separately, so that the number of 

proficient and advanced scores 

included in the determinations does 

not exceed 1.0 percent of all students 

in the grades assessed?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

9

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

If the State provides an alternate 

assessment based on modified 

academic achievement standards, 

does the State include in 

accountability determinations the 

proficient and advanced scores of 

students with disabilities who take

that assessment? If so, does the State 

limit the number of those scores at 

the LEA and State levels, separately,

so that the number of proficient and 

advanced scores included in the 

determinations does not exceed 2.0 

percent of all students in the grades 

assessed?

What is the State process if an LEA 

or the State exceeds either the 1.0 or 

2.0 percent proficiency cap?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

10

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

What are the State’s policies and 

procedures to ensure that students 

with disabilities and English Learners

are provided appropriate 

accommodations? In addition, please 

provide a link to a page on the SEA’s

web site where the State’s 

accommodations manuals or test 

administration manuals may be 

found.

Does the State include, for up to two 

accountability determination cycles, 

the scores of former students with 

disabilities in making accountability

determinations for the subgroup of 

students with disabilities? If so, how?

Does the State count recently arrived 

English Learners as having 

participated in the State assessments 

for purposes of meeting the 95 

percent participation requirement if 

they take (a) either an English 

language proficiency assessment or 

the State’s reading/language arts 

assessment; and (b) the State’s 

mathematics assessments?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

11

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

Does the State exempt a recently 

arrived English Learner from one 

administration of the State’s 

reading/language arts assessment?

Does the State exclude from 

accountability determinations the 

scores of recently arrived English 

Learners on the mathematics 

assessment, the reading/language arts 

assessment (if administered to these 

students), or both, even if these 

students have been enrolled in the 

same school or LEA for a full 

academic year? 

Does the State include, for up to two 

accountability determination cycles, 

the scores of former English Learners 

in making accountability

determinations for the subgroup of 

English Learners? If so, how?

What are the State’s criteria for 

exiting students from the English 

Learner subgroup?

Assessments
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

12

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

Which assessments, including 

alternate assessments, is the SEA

using for reporting achievement 

under ESEA section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) 

(i.e., reading/language arts, 

mathematics, and science 

assessments)? 

What additional assessments, if any, 

does the State include in its 

accountability system and for what 

purpose is each assessment included?

Statistical Reliability and 

Protection of Students’ Privacy

What is the State’s minimum “n-size” 

for determining each of the 

following?

 Participation rate 

 Performance against AMOs

 Graduation rate

 Other (as applicable, please 

specify use)

What is the State’s minimum “n-size” 

for protecting students’ privacy when 

reporting?
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

13

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

What confidence intervals, if any, 

does the State use in its accountability 

system to ensure the statistical 

reliability of school classifications, 

and for which calculations are these 

confidence intervals applied?

.

Does the State base accountability 

determinations on multiple years of 

data? If so, which years, and how, if 

at all, are the years weighted?

Other Academic Indicators

What are the other academic 

indicators for elementary and middle 

schools that the State uses for annual

reporting? What are the State’s goal 

and/or annual targets for these 

indicators?

Graduation Rate
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

14

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

What are the State’s graduation rate 

goal and annual graduation rate 

targets? 

Please provide a table with State-level 

goal and annual targets for all 

students and by subgroup beginning 

with the 2012–2013 school year.

If graduation rate annual targets vary 

by school, provide a link to the page 

on the SEA’s web site where the 

LEA and school targets are available.

If the State has received a timeline 

extension and is not using a four-year 

adjusted cohort graduation rate for 

accountability determinations, please 

specify what rate the State is using 

and when the State will begin using a 

four-year adjusted cohort rate.

What, if any, extended-year 

graduation rate(s) does the State use? 

How does the State use its extendedyear graduation rate(s) in its 

accountability system?

Participation Rate
STATE: Accountability Addendum to ESEA Flexibility Request DATE

15

Subject and Question State Response

Change 

from 

NCLB 

accounta

bility 

workbook

ED Comments

How does the State calculate 

participation rates?

How does the State use participation 

rates within its differentiated 

accountability system (i.e., index)?

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