The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 requires that when using Title II, Part A funds for professional development and class size reduction, a State Education Agency (SEA), Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), may require a Local Education Agency (LEA) to only use Title II, Part A funds on evidence-based activities.
ADE will move forward on class size reduction in the following way:
- 2018-2019 school year: a district will be required to show on a spreadsheet in Indistar that it is using its Title II, Part A funds for class size reduction in Grades K-3. The LEA must also explain how much it is reducing the student/teacher ratio with the goal of moving to a ratio of no greater than 17:1 for the 2019-2020 school year. A district that seeks to use its Title II, Part A funds for class size reduction for positions outside of Grades K-3 must submit to the ADE a rationale that includes a well-defined logic model or theory of action supported by research and a description of the effort(s) underway by the LEA or outside research organization to determine their effectiveness.
- 2019-2020 school year: a district will use the spreadsheet in Indistar to show that it has reduced all class sizes where Title II, Part A funds are used in K-3 to no greater than a 17:1 student/teacher ratio.
To utilize Title II, Part A funds for professional development, the professional development must include the following features and be evidence-based:
1. Content Focused;
2. Incorporate active learning utilizing adult learning theories;
3. Supports collaboration, typically in job-embedded contexts;
4. Uses models and modeling of effective practice;
5. Provides coaching and expert support;
6. Offers opportunities for feedback and reflection; and
7. Is of sustained duration.
Information for best practices and resources for using evidence can be found on the What Works Clearinghouse website https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ and the attached document on this memo.
Your plans for professional development activities must be clearly outlined in your Title II, Part A application in Indistar.
Any questions may be directed to Rick Green, Program Administrator, Arkansas Department of Education rick.green@arkansas.gov or 501-682-4373.