Background
Recently, there have been two important developments related to nationwide flexibilities offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) regarding School Year (SY) 2020-21 ESEA accountability processing, reporting, and school identifications. First, a COVID-19 Addendum already submitted to ED by the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE), and second, a subsequent Accountability Waiver Letter and request template sent to chief state school officers from ED offering states waivers from certain accountability requirements. Neither of these ED initiated flexibilities include the waiving of required statewide assessments.

Request for Public Comment
This public comment process is intended to provide feedback to HIDOE to consider in requesting the Accountability Waiver from ED. Provided in the following sections are (1) a description of the COVID-19 Addendum request, (2) a description of the Accountability Waiver currently under consideration for submission to ED, and (3) a link to the Accountability Waiver Letter and HIDOE’s waiver proposal which describe the waivers offered by ED and HIDOE’s supporting comments for these waivers.

The Accountability Waiver allows states to move school identifications currently required in the COVID-19 Addendum for Fall 2021 until Fall 2022. The impact of requesting the Accountability Waiver is that it effectively negates the currently submitted COVID-19 Addendum, as one of the key requirements of the COVID-19 Addendum requires schools to be identified in Fall 2021.

COVID-19 Addendum Submission
On February 1, 2021, HIDOE submitted an addendum to revise SY 2020-21 processing and growth methodology due to federal assessment and accountability waivers granted for SY 2019-20 that resulted in a lack of assessment results. The addendum requested moving the measurements of interim progress and long-term goals forward by one year; a revision to the growth methodology to utilize ‘skip-year’ growth; a revision to move CSI and A-TSI school identifications from Fall 2020 to Fall 2021; and a revision to the methodology used to identify TSI schools with consistently under performing subgroups. ED will not make a decision on this submitted addendum if HIDOE submits the following accountability waiver.

Accountability Waiver
On February 22, 2021, ED released information on an ESEA accountability waiver that will be offered to state educational agencies. The details for this waiver application are provided in a template that is also the mechanism for states to submit its accountability waiver to ED. This is not a waiver from administering required statewide summative assessments.

The following section is a summarization of the February 22, 2021 letter.

ED’s Stated Values and Expectations

• Safely reopen schools and get students back in classrooms, learning face-to-face from teachers with their fellow students is a priority.
• Understand the impact COVID-19 has had on learning and identify what resources and supports students need.
• Address the educational inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, including by using student learning data to target resources and supports to the students with the greatest needs. In addition, parents need information on how their children are doing.
• Remain committed to supporting all states in assessing the learning of all students.

The following table lists flexibilities/assurances cited in ED’s accountability waiver letter and template.