Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs)

On December 10, 2015, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act) was again reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This new law will take effect on July 1, 2016. Under ESSA, the accountability measures previously in place in Section 3122 of No Child Left Behind have been removed from Title III. Accountability for ELLs remains, however, under Title I of ESSA. What actions will be taken in the future regarding missed accountability measures remains to be decided. In addition, reporting elements that include the number and percent of ELLs making progress in English and the number and percent of ELLs attaining English and meeting State academic standards is required under Title III of ESSA. Therefore, information included in the AMAO reports will be useful in meeting these requirements. More information about the ESSA can be found at Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) webpage.

On December 18, 2015 the DESE received a Dear Colleague Letter from the US Department of Education (ED) stating that ED will not require States to hold districts accountable for their performance against AMAOs 1, 2, and 3 under Title III of the ESEA. As a result, districts will not be required to submit accountability plans for Title III at this time, nor will corrective actions be implemented for districts that missed AMAOs for four or more consecutive years. In addition, notice to parents regarding missed AMAOs is no longer required.

What follows is an explanation of the three categories for AMAOs that each Title III district was held accountable for under No Child Left Behind. Information here will continue to be useful to districts as they design and implement program evaluations, and improvement plans for English learner programs. Information on how AMAOs were calculated is included in the Guide to Understanding Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) in Massachusetts in 2014 and Beyond ("the Guide") .

AMAO 1: Progress Target Student Growth Percentiles for ACCESS (SGPAs) were calculated for each ELL who took ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS) English proficiency tests for two successive years and were compared with the growth-to-proficiency target for students at that proficiency level who had attended a Massachusetts school for one through five (or more) years. The state target for 2014 was that 50% of ELL students in each district would meet their individual growth-to-proficiency target. The target for 2015 was 51%, and in 2016 it was 52%. Statewide, 52% of ELL students made progress in 2014, 56% made progress in 2015, and 62% made progress in 2016. Additional information on how progress was calculated is included in the Guide.

AMAO 2: Attainment Target District attainment targets were based on the statewide percentage of students who attained a score of Level 5 on ACCESS, based on the number of years in a Massachusetts school. Districts must have also met a 95% participation rate on ACCESS in order to make AMAO 2. Statewide, 19% of ELLs attained English proficiency in 2014, 21% in 2015, and 26% in 2016. The attainment target for the State was 18% for both 2014 and 2015, and 19% for 2016. The State participation rate in 2014 through 2016 was 98%. Additional information on how attainment was calculated is included in the Guide.

AMAO 3: Cumulative PPI The PPI incorporates MCAS/PARCC scores in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering (STE); growth in ELA and Math; graduation rates; and dropout rates, calculated over the past four years. Cumulative PPI is weighted to give greater emphasis to the results of more recent years. Districts must also have met the 95% MCAS/PARCC participation rate on ELA, Mathematics, and STE for the ELL/former ELL subgroup. The statewide performance target for AMAO 3 was a Cumulative PPI of 75 for the ELL/former ELL subgroup. The State attained a Cumulative PPI of 56 2014 and in 2015, and 55 in 2016. State participation rate in 2014 was 98% for ELA, 99% for Mathematics, and 99% for STE. State participation rate in 2015 was 97% for ELA, 99% for Mathematics, and 99% for STE. The State participation rate in 2016 was 98% for ELA, 99% for Mathematics, and 99% for STE. Additional information on PPI determinations is included in the Guide.

Please direct any questions or concerns regarding Title III to Melanie Manares , Title III Coordinator, in the Office of English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement at 781-338-3573, Beth O'Connell , Title III Specialist in the Office of English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement at 781-338-3571, or Paul Aguiar , Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement at 781-338-3538.

Last Updated: January 23, 2017