Washingtons Accountability System
In RAD Level I RADs are chosen from the
Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) Priority
schools list. Identified districts must develop
a Required Action Plan in collaboration with
OSPI, to be approved by the State Board of
Education. If student achievement does not
improve in three years, districts are
candidates for RAD Level II. (For former SIG
cohort 1 or 2, SBE may direct RAD I districts
to RAD II after 1 year of lack of progress.)
Required Action District (RAD) Level II
RAD Level I*
Persistently
Lowest AchievingPriority Schools
(bottom 5% about 100 schools)
Challenged Schools in
Need of Improvement
(bottom 20% - about 400 schools. Challenged
Schools in Need of Improvement includes the
levels above: Priority and RAD )
Individual Local Schools &
District Improvement Planning
Level of State Involvement/Support
In RAD Level II The state has the highest
level of involvement in local improvement
efforts. By law, the Superintendent of Public
Instruction is responsible and accountable
for improvements in the school, and has a
role in improvement plan development.
(all schools)
Figure 1: Accountability System Pyramid
*As of February 2014, there are four RAD Level I districts, and none in Level II
Required Action Districts
How are they selected? Once selected, what happens next?
Lowest 5%, Persistently Lowest Achiveving
Each year, OSPI will identify the lowest 5% of schools (Priority-lowest 5% tier) on the WA Achievement
Index. Priority schools will implement improvement intervention for 3 years.
OSPI recommends a subset of these schools for Required Action. Though individual schools are identified,
the district is officially designated in this process.
Recent performance trends, available resources, status in the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG)
process, and other factors inform OSPIs decision on how many RADs to recommend.
Needs Assessment & Required Action Plan
Once the SBE designates the recommended schools for RAD status, an external academic
performance audit is performed, which identifies areas of need that the state and the district
will work on together.
Based on the performance audit, a Required Action Plan is developed and submitted to the SBE
for approval.
Exit, Stay or Assignment to Level II?
After three years in RAD status, the district will either exit, stay in RAD status, or be assigned to RAD Level II.
In order to exit, a district must no longer have schools among the lowest 5%.
To stay in RAD, a district must demonstrate that they are on track to exit in three years or fewer. If not on track
for exit in three years, the SBE shall assign the district to RAD Level II, which gives OSPI expanded responsibilities.
Figure 2: Required Action DistrictsHow are They Selected and What Happens Next?
Step by Step Required Action Process
RAD Level I
OSPI
action
other
action
SBE
action
RAD Level II
SBE notifies EASOC
of district failure to
make progress
OSPI recommends
district to RAD I
EASOC
action
SBE assigns district
to RAD II
SBE designates
RAD
Plan developed based on
needs assessments and review, which will
include why RAD I plan failed. OSPI
collaborates with the district on the plan.
Plan developed based on Academic
Performance Audit. OSPI approves
plan for consistency with state and
federal guidelines.
SBE approves
Required Action
Plans
OSPI reports on
progress twice
yearly to SBE
District
implements plans
for 3 years
If district makes sufficient
progress OSPI recommends
districts to be released from RAD
SBE
releases district
from RAD
SBE may recommend
district stay in RAD I
District may request
Review Panel
review. Panel
may make
recommendations
to SBE on plans.
(For former SIG cohorts 1
and 2, if districts fail to
make progress after 1 year
in RAD I, SBE can direct
assignment to RAD II)
SBE identifies failure
to make progress
District may request
Review Panel
review. Panel
may make
recommendations
to SBE on plans.
(If binding
conditions of the
plan are not met,
OSPI may
withhold funds.)
EASOC reviews
assignment and
may make
recommendations
SBE approves
Level II Required
Action Plan
District
implements plan in
partnership with
OSPI for 3 years
OSPI reports on
progress twice
yearly to SBE
If district makes sufficient
progress, OSPI recommends
district be released from RAD.
SBE
releases
district
from RAD
Figure 3: Step by Step Required Action Process
OSPI-Office of the
Superintendent of
Public Instruction
SBE-State Board of
Education
EASOC-Education
Accountability
System Oversight
Committee
What is the State Board of Educations Role in the
Accountability System?
Create
Collaborate
Adopt
Designate
Approve
Consult
Recommend
Release
Responsibility and oversight for creating an
accountability framework*
Collaborate with stakeholders in "measures used to
measure the closing of the achievment gaps" and
improve outcomes for all students
Adopt the Washington Achievement Index
Annually designate districts recommended by OSPI
as required action districts
Approve required action plans, and establish a
schedule for submittal of plans for approval
Provide consultation to OSPI in research and
evidence-based school improvement models for
use in required action plans
Recommend districts stay in required action or
assign districts to RAD Level II
Upon the recommendation of OSPI, release districts
from required action designation
*A unified system of support for challenged schools that 1) aligns with basic education 2) increases
the level of support based on the magnitude of need 3) uses data for decision and 4) identifies
schools and districts for recognition as well as support (RCW 28A.657.005.)
Figure 4: State Board of Educations Role in the Accountability System
Criteria for Release from RAD, Staying in Level I or
Assignment to Level II
After district is in Required Action for three years, what happens?
District no longer has a
school on the PLA list
(Priority-lowest 5% tier)
The schools that were on
the PLA list have a positive
trend in reading and math
in all students, based on
the most recent threeyear average
YES
Stay in RAD I
NO
Schools on the PLA list
(Priority-lowest 5% tier)
have made recent and
significant progress
Projected progress would
result in exit from the PLA
list within three years
Schools on the PLA list
(Priority-lowest 5% tier)
have NOT made recent
and significant progress
Projected progress would
NOT result in exit from the
PLA list within three years
NO
YES
Release from
RAD I
Figure 5: Criteria for Release from RAD, Staying at Level I or Assignment to Level II
YES
Assign to
RAD II
Recent and Significant Progress: Assignment to Level II Required Action
Achievement Index Rating + Other
Persistently Lowest Achieving Criteria
Have you made enough progress in the last two years to be on track for exit?
Actual Progress
Projected Progress
Persistently Lowest Achieving
(Priority-lowest 5% tier)
Projected progress would not result in exit within 3 years
RAD I
year 1
RAD I
year 2
RAD I
year 3
year 4
Evaluation Year
Figure 6: Recent and Significant Progress
year 5
year 6
Timeline for Board Assignments to RAD I and RAD II
RAD I
Candidate Pool:
SIG Cohort 1 (2010-2011,
2011-2012, 2012-2013)
OSPI is
recommending 4
schools in 4 districts
to RAD I status from
SIG cohort 1
RAD I
Candidate Pool:
SIG Cohort 2 (20112012, 2012-2013, 20132014)
RAD II
Candidate Pool:
RADs assigned in 2011
(2011-2012, 2012-2013,
2013-2014)
4 districts
RAD I
Candidate Pool:
Priority Schools (20122013, 2013-2014, 20142015)
No SIG schools were
assigned in 2012, so
there is not a SIG
cohort of candidates
RAD II
Candidate Pool:
RAD I that were in SIG
Cohort 1
Figure 7: Timeline for Possible Designation to RAD I and RAD II
By statute, schools
that had SIGs in
2010 (or 2011) may
be assigned to RAD
II after only one year
in RAD I status
