Assessment and Accountability
Accountability
The area of Accountability encompasses the measures and determinations
as provided to the Sumter Schools by the State Department of Education.
Great emphasis will be placed upon the connections between our
elementary, middle, and high schools and how each support
and depend upon each other, and as a result, make each student
successful. The department will work closely with schools at each level
in the understanding of accountability measures, how to prepare for
these measures, and how to implement the monitoring to
assure we are seeing successful growth in academic achievement.
Assessment
The area of Assessment encompasses the logistical and implementation
procedures for all standardized testing to occur within the system,
kindergarten through twelfth grade. The department will work closely
with schools at each level in the understanding of
each assessment, the professional development needed to prepare for
these assessments, and finally, the implementation and analysis required
for each assessment.
While each area has a somewhat different focus, both work closely
together in their work. The areas of Accountability and Assessment will
continue to work in support of the school counseling programs.
School Incident Reports (SIR)
Developing and maintaining a safe and disciplined school environment
requires accurate and complete information; however, schools and school
systems around the nation vary widely in how they collect and track data
on incidents of student violence and discipline.
In Alabama, the School Incident Report (SIR) program was initiated to
meet state and federal reporting needs of these violations. It was also
designed to give local education agencies (LEAs) comprehensive access to
as much information and data as possible.
LEAs need accurate school safety and discipline data for:
- School improvement.
- Program evaluation and planning.
- Resource allocation.
- Mandated state and federal reporting requirements.
Without this accurate and consistent data to analyze, it is difficult for educators, parents, and communities to:
- Draw conclusions on the impact of any policy or program relating to safe schools.
- Determine which schools are accomplishing their goals.
- Evaluate progress.
- Allocate their funds in the areas of greatest need.
- Locate accurate data to apply for grants, complete applications, and seek additional revenues.
The Alabama School Incident Report (SIR) program provides the framework for all Alabama public schools and school systems to:
- Collect school safety and discipline information in a uniform manner.
- Prepare their annual accountability reports.
- Track and report offenses to the State Department of Education (SDE) that are violations of the law or represent a serious breach of local board of education policy.
The SIR program also streamlines the collection of specified data and
contributes to paperwork reduction. This program is designed to:
- Provide documentation for the safety/discipline reporting needs of various entities within the SDE such as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program, Special Education Services, and Prevention and Support Services.
- Merge the Suspension/Expulsion Report and the Annual Crime and Violence Incident Report.