Cobb County Schools Transitioning to IE2 System for 2015-16 School Year

The Cobb County School District will open itself to greater innovation but higher standards and tougher accountability when it formally adopts the Investing in Educational Excellence (IE²) system on or before June 30 of next year.

During 2013, the school district solicited feedback, advice, and comment on which of the three possible school systems the school district should become starting in the 2015-16 school year. By choosing one of the systems and signing a contract with the state, Cobb County schools will continue to receive $44 million through state waivers.

The three possible systems were as follows:

The IE² System will bind the school board, the state Board of Education, and the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement to a student performance-based contract. Although schools in this system will be given leeway to implement innovations, the schools will have to be held to a higher standard of academic achievement. Schools that fail to meet the new goals may lose local control of their operations.

The Charter System will maintain the performance-based contract, but the only parties involved will be the school board and the state board. Schools in the charter system get increased flexibility but must be held to higher performance goals. Each school will be encouraged to act independently and in the best interests of its students, shying away from a one size fits all approach. However, this power comes with increased scrutiny and accountability for individual school policy.

The Status Quo System rejects all flexibility options, and there are no performance-based contracts. School districts in this system must adhere to all federal and state guidelines and have no discretion as to what standards to adopt or reject.

After consulting with stakeholders and investigating all options, the Cobb County School Board learned that parents and other stakeholders want to continue pursuing innovation and trailblazing in the classroom, but want to remain connected to the overall school system. With this information in mind, the board decided to adopt the IE² system during its September 2014 meeting.

School system staff have drawn up an initial contract between Cobb County and the state, which will give Cobb schools greater autonomy and room to innovate at the cost of higher scrutiny from the state.

Some of the flexibility the school system is seeking as part of the new system includes changing class sizes, salary requirements, direct classroom expenditures and expenditure controls, certification requirements, graduation requirements, ELL program requirements, and categorical allotment requirements set forth by state law.

In exchange for this flexibility, the school district must perform at higher standards and meet goals such as proficiency or improvement on the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), expand technical learning and access to technical tools, ensure financial stability, and maintain a positive environment for teachers, students, staff, and parents.

The school system will meet with the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) to establish performance targets, and will then meet with the leadership of individual schools to discuss performance goals in specific areas. Schools will be constantly monitored, and those that fall behind goals will be given interventions to help boost performance.

These changes to the Cobb County School District will be implemented at the start of the 2015-16 school year, which will begin on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015.