By Ashleigh Costello
EAGnews.org

PIERRE, S.D. – The state Board of Education approved a new accountability system Thursday, replacing the federal No Child Left Behind law.

South Dakota was one of the most recent states granted a waiver from NCLB requirements that all students be proficient in math and science by 2014.

MORE NEWS: From Classroom to Consulate Chef: Culinary Student Lands Dream Job at U.S. Embassy in Paris

The new system aims for schools to reduce the number of students performing at the below-basic and basic levels by half over the next six years, reports bhpioneer.com.

“In 2012, South Dakota had 75.5 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in reading, while 76.7 percent were proficient or advanced in math. South Dakota has been stalled at the mid-70s levels for four years,” reports the news site.

Board members met for nearly five hours Thursday before approving the new system by a 5-3 vote.

“This marks a new era in accountability for South Dakota schools,” said Dr. Melody Schopp, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education, in a press release. “This approach continues to shine a spotlight on student groups that need extra attention and support, but it also recognizes that all of our students and student groups have different starting points.”

The model is based on a School Performance Index (SPI), which consists of five key indicators. Schools will receive an annual SPI score of 0 to 100, with each of the indicators worth a certain number of points.

Indicators at the elementary and middle school levels include student achievement (as measured by performance on statewide assessments), academic growth, attendance, teacher and principal effectiveness, and school climate.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

At the high school level, academic growth is replaced by a high school completion indicator and the attendance indicator is dropped in favor of college and career readiness.

“The annual SPI score is the first lens through which we can look at schools. It’s designed to be a broad picture of key indicators, and it will give school leaders, teachers, parents and the public an idea of how their schools are performing against these criteria,” Schopp said.

The new system is not without its detractors.

Officials from the Associated School Boards of South Dakota and the South Dakota Education Association (teachers unions) expressed strong opposition against the scoring system at the board meeting.

Board president Don Kirkegaard said he was not in favor of the performance scores for individual schools being public information, according to the news site.

“This is a whole different level of high stakes we never had before,” said Kirkegaard.

Many of the new components won’t come into effect until the 2014-2015 school year.

“This model sets high but realistic goals for continuous improvement.  It relies on multiple indicators, and recognizes schools that are high performing as well as those making significant academic gains,” Schopp said. “While we have much more work to do, it’s a huge step in the right direction.

The state legislature’s rules and review committee is scheduled to make a final decision on the new system on Sept. 12.