No Child Left Behind

BASICS:

Took effect January 8, 2002.
Covers all States, School districts, and schools that accept Title I federal grants.
Title I grants provide for funding for remedial education programs for poor and disadvantaged children in public and some private schools.

TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS:

Applies to ALL public school teachers in all states.
All new teachers and any teacher working in a Title I program must be “Highly Qualified”.
Definition of “Highly “Qualified”: Hold a bachelors degree and passed a state test of subject knowledge. Elementary School teachers must demonstrate knowledge of teaching math or reading. Teachers in higher grades must demonstrate knowledge of the subject they teach or have majored in that subject.
Other teachers have until 2005-2006 to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree, licensure and or certification.
New Paraprofessionals assisting in Title I programs must have completed two years of college or pass a test. The test will assess their ability to support teachers in reading, writing and math instruction.
Paraprofessionals currently employed have until 2006 to meet these requirements
Parents of children attending a Title I school are entitled to know whether the teacher is certified and qualified to teach the particular subject and grade. They are also entitled to information about the teachers college degree and major Parents are also entitled to know the paraprofessionals qualifications.
Schools must inform parents annually of their ‘right to know’ about teachers qualifications and how to exercise it.

PROFICIENCY TESTING:

By 2013-2014 school years NCLB requires that all children will be at the proficient level on state testing.
To help states and districts accomplish this NCLB gives states more flexibility in combining federal grants and expenditures. States and districts may use federal money for research based programs that are proven effective.
Beginning in the fall of 2002 school districts must report scores for statewide testing to parents. Districts will report scores for each school as a whole and by four sub-groups, children with disabilities, limited English proficiency, racial minorities, and low income families.
The district also must report the scores on three levels, basic, proficient and advanced.
Beginning in 2005 schools must test all children in grades 3-8 every year in math and reading. Science assessments are required by the fall of 2007
These test scores will determine if the school is making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward the goal of proficiency for all children by the 2013-2014 deadline.
Proficiency means the child is performing at average grade level.
All subgroups of children as well as the school as a whole must meet the AYP goal or the school will fail.

PARENT OPTIONS:

For non-Title I school parents will only know whether the school is improving at the required rate.
For Title I Schools parents have a more choices.
The school must notify parents if the school is in need of improvement and the corrective action/restructuring being taken and the options open to them.
If the Title I school fails to meet AYP for two consecutive years-
- All of the children may choose to attend a non-failing school in the district and if all of the schools in the district fail, parents may send their children to a school in another school district.
- The school district may limit the amount of money it spends on transportation to other schools. If there is not enough money under a designated formula to pay for transportation, the district may give preferences to the lowest achieving children from the lowest income families.
- Children who transfer to a better school may stay there until they complete the highest grade in that school. The sending school will provide transportation until the sending school raises it’s AYP to an acceptable level.
- There is NOTHING in NCLB that prevents the school form providing transfers and transportation to ALL the children who request it.
If the Title I school fails to meet AYP for three consecutive years-
- o The school will provide supplemental services to the children remaining their. These services may include tutoring, after-school programs, and summer school.
- These supplemental services must be offered after the regular school day, during the summer or before/after school.
- Only students from low income families, usually determined by eligibility fir free and reduced lunches.
- Parents may choose a tutor or other service provider from a state approved list. The state will ensure that all providers on the list have a history of success.
- Parents, the school district, and the provider must identify specific academic achievement goals for the student, measures of student progress, and a timetable for improving achievement.
- In the case of a student with a disability, or covered under section 504 these decisions must be consistent with the IEP.
- Again under a formula, the district may give preferences to the lowest achieving children in the lowest income families who request services.
- There is NOTHING in NCLB that prevents the school form providing tutoring to ALL the children who request it.
If the Title I school fails to meet AYP for four consecutive years-
- The school may replace school staff responsible for the failure.
- The school may hire an outside expert to advise the school on how to make progress towards the AYP.
- The school may implement a new curriculum, which must address the weaknesses in the old one. The school will train teachers in implementing this new curriculum.
- The school may reorganize its management structure.
If the Title I school fails to meet AYP for five consecutive years-
- The school may replace the principal and staff.
- The school may contract with a private firm to run the school
- If these options don't work the state will take over the management of the school.

Parental Involvement:

Every School & School district that receives Title I funds must have a written Parental Involvement policy.
This policy must be developed jointly with, approved by, and distributed to parents of participating children and the local community.
The policy must ensure that strong strategies are in place that encourage and sustain active parental involvement.
Each school must hold an annual meeting of parents to inform them of the policy and their right to be involved
Offer flexible parental involvement meetings and if necessary with Title I money provide child care, transportation or home visits.
Involve parents in an ongoing and organized way of planning, review, and improvement of school programs.
Develop with parents a school-parent compact that outlines the actions to be taken to improve individual student academic achievement.
Build capacity for parental involvement in the school by helping parents understand academic content standards and state academic achievement standards and assessments as well as provide materials and training to parents, teachers, student service personnel and other staff designed to foster greater parental involvement.
School districts must provide technical assistance and support for schools to develop and implement effective parental involvement policies and programs.
Conduct with the involvement of parents an annual review of the effectiveness of the parent/family involvement policy in increasing the participation of parent/family and use the review to identify and correct any barriers to parental participation.
Coordinate and integrate Title I parent involvement strategies with those of other programs, such as Head Start, ESL, IDEA, Reading First, Even Start, …

Title III – English Language Learners:

Title III funds are to be used to provide language instruction educational programs – instruction courses in which Ell Students are placed for the purpose of attaining English proficiency. These programs may make use of both English and the child’s native language.
Schools and schools districts must ensure that ELL students, including immigrant children and youth, develop English proficiency and meet the same academic content and achievement standards that other children are expected to meet.
Each School and School district using Title III funds must implement an effective means of outreach to parents of ELL children. They must inform parents about how they can be active participants in assisting their child to learn English.
For School Districts using Title III Funds must inform parents of:
- The child’s level of English proficiency, including how the level was assessed and the status of the child’s academic achievement
- The reason for identifying their child as being limited proficiency and for placing their child in a language instructional program for the LEP.
- The method of instruction that will be used in the program, including a description of all language programs.
- The program exit requirements, including when the transition will take place and when graduation form secondary school is expected.
- How the program will meet the objectives of an IEP for a child with a disability.
- The parents rights, including written guidance (A) that specifies the rights that parents have to have their child immediately removed from a language instruction educational program, (B) describes the options that parents have to decline to enroll their child in such a program pr to choose another program or method of instruction, if available. (C) Assist parents in selecting among various programs and methods of instruction.