Key Elements to NCLB
* Annual testing of all public school students
in reading and math, grades 3-8 and high school, by
the 2005-06 school year.
*Annual report cards on school performance for parents, voters and taxpayers.
*Ensuring that every child reads by the 3rd grade.
*A highly qualified teacher in every public school classroom by 2005.
* All students will graduate from high school.
Questions and Answers to NCLB
Q. What testing is required?
A: Starting in 2005-06, all states will be required to test students
in reading and math annually in
grades 3 through 8 and once more between grades 9-12. Science
assessments are to be given
beginning in the 2007-08 school year, once in each of the following
grade spans: 3-5, 6-9, and
10-12.
Q. What happens if a school does not make AYP?
For Title I schools that fail to make AYP, the sanctions increase.
After two years of failure to
make AYP, the school is identified � in need of improvement.�
Schools � in need of
improvement� must develop a two year plan for improvement. In
addition, the district must offer
public school choice and provide transportation to students who opt
out of the school. After
three years of failure to make AYP, the district must offer tutoring
to students and the school
must spend 10 percent of its Title I funds on professional development.
Tutors are selected from
an approved state list.
Q.What is corrective action?
A: After four years of failing to make AYP, (failure to make AYD =Accreditation
needs
improvement) the school is placed on �corrective action� status.
The district must do one of the
following:
� Implement a new curriculum
and train staff
� Significantly decrease
management authority in the school
� Appoint an outside expert
to advise the school
� Extend the school day
or year
� Restructure the internal
organization of the school
After six years, the district must do one of the following:
� Re-open the school as a
charter school
� Replace most or all of
the staff, including the principal
� Enter into a contract
for an outside management company to run the school
� Turn the school over to
the state
Q: How does a school remove itself from the school improvement list?
A. Once adequate yearly progress is met for two consecutive years,
the school is removed from
the improvement or corrective action category.
Q. What supplemental educational services will be provided?
Parents will be notified by mail each year as to what supplemental
education services are
available to them
Choice / Transportation
Q. What does the law require?
� Schools in the first year
of school improvement must offer parents the option of
transferring students to another district
school not on improvement , with transportation
provided.
� Districts designate the
receiving schools. Students can stay at their school of choice
through the highest grade offered.
� Parents will be notified
annually of their options during the school choice enrollment
process.
Highly Qualified Teachers
Q. Who is covered under the law?
A. All district teachers of core academic subjects- (English, reading
or language arts,
mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics,
arts, history and
geography)- must be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 school
year.
After the first day of school in the w002-2003 school year all teachers
hired to work in Title I
schools must be highly qualified.
Q. What is a� highly qualified� teacher?
High Qualified Paraprofessionals
Q. What are the requirements of NCLB?
A. The law applies to paraprofessionals in Title I programs and
outlines the following
requirements:
� All Title I instructional
paraprofessionals must have a high school diploma or a GED.
� All newly hired Title
I paraprofessionals (which includes all paraprofessionals in Title I
schoolwide
program schools) must meet one of the following criteria:
*Completed two years of college.
*Have an Associate Degree.
*Have demonstrated through a formal assessment, their
�knowledge of�
and � ability to assist� in instructing reading,
writing, and math.
�
Current paraprofessionals must meet this standard by January 2006.
� Exceptions are paraprofessionals
who work primarily as translators or as parent liaisons.
� Paraprofessionals are
allowed to give direct instruction only if working under the
supervision
of a �highly qualified� teacher.
Safe Schools
Q: What does the law say about safe schools?
A. The law requires each state to adopt a policy requiring that
students who attend a persistently
dangerous school or become victims of violent crimes on the grounds
of a school they attend be
allowed to attend a safe school within the same district.
Parent Involvement
Q. What are the law�s implications for parent involvement?
A. Districts must develop jointly with parents a written parent involvement policy. In addition:
*Each Title I school must have at least one annual meeting with
parents to
explain the Title I program and their right to be involved.
Q. How does this law affect the parents?
A: Parents of students in Title I schools must be notified that they
may request teachers�
qualifications around licensing for grade level and subject, emergency
or provisional status, the
teachers� college degrees and college major.
Under �Parents Right to Know� provisions in the law, parents of students
in Title I schools who
are not being taught by a highly qualified teacher must be notified
of that fact within four weeks
of instruction.
Copy of Lee County Public Schools - Parental Involvement Policy
Generally
The Lee County School Board recognizes that the education of each
student is a
responsibility shared by the school and the student�s family.
The Lee County School Board
endorses the parental involvement goals of Title I (20 U. S. C. 6318)
and Title III (20 U. S. C.
7012 (e) ) and encourages the regular participation by parents of all
children including those
eligible for Title I and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) programs
in all aspects of those
programs.
In keeping with these beliefs, it is the intention of the Lee
County School Board to
cultivate and support active parent involvement in student learning.
The Lee County School
Board will:
- provide activities that will educate parents regarding the intellectual and developmental needs of their children. These activities will promote cooperation between the division and other agencies or school/community groups (such as parent-teacher groups, Head Start program, the Reading First Program, Early Reading First program, Even Start program, and parents as Teachers program) to furnish learning opportunities and disseminate information regarding parenting skills and child/adolescent development.
- Implement strategies to involve parents in the education
process including:
- keeping families informed of opportunities for involvement
and encouraging participation in various programs;
- providing access to education resources for parents and
families to use with their children;
- keeping families informed of the objectives of
district educational programs as well as of their child's participation
and progress with these programs;
- enable families to participate in the education of their
children through a variety of roles. For example, family members may:
- provide input for district policies
- volunteer time within the classroom and school programs
- provide professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their understanding of effective parent involvement strategies;
- perform regular evaluations of parent involvement at each
school and in the district
- provide access, upon request, to any instructional material
used as part of the educational curriculum;
- if practicable, provide information in a language understandable
to parents.
- In addition, for parents of students eligible for LEP
programs, the School Board will inform such parents of how they can
be active participants in assisting their children:
- to learn English;
- to achieve at high levels in core
academic subjects; and
- to meet the same challenging academic
content and student academic achievement standards as all children are
expected to meet.
Parent Involvement in Title I Plan
The Lee County School District encourages parents of children
eligible to participate in
Title I, Part A programs, to participate in the development if the
District�s Title I plan. Parents
may participate by:
A. Personal contact by phone or letter to the Title I Coordinator
B. Attending the annual school meetings(information from these
meetings will be shared with the division)
Parental Involvement in School Review and Improvement
The Lee County School District encourages parents of children eligible to participate in the Tile I, Part A programs to participate in the process of school review and, if applicable, school improvement as implemented by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U. S. C. 2316.
Parents may participate by:
A. Classroom visitations
B. Training workshops on school improvement
C. Serve of school improvement committees
District Responsibilities
The Lee County School District, and each school which receives
Title I, Part A funds
WILL:
- Provide assistance to parents of children served by the school district, as applicable, in understanding topics such as Virginia�s academic content standards and student academic achievement standards, state and local academic assessments, and how to monitor a child�s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children;
- provide materials and training to help parents with their children to improve their children�s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement;
- educate teachers and pupil
services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistance of
parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents and in how
to reach out to, communicate with and work with parents as equal partners,
implement and coordinate parent programs,
and build ties between parents and the school;
- to the extent feasible
and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs
and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First,
Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the
Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and
conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that
encourage and support parents in more fully participating in
the education of their children;
- ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand; and
- provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request.
The Lee County School District, and each school which receives Title I, Part A funds, MAY:
- involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training;
- provide necessary literacy training from Title I funds of the district has exhausted all other reasonable available sources of funding for such training;
- pay reasonable and
necessary expenses associated with local parent involvement activities,
including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate
in school-related meetings and training sessions;
- train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;
- arrange school meetings
at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers
or other educators who work directly with participating children and parents
who are unable to attend such conferences at school in order to
maximize parental involvement and participation;
- adopt and implement model
approaches to improving parental involvement;
- establish a district wide parent advisory council to provide advice on matters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this section; and
- to develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parental involvement activities.
School Parental Involvement Policies
Each school served under the Title I, Part A, shall jointly develop
with and distribute to
parents of participating children a written parental involvement policy,
agreed on by such
parents, that shall describe the means for carrying out the following:
- convening an annual meeting,
at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall
be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school�s
participation in Title I, Part A, and to explain the requirements of
Title I, Part A, and the rights of parents to be involved;
- offering a flexible number of meetings, such as meeting in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement;
- involving parents, in an organized,
ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of Title
I, Part A programs, including the planning, review, and improvement of
the school parental involvement policy and the joint
development of the school wide program plan under the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001, 20 U. S. C. 6312 (b)(2), except that if a school has
in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design
of the school�s programs, the
school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation
of parents of participating children;
- providing parents
of participating children:
- timely information about Title I, Part A
programs;
- a description and explanation of the curriculum
in use at the school, the academic assessments used to measure student
progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet; and
- if requested by parents, opportunities for
regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as
appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children,
and respond to any suggestions as soon as practicably possible; and
- if the school wide program
plan under No Child Left Behind act of 2001, 20 U. S. C. 6312(b)(2) is
not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submitting any
parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan
available to the District.
Parental Involvement in Allocation of Funding
Parents of children receiving services under Title I, Part A, shall be involved in the decisions regarding how funds provided under Title I, Part A, are allotted for parental involvement activities.
Policy Review
The content and effectiveness of this policy will be evaluated
annually with regard to improving the academic quality of the schools receiving
Title I, Part A, or LEP funds. This evaluation will identify barriers
to greater participation by parents (particularly by parents who are economically
disadvantaged, have disabilities have limited English proficiency, have
limited
literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background) and use
the findings of that evaluation to design strategies for more effective
parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, this policy.
Adopted:
Legal Refs: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, sections 22.1-1-78
Cross Refs: AD Educational
Philosophy
BCF Advisory Committees tot he School Board
IAA Notification of Learning Objectives
IKA Parental Assistance with Instruction
LEE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Notes from an AYP meeting conducted June 12, 2003.
+ Will new reading tests also test writing? NO. Note: Contacted Shelley Loving-Ryder, Assistant Superintendent of Assessment, who stated that the English 3 test will continue to be combination tests for the next two years.
+ The Local Education Agency (LEA) must notify schools of making or not making AYP prior to the beginning of the next school year. Must also publicize and dissiminate AYP determinations to the community.
+ AYP starting points: Math - 58.4% pass rate
Reading/Language Arts - 60.7% pass rate
Attendance Rate for Elementary and Middle Schools - 93.4%
Graduation Rate - 67.2%*
*Graduation Rate - determined by number
of students who recieve a standard diploma, no GED's or other diplomas
not correlated to content standards. Modified and special diplomas
are not counted in formula.
*Graduation Rate Formula - Number
of students who recieve standard and advanced diplomas
Number of students with diplomas+ 12th grade dropouts + drop outs from
9, 10, 11, grades of that graduating class
+ Participation rate for each assessment, all students and each subgroup:
at least 95%
LEP students are "exempted" but included in calculation
as "not participating", per USED
Students with disabilities participatin in "local
assessments": included in calculations as "not participating", per USED
+ Students with disabilites are defined as those identified under IDEA, NOT 504.
+ Students who are economically disadvantaged are defined as those who participate in free and reduced lunch.
+ Virginia has identified three major racial/ethnic groups: White, not of Hispanic origin; Black, not of Hispanic origin; Hispanic
+ Tests (SOLs) are being developed for Special Education, with accomodations built in. These tests are in grades 3 -8 and should be available for Spring 2004.
+ One way to make AYP:
95% of enrolled students participate(all students
and by subgroup)
All students and subgroups score at least proficient
in statewide assessments
The school/LEA meets annual measurable objectives
for graduation or attendance or makes progress.
+ Safe Harbor Rule
95% of enrolled students participate(all students
and by subgroup) AND
Student pass rate on statewide assessment is below
level specified by annual measurable objecitve AND
Percent of students failing decerases by at least
10% from previous year AND
Students make progress in graduation rate or attendance
rate.
Retakes do not count as part of the 95%. First time test takers only.
+ AYP Determination
First time test takers only
Combine scores across grades/courses
Minimum number for reporting = 50. Less than 50 students per
group, those scores are added to the all students category.
If less than ten students are in a subgroup, then they will not be reported.
Includes students present for "full academic year": student enrolled
on or before September 30 and remains enrolled through test administration.
Explanations: Student leaves before test administration
and moves to another school in division, will not count for school, but
will count for the division. Leaves division for 2 months to another
state division, will count at state level only. Truant - dropped
for attendance or re-enrolls - student counts for AYP.
+ ALL schools not making AYP for 2 consecutive years in the same area, requires the LEA to sanction the school. First sanction is to offer public school choice, with division paying for transporation.
To be able to make SOL accrediation and meet the requirement of NCLB will be very difficult.
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