A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR APPLYING NCLB IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS
COMPONENT: Schools in Need of Improvement
DEFINITION: Schools in need of improvement is the component of the No Child Left Behind Act that provides direction and consequences for public schools not making adequate yearly progress. States must annually review the progress of each elementary, middle, and high school; school district; and the State to determine if they are making adequate yearly progress toward reaching academic student achievement standards in reading and mathematics by 2013-2014. High schools and other schools that do not make adequate yearly progress will be identified for increasingly rigorous sanctions designed to bring about meaningful change and improvement. Furthermore, students in low performing schools will have the option to transfer to other public schools or to obtain supplemental educational services. Finally, if school improvement results are still insufficient, the No Child Left Behind Act mandates the fundamental restructuring of any school that fails to improve over a five-year period.
SUMMARY OF NCLB REQUIREMENTS

School districts and their high schools receiving Title I funds will be assessed annually to determine whether or not they are in need of school improvement. If they are, the No Child Left Behind Act calls for a series of sanctions. The rigor of the sanctions increases with the extent of time associated with a high school’s designation as “a school in need of improvement” as outlined below:

Baseline Data: “The Starting Point” - Based on each State’s baseline academic assessment data, the State establishes a starting point for determining adequate yearly progress. Then, each pubic school is assessed annually to determine their progress relative to meeting or exceeding the State’s annual measurable objectives for making adequate yearly progress.

After Two Years: “School Improvement” - If a high school fails to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years from the starting point, it must be identified by the school district as a school in need of improvement. Once that happens, the high school must:
  1. Develop or revise a two-year school improvement plan to meet or exceed its adequate yearly progress measurable objectives. The plan must be designed to:

    • Incorporate strategies supported by scientifically based research to address the problems that led to the school improvement status and consider the option to adopt a comprehensive school reform model.

    • Spend not less than 10 percent of Title I Part A funds made available to the school for professional development of the schools’ teachers and principal to address directly the academic achievement problem(s) that caused the high school to be identified for improvement.

    • Implement a variety of other strategies involving, but not limited to, parent involvement, after school programs, and teacher mentoring.

  2. Provide with the support of the school district the option for parents to transfer their student(s) to another public high school, including a public charter school that has not been identified for school improvement. Low-achieving students from low-income families have priority for the transfer option and funds are available to support transportation. Moreover, school administrators must provide parents with information to help them decide whether or not to exercise the option.

  3. Access and apply school district technical assistance to support the school improvement process.

After Three Years: “Continuing School Improvement” - If a high school fails to make adequate yearly progress for three consecutive years from the starting point, the high school must:

  1. Continue to provide the option to parents to transfer their student(s) to another public high school.

  2. Offer supplemental educational services from a public- or private-sector provider, including faith-based organizations, selected from a list of providers approved by the State. This support can include State-approved tutors, before-school and after-school programs, weekend programs and other out-of-school academic assistance for low-income, low-performing students.

  3. Continue to access and apply school district technical assistance to support the school improvement process.

After Four Years: “Corrective Action” - If a high school fails to make adequate yearly progress for four consecutive years from the starting point -- two under school improvement status, the school district must identify the school for corrective actions designed to bring about meaningful change at the high school. These must:

  1. Continue to provide the option for parents to transfer their student(s) to another public high school.

  2. Continue to provide technical assistance to support the high school’s improvement process.

  3. Continue to offer supplemental educational services to students who remain in the school.

  4. Implement at least one of the following:

    • Replace the school staff relevant to the failure to make adequate yearly progress

    • Institute and fully implement a new curriculum

    • Decrease significantly the management authority at the school level

    • Appoint outside experts to advise the school improvement process

    • Extend the school day or school year for the school

    • Restructure the internal organizational structure of the school

After Five Years: “Restructuring” - If a high school fails to make adequate yearly progress for a fifth year -- one under corrective actions, the school district must initiate plans to fundamentally restructure the school. These plans will:

  1. Continue to provide the option for parents to transfer their student(s) to another public high school.

  2. Continue to offer supplemental educational services to students who remain in the school.

  3. Construct a plan for alternative governance and make the necessary arrangements to carry out one of the following:

    • Reopen the high school as a public charter high school

    • Replace all or most of the school staff who are relevant to the failure to make adequate progress

    • Enter into a contract with an entity such as a private management company with a demonstrated record of effectiveness to operate the school

    • Turn the operations of the school over to the State educational agency.

    • Benchmark and implement any other major restructuring approaches to increase the chances of meeting and exceeding adequate yearly progress by 2013-2014.

Exiting School Improvement: “Success” - Any high school identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring sanctions that makes adequate yearly progress for two consecutive school years is not required to follow those requirements in the next school year. However, a high school dedicated to continuous improvement would continue to strive to become a better school as a function of its vision, commitments, and results.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

A high school in need of improvement must design, develop, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve strategies to avoid rigorous sanctions as authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act. The following quality-driven school improvement approach supports any high school striving to move from school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring levels of performance to high performance levels to produce students who perform at proficient and advanced levels of achievement.

Phase I – Establish a Collaborative Management System

The mission of this Phase is to identify key stakeholders and establish roles and responsibilities for a collaborative management system to support the school’s exit from school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. Students, teachers, administrators, government and business partners, and local community leaders are key stakeholders. Working together as a learning community toward a shared vision, they can guide the high school to meet and exceed annual measurable objectives for adequate yearly progress.

Phase II – Build Support of the School’s Vision and Commitments

In this Phase the high school stakeholders reaffirm or establish the vision, mission, values, and goals that guide school improvement processes. They develop a shared vision that 100% of their students are expected to perform at the proficient level in reading and mathematics by 2014. They make the necessary commitments of people, time, and money to move the school toward their shared vision. This common understanding of vision and commitments shapes the school as a learning community and becomes embedded in the actions and attitudes of students, teachers, administrators, parents, paraprofessionals, mentors, volunteers, and community leaders.

Phase III – Collect and Analyze Data for Adequate Yearly Progress

To reach adequate yearly progress measurable objectives, the best data analysis is one that results in the insights needed to improve teaching and student learning. When State assessment data are analyzed along with classroom data for the same academic content standards, it is possible to obtain from the data those insights that will remain hidden from teachers who continue to use traditional analyses. For example, what insights can be obtained to improve "reading fluency" when looking at a percentage increase or decrease of a composite score of several academic content standards? Those analyses do not allow teachers to determine what might be causing improvements or failures in " reading fluency " or any other content standard or indicator. However, by analyzing data, information, and knowledge about specific content standards and indicators teachers gain insights to potential improvements that are aligned with the State academic content and student academic achievement standards.

Phase IV – Develop the Design for Improvement

Under the leadership of the school principal in this phase, the key stakeholders develop a design for improvement that is aligned with the programmatic components of the No Child Left Behind Act. For example, a design for improvement might reflect the following four stage approach corresponding to the quarters of the school year:

In Stage One (September, October, November), collect and analyze school improvement baseline data; begin to implement high quality teaching strategies and support services; administer classroom selected and constructed response assessments; monitor monthly milestones; deliver professional development; integrate technology; complete all start-up phases for new action plan initiatives; and prepare the first quarterly report for stakeholder review and suggestions for improvement;

In Stage Two (December, January, February), adjust high quality teaching strategies and support services based on State and classroom assessment data and professional judgment, continue formative classroom assessments, monitor monthly milestones, increase the use of technology, continue professional development, and prepare the second quarterly report for stakeholder review and suggestions for improvement;

In Stage Three (March, April, May), adjust high quality teaching strategies and support services based on State and classroom assessment data and professional judgment, maintain formative assessments, monitor monthly milestones, continue professional development, field-test new components from scientifically based research, administer the annual State assessments, and begin planning the update of the school improvement plan for the next school year;

In Stage Four (June, July, August), shared the results of State assessments with school-based action teams and stakeholders; plan and develop school improvement activities for the next school year; complete staff and product development sessions; develop and align classroom assessments; and field-test start-up strategies supported by scientifically based research for the next school year;

Phase V – Use Results for Continuous Improvement

The Collaborative Management System will emphasize that all facets of school improvement – shared vision, collaborative teams, collective inquiry, action orientation and continuous improvement – must be evaluated on the basis of results rather than intentions. All improvement strategies will be subjected to ongoing assessment on the basis of tangible results. The key stakeholders will develop a collective attitude in which “continuous improvement” becomes a constant and that improvement leads to greater improvements. Over time, a collective quest for improvement and a collective resistance to satisfaction with the status quo will shape the culture of the high school.
SOURCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Public Law 107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/

No Child Left Behind - A Desktop Reference, U.S. Department of Education
http://www.NoChildleftBehind.Gov

The Baldrige Criteria for Excellence, Steps to School Improvement
http://www.quality.nist.gov/Education_Criteria.htm

Making Good Choices: A Guide for Schools and Districts
http://www.ncrel.org/csri/tools/makegood/title.htm

Data Tutorial: A collection of data-driven decision-making tools for educators
http://www.ncrel.org/toolbelt/tutor.htm

Afterschool Alliance
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org

Using Title I to Support links to research on after school programs as well Out-of-School Time and Community Initiatives as program tools and State-specific information http://www.financeprojectinfo.org/osthome.htm

School Improvement: Focusing on student performance
http://www.nsse.org/

LearningFront™ - Instructional Leadership Framework
http://www.learningfront.com/leadership.cfm

Help for Parents: NEA resources
http://www.nea.org/parents/default.cfm

Understanding School Assessment - A Parent And Community Guide to helping Students Learn Assessment Training Institute,
http://www.assessmentinst.com/

"Becoming a Master Student" - David B. Ellis,
College, Inc., P.O. Box 8306
Rapid City, SD 57709-8306

"From the Capital to the Classroom" - State and Federal Efforts to Implement the NCLB Act, Center of Education Policy, January 2003
http://www.cep-dc.org