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Who is included in the federal mandate that all students must meet state academic standards for mathematics and English-language arts by 2014?
In California, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandate includes ALL students in grades 2-8 and 10 at all schools. This includes economically disadvantaged students, racial or ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and English learners.
What are the key components of Adequate Yearly Progress?
There are four key components:
- A minimum percentage of students at each school, each district, and each student subgroup meet or exceed state standards (score at "Proficient" or above) in English-language arts and mathematics each year on state assessments.
- All schools and districts must have at least 95 percent of their students schoolwide and in each subgroup take the designated state tests.
- Schools and districts must meet the minimum required Academic Performance Index (API) or show at least one point of growth.
- High schools, high school districts, and unified school districts must meet the required minimum high school graduation rate, or show improvement of at least 0.1%.
What state tests are used to show student proficiency in English-language arts and mathematics?
The designated state tests are the California Standards Tests (CSTs) for grades 2 through 8, the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) for grade 10, and the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) for grades 2 through 8 and grade 10. Students with significant cognitive disabilities take the CAPA. The CSTs and the CAPA are parts of the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program. Student performance on the CAHSEE is used for two purposes: (1) as a measure of school, district, and state accountability and (2) as a condition of graduation for individual students.
Do all schools need to make AYP, or just schools receiving federal Title I funds?
AYP applies to all schools, including charter schools and alternative schools; however, the federal consequences for not meeting AYP requirements apply only to schools that receive Title I funds.
What happens to Title I schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress?
Title I-funded schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years in the same subject area enter Program Improvement (PI). A district or school in Program Improvement (PI) is required to offer certain services during each year it is in PI. PI schools must offer students the choice to transfer to a non-PI school with paid transportation. Additional consequences include providing supplemental services, free tutoring, and corrective actions. A school exits PI when it makes AYP for two consecutive years.
Where can parents find more information about the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), California's accountability plan, and AYP requirements?
Parents can direct questions to the principal or other school administrators. Additional information about NCLB and AYP is located on the federal web site at http://www.nclb.gov and on the California Department of Education web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ayp.
What is the difference between Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and the Academic Performance Index (API)?
