NCLB MAIN TOPICS

	School Accountability
	School Choice
	Supplemental Educational Services
	Title I Schools and Parent Involvement

Your Child and
No Child Left Behind

The spirit behind the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law is to create a climate where every child can reach his or her full educational potential. NCLB is based on the philosophy that all children can learn, and it puts the responsibility on the schools to find the best way to help them. In fact, the New Hampshire Department of Education is going beyond the requirements of NCLB to ensure that all children in our state receive a quality education.

NCLB provides you as a parent with important rights and responsibilities regarding your child’s education. These include:

1)	Understanding your school’s efforts for improving academic achievement and how you can be involved; and
2)	Knowing when you can take advantage of additional educational options for your child

12 Tips for Parent Involvement

1)	Take your child to school on the first day.
2)	Let your child know that school is important. Be sure to ask questions about homework, and set up a quiet place for your child to work.
3)	Read everything that is sent home from school—report cards, homework assignments, school lunch plans, and vacation and bus schedules. Show your child that you are well informed.
	Read more...

No Child Left Behind - School Accountability for Student Achievement

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NCLB requires states to set standards on what children should know and be able to do at each grade level. The goal of NCLB is to help all the nation’s public school students receive a better education. Some parts of NCLB apply to all public schools, but some apply only to Title I schools. Title I schools that do not meet state standards may be judged to be “in need of improvement.” “Accountable” means that all schools have to answer to the public for how well they are, or are not, educating all the children in a school.

What is Adequate Yearly Progress?

NCLB requires all schools to improve every year. The amount of improvement schools must make each year is called “Adequate Yearly Progress,” or AYP. In NH, AYP is mostly judged by how well students do on the statewide New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) tests. To make adequate yearly progress, it is not enough for the school as a whole to improve. All groups of students—students with disabilities, students who are just learning English, and minority students—must also make enough progress.

What happens if a school does not make adequate yearly progress?

Schools that do not meet AYP goals for one year are given another chance to do so. Schools that do not meet AYP goals for two years in a row are said to be “in need of improvement.”

What happens if my child’s Title I school is “in need of improvement”?

A Title I school “in need of improvement” must develop a two-year school improvement plan within three of months after being identified. This plan is developed by parents, school staff, the local education agency (LEA), and outside experts (as necessary). At this point, the school is in Year I of School Improvement and must make AYP for two years in a row before being removed from School Improvement.

Year I of School Improvement

A school must offer parents the option to transfer to a school that is not in need of improvement. This is called the School Choice option. Schools must offer choice in every year of school improvement. For more information about School Choice, see NH State PIRC Tipsheet on this topic.

Year 2 of School Improvement

A school must continue to offer School Choice and begin offering Supplemental Educational Services (SES). SES is extra help outside of the school day, such as tutoring before and after school, on weekends and during the summer. A family must meet economic eligibility requirements in order to receive this service. The school must provide a list of state approved supplemental education providers to those who are eligible.

Year 3 and 4 of School Improvement

A school must take corrective action, which may include changing personnel or curricula, consulting outside experts, or restructuring. During this time School Choice and SES must still be offered.

The final year of School Improvement (Year 5). This requires schools to restructure and operate under new leadership.

NCLB helps to ensure that every child receives a quality education. The NH Department of Education, local school districts, schools and other organizastions such as NH State PIRC are working with families to improve an already strong public education system in NH.