The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program is a federal law that governs elementary and secondary education and is funded by federal Title I. Under NCLB, school boards must ensure that their high-poverty schools meet the educational needs of low-achieving students. The goal is to close the achievement gap between high and low achieving students.
San Diego Schools is committed to providing a strong, standards-based education with programs that are designed to improve student achievement in basic reading, writing, and math skills. Along with this commitment, they have embraced the NCLB program, which benefits San Diego schools and their students by:
o San Diego schools must provide greater accountability for results, which means an even better school district with higher student achievement;
o The district gains greater flexibility in spending federal money, allowing it to decide where the money is best used to improve student achievement;
o Parents have more choice about their children, allowing them to choose a non-participating school over an NCLB school; and
o San Diego schools get a greater emphasis on teaching methods that have been shown to work.
Of San Diego’s 202 schools, 138 are eligible for the NCLB program. Schools are selected for the program if they have not made AYP for two or more consecutive years and serve students from high-poverty backgrounds. State-required annual student achievement goals measure the progress of each of San Diego’s 138 schools. There are currently 37 schools participating in NCLB’s five-year program and are designated as Program Improvement schools.
The following seven schools are in their first year of the program: Clairemont High, Creative, Performing and Media Arts Middle; know; middle pershing; Rosa Parks Elementary; Wangenheim Center; and Washington.
In its sophomore year are ALBA, Bayview Terrace, Correia Middle, Dana (5-6), Emerson/Bandini, Encanto, Garfield High, Logan, Madison, Montgomery Middle, Muir (K-12), and Twain.
San Diego’s junior schools are Garfield, Marston Middle, and Pacific Beach Middle.
Baker, Bell Middle, Clark Middle, Farb Middle, Hoover High, Kroc Middle, Morse High, O’Farrell Charter, Roosevelt Middle, Taft Middle, and Tubman Village Charter are in their fourth year.
Four San Diego schools are in their fifth year. They are Balboa, Gompers High School, Memorial Charter, and Wilson Middle.
The previously featured schools set their Adequate Yearly Progress targets in 2005, showing notable improvement in student achievement.
During all program years, parents may choose to send their children to a designated non-participating school and receive transportation at the expense of San Diego schools.
During years two through five, free tutoring is provided to eligible students after school based on academic need. Parents select from a list of state-approved service providers.
In the third year of the program, the district will step in, making additional options and services available.
The district is developing plans to restructure San Diego schools that are in the fourth year of the program. The plans include major reorganizations and fundamental reforms that affect the staffing and administration of the schools.
Any school still in the program in year five is restructured, according to the plan developed for the school in year four.
San Diego schools provide parents of children who attend Program Improvement schools with information on a variety of educational topics. In addition, parents may request information about the professional qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals associated with their children.
Parents are asked to help in their child’s education by participating in school events, volunteering on school administrative committees, volunteering in the classroom, and providing support at home to enable their children to learn more.
San Diego schools serve nearly 136,000 students. The district is the second largest in California. They are committed to improving student achievement through modernized facilities and resources, enhanced classroom learning through challenging and proven teaching methods, and community involvement in the educational process. NCLB is just one of many programs instituted by San Diego schools to serve and benefit the educational needs of students.