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 the basic skills of reading, writing, and math. Along with this commitment, they have adopted the NCLB program, which benefits San Diego schools and their students in the following ways:
o San Diego schools must provide greater accountability for results, which means an even better school district with higher academic achievement for its students;
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 instead of an NCLB school; Y
o San Diego schools get a greater emphasis on teaching methods that are proven to work.
Of the 202 schools in San Diego, 138 are eligible for the NCLB program. Schools are selected for the program if they have not made adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive years and serve students from high-poverty backgrounds. Annual state-mandated student achievement goals measure the progress of each of San Diego’s 138 schools. There are currently 37 schools that participate 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; knox; Medium Pershing; Rosa Parks Elementary; Wangenheim Center; and Washington.
In their second 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 schools highlighted above set their Adequate Yearly Progress targets in 2005, showing marked improvement in student achievement.
During each year of the program, parents may choose to send their children to a designated non-participating school and receive transportation at San Diego Schools expense.
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 develops 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 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 attending Program Improvement schools with information on a variety of education-related topics. Additionally, parents may request information regarding the professional qualifications of the teachers and paraprofessionals associated with their children.
Parents are asked to help support 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 child 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, improved 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.
