The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires schools to make what the federal government calls “adequate yearly progress” on the Washington Assessment for Student Learning. If a portion of the school’s students don’t meet the expectations over two consecutive years, the school lands on Level One. After that, each consecutive year of failure bumps them down a level, and means the school must not only continue its previous efforts but try new things, too:
- Step One (two consecutive years of failing to meet the feds’ expectations): Schools must adopt two-year improvement plans, pay for professional development for teachers, and allow parents the option to transfer their children to a higher-performing public or charter school, with the district paying for the costs of transportation.
- Step Two (three consecutive years): Give students from low-income families the option of obtaining services, such as tutoring, from outside providers.
- Step Three (four consecutive years): Do one or more of the following: Implement new curriculum, replace school staff, appoint an outside expert as advisor, or extend the school day or year.
- Step Four (five consecutive years): Plan for more restructuring, including possibly replacing all or most of the staff, reopening as a charter, contracting with a private overseer, or turning over operations to the state.
- Step Five (six consecutive years): Implement the plan they made in Step Four.
More than 100 Washington schools have been listed in Step One, 45 in Step Two, 65 in Step Three, four in Step Four, and eight in Step Five. Of these last eight, all are located in Central Washington, where students failing the test are predominantly low-income male Hispanics and Native Americans.
— Kevin Himeda
For copy of actual issue, go to https://www.realchangenews.org/2007/01/03/jan-3-2007-entire-issue