NCLB - No Child Left Behind Act School Improvement and Sanctions Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Title I elementary school fails to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the first time. The following school year, it fails to make AYP again. According to NCLB, what is the FIRST major consequence the school faces?
- The school must offer Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to eligible students.
- The school enters the 'Corrective Action' phase and must replace relevant staff.
- The school must develop a two-year improvement plan and offer public school choice. (Correct answer)
- The school's administration is taken over by the state education agency.
Correct answer: The school must develop a two-year improvement plan and offer public school choice.
Failing to make AYP for two consecutive years places a Title I school into the first stage of 'School Improvement.' The initial requirements are to develop a two-year improvement plan, receive technical assistance, and offer students the option to transfer to another public school in the district that has not been identified for improvement.
Question 2: Under the No Child Left Behind Act, which of the following was a mandatory action for a Title I school that had failed to make AYP for three consecutive years?
- Reopening as a public charter school.
- Replacing the school principal and a majority of the teaching staff.
- Implementing a new, state-mandated curriculum.
- Offering Supplemental Educational Services (SES), such as free tutoring, to eligible students. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Offering Supplemental Educational Services (SES), such as free tutoring, to eligible students.
After a school failed to make AYP for three consecutive years, it remained in 'School Improvement' status. In addition to continuing to offer public school choice, the school was newly required to provide Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to students from low-income families. More drastic measures like replacing staff or reopening as a charter school were reserved for later stages like 'Corrective Action' and 'Restructuring'.
Question 3: A school district under NCLB must take 'Corrective Action' for a Title I school that has not made AYP for four consecutive years. Which of the following is a valid 'Corrective Action' option the district could impose?
- Writing a letter of reprimand to the school board.
- Implementing a new curriculum and replacing staff members relevant to the failure. (Correct answer)
- Offering public school choice for the first time.
- Planning for state takeover of the school.
Correct answer: Implementing a new curriculum and replacing staff members relevant to the failure.
The 'Corrective Action' phase, triggered by four years of missing AYP, required more significant interventions. NCLB specified several options, including replacing school staff relevant to the failure, implementing a new curriculum, decreasing the school's management authority, or appointing an outside expert. Public school choice would have already been offered for two years at this point. Planning for state takeover is a 'Restructuring' option for schools that miss AYP for five or more years.
Question 4: Hillside Middle School, a Title I school, has failed to make AYP for five consecutive years and must now enter the 'Restructuring' phase. Which of the following actions represents a legitimate restructuring option under NCLB?
- Providing an extended school day for all students.
- Contracting with a private management company to operate the school. (Correct answer)
- Requiring all teachers to attend additional professional development.
- Purchasing new technology for every classroom.
Correct answer: Contracting with a private management company to operate the school.
Restructuring, the most severe sanction under NCLB, required a fundamental change in school governance. The law outlined specific options, which included reopening as a charter school, replacing all or most of the staff, turning operations over to the state, or contracting with an outside entity (like a private management company) to run the school.
Question 5: According to the NCLB timeline of sanctions, a school district was required to begin implementing a restructuring plan for a school after it had failed to make AYP for how many consecutive years?
- Three years
- Four years
- Five years
- Six years (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Six years
Under NCLB, a school that failed to make AYP for five consecutive years was required to create a plan for restructuring. The actual implementation of that restructuring plan was mandated to begin if the school failed to make AYP for a sixth consecutive year.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the progression of sanctions for Title I schools under the No Child Left Behind Act?
- Corrective Action, School Improvement, Restructuring.
- School Improvement, Corrective Action, Restructuring. (Correct answer)
- Restructuring, School Improvement, Corrective Action.
- School Improvement, Restructuring, Corrective Action.
Correct answer: School Improvement, Corrective Action, Restructuring.
The NCLB accountability system used a sequence of escalating sanctions. A school first entered 'School Improvement' (after 2 years of missing AYP), then faced 'Corrective Action' (after 4 years), and finally was subject to 'Restructuring' (after 5 or more years).
NCLB - No Child Left Behind Act School Improvement and Sanctions Questions and Answers
A Title I elementary school fails to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the first time.
The following school year, it fails to make AYP again.
According to NCLB, what is the FIRST major consequence the school faces?