NCLB School Improvement and Sanctions 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NCLB, when a school is in restructuring, how long does the district have to plan the restructuring before implementing it?
- One month
- The remainder of the current school year
- One full school year (Correct answer)
- Two full school years
Correct answer: One full school year
NCLB requires that districts spend one full school year planning the restructuring before implementation begins in the following year.
Question 2: Which NCLB requirement specifically addresses the needs of migrant students in the context of school improvement?
- Migrant students are exempt from AYP subgroup accountability
- States must coordinate services to ensure migrant students are counted and served (Correct answer)
- Migrant students may only attend schools in their home state
- Migrant students must receive SES regardless of school improvement status
Correct answer: States must coordinate services to ensure migrant students are counted and served
NCLB required states to coordinate services for migrant students, ensuring they are properly counted in AYP subgroups and have access to required services.
Question 3: What is 'safe harbor' under NCLB's AYP framework?
- An exemption for schools in rural areas from AYP requirements
- An alternative method allowing a subgroup to meet AYP by reducing its percentage of non-proficient students by 10% (Correct answer)
- A provision protecting teachers from dismissal during school improvement
- A funding protection clause for schools in improvement
Correct answer: An alternative method allowing a subgroup to meet AYP by reducing its percentage of non-proficient students by 10%
Safe harbor is an alternative AYP pathway where a subgroup meets AYP if it reduces its percentage of non-proficient students by at least 10% from the prior year.
Question 4: Under NCLB, what must Supplemental Educational Services providers demonstrate to maintain state approval?
- They must be non-profit organizations only
- They must show evidence of effectiveness in improving student academic achievement (Correct answer)
- They must be located within the same school district they serve
- They must employ only certified teachers
Correct answer: They must show evidence of effectiveness in improving student academic achievement
SES providers must demonstrate to the state that their services are effective in increasing student academic achievement to maintain approval status.
Question 5: Under NCLB, which of the following is NOT one of the options a school may choose during the restructuring phase?
- Converting to a charter school
- Turning the school's operation over to a private management company
- Increasing teacher salaries by 25% (Correct answer)
- Replacing all or most of the school staff
Correct answer: Increasing teacher salaries by 25%
NCLB's restructuring options include governance changes like charter conversion, private management, state takeover, or staff replacement—not blanket salary increases.
Question 6: How does NCLB's school improvement process interact with a school that serves students from multiple racial subgroups, all of which are meeting AYP, but the school still fails overall?
- The school cannot be identified for improvement if all subgroups meet AYP
- The school can still fail AYP based on overall student participation rates or other indicators (Correct answer)
- The school automatically exits improvement status in this case
- Federal law exempts such schools from improvement requirements
Correct answer: The school can still fail AYP based on overall student participation rates or other indicators
Even if all demographic subgroups meet proficiency targets, a school can still fail AYP if it misses requirements for participation rates, graduation rates, or other additional indicators.
Question 7: Under NCLB, which entity must notify parents that their child's school has been identified for School Improvement status?
- The federal Department of Education
- The state education agency directly to parents
- The local education agency (school district) (Correct answer)
- The school principal only
Correct answer: The local education agency (school district)
NCLB requires the local education agency (school district) to notify parents in writing when a school has been identified for School Improvement status.
NCLB School Improvement and Sanctions 5
Under NCLB, when a school is in restructuring, how long does the district have to plan the restructuring before implementing it?