228 High Schools Are Identified As Needing Improvement

A total of 228 high schools have been identified by the State Education Department as needing improvement under federal and state rules. Of these, 18 high schools were newly identified this school year.

In addition, 29 schools have been removed from the list because they have made Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years in all areas for which they were identified. An additional 75 high schools made AYP last year and will be removed from the list if they make AYP in 2006-2007.

The lists of schools are posted at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/school-accountability/home.shtml .

A total of 946 schools serve high school students; some of them also have earlier grades.

Of the 228 schools identified, 107 schools receive Title I funds and are considered Schools In Need of Improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and must take a variety of actions, such as providing parental choice and supplementary services for children, depending on their status.

The other 121 schools do not receive Title I funds and therefore will not have to take the same actions. They are called Schools Requiring Academic Progress (SRAP) and will be required to implement State accountability measures.

The number of high schools identified as needing improvement decreased statewide by 11, even though scores needed to make Adequate Yearly Progress were raised.

Elementary and middle schools will be identified as needing improvement in November. The U.S. Department of Education has approved this timetable for this year to conform to the release of the 2006 grade 3-8 English and math scores.

Schools In Need of Improvement under NCLB are ones that receive Title I funds. These schools, as well as Schools Requiring Academic Progress, also receive technical assistance to help them improve student performance. Schools are held accountable for the achievement of students of different races and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and low-income students.

· The total number of schools identified as In Need of Improvement or Requiring Academic Progress for secondary-level accountability measures declined by seven percent, even as standards for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) were raised.

· Almost 42 percent of the schools identified for improvement or as requiring academic progress made AYP in 2005-06.

· A few schools that have not been able to make AYP even after implementing restructuring plans may be required to phase out or close if progress is not made this school year.

The schools are divided into two groups. Group 1 consists of 653 high schools that only serve students in grade 9 and higher. Group 2 consists of 293 schools that serve a broader range of grades, such as 7-12.

The table below shows the number of schools in each accountability status for Group 1 and Group 2 and for the groups combined. Of the total 946 schools, 25 percent will be in improvement status for the 2006-07 school year.

Schools in Group 2 that are NOT in “good standing” now may later be identified for lower grades that are in the schools. In addition, six of the schools not in improvement status at the high school level were in improvement status at the elementary or middle level in 2005-06 and will continue in that status in 2006-07 because they did not make AYP in 2004-05. One additional school that was in improvement status at the elementary or middle level in 2005-06 made AYP in 2004-05 and will be removed if it makes AYP in 2005-06.

2006-07 Accountability Status of Schools Subject to Secondary-Level Accountability Measures

Accountability Status	Group		Total Schools
Accountability Status	1	2	Total Schools
Good Standing (This status could change for Group 2 schools.)	461	257	718
In Need of Improvement (Year 1)	21	6	27
In Need of Improvement (Year 2)	16	4	20
Corrective Action	19	2	21
Planning for Restructuring	24	2	26
Restructuring	8	5	13
Requiring Academic Progress (Year 1)	27	5	32
Requiring Academic Progress (Year 2)	24	4	28
Requiring Academic Progress (Year 3)	12	2	14
Requiring Academic Progress (Year 4 or more)	41	6	47
All Schools	653	293	946

Three schools have now reached their third year of restructuring and one school has reached SRAP (Year 7). If these schools do not show improvement in 2006-2007, they may be required to close or phase out.

Schools are identified as in need of improvement under Title 1 of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) or as requiring academic progress under the State accountability system. To be identified under Title I, the school must have received Title I funding for two years in which it did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and it must receive Title I funding in 2006-07. All schools identified under Title I must take a variety of actions under federal law, including developing school improvement plans and offering public school choice.

Eighty-eight schools in Group 1 and 19 schools in Group 2 met the criteria for identification as in need of improvement under Title I. A total of 104 Group 1 schools and 17 Group 2 schools were identified as Schools Requiring Academic Progress (SRAP).

In New York City, 70 schools were identified as in Title I improvement status, but 7 are now closed, leaving a total of 63. Nine of the schools are newly identified. Four New York City schools were removed from Title I improvement status. Forty-six of the schools identified as SRAP were in New York City, but one is now closed. Two of the schools are newly identified. Five New York City schools were removed from SRAP status.

For the 2006-07 school year, high schools were identified for English and math based on the performance of the 2002 high school cohort. Each high school’s 2002 cohort consisted of students who first entered grade 9 anywhere during the 2002-2003 school year and who were continuously enrolled in the school from October 2005 until June 30, 2006 or until they graduated or dropped out. Accountability was based upon students’ highest scores on tests that meet the graduation requirements in English and mathematics.

High schools were identified for graduation rate based on the 2001 high school graduation cohort. The graduation-rate cohort consisted of students who first entered high school during the 2001-2002 school year and who were continuously enrolled from October 2003 until August 2005 or until they graduated or dropped out. Accountability was based upon the percentage of these students that had graduated from high school by August 2005.

Attachment A summarizes the consequences of being identified as in Need of Improvement or Requiring Academic Progress. Title I Schools Identified as In Need of Improvement receive grants to assist them in implementing improvement plans. Technical assistance is also provided to both Schools In Need of Improvement, and to a less extent, to schools Requiring Academic Progress.

In addition to the schools identified, certain high schools that have not yet graduated any students or which have small enrollments are subject to a special analysis which could result in their designation.

Later this year the Department will announce the lists of districts needing improvement and schools and districts that have been identified as High Performing/Gap Closing or Rapidly Improving.

Attachment A: What Schools Identified as In Need of Improvement or as Requiring Academic Progress Must Do

The No Child Left Behind Act and Commissioner’s Regulations Section 100.2(p) specify the actions that are to be taken when schools are identified either as in need of improvement or as requiring academic progress:

School Improvement (Year 1). The school must develop a two-year school improvement plan that includes:

Implementing a scientifically based research program to strengthen core academic subjects
spending at least 10 percent of Title I funds on high quality professional development
providing written notification to parents
developing strategies to promote parent involvement
incorporating a teacher mentoring program

The school must provide public school choice to all students in the school to the extent choice is possible.

School Improvement (Year 2). The school must meet all of the requirements for School Improvement (Year 1), including providing public school choice. It must also arrange for low-income students to receive supplemental educational services.

Corrective Action. The school must meet all of the requirements for School Improvement (Year 2), plus the district must take at least one of the following corrective actions:

replace school staff who are relevant to the failure to make AYP
institute a new curriculum
decrease management authority at the school
appoint an outside expert to advise the school
extend the school day or school year
restructure the internal organization of the school

Planning for Restructuring: The school must meet all of the requirements for corrective action, plus the district must develop a plan to fundamentally restructure the school.

Restructuring: The school must meet all of the requirements for planning for restructuring plus implement the restructuring plan.

Schools identified as Requiring Academic Progress follow a similar accountability continuum in terms of developing school improvement plans and implementing corrective actions and restructuring measures. Thus SRAPs Year 1 and Year 2 must develop improvement plans; SRAPs Year 3 must take one of the six mandated corrective actions; SRAPs Year 4 must develop a plan to restructure; and SRAPs Year 5 must implement a restructuring plan. However, because SRAPs are not subject to Title I sanctions and generally do not receive Title I funds, SRAPs are not required to offer school choice, provide SES, or set aside funds for professional development or teacher mentoring programs.

Schools In Need of Improvement receive additional funding. These schools, as well as Schools Requiring Academic Progress, also receive technical assistance to help them improve student performance. Schools are held accountable for the achievement of students of different racial/ethnic groups, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and low-income students.