North Dakota State PIRC is a Parent Information and Resource Center; Funded by US Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement

SCHOOLS IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT

All children deserve a high quality, challenging education that gives them the skill and knowledge they will need to succeed in today's world. Under NCLB, the North Dakota State Education Department must make sure that every school is helping its students improve academically.

All schools must make Adequate Yearly Progress.
The NCLB law requires every state to set high academic standards and yearly goals for achievement. By 2014, by law all children should be learning at the proficiency level in reading, language arts, math, and science. Adequate yearly progress (AYP) is the minimum level of improvement school districts and schools must achieve every year to meet this goal.

Schools that receive federal education funding through Title I that fail to show adequate yearly progress for two years in a row are considered in need of improvement.

Title I schools in need of improvement must develop a plan for improvement and involve parents in such a plan. The North Dakota State Education Department and the local school district will help the school improve teaching and attain resources.

Your child's school must tell you if the school is in need of improvement.
This information must be provided in a language you understand.

The school must tell you:

Why the school is in need of improvement.

How the school plans to improve and how it will help students do better.

How the North Dakota State Education Department and your local school district are helping your child's school.

Who can answer your questions about schools in need of improvement.

When a school in need of improvement makes adequate yearly progress for two years in a row, it is no longer considered in need of improvement.

If your child's school is in need of improvement, you have new choices.

Your child can transfer to a better school in your school district (public school choice) if your child's school is in need of improvement.

Your child may receive extra help, known as supplemental educational services, if his or her school is in need of improvement for two years and fails to make adequate yearly progress.

Schools that continue to fail must take corrective action.
If your child's school continues to be in need of improvement, the school district will help the school take strong corrective action, including at least one of the following:

Change personnel,

Change curricula,

Provide professional development for teachers,

Bring in outside educational experts,

Extend the school day or the school year, or

Change the way the school operates (restructure school governance).

This table shows the steps schools and districts must take to ensure that schools perform to high academic standards.

Year	Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Status	District's Role	School's Role	Parental Options
Year 1	Fails to make AYP	Districts provide support so schools can improve	Schools work to improve achievement	Parents can work with school teams for improvement
Year 2	Fails to make AYP	District identifies school as in need of improvement	School writes an improvement plan	Parents notified about school status and public school choice option
Year 3	Fails to make AYP	School continues to be in need of improvement	School works toward meeting improvement goals	Transfer options continue; students can receive supplemental educational services
Year 4	Fails to make AYP	School continues to be in need of improvement and requires corrective action	School works toward meeting improvement goals	Transfer options continue; students can receive supplemental educational services
Year 5	Fails to make AYP and is in need of corrective action	District must implement additional corrective actions	School works toward meeting improvement goals	Transfer options continue; students can receive supplemental educational services
Year 6	Fails to make AYP and is in need of corrective action	District must plan for alternative governance	School works toward meeting improvement goals	Transfer options continue; students can receive supplemental educational services
Year 7	Fails to make AYP: school is under alternative governance	District must carry out its alternative governance plans	School works toward meeting improvement goals	Transfer options continue; students can receive supplemental educational services

How can you find out if your child's school is in need of improvement?

Ask your child's teacher, school principal, or a member of the school's parent group for a copy of the School Report Card.

Join the team that is working to make your child's school better.

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