No Child Left Behind

A Parents Guide

U.S. Department of Education

2003
U.S. Department of Education

Rod Paige

Secretary

Office of Public Affairs

John Gibbons

Director

June 2003

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June 2003

Dear Parent:

On January 8, 2002, when the No Child Left Behind Act became the law of the

land, we began a new era of education in our nation’s history. Democrats and

Republicans in Congress joined together with President Bush in an historic

agreement to improve the educational opportunities for every American child.

Accountability, local control and flexibility, new options for parents, and record

funding for what works are now the cornerstones of our education system. If

your child isn’t learning, you’ll know why. If your school isn’t performing, you’ll

have new options and the school will receive additional help. Our

commitment to you, and to all Americans, is to see every child in America—

regardless of ethnicity, income, or background—achieve high standards.

No Child Left Behind puts the focus on instruction and methods that have been

proven to work. It makes a billion-dollar annual investment to ensure every

child learns to read by third grade. And it provides the resources for reform

and unprecedented flexibility so states and local communities can get the job

done.

Everyone at the Department of Education is working hard in partnership with

state and local leaders to implement the reforms of No Child Left Behind. We

are already seeing great progress. From inner cities to sparsely populated rural

areas and everywhere in between, we are pressing on toward our common goal

of making every public school in America a place of high expectations and a

place of high achievement.

This guide is meant to provide you with information about No Child Left

Behind. It summarizes the main provisions of the law, answers common

questions, and provides information on where you can find additional

resources. I encourage you to share it with your family, friends, and neighbors.

President Bush and I believe in the bright hope of your child. As we move

forward, our mission is clear: an America where every child will be educated

and no child left behind.

Sincerely,

Rod Paige

THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, DC 20202

Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation.

Contents

Introduction and Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

No Child Left Behind—The Law That Ushered in a New Era. . . . . . 1

What No Child Left Behind Does for Parents and Children. . . . . . . . 1

Why No Child Left Behind Is Important to America. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

United for Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Questions and Answers on No Child Left Behind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Accountability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7

Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 11

Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Doing What Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Teacher Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Creating Safer Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Choice and Supplemental Educational Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Charter Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Appendixes

A. Where to Go for More Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

B. Titles of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,

as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. . . . . . . 29

C. Key Sections of Title I—Improving the Academic Achievement

of the Disadvantaged, Pertaining to Parent Involvement. . . . . . . 31

D. Cited References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

V

1

1

Introduction and Over oduction and Overview

No Child Left Behind —The Law That Ushered in

a New Era

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (No Child Left Behind) is a landmark in

education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the

culture of America’s schools. President George W. Bush describes this law as

the “cornerstone of my administration.” Clearly, our children are our future,

and, as President Bush has expressed, “Too many of our neediest children are

being left behind.”

With passage of No Child Left Behind, Congress reauthorized the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—the principal federal law affecting

education from kindergarten through high school. In amending ESEA, the

new law represents a sweeping overhaul of federal efforts to support

elementary and secondary education in the United States. It is built on four

common-sense pillars: accountability for results; an emphasis on doing what

works based on scientific research; expanded parental options; and expanded

local control and flexibility.

What No Child Left Behind Does for Parents and Children

Supports learning in the early years, thereby preventing many

learning difficulties that may arise later

Children who enter school with language skills and pre-reading skills (e.g.,

understanding that print reads from left to right and top to bottom) are more

likely to learn to read well in the early grades and succeed in later years. In

fact, research shows that most reading problems faced by adolescents and

adults are the result of problems that could have been prevented through

good instruction in their early childhood years (Snow, Burns and Griffin

1998). It is never too early to start building language skills by talking with and

reading to children. No Child Left Behind targets resources for early childhood

education so that all youngsters get the right start.

Provides more information for parents about their child’s progress

Under No Child Left Behind, each state must measure every public school

student’s progress in reading and math in each of grades 3 through 8 and at

least once during grades 10 through 12. By school year 2007-2008,

assessments (or testing) in science will be underway. These assessments must

be aligned with state academic content and achievement standards. They will

provide parents with objective data on where their child stands academically.
2

Alerts parents to important information on the performance of

their child’s school

No Child Left Behind requires states and school districts to give parents easyto-read, detailed report cards on schools and districts, telling them which

ones are succeeding and why. Included in the report cards are student

achievement data broken out by race, ethnicity, gender, English language

proficiency, migrant status, disability status and low-income status; as well as

important information about the professional qualifications of teachers.

With these provisions, No Child Left Behind ensures that parents have

important, timely information about the schools their children attend—

whether they are performing well or not for all children, regardless of their

background.

Gives children and parents a lifeline

In this new era of education, children will no longer be trapped in the dead

end of low-performing schools. Under No Child Left Behind, such schools must

use their federal funds to make needed improvements. In the event of a

school’s continued poor performance, parents have options to ensure that

their children receive the high-quality education to which they are entitled.

That might mean that children can transfer to higher-performing schools in

the area or receive supplemental educational services in the community, such

as tutoring, after-school programs or remedial classes.

Improves teaching and learning by providing better information to

teachers and principals

Annual tests to measure children’s progress provide teachers with

independent information about each child’s strengths and weaknesses. With

this knowledge, teachers can craft lessons to make sure each student meets or

exceeds the standards. In addition, principals can use the data to assess

exactly how much progress each teacher’s students have made and to better

inform decisions about how to run their schools.

Ensures that teacher quality is a high priority

No Child Left Behind defines the qualifications needed by teachers and

paraprofessionals who work on any facet of classroom instruction. It requires

that states develop plans to achieve the goal that all teachers of core academic

subjects be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year. States

must include in their plans annual, measurable objectives that each local
3

school district* and school must meet in moving toward the goal; they must

report on their progress in the annual report cards.

Gives more resources to schools

Today, more than $7,000 on average is spent per pupil by local, state and

federal taxpayers. States and local school districts are now receiving more

federal funding than ever before for all programs under No Child Left Behind:

$23.7 billion, most of which will be used during the 2003-04 school year. This

represents an increase of 59.8 percent from 2000 to 2003. A large portion of

these funds is for grants under Title I of ESEA: Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged. Title I grants are awarded to states and

local education agencies to help states and school districts improve the

education of disadvantaged students; turn around low-performing schools;

improve teacher quality; and increase choices for parents. (For more about

Title I, see the introductory paragraph to Q-and-As on page 7.) For fiscal

year (FY) 2003, funding for Title I alone is $11.7 billion—an increase of 33

percent since the passage of No Child Left Behind. President Bush’s FY 2004

budget request would increase spending on Title I by 48 percent since he

took office.

Allows more flexibility

In exchange for the strong accountability, No Child Left Behind gives states and

local education agencies more flexibility in the use of their federal education

funding. As a result, principals and administrators spend less time filling out

forms and dealing with federal red tape. They have more time to devote to

students’ needs. They have more freedom to implement innovations and

allocate resources as policymakers at the state and local levels see fit, thereby

giving local people a greater opportunity to affect decisions regarding their

schools’ programs.

Focuses on what works

No Child Left Behind puts a special emphasis on implementing educational

programs and practices that have been clearly demonstrated to be effective

through rigorous scientific research. Federal funding will be targeted to

support such programs. For example, the Reading First program makes

federal funds available to help reading teachers in the early grades strengthen

old skills and gain new ones in instructional techniques that scientifically

based research has shown to be effective.

*Note: For the purpose of discussion in this book, the terms “ district” and “local education

agency” are used interchangeably in discussing the agency at the local level responsible for

maintaining administrative control of public elementary and secondary schools in a given area

or political subdivision of the state.
4

0

4.5

9

13.5

18

22.5

19661970197519801985

1990199520002004

Year

pp p

NAEP Reading Scores

- 500

*

Why No Child Left Behind Is Important to America

Note: Appropriations for ESEA do not include funding for special education. Reading scores

are the average scores for 9-year-olds, according to the National Assessment of Educational

Progress (NAEP). A score of 200 implies an ability to understand, combine ideas and make

inferences based on short, uncomplicated passages about specific or sequentially related

information.

*Reflects the President’s budget request for 2004.

Source: U.S. Department of Education Budget Service and NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic

Progress.

Since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act first passed Congress in

1965, the federal government has spent more than $242 billion through 2003

to help educate disadvantaged children. Yet, the achievement gap in this

country between rich and poor and white and minority students remains wide.

According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP) on reading in 2000, only 32 percent of fourth-graders can read at a

proficient level and thereby demonstrate solid academic achievement; and

while scores for the highest-performing students have improved over time,

those of America’s lowest-performing students have declined (National

Assessment of Educational Progress 2001). Appropriations (in billions of dollars)

Appropriations Reading Scores

Federal Spending on K-12 Education under the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act and NAEP Reading Scores (Age 9)
5

The good news is that some schools in cities and towns across the nation are

creating high achievement for children with a history of low performance. If

some schools can do it, then all schools should be able to do it.

United for Results

Because of No Child Left Behind:

Parents will know their children’s strengths and weaknesses and how well

schools are performing; they will have other options and resources for helping

their children if their schools are chronically in need of improvement.

Teachers will have the training and resources they need for teaching

effectively, using curricula that are grounded in scientifically based research;

annual testing lets them know areas in which students need extra attention.

Principals will have information they need to strengthen their schools’

weaknesses and to put into practice methods and strategies backed by sound,

scientific research.

Superintendents will be able to see which of their schools and principals are

doing the best job and which need help to improve.

School boards will be able to measure how their districts are doing and to

measure their districts in relation to others across the state; they will have

more and better information on which to base decisions about priorities in

their districts.

Chief state school officers will know how the schools in their states and in

other states are doing; they will be better able to pinpoint where guidance and

resources are needed.

Governors will have a yearly report card on how their states’ schools are

doing; they will be able to highlight accomplishments of the best schools and

target help to those schools that are in need of improvement.

Community leaders and volunteer groups will have information they can use

to rally their members in efforts to help children and schools that need the

most help.
6
7

Questions and Questions and Questions and Answers on No Child

Left Behind

The following discussion pertains only to public schools. Please note that the

term “Title I schools” refers to those schools that receive funds under Title I

of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA): Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged. Title I supports programs to improve the

academic achievement of children of low-income families. Currently, about

half (55 percent) of public schools receive funds under Title I.

Accountability

How are school report cards put together and what kind of

information do they provide?

Reports on individual schools are part of the annual district report cards, also

known as local report cards. Each school district must prepare and

disseminate annual local report cards that include information on how

students in the district and in each school performed on state assessments.

The report cards must state student performance in terms of three levels:

basic, proficient and advanced. Achievement data must be disaggregated, or

broken out, by student subgroups according to: race, ethnicity, gender, English

language proficiency, migrant status, disability status and low-income status.

The report cards must also tell which schools have been identified as needing

improvement, corrective action or restructuring (defined in Q-and-A below:

“What if a school does not improve?”).

How can parents see these local report cards, which include schoolby-school data?

States must ensure that the local districts make these local report cards

available to the parents of students promptly and by no later than the

beginning of the school year. The law requires that the information be

presented in an “understandable and uniform format, and to the extend

practicable, in a language that the parents can understand.” States and

districts may also distribute this information to the media for publicizing;

post it on the Internet; or provide it to other public agencies for

dissemination.

Further, local school districts must notify parents if their child’s school has

been identified as needing improvement, corrective action or restructuring

(defined in Q-and-A below: “What if a school does not improve?”). In this

event, districts must let parents know the options available to them (see

section on Choice and Supplemental Educational Services on page 23). Also,

districts must annually notify parents of students in Title I schools of their
8

“right to know” about teacher qualifications and how to exercise it (see section

on Teacher Quality on page 20).

What information is provided on state report cards?

Each state must produce and disseminate annual report cards that provide

information on student achievement in the state—both overall and broken out

according to the same subgroups as those appearing on the district report

cards listed above. State report cards include:

• State assessment results by performance level (basic, proficient and

advanced), including (1) two-year trend data for each subject and grade

tested; and (2) a comparison between annual objectives and actual

performance for each student group.

• Percentage of each group of students not tested.

• Graduation rates for secondary school students and any other student

achievement indicators that the state chooses.

• Performance of school districts on adequate yearly progress measures,

including the number and names of schools identified as needing

improvement.

• Professional qualifications of teachers in the state, including the

percentage of teachers in the classroom with only emergency or

provisional credentials and the percentage of classes in the state that

are not taught by highly qualified teachers, including a comparison

between high- and low-income schools.

What is “adequate yearly progress”? How does measuring it help to

improve schools?

No Child Left Behind requires each state to define adequate yearly progress for

school districts and schools, within the parameters set by Title I. In defining

adequate yearly progress, each state sets the minimum levels of

improvement—measurable in terms of student performance—that school

districts and schools must achieve within time frames specified in the law. In

general, it works like this: Each state begins by setting a “starting point” that is

based on the performance of its lowest-achieving demographic group or of the

lowest-achieving schools in the state, whichever is higher. The state then sets

the bar—or level of student achievement—that a school must attain after two

years in order to continue to show adequate yearly progress. Subsequent

thresholds must be raised at least once every three years, until, at the end of 12

years, all students in the state are achieving at the proficient level on state

assessments in reading/language arts and math.
9

What if a school does not improve?

States and local school districts will aid schools that receive Title I funds in

making meaningful changes that will improve their performance. In the

meantime, districts will offer parents options for children in low-performing

schools, including extra help to children from low-income families (see

section on Choice and Supplemental Educational Services on page 23).

The No Child Left Behind Act lays out an action plan and timetable for steps to

be taken when a Title I school fails to improve, as follows:

• A Title I school that has not made adequate yearly progress, as defined

by the state, for two consecutive school years will be identified by the

district before the beginning of the next school year as needing

improvement. School officials will develop a two-year plan to turn

around the school. The local education agency will ensure that the

school receives needed technical assistance as it develops and

implements its improvement plan. Students must be offered the

option of transferring to another public school in the district—which

may include a public charter school—that has not been identified as

needing school improvement.

• If the school does not make adequate yearly progress for three years,

the school remains in school-improvement status, and the district

must continue to offer public school choice to all students. In

addition, students from low-income families are eligible to receive

supplemental educational services, such as tutoring or remedial classes,

from a state-approved provider.

• If the school fails to make adequate progress for four years, the district

must implement certain corrective actions to improve the school, such

as replacing certain staff or fully implementing a new curriculum,

while continuing to offer public school choice and supplemental

educational services for low-income students.

• If a school fails to make adequate yearly progress for a fifth year, the

school district must initiate plans for restructuring the school. This

may include reopening the school as a charter school, replacing all or

most of the school staff or turning over school operations either to the

state or to a private company with a demonstrated record of

effectiveness.

In addition, the law requires states to identify for improvement those local

education agencies that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two

consecutive years or longer and to institute corrective actions.
1 0

How are teachers or schools that do well rewarded?

No Child Left Behind requires states to provide state academic achievement

awards to schools that close achievement gaps between groups of students or

that exceed academic achievement goals. States may also use Title I funds to

financially reward teachers in schools that receive academic achievement

awards. In addition, states must designate as distinguished schools those that

have made the greatest gains in closing the achievement gap or in exceeding

achievement goals.

What can parents do to help their child’s school succeed and meet

the accountability requirements? How does the law help parents

become involved?

 No Child Left Behind supports parent involvement because research

overwhelmingly demonstrates the positive effect that parent involvement has

on their children’s academic achievement (Clark 1983; Comer 1980, 1988;

Eccles, Arbreton, et al., 1993; Eccles-Parsons, Adler and Kaczala 1982; Epstein

1983, 1984; Marjoribanks 1979 as cited in Eccles and Harold 1996). In the

event a school is identified as needing improvement, corrective action or

restructuring, the law requires the local education agency to notify parents

accordingly and to explain to them how they can become involved in schoolimprovement efforts. In any event, the law requires the same agency to

provide parents with local report cards, which include data on each individual

school in the district, as described earlier. Thus, parents have up-to-date

information about their child’s school, which they can use in whatever manner

they choose to be involved. Parents may help their child’s school in a number

of ways, including: Attending parent-teacher meetings or special meetings to

address academic problems at the school; volunteering to serve as needed;

encouraging other parents to become involved; and learning about the

school’s special challenges, community resources and the No Child Left Behind

Act. In addition, parents should take advantage of the increased flexibility

given local decision-makers by No Child Left Behind and talk with their school

board members, principals and other state and local education leaders about

which programs they think will help their students the most.

In addition, the law has other specific requirements on parent involvement

that include the following:

• Each state education agency must support the collection and

dissemination of information on effective parent involvement

practices to local education agencies and schools.

• The law in Title I spells out specific measures that local education

agencies and schools receiving Title I funds must take to ensure parent

involvement in significant areas, including: overall planning at the

district and school levels; written policies on parent involvement at
1 1

both levels; annual meetings; training; coordinating parent involvement

strategies among federal education programs (i.e., Title I, Head Start

and Reading First); and evaluating those strategies and revising them if

needed. (Because this provision of the statute—Section 1118—is so

important to effective parent involvement, it is reprinted at the end of

this booklet on page 31).

• Schools that have schoolwide programs must involve parents in

developing plans for such programs—that is, programs designed to

raise the achievement of low-achieving students in high-poverty Title I

schools by improving instruction throughout the entire school (thus

using Title I funds to serve all children).

• The law provides for involvement of parents of private schools students

served by various federal education programs such as Title I.

For more information on the four parent-involvement requirements

mentioned above, see Appendix C: Key Sections of Title I—Improving the

Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Pertaining to Parent

Involvement on page 31.

Testing

What impact does testing have on children?

Although testing may be stressful for some students, testing is a normal and

expected way of assessing what students have learned. The purpose of state

assessments required under No Child Left Behind is to provide an independent

insight into each child’s progress, as well as each school’s. This information is

essential for parents, schools, districts and states in their efforts to ensure that

no child—regardless of race, ethnic group, gender or family income—is

trapped in a consistently low-performing school.

Will student results be made available to parents?

Yes. State assessments will produce reports on each student that will be given

to parents.

Will the results of a child’s tests be private?

Absolutely. Only the parents and school receive the results of an individual

child’s tests. Individual student scores will not be made public. They are not

a part of student achievement data on report cards issued by districts and

states.
1 2

On what subjects are students tested and when?

No Child Left Behind requires that, by the 2005-06 school year, each state must

measure every child’s progress in reading and math in each of grades 3 through

8 and at least once during grades 10 through 12. In the meantime, each state

must meet the requirements of the previous law reauthorizing ESEA (the

Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994) for assessments in reading and math at

three grade spans (3-5; 6-9; and 10-12). By school year 2007-2008, states must

also have in place science assessments to be administered at least once during

grades 3-5; grades 6-9; and grades 10-12. Further, states must ensure that

districts administer tests of English proficiency—to measure oral language,

reading and writing skills in English—to all limited English proficient

students, as of the 2002-03 school year.

Students may still undergo state assessments in other subject areas (i.e.,

history, geography and writing skills), if and when the state requires it. No

Child Left Behind, however, requires assessments only in the areas of reading/

language arts, math and science.

How is testing handled for children with disabilities? How is it

handled for those with limited English proficiency?

No Child Left Behind requires that all children be assessed. In order to show

adequate yearly progress, schools must test at least 95 percent of the various

subgroups of children, including their students with disabilities and those with

limited English proficiency. States must provide reasonable accommodations

for students with disabilities or limited English proficiency. For the latter,

accommodations may include native-language versions of the assessment;

however, in the area of reading and language arts, students who have been in

U.S. schools for three consecutive years will be assessed in English.

For more information on accommodations in a particular state, contact the

appropriate state education agency.

Some say that testing causes teachers to teach to the test. Is

that true?

State assessments are expected to measure how well students meet the state’s

academic standards, which define what students should know and be able to do

in different subject areas at different grade levels. Under the previous

reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1994, states

were required to develop or adopt standards in mathematics and in reading or

language arts; No Child Left Behind requires states to do the same with science

standards by 2006. Curriculum based on state standards should be taught in

the classroom. If teachers cover subject matter required by the standards and

teach it well, then students will master the material on which they will be

tested—and probably much more. In that case, students will need no special

test preparation in order to do well.
1 3

Nevertheless, state assessments sound like they could take a lot of time and effort. What will be gained?

The point of state assessments is to measure student learning. A key principle

of quality management is the importance of measuring what is valued (e.g.,

production rates; costs of materials, etc.). Such measures enable an

organization to identify where and how to improve operations. In the same

manner, if schools and school systems are to continuously improve, they must

measure growth in student achievement. After all, the core of all activity in

schools and school systems is teaching and learning, and the key question is:

Are the students learning?

Do tests measure the progress of schools?

Annual state assessments required under No Child Left Behind produce data on

student performance at individual schools; and this information is used to

gauge whether each and every school is meeting the state’s standard of

“adequate yearly progress.” Parents can check progress made in improving

student performance at their child’s school by checking the annual district

report card. (See above section on Accountability.) If their school is not

making adequate yearly progress and has been identified as needing

improvement, corrective action or restructuring, No Child Left Behind requires

that districts notify parents and offer options. (See section on Choice and

Supplemental Educational Services on page 23.)

How does testing help teachers?

Annual testing provides teachers with a great deal of information. For

example, overall poor results could indicate that the curriculum needs to be

reviewed and aligned with the content upon which state standards are based;

poor results could also mean that teachers need to modify their instructional

methods. Another likely indicator of the same problems would be if teachers

saw poor performance by their students in certain areas. Test results could

also help teachers to clarify those areas in which they may need professional

development. Finally, teachers gain a great deal of information about the

performance of individual students that enables them to meet the particular

needs of every child.

How does testing help principals?

Annual tests show principals exactly how much progress each teacher’s

students have made. They can use this information to guide decisions about

program selection, curriculum arrangement, professional development for

teachers and school resources they might need. Tests also show principals the

strengths and weaknesses of students—in terms of the whole school, various

subgroups and as individuals—and enable them to make plans that bolster

strengths and address weaknesses.
1 4

How can parents find out if their child’s school uses information

gathered from testing to improve teaching and learning?

Parents can ask the principal how their school makes decisions about teaching

and learning. They can ask such questions as: Does the faculty meet regularly;

review performance data; and identify weaknesses to be targeted? Do

programs and curricula follow state content standards defining what students

should know and be able to do in a given subject, at a given grade level? How

is the school using test data to guide decisions about teaching and learning

(e.g., how do those data influence professional development, tutoring, and

selection of materials)? Is there a schoolwide plan that uses testing to evaluate

performance, determine areas of strengths and weaknesses in instruction and

respond to targeted needs of students? Have test data revealed weaknesses at

the school (e.g., low math scores in the fifth and sixth grades)? What are the

teachers and principal doing to assess such problems and address them? These

are important questions for parents to ask about how their child’s school is

using testing and the data obtained from it.

What about the National Assessment of Educational

Progress (NAEP)?

Since 1969, NAEP has been the only nationally representative and continuing

assessment of what American students know and can do in major academic

subjects. Over the years NAEP has measured students’ achievement in many

subjects, including reading, mathematics, science, writing, history, civics,

geography and the arts. Since 1992, the current NAEP reading assessment has

been given in four different years (1992, 1994, 1998 and 2000) to a nationally

representative sample of fourth-grade students. NAEP provides a wealth of

data about the condition of education in the United States.

Under No Child Left Behind, as a condition of receiving federal funding, states

are required to participate in the NAEP math and reading assessments for

fourth- and eighth-grade students every two years, beginning in 2002-03.

Resulting data will significantly increase information that parents—and

others—can use to compare the performance of children in one state with that

of children in another state. To carry it one step further, NAEP data will

highlight the rigor of standards and tests for individual states: If there is a

large discrepancy between children’s proficiency on a state’s tests and their

performance on NAEP, that would suggest that the state needs to take a

closer look at its standards and assessments and consider making

improvements.
1 5

Reading

What’s the current situation—how well are America’s children

reading?

Our students are not reading nearly well enough. As mentioned earlier,

results of the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress on

reading showed that only 32 percent of the nation’s fourth-graders performed

at or above the proficient achievement level, thus demonstrating solid

academic performance. And, while scores for the highest-performing

students have improved over time, those of America’s lowest-performing

students have declined (National Assessment of Educational Progress 2001).

What is the key to turning this situation around?

Research has consistently identified the critical skills that young students

need to learn in order to become good readers (National Reading Panel

2000). Teachers across different states and districts have demonstrated that

scientifically based reading instruction can and does work with all children.

They have taught children—even those among the most difficult to

educate—to become proficient readers by the end of third grade. Thus, the

key to helping all children learn is to help teachers in each and every

classroom benefit from the relevant research. That can be accomplished by

providing professional development for teachers on the use of scientifically

based reading programs; by the use of instructional materials and programs

that are also based on sound scientific research; and by ensuring

accountability through ongoing assessments.

Why is it so important for children to learn good reading skills in

the early years of school?

Research shows that children who read well in the early grades are far more

successful in later years; and those who fall behind often stay behind when it

comes to academic achievement (Snow, Burns and Griffin 1998). Reading

opens the door to learning about math, history, science, literature, geography

and much more. Thus, young, capable readers can succeed in these subjects,

take advantage of other opportunities (such as reading for pleasure) and

develop confidence in their own abilities. On the other hand, those students

who cannot read well are much more likely to drop out of school and be

limited to low-paying jobs throughout their lives. Reading is undeniably

critical to success in today’s society.
1 6

What is being done to help children learn to read well by the end of

the third grade?

Improving the reading skills of children is a top priority for leaders at all levels

of government and business, as well as for parents, teachers and countless

citizens who volunteer at reading programs across the nation. At the national

level, No Child Left Behind reflects this concern with the new program called

Reading First. It is an ambitious national initiative designed to help every

young child in every state become a successful reader. It is based on the

expectation that instructional decisions for all students will be guided by the

best available research. In recent years, scientific research has provided

tremendous insight into exactly how children learn to read and the essential

components for effective reading instruction. Reading First builds on this

solid foundation of research.

How does Reading First work, and what are the specific goals?

Under Reading First, states can receive significant federal funding to improve

reading achievement. In 2003 alone, almost $994 million is available for this

program. These funds are specifically dedicated to helping states and local

school districts establish high-quality, comprehensive reading instruction for

all children in kindergarten through third grade. High-quality programs are,

by definition, based on solid scientific research.

Awards for Reading First follow a straightforward, two-step process:

• First, each state applies for Reading First money that is then

distributed on the basis of the number of low-income children

aged 5-17 who live in the state. A major way in which states use their

funds is to organize a scientifically based professional development

program for all teachers, in grades K-3.

• The bulk of state funds, however, go to districts and schools to meet

students’ instructional needs. Districts with the greatest needs

compete for funds in state-run competitions, with priority given to

those with high rates of poverty and reading failure. Once funds reach

the districts, Reading First monies are flexible and can be used for

diagnostic assessments to determine which students in grades K-3 are

at risk of reading failure; for teacher professional development; to

purchase reading materials; and for ongoing support to improve

reading instruction.

Through Reading First, funds are made available for state and local early

reading programs that are grounded in scientifically based research. In such
1 7

programs, students are systematically and explicitly taught the following five

skills identified by research as critical to early reading success. The definitions

below are from the Report of the National Reading Panel (2000):

• Phonemic awareness: the ability to hear and identify sounds in spoken

words.

• Phonics: the relationship between the letters of written language and

the sounds of spoken language.

• Fluency: the capacity to read text accurately and quickly.

• Vocabulary: the words students must know to communicate effectively.

• Comprehension: the ability to understand and gain meaning from what

has been read.

How will we know if Reading First is working?

Information to make that judgment will come from the states. No Child Left

Behind requires each state to: (1) prepare an annual report showing the greatest

gains in reading achievement; (2) reduce the number of children in grades 1-3

who are reading below grade level; and (3) increase the percentage of children

overall who are reading at grade level or above. In order to fulfill these

requirements, states must measure progress in reading skills for children in

grades 1-2; and, as prescribed by No Child Left Behind, states have to ensure that

all children in grades 3-8 are tested annually in reading. Results of these

assessments should soon provide clear evidence of Reading First’s

effectiveness. There is good cause for confidence, since the programs and

practices that Reading First supports must already have been demonstrated as

effective, based on solid scientific research.

Does No Child Left Behind support programs to help children build

language and pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten?

Yes. Early Reading First supports preschool programs that provide a highquality education to young children, especially those from low-income

families. While early childhood programs are important for children’s social,

emotional and physical development, they are also important for children’s

early cognitive and language development. Research stresses the importance

of early reading skills, including phonemic awareness and vocabulary

development, as described above. Early Reading First supports programs to

help preschoolers improve these skills. These programs can include

professional development of staff and identifying and providing activities and

instructional material. Programs must be grounded in scientifically based

research, and their success must continually be evaluated.
1 8

Doing What Works

There are a lot of education fads. Does No Child Left Behind do

anything to prevent bad or untested programs from being used in

the classroom?

For too many years, too many schools have experimented with lessons and

materials that have proven to be ineffective—at the expense of their students.

Under No Child Left Behind, federal support is targeted to those educational

programs that have been demonstrated to be effective through rigorous

scientific research. Reading First is such a program. Programs and practices

grounded in scientifically based research are not fads or untested ideas; they

have proven track records of success. By funding such programs, No Child Left

Behind encourages their use, as opposed to the use of untried programs that

may later turn out to be fads. Furthermore, No Child Left Behind’s

accountability requirements bring real consequences to those schools that

continually fail to improve student achievement as a result of using programs

and practices for which there is no evidence of success. Such schools would

be identified as needing improvement and required to make changes as

outlined in the section on Accountability, including using education programs

that are grounded in scientifically based research.

What is scientifically based research?

To say that an instructional program or practice is grounded in scientifically

based research means there is reliable evidence that the program or practice

works. For example, to obtain reliable evidence about a reading strategy or

instructional practice, an experimental study may be done that involves using

an experimental/control group design to see if the method is effective in

teaching children to read.

No Child Left Behind sets forth rigorous requirements to ensure that research is

scientifically based. It moves the testing of educational practices toward the

medical model used by scientists to assess the effectiveness of medications,

therapies and the like. Studies that test random samples of the population and

that involve a control group are scientifically controlled. To gain scientifically

based research about a particular educational program or practice, it must be

the subject of such a study. Going back to the example of reading: No Child

Left Behind requires that Reading First support those programs that teach

children five skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and

comprehension). These skills have been shown to be critical to early reading

success through years of scientifically based research on the practice of

reading instruction. In April 2000, these research findings were reported in

the congressionally mandated National Reading Panel report mentioned

earlier; they have now been written into the new law.
1 9

How can parents find out about scientifically based research that

applies to federal education programs, aside from the research on

reading?

In 2002, the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences

(IES) established the What Works Clearinghouse to provide a central,

independent and trusted source of scientific evidence on what works in

education for parents, educators, policymakers and anyone else who is

interested. All of the research collected and conducted by the clearinghouse

follows the same high scientific standards as those used for reading research

and will be available via the Internet from the clearinghouse or through the

Department’s Web site. (See Appendix A: Where to Go for More

Information on page 27). Parents may be able to use this information to find

out about program and curricula selection at their child’s school. The seven

topics chosen for systematic review in the first year of the What Works

Clearinghouse’s operation reflect a wide range of our nation’s most pressing

education issues. They are:

• Interventions for Beginning Reading;

• Curriculum-based Interventions for Increasing K-12 Math

Achievement;

• High School Dropout Prevention;

• Peer-Assisted Learning in Elementary Schools: Reading, Mathematics

and Science Gains;

• Programs for Increasing Adult Literacy;

• Interventions to Reduce Delinquent, Disorderly and Violent Behavior,

in and out of School; and

• Interventions for Elementary English Language Learners: Increasing

English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement.

Over time, as the clearinghouse begins to produce its reports on these issues,

parents will be able to ask their principal, teachers and school board members

about the extent to which they select programs and curricula that the

research has determined to be effective. Under No Child Left Behind,

educators are expected to consider the results of relevant scientifically based

research—whenever such information is available—before making

instructional decisions.
20

Teacher Quality

How does this law improve teacher quality?

No Child Left Behind requires local school districts to ensure that all teachers

hired to teach core academic subjects in Title I programs after the first day of

the 2002-03 school year are highly qualified. In general a “highly qualified

teacher” is one with full certification, a bachelor’s degree and demonstrated

competence in subject knowledge and teaching. (Core subjects include

English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages,

civics and government, economics, arts, history and geography.) The act also

calls for all teachers of the core academic subjects (teaching in Title II

programs or elsewhere) to be highly qualified by the end of school

year 2005-06.

No Child Left Behind (ESEA, Title II) provides federal funding to states and

districts for activities that will strengthen teacher quality in all schools,

especially those with a high proportion of children in poverty. The great

majority of Title II funds, $2.9 billion in 2003—an increase of 39 percent since

President Bush took office—is for the Improving Teacher Quality State

Grants program. Funding can be used to support a wide array of activities,

including interventions for teacher professional development, so long as the

activities are grounded in scientifically based research. Because communities

nationwide face such a variety of needs when it comes to teacher quality, the

law gives schools and districts a great deal of flexibility in how the money is

spent. It also holds them accountable for the proper and effective use of

the funds.

In addition to the state grants program, Title II includes funding for other

teacher quality-related grant programs. For example, this year the Transition

to Teaching program will allocate nearly $42 million to states, school districts

and nonprofit groups to help thousands of outstanding candidates enter

teaching through alternate routes to traditional teacher preparation programs.

Similarly, Troops to Teachers, which helps states and school districts

streamline the entry of former military personnel into schools as teachers, will

receive almost $29 million in funding. The Teaching of Traditional American

History grant program will allocate almost $100 million this year to states,

school districts and education groups to help improve, through teacher

professional development, the quality and rigor of American history

instruction in the nation’s schools. No Child Left Behind also requires districts

to spend Title I funds to improve teacher quality and allows them to pool

other federal formula funds and use them for that purpose.
2 1

How are states and districts held accountable for improving

teacher quality?

Each state that receives Title II funds must develop a plan to ensure that all

teachers of core academic subjects are highly qualified by the end of the

2005-06 school year. The plan must establish annual, measurable objectives

for each local school district and school to ensure that they meet the “highly

qualified” requirement.

In schools that receive funds under Title II, principals must make a statement

each year as to whether the school is in compliance with the “highly qualified”

teacher requirement. This information will be maintained at the school and

district offices where members of the public can see it upon request. In

addition, each school district must report to the state annually on its progress

in meeting the requirement that all teachers be “highly qualified” by the end of

the 2005-06 school year. This information is part of the state report cards

described earlier.

How can parents find out about the quality of their child’s teachers?

Parents of students in Title I schools are guaranteed annual notification of

their “right to know” about teacher qualifications by their school district.

That means parents may request and receive from that office information

regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers,

including: (a) whether the teacher is state-certified; (b) whether a teacher is

teaching under emergency or other provisional status; and (c) the

baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate degree major

or certification.

What about paraprofessionals or teachers’ aides? Does No Child Left

Behind call for increased academic requirements for them?

While paraprofessionals or teachers’ aides are valuable assets to many learning

communities, they are not qualified to fill the role of teachers—a role which,

unfortunately, many have been called upon to fill, especially in schools that are

under-staffed. No Child Left Behind is clear that teachers’ aides may provide

instructional services only under the direct supervision of a teacher. In

addition, the law allows teachers’ aides to facilitate instruction only if they

have met certain academic requirements: They must have at least an

associate’s degree or two years of college, or they must meet a rigorous

standard of quality through a formal state or local assessment. If a

paraprofessional’s role does not involve facilitating instruction—such as

serving as a hall monitor—that person does not have to meet the same

academic requirements. But, in order to provide instructional services, an aide

or paraprofessional must have the academic background required by No Child

Left Behind.
2 2

Why is teacher quality such an important issue?

A major objective of No Child Left Behind is to ensure high-quality teachers for

all students, regardless of race, ethnicity or income, because a well-prepared

teacher is vitally important to a child’s education. In fact, research

demonstrates the clear correlation between student academic achievement

and teacher quality (Sanders and Rivers 1996). Parents should never hesitate

to inquire within their school and district about the qualifications of teachers

instructing their children.

Creating Safer Schools

How big a problem is crime in schools?

In 2000, students ages 12 through 18 were victims of about 2 million crimes at

school, including about 128,000 serious violent crimes (including rape, sexual

assault, robbery and aggravated assault). That same year, about 29 percent of

students in grades 9 through 12 reported that someone had offered, sold or

given them an illegal drug on school property. While overall school crime

rates have declined over the last few years, violence, gangs and drugs are still

present, indicating that more work needs to be done.

How can parents find out about safety at their child’s school?

Under Title IV of ESEA as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act, states

are required to establish a uniform management and reporting system to

collect information on school safety and drug use among young people. The

states must include incident reports by school officials and anonymous

student and teacher surveys in the data they collect. This information is to be

publicly reported so that parents, school officials and others who are

interested have information about any violence and drug use at their schools.

They can then assess the problems at their schools and work toward finding

solutions. Continual monitoring and reports will track progress over time.

How can schools be made safer?

Title IV provides support for programs to prevent violence in and around

schools; prevent the illegal use of alcohol, drug and tobacco by young people;

and foster a safe and drug-free learning environment that supports academic

achievement. Most of the funds are awarded to states, which, in turn, award

money to the districts for a wide range of drug- and violence-prevention

programs. These programs must address local needs as determined by

objective data and be grounded in scientifically based prevention activities.

They must also involve parents. The effectiveness of these programs must be

continuously measured and evaluated.
2 3

What can be done immediately for students who are in unsafe

schools?

Parents of children who have been the victims of a violent crime at school or

who attend “persistently dangerous schools”—as determined by the state—

will be offered school choice, as described in the next section.

Choice and Supplemental Educational Services

When are children eligible for school choice?

Children are eligible for school choice when the Title I school they attend

has not made adequate yearly progress in improving student achievement—

as defined by the state—for two consecutive years or longer and is therefore

identified as needing improvement, corrective action or restructuring. Any

child attending such a school must be offered the option of transferring to a

public school in the district—including a public charter school—not

identified for school improvement, unless such an option is prohibited by

state law. No Child Left Behind requires that priority in providing school

choice be given to the lowest achieving children from low-income families.

As of the 2002-03 school year, school choice is available to students enrolled

in schools that have been identified as needing improvement under the

ESEA as the statute existed prior to the enactment of No Child Left Behind.

In addition, children are eligible for school choice when they attend any

“persistently dangerous school,” as defined by the individual state. Any child

who has been the victim of a violent crime on the grounds of his or her

school is also eligible for school choice.

How do parents know if their child is eligible for school choice?

Under No Child Left Behind, school districts are required to notify parents if

their child is eligible for school choice because his or her school has been

identified as needing improvement, corrective action or restructuring. They

must notify parents no later than the first day of the school year following

the year for which their school has been identified for improvement.

States are required to ensure that school choice is offered as an option to

parents in the event their child is attending a school that is “persistently

dangerous” or has been the victim of a violent crime while on school grounds.

What action can parents take if their school or district does not

offer school choice to their child who is eligible?

Schools and districts receiving Title I funds must provide choice for eligible

students as described above. If they do not, parents are encouraged to

contact their state department of education.
2 4

Do public school options include only schools in the same district?

There may be situations where children in Title I schools have school options

outside their own district. For instance, a school district may choose to enter

into a cooperative agreement with another district that would allow their

students to transfer into the other district’s schools. In fact, the law requires

that a district try “to the extent practicable” to establish such an agreement in

the event that all of its schools have been identified as needing improvement,

corrective action or restructuring.

Is transportation available for children who exercise their right to

attend another school?

Subject to a funding cap established in the statute, districts must provide

transportation for all students who exercise their school choice option under

Title I. They must give priority to the lowest-achieving children from lowincome families.

What are supplemental educational services?

Supplemental educational services include tutoring and after-school services.

They may be offered through public- or private-sector providers that are

approved by the state, such as public schools, public charter schools, local

education agencies, educational service agencies and faith-based

organizations. Private-sector providers may be either nonprofit or for-profit

entities. States must maintain a list of approved providers across the state

organized by the school district or districts they serve, from which parents

may select (see Q-and-A below “Can parents choose providers for tutoring and

other supplemental educational services?”). States must also promote

maximum participation by supplemental educational services providers to

ensure that parents have as many choices as possible.

When are children eligible to receive supplemental educational

services?

Students from low-income families who remain in Title I schools that fail to

meet state standards for at least three years are eligible to receive

supplemental educational services.

Are parents notified about supplemental educational services?

Yes. Local education agencies are required to provide annual notice to parents

of eligible children about the availability of services and information on the

approved providers.
2 5

Can parents choose providers for tutoring and other supplemental

educational services?

Yes, parents of eligible children can choose from the list of state-approved

providers. Most states have approved a diverse list of providers, as mentioned

above. Upon request, the local education agency will help parents determine

which provider would best fit their child’s needs. When parents have made

their selection, the local education agency must then contract with that

provider to deliver the services.

What action can parents take if their child is eligible for tutoring

or other supplemental educational services, but their school or

district does not offer them?

Districts receiving Title I funds must offer free tutoring and other extra help

to eligible students, as described above. If eligible students are not being

offered these services, parents are encouraged to contact their state

department of education.

How are providers of supplemental educational services held

accountable?

States must develop and apply objective criteria for evaluating providers and

monitor the quality of services that they offer. In addition, supplemental

services providers must give to parents, as well as to the school, information

on their children’s progress.

Charter Schools

What are charter schools and why are they named as a schoolchoice option under No Child Left Behind?

Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by

parents, educators, community leaders, education entrepreneurs and others.

They operate with a contract, or charter, from a public agency, such as a local

or state education agency, an institution of higher education or a municipality.

They must meet standards set forth in their charters for students and for the

school as a whole, or else the chartering agency can close the school.

No Child Left Behind specifically names public charter schools as a schoolchoice option for children in schools that are identified for improvement,

corrective action or restructuring, because they offer a viable alternative to

public schools in the traditional system. In fact, the development of charter

schools began in the 1990s as a means of providing expanded educational

options for parents within the public school system. Today there are some

2,700 U.S. charter schools serving some 700,000 students nationwide.
26

Do all states have charter schools?

No. Currently only 39 states have public charter schools laws that provide this

option for students. While some states have laws that strongly promote

charter school growth, others do not. As a result, the situation varies among

states, with thriving charter schools in some and very little or no charterschool activity in others. Parents may contact their local school district or

state department of education to determine the availability of charter schools

or to find out if there is a mechanism for starting such a school in their area.

How are charter schools held accountable under No Child Left

Behind?

Although charter schools operate outside the traditional system, they are still

accountable. The accountability provisions and other requirements of No

Child Left Behind must be applied to charter schools in accordance with the

states’ charter school laws. State-authorized chartering agencies, as established

by the individual state laws, are responsible for ensuring that charter schools

meet the accountability and testing provisions of No Child Left Behind. In

March 2003, the Department issued guidance on the impact of the new Title I

requirements on charter schools, including details on accountability

requirements (see Appendix A: Where to Go for More Information).

How can parents find out more about charter schools?

Parents interested in charter schools should contact their school district office

or state education agency. More information is available through the

Department’s Web site given in Appendix A: Where to Go for More

Information.
2 7

Appendix Appendix Appendix A

Where to Go for More Information

Federal Resources

For information on No Child Left Behind and the U.S. Department of

Education, call toll-free at 1-800-USA-LEARN. Or check the first two

Web sites given below.

No Child Left Behind

www.NoChildLeftBehind.gov

U.S. Department of Education

www.ed.gov

The White House

www.whitehouse.gov

State and Local Resources

To locate a State Education Agency:

 http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/ccseas.html

Note: The State Education Agency Web site should also provide

links to local education agencies’ Web sites.

To locate a particular school, use the Nation-wide

School Locator:

http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/

Topics

Adequate Yearly Progress

www.nclb.gov/start/facts/yearly.html

Accountability

www.nclb.gov/next/faqs/accountability.html
2 8

Charter Schools

 General Information:

 www.nclb.gov/start/facts/charter.html

 Guidance on Impact of New Title I on Charter Schools:

 http://www.ed.gov/offices/OII/choice/charterguidance03.pdf

National Assessment of Educational Progress

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

National Reading Panel Report

www.nationalreadingpanel.org/

Reading First

www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/readingfirst

School Choice

www.nclb.gov/next/faqs/choice.html#1

Supplemental Educational Services

www.nclb.gov/parents/supplementalservices/index.html

What Works Clearinghouse on Education Research

www.w-w-c.org

TV Program

“Education News Parents Can Use”

www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/television/index.html
29

Appendix B

Titles of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,

as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Note: The direct link to this legislation online is www.ed.gov/legislation/

ESEA02/index.html.To access a title-by-title summary of the law, check

www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/esea/progsum.

Also see http:/thomas.loc.gov/bss/d107query.html (reference 107th Congress;

PL 107-110).

Title I Improving the Academic Achievement of the

Disadvantaged

Title II Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality

Teachers and Principals

Title III Language Instruction of Limited English

Proficient and Immigrant Students

Title IV 21st Century Schools

Title V Promoting Informed Parental Choice and

Innovative Programs

Title VI Flexibility and Accountability

Title VII Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native

Education

Title VIII Impact Aid Program

Title IX General Provisions

The No Child Left Behind Act also amended and reauthorized the educationrelated provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. These

provisions are also available on the Web site.
3 0
3 1

Appendix C

Key Sections of Title I—Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Pertaining to

Parent Involvement

• Section 1111(d) concerns parent involvement requirements for states.

• Section 1118 concerns parent involvement requirements for districts

and schools. Because this provision of the law is so important to

effective parent involvement, it is reprinted below.

• Section 1114 (b) (2) (B) (ii) concerns parent involvement requirements

for schoolwide programs.

• Section 1120 (a) concerns parent involvement related to children

enrolled in private schools.

 Reprinted from Title I—Improving the Academic

 Achievement of the Disadvantaged

 SEC. 1118. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.

 (a) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY POLICY-

(1) IN GENERAL- A local educational agency may receive funds under this

part only if such agency implements programs, activities, and procedures for

the involvement of parents in programs assisted under this part consistent

with this section. Such programs, activities, and procedures shall be planned

and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

(2) WRITTEN POLICY- Each local educational agency that receives funds

under this part shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to,

parents of participating children a written parent involvement policy. The

policy shall be incorporated into the local educational agency’s plan developed under section 1112, establish the agency’s expectations for parent

involvement, and describe how the agency will —

(A) involve parents in the joint development of the plan under

section 1112, and the process of school review and improvement

under section 1116;

(B) provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other

support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and

implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve

student academic achievement and school performance;

(C) build the schools’ and parents’ capacity for strong parental

involvement as described in subsection (e);
3 2

(D) coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies under

this part with parental involvement strategies under other programs,

such as the Head Start program, Reading First program, Early

Reading First program, Even Start program, Parents as Teachers

program, and Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters,

and State-run preschool programs;

(E) conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation

of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy

in improving the academic quality of the schools served under this

part, including identifying barriers to greater participation by

parents in activities authorized by this section (with particular

attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are

disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or

are of any racial or ethnic minority background), and use the

findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective

parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parental

involvement policies described in this section; and

(F) involve parents in the activities of the schools served under this

part.

(3) RESERVATION-

(A) IN GENERAL- Each local educational agency shall reserve not

less than 1 percent of such agency’s allocation under subpart 2 of this

part to carry out this section, including promoting family literacy

and parenting skills, except that this paragraph shall not apply if 1

percent of such agency’s allocation under subpart 2 of this part for

the fiscal year for which the determination is made is $5,000 or less.

(B) PARENTAL INPUT- Parents of children receiving services

under this part shall be involved in the decisions regarding how

funds reserved under subparagraph (A) are allotted for parental

involvement activities.

(C) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS- Not less than 95 percent of the

funds reserved under subparagraph (A) shall be distributed to

schools served under this part.

(b) SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY-

(1) IN GENERAL- Each school served under this part shall jointly develop

with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parental

involvement policy, agreed on by such parents, that shall describe the means

for carrying out the requirements of subsections (c) through (f ). Parents shall

be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the

extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. Such

policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

(2) SPECIAL RULE- If the school has a parental involvement policy that

applies to all parents, such school may amend that policy, if necessary, to

meet the requirements of this subsection.

(3) AMENDMENT- If the local educational agency involved has a school

district-level parental involvement policy that applies to all parents, such

agency may amend that policy, if necessary, to meet the requirements of this

subsection.
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(4) PARENTAL COMMENTS- If the plan under section 1112 is not

satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the local educational

agency shall submit any parent comments with such plan when such local

educational agency submits the plan to the State.

(c) POLICY INVOLVEMENT- Each school served under this part shall —

(1) convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of

participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform

parents of their school’s participation under this part and to explain the

requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved;

(2) offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or

evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement;

(3) involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning,

review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy

and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan under section

1114(b)(2), except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents

in the joint planning and design of the school’s programs, the school may use

that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents

of participating children;

(4) provide parents of participating children —

(A) timely information about programs under this part;

(B) a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the

school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student

progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet;

and

(C) if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to

formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any

such suggestions as soon as practicably possible; and

(5) if the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b)(2) is not satisfactory

to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the

plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational

agency.

(d) SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENT- As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy

developed under subsection (b), each school served under this part shall jointly

develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent compact

that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the

school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the

State’s high standards. Such compact shall —

(1) describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum

and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that

enables the children served under this part to meet the State’s student

academic achievement standards, and the ways in which each parent will be

responsible for supporting their children’s learning, such as monitoring

attendance, homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in

their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions
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relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular

time; and

(2) address the importance of communication between teachers and parents

on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum —

(A) parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least

annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the

compact relates to the individual child’s achievement;

(B) frequent reports to parents on their children’s progress; and

(C) reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and

participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom

activities.

(e) BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT- To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents,

and the community to improve student academic achievement, each school and local

educational agency assisted under this part —

(1) shall provide assistance to parents of children served by the school or

local educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the

State’s academic content standards and State student academic achievement

standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this

part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to

improve the achievement of their children;

(2) shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their

children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training

and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement;

(3) shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other

staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions

of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with

parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and

build ties between parents and the school;

(4) shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate

parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First,

Early Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool

and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource

centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in

the education of their children;

(5) shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs,

meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children

in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can

understand;

(6) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training;

(7) may provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this

part if the local educational agency has exhausted all other reasonably

available sources of funding for such training;

(8) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental

involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to

enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training

sessions;

(9) may train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;
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(10) may arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home

conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with

participating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school, in order to maximize parental involvement and participation;

(11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental

involvement;

(12) may establish a districtwide parent advisory council to provide advice on

all matters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this

section;

(13) may develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and

businesses in parent involvement activities; and

(14) shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement

activities under this section as parents may request.

(f ) ACCESSIBILITY– In carrying out the parental involvement requirements of this

part, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide

full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency,

parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing

information and school reports required under section 1111 in a format and, to the

extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.

(g) INFORMATION FROM PARENTAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCE

CENTERS- In a State where a parental information and resource center is established to provide training, information, and support to parents and individuals who

work with local parents, local educational agencies, and schools receiving assistance

under this part, each local educational agency or school that receives assistance under

this part and is located in the State shall assist parents and parental organizations by

informing such parents and organizations of the existence and purpose of such

centers.

(h) REVIEW- The State educational agency shall review the local educational

agency’s parental involvement policies and practices to determine if the policies and

practices meet the requirements of this section.
36
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Appendix D

Cited References

Eccles, J.S. and Harold, R.D. (1996) Family Involvement in Children’s and

Adolescents’ Schooling. In Family-School Links: How Do They Affect

Educational Outcomes? ed. A. Booth and J.F. Dunn, 3-34, Mahwah, N.J.:

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2001) The Nation’s Report Card:

Fourth-Grade Reading Highlights 2000. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of

Education.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2000) NAEP 1999 Trends in

Academic Progress: Three Decades of Student Performance. Washington, D.C.: U.S.

Department of Education.

National Reading Panel. (2000) Report of the National Reading Panel—Teaching

Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature

on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. Washington, D.C.:

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Sanders, W.L. and Rivers, J.C. (1996) Cumulative and Residual Effects of

Teachers on Future Student Academic Achievement. Knoxville, Tenn., University

of Tennessee. Retrieved from www.mdk12.org/instruction/ensure/tva/

tva_2.html.

Snow, C.E., Burns, S. M., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998) Preventing Reading

Difficulties in Young Children. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
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