SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, joined by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, today announced his recommended course of action as required by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act for 97 school districts (local educational agencies, or LEAs) that have for five years not met student achievement targets. For a list of the LEAs, please visit SSPI Proposal for LEAs in PI Year 3 [Note: The preceding link is no longer active. Please visit Intervention Funds Available - Year 2008 for an updated list.]

The 97 LEAs, which include 96 school districts and one county office of education, have advanced to the federal Title I Program Improvement (PI) Year 3 status based upon failure to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for at least five years and are now subject to corrective action and targeted technical assistance as specified by the federal law.

"In all cases we embrace a singular goal – to make sure that all districts and schools are working effectively to improve student achievement," O'Connell said. "The state has an obligation to not only implement federal law but to assist our school districts to close their achievement gaps and help all students succeed in school."

"I have joined forces with Superintendent O'Connell to craft individualized reform plans to make sure the solution fits the district," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "By working together, I know we can make great strides for the children of our state,"

O'Connell is recommending to the State Board of Education (SBE) that the 97 LEAs institute and fully implement a curriculum that is based on state academic content and achievement standards.

"California's standards are internationally acclaimed, and when successfully implemented they lead students to academic success," O'Connell said. "However, fully implementing a standards-based curriculum requires both training and skill. Where achievement lags, it's appropriate that districts look more deeply at how they are delivering a standards-based education to every student."

Additionally, he will recommend to the state board a range of corrective actions based on each district's individual needs

O'Connell is recommending that six districts most in need of close attention and support be assigned a District Assistance and Intervention Team (DAIT) by the SBE; 38 districts will be required to contract with a DAIT from the CDE's approved DAIT provider list; 42 districts implement targeted technical assistance; and nine districts and one county office of education will receive these resources to remove barriers to student achievement.

O'Connell also is recommending that one LEA, the Coachella Valley Unified School District, be assigned a trustee under the terms of an earlier agreement with the state. In 2005, the district accepted a $1.9 million federal grant to help meet the NCLB targets with the understanding that failure to do so could lead to the assignment of a trustee.

A DAIT is a state-approved team of educational professionals who conduct needs assessments and make recommendations for district improvement. Rather than school-by-school change, the work of a DAIT is at the district level. Districts are asked to look across governance, curriculum, instruction, assessment, data management, human resources, professional development, parent and community involvement, and alignment of budgets to make "high leverage" changes at the district level which will impact student achievement quickly.

"My recommendations for corrective action put the goal of improving student achievement first," O'Connell said. "I firmly believe that in most cases achievement gains will be more effectively achieved by assisting districts to improve rather than by imposing some of the more severe sanctions allowed under NCLB, such as deferring programmatic funds, removing staff, or closing the district or schools."

O‘Connell and the Governor will work with the Legislature to release some $45 million in federal funding to implement the corrective actions.

Over the past six years, O'Connell has made it a priority to close the achievement gap: districts have implemented intervention programs for students working below grade level; schools have implemented key components for instructional success; and teachers have participated in targeted professional development and completed all of the requirements to be "highly qualified." These recommendations continue to support that priority.

California has some of the highest academic standards in the country and a large number of students with challenging learning needs. The corrective actions required of these 97 local educational agencies will ultimately impact 1.9 million students, from the largest district in the state, Los Angeles Unified with 662,218 students to one of the smallest, Lagunitas Elementary School District, which has 256 students.

Districts will have the opportunity to comment on the Superintendent's proposal at the March 12-13, 2008 SBE meeting and the SBE may decide to invoke alternative sanctions and/or differentiated technical assistance based upon these recommendations.

For more information on when the Superintendent's recommendations will be heard by the SBE, please visit: SBE Home (The SBE March agenda is expected to be posted by the end of the week).

For more information on Title I Program Improvement, please visit: Title I PI Status Determinations.

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Attachments located at SSPI Proposal for LEAs in PI Year 3 [Note: The preceding link is no longer active. Please visit Intervention Funds Available - Year 2008 for an updated list.]:

• 97 LEAs' Priority Assistance Index.
• Methodology for Computing LEA Priority Assistance Index.
• Recommendation for LEAs in Year 3 Program Improvement.

Picture

For a picture of O'Connell and Schwarzenegger at the news conference, please visit Year 2008 - Multimedia.