• Signed into law Jan. 8, 2002
• Tremendous impact on North Carolina’s public schools
• Closing achievement gaps
• Holding schools accountable for all students
• Highly qualified teachers
• Has been integrated with the ABCs

No Child Left Behind (NCLB), signed into federal law by President George W. Bush in 2002, is having a tremendous impact on North Carolina schools, especially our Title I schools. The legislation represents the largest ever expansion of involvement in K-12 education by the federal government. No Child Left Behind is the newly-revised version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, first enacted in 1965 and last reauthorized in 1994. The new law is in effect now through 2007, when it will be up for reauthorization. The law was designed around the idea that not all students are making the academic progress they need to make in order to become successful adults. The law sets high standards for all students in all public schools. Key requirements of the new law are closing achievement gaps; holding schools accountable for all students performing at a high level; and having a highly qualified teacher in every classroom. The State Board of Education is combining components of the federal act with the ABCs so we will have one accountability model. This model is in effect for the current school year.

• Highly qualified staff
• All currently employed core subject area teachers and instructional teacher assistants must meet NCLB’s definition of highly qualified by June 30, 2006. All new hires must be highly qualified before employment.
• Teachers must meet the requirements for full certification and have demonstrated competency in each of the subjects that they teach

Teacher assistants must complete 48 college semester hours, an associate degree, the Department of Labor program, or successfully complete the Work Keys test and 96 hours of staff development.

NCLB sets standards for teacher quality. By June 30, 2006, all students will be taught by core subject area teachers meeting NCLB’s definition of highly qualified. Highly qualified means that public elementary and secondary teachers who teach in core academic areas must be fully licensed by the state, certified in their subject area and must not have had any certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary or provisional basis. About 30 percent of North Carolina’s 85,817 classroom teachers do not meet NCLB requirements.

What is Adequate Yearly Progress?

• Yearly progress toward achieving grade-level performance goals for each student group in reading and math
• 95% of students in each group must be tested and each group must meet the targeted proficiency goal
• If just one student in one subject does not meet the goal, then the school does not make AYP.

Adequate Yearly Progress Subgroups

The school as a whole

• White
• Black
• Native American
• Asian/Pacific Islander
• Hispanic
• Multiracial
• Limited English Proficient
• Students with Disabilities
• Economically Disadvantaged Students
• Academically Gifted

NCLB requires determination of student, school, school district and state progress in achieving proficiency goals through the use of a measure called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Although at least 30 students must be in a category in a school to consist of a subgroup, all students’ scores are counted in the schoolwide average. The target goals apply to the whole school and to each subgroup within the school. Each student will be in at least two subgroups since “school as a whole” is included as a subgroup. Ninety-five (95) percent of students in each subgroup must be tested. The more subgroups a school has, the more challenged it will be to make AYP. If even one subgroup falls below the minimum passing rate for reading or math tests, it will not be considered as making adequate yearly progress.

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Click HereTo View: ESSA Accountability Statutory Requirements