September 26, 2006 Schools in NCLB Restructuring: National Trends Kerstin Carlson Le Floch James Taylor Yu Zhang

National Studies of NCLB Implementation  Study of State Implementation of Accountability and Teacher Quality under NCLB (SSI-NCLB)  National Longitudinal Study of NLCB (NLS-NCLB)  Data from both studies were published in National Assessment of Title I Interim Report  Study reports forthcoming fall 2006

National AYP and Identification Database  87,892 schools with valid AYP status and identification status, including schools in restructuring  Includes 50 states and the District of Columbia  Identification for improvement in (based on spring 2004 testing)  Currently adding data on identification for improvement in (based on 2005 testing)

Contents of the NAYPI Database, continued  Performance on 37 targets, including:  Reading proficiency  Math proficiency  Reading test participation  Math test participation  Other academic indicator  Merged with the Common Core of Data for demographic variables, school level, urbanicity.

How many schools are in restructuring?  In , about 1,200 schools in restructuring  In , about 1,600* schools in restructuring  In , about 1,000* schools in corrective action, and may move into restructuring in * Estimates from Ed Week report, 9/13/2006

Which schools enter restructuring?  Most schools identified for improvement are traditionally disadvantaged – high poverty, high minority, large, and urban.  Schools in restructuring show similar patterns.  In absolute numbers, in , nearly half of restructuring schools were elementary schools  A greater percent of middle schools were in restructuring in than were elementary or high schools.

Who attends schools in restructuring?  In , a little over 1 million students attended schools in restructuring  Of these students, 60% received free or reduced-price lunch  40% were Hispanic  37% were African-American  11% were white  6% were Asian-American

Why do schools enter restructuring?  Obviously, schools enter restructuring because they miss AYP targets. So what AYP targets do schools miss?

Where are restructuring schools located?  The states with the highest numbers of restructuring schools in were: California, Georgia, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Ohio.  21 states had no schools in restructuring in  15 districts accounted for nearly half of schools in restructuring  But, about 400 districts had at least one school in restructuring in

What help do schools need?  NLS-NCLB surveys asked school principals what assistance they needed, and whether they received it.  Among principals in schools identified for improvement:  Highest reported needs were for improved professional development for teachers  About half said they received the needed assistance to support parent involvement  About two-thirds received the needed support to address needs of LEP students  About two-thirds received the needed support to address problems of discipline, dropout, and truancy

Who exits restructuring?  There is hope for schools in restructuring: about 15% of schools in restructuring in actually made AYP for  Other strategies to exit restructuring: by becoming a charter school, grade reconfiguration, reconstitution  We don’t know enough about how schools exit

Concluding remarks  A challenge particularly for elementary and middle schools  A challenge focused in relatively few large districts in about 10 states  A challenge related to school size  Strategies should be aligned with challenges

For more information: Kerstin Carlson Le Floch SSI-NCLB Project Director American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Washington, DC