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NICHCY Connections...
to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

Table of Contents The Law Itself Short Summaries More Detailed Information What's Title I? NCLB & Children with Special Needs Información en Español Training Materials How's Your State Doing? How Are We Doing Overall? Keeping Up with NCLB

NICHCY's Connections pages are designed to put you in quick contact with information that's readily available on the Internet. We're pleased to offer the following pages to connect you with sources of information about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, Public Law (PL) 107-110. NCLB is the nation's latest general education law. It replaces the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and is bringing sweeping changes to our educational systems. What does the law require, what does it change about education, how are states responding, and what does the law mean to children with disabilities?

 

The resources below aren't intended to be exhaustive of those available. We'll be adding to this page throughout the year, so you may wish to check back monthly to see what's new!

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The Law Itself

• Want to read the actual law that Congress passed?
  www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html
  Find the print version of NCLB where else but the U.S. Department of Education!
  
  
• How about the Federal Regulations implementing the law?
  To see or download the regulations that guide implementation of the law passed by Congress, including an Appendix containing an "Analysis of Comments and Changes" to the draft regulations initially proposed:
  
  
  • The final rule for implementing Title I of the ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act, as it appeared in Volume 67 (Number 231) of the Federal Register (issued December 2, 2002):
    www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2002-4/120202a.html.
    
    
  • Additionally, the final regulations for the inclusion of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in Title I assessments (issued December 9, 2003): www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2003-4/120903a.html
    
    
• Looking for the entire historical record of the law's passage, from Thomas at the Library of Congress?
  http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d107query.html
  From the link above, you'll arrive at the search page for the 107th Congress, which passed the NCLB. If you enter "PL107-110" in the first box, labelled "Bill, Amendment, or Public Law Number," and click on search, the results will be a mountain of links to aspects of this law's passage, including: a summary of the bills Congress considered along the way to passage, committee actions in the House, related House Committee documents and the conference report, amendments, how Congress voted, and---finally---a link to the text of the legislation.

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Short Summaries

• NCLB at a glance.
  http://ci.sbcss.k12.ca.us/nclb/about/page05.php
  There are 9 titles within the NCLB, starting with the well-known Title I. Wanna know what they are? Visit the link above.
  
  
• Key points of NCLB.
  www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/ESEA/ESEA+General.htm
  At the link above, you'll find two useful summaries from The Education Trust. On the right menu, you can choose the 12-page NCLB User Guide or the NCLB Fact Sheets. The fact sheets address different topics within NCLB in one-page summaries, answering the same three questions each time: What does NCLB have to say? Why is this important? and What can I do? The topics are: Standards, Assessments, Public Reporting, Using and Collecting Data, Accountability, Adequate Yearly Progress, Schools in Improvement, Teacher Quality, High Quality Curriculum, Parents' Right to Know, Parent Involvement, Students with Limited English Proficiency, School Choice, and Supplemental Services.


• Highlights from NCREL, the North Central Regional Educational Lab.
  www.ncrel.org/policy/curve/nclb.htm
  
  
• A summary for principals.
  The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals offers K-12 Principals Guide to No Child Left Behind. Order the guide by calling the National Principals Resource Center (NPRC) at 1.800.386.2377, or online at the NPRC, at: www.naesp.org
  
  
• Any summaries for parents?
  The Department of Education offers a Parent's Guide to NCLB, at: www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/parentsguide.html
  


• Here's another summary for parents.
  www.uft.org/index.cfm?fid=311
  The United Federation of Teachers,
in New York City, offers What Parents Needs to Know about NCLB/Title I.


• Need a glossary yet?
  http://ci.sbcss.k12.ca.us/nclb/about/glossary.php
  
  
• How 'bout "A Primer on NCLB" from the National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices?
  
www.nga.org/cda/files/WM03NCLB.pdf


• Just the facts, ma'am...
  The U.S. Department of Education provides Ten Facts Every Parent Should Know About the No Child Left Behind Act, at www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/tenfacts/index.html. For the same information in Spanish, read Diez Datos que Cada Padre Debe Saber Sobre la Ley que Ningún Niño Se Quede Atrás, at www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/tenfacts/index-esp.html
  

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More Detailed Information

• Visit the offical No Child Left Behind site at the U.S. Department of Education.
  www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
  
  
• Try the U.S. Department of Education's 2002 NCLB Desktop Reference.
  www.titleionline.com/libraries/titleionline/free_resources/reference.pdf
  
  
• What nonregulatory guidance has the Department of Education issued, to help folks implement the law?
  www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/legislation.html
  At the link above, choose "NCLB Policy Guidance and OMB Circulars" and then "Policy Guidance for Programs Implemented under NCLB." This will lead you to the guidances the Department has issued to date, which are intended to assist stakeholders in implementing NCLB's requirements. To give you a taste of what's currently online:
  
  • Supplemental Educational Services Guidance (August 2003)
    
  • Report Cards Guidance (September 2003)
    
  • LEA and School Improvement Guidance (January 2004)
    
  • Public School Choice Draft Guidance (February 2004)
    
  • Public School Choice Draft Guidance (February 2004)
    
  • Letter to Chief State School Officers Regarding Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in State Accountability Systems (March 2004)
    
  • Calculating Participation Rates: Flexibility When Making Adequate Yearly Progress Determinations (May 2004)
    
  • Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program: Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (July 2004)
    
  • And the guidances just keep on comin'! To see a complete list of what's available, visit the link above.
    

• Explore two major NCLB issues: Annual Yearly Progress and Teacher Quality.
  www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/ESEA
  The link above will lead you to the Education Trust. Use the right choice menu to find out more information about the topics of Annual Yearly Progress and Teacher Quality.
  
  
• Pick your issue to explore.
  www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/issue.asp?issueid=195
  The Education Commission of the United States offers a virtual ton of information and analysis on NCLB.
  


• Pick your issue from topics organized A-Z.
  www.ed.gov/nclb/index/az/index.html
  You can jump to all sorts of resources on NCLB topics, as covered by the U.S. Department of Education.
  


• The National Governors Association offers extensive summaries and analyses.
  http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.
  1f41d49be2d3d33eacdcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=f7a48cc156de1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD
  NGA offers links to promising state policies regarding NCLB implementation; summaries of the Department's guidance, regulations, and policy letters; and reports, issue briefs, meeting summaries, and other online documents.
  


• A deeper look at 11 key NCLB topics.
  www.ets.org/aboutets/child/
  The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has created a Web site covering 11 NCLB topics of special interest to ETS and have summarized provisions relevant to those topics within the various titles of the law where they occur.
  


• Take advantage of the work done by the AASA.
  www.aasa.org/NCLB/index.htm
  The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) offers us the benefit of their work on NCLB. Visit their Web site and find useful tools, resources, and best practices, as well as articles and organizations, to better implement the provisions of this law.
  
  
• More than info---a guided process for school leaders.
  www.helpforschools.com/sikb/index.shtml
  NCLB requires that schools take certain steps towards improvement. The School Improvement KnowledgeBase at the link above contains information and resources to help schools accomplish these tasks using a step-by-step, well-designed process. If you're in the driver's seat---or the car!---you'll wanna come here.
  
  
• Advocacy and the NCLB.
  www.wrightslaw.com/store/nclb.html
  Wrightslaw offers an advocacy book, Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind. Order the book by calling 1.877.529.4332, or online at the link above. A companion Web site to the book is also offered, at www.wrightslaw.com/nclb/index.htm
  
  
• Extensive resources from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
  www.aft.org/esea/
  
  
• And here's what the National Education Association (NEA) offers.
  www.nea.org/esea/
  
  
• How can we keep high quality teachers in rural areas?
  www.ael.org/pdf/PB_Rural_Teachers.pdf
  
  
• More on rural education and NCLB.
  www.nasbe.org/Front_Page/Press_Release.html
  The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) has issued a comprehensive compliance manual specially designed to help rural and small schools comply with the legal requirements of the NCLB. Read about No Child Left Behind and Rural Education: Implications for Policy and Practice at the link above. Order it for $35 by calling 1.800.220.5183.
  
  
• What GAO finds about implementation of NCLB in rural America.
  The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released the report, No Child Left Behind Act: Additional Assistance and Research on Effective Strategies Would Help Small Rural Districts. Officials in small rural districts, the GAO reports, are having difficulty providing teacher development opportunities and identifying effective remedial services that would improve student performance. GAO recommends that the Department of Education "provide additional assistance on approaches small rural districts to address their unique challenges." It was also recommended that the Department support research on effective strategies to improve student performance in small rural districts through the new rural education research center it funded in September 2004.
  
• The report is available online at:
  www.gao.gov/new.items/d04909.pdf
  
  
• Highlights are posted at:
  www.gao.gov/highlights/d04909high.pdf
  
• Want info about the 21st Century Community Learning Centers?
  www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/index.html
  The 21st CCLC Program is a component of NCLB, re-authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Act. The focus of this program is to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing schools. Tutorial services and academic enrichment activities are provided, as well as youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music and recreation programs, counseling and character education. To find out if there's a CCLC in your neck of the woods, search the 21st CCLC Grantees Database, at:
  www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/awards.html
  
  
• School choice: A parent's option.
  www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/famncomm/pa600.htm
  One of the parental options included in NCLB is school choice when their child’s current school isn’t performing adequately. Based on research, Critical Issue: NCLB Option—Choosing to Change Schools offers help in considering changing schools. Learn about the importance of teacher quality, class size, parent-school partnerships, and choice of reading programs. The report, a publication of the North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL), also includes resources to contact for more information.
  
  
• A guide for implementing effective school choice programs.
  Districts are grappling with offering school choice. This guide, Innovations in Education: Creating Strong District School Choice Programs, presents advice and examples of successful school choice programs. Copies are available:
  
  • online, at:
    www.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/
    choiceprograms/index.html
  
  
  
  • from EDPubs, while supplies last, at:
    1.877.433.7827 (ask for Publication EU0108P)
    

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What's Title I?

Title I provides billions of dollars in financial assistance to schools educating low-income students. Currently, about half (55 percent) of public schools receive funds under Title I. A part of ESEA and now amended by NCLB, Title I's official name is "Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged." Here are some links to information about this very important part of the legislation.

• Here's a summary for parents that talks clearly about Title 1.
  http://www.uft.org/parent/nclb/index.html
  The United Federation of Teachers
in New York City offers What Parents Needs to Know about NCLB/Title I.


• Another quick summary of Title 1.
  www.publiceducation.org/portals/nclb/TitleI_Overview/index.asp
  This summary comes from the Public Education Network (PEN) and the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE).
  
  
• Much more detailed info about Title 1---but it'll cost ya.
  
  
  • Title I Monitor includes an e-mail alert service and unlimited online access to a database of archived issues. Available at $277 a year from the Thompson Publishing Group. Free features on the Web site include a News Desk about Title I happenings and selected Federal resources. For more information or to subscribe, call 1.800.964.5815 or visit: www.titleionline.com/libraries/titleionline/index.html
    
    
  • Title I Report, at www.titlei.com: Another wealth of info you'll have to pay for. Cost? To quote, "A subscription to the Title I Report, which includes full access to [the] Website, costs only $239 a year or $429 for two years. Website-only subscriptions are discounted, and some additional discounts are available for members of partner associations or organizations that buy multiple subscriptions."
    
    
• Is my school a Title I school?
  http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/
  A Title I school receives government funding and must follow NCLB requirements. Find out if your school is a Title I school. At the link above, enter your school's name and address, and search. The results will include "School Characteristics," one of which will be "Title I School" yes or no.
  
  
• How many Title I schools in my state have to provide supplemental educational services (SES)?
  www.tutorsforkids.org/SESRequiredStates.asp
  Generally, supplemental educational services (SES) are free tutoring services that must be offered to low-income children who attend a Title I school that fails to make progress for three years (in its second year of “school improvement status”). The link above will take you to SES info for your state--including how many Title I schools must provided SES to low-income children.
  
  
• Hook up with other parents at the National Coalition of Title I/Chapter 1 Parents.
  www.nctic1p.org/
  The National Coalition of Title I/Chapter 1 Parents helps economically disadvantaged parents to develop the necessary skills and abilities needed to make sound decisions that result in improving the quality of their children's education. Visit their site at the link above and find out more.
  

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NCLB and Children with Special Needs

How does NCLB affect children with special needs? This is an area of great concern to the disability community. The following resources will help you find out more about what the NCLB means for children with disabilities and the school systems who educate them:

• NCLB and Its Implications for Students with Disabilities.
  by Dr. Judy Schrag, the Special Edge, Spring 2003, Volume 16, Number 2.
  http://www.calstat.org/publications/pdfs/edge_spring_03.pdf


• A Parent's Guide to No Child Left Behind.
  by Suzanne Heath, Research Editor, Wrightslaw.
  www.wrightslaw.com/info/nclb.parent.guide.heath.htm


• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: A Technical Assistance Resource.
  from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), October 22, 2003.
  www.cec.sped.org/pp/OverviewNCLB.pdf


• No Child Left Behind: What's in it for Parents?
  from NCPIE (National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education).
  www.ncpie.org/pubs/KeyLeveragePoints.pdf


• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
  http://connsensebulletin.com/nochild.html
  


• Implications for Special Education Policy and Practice: Selected Sections of Title I and Title II.
  from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
  www.cec.sped.org/pp/side-by-side09_04_02.pdf


• Accountability for Assessment Results in NCLB: What It Means for Children with Disabilities.
  from the National Center on Educational Outcomes, August 2003.
  http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/NCLBdisabilities.html


• Myths and realities of involving children with disabilities.
  from NAPAS (National Association of Protection & Advocacy Systems), March 2004.
  www.napas.org/publicpolicy/MR_Final_04-04.htm


• Special needs, common goals.
  www.edweek.org/sreports/qc04/article.cfm?slug=17exec.h23
  Education Week's report on the condition of public education focuses on special education. Quality Counts 2004: "Count Me In: Special Education in an Era of Standards" urges holding students with and without disabilities to the same high standards. The report explores ideas about fair ways to do this.


• Assessing students with disabilities under IDEA and NCLB.
  from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
  EdPolicy Update, January 2004. The article may be ordered through the following site:
  www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=2298#Focus
  


• Aligning special education with NCLB.
  from LDOnline, May 2003.
  www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/special_education/alignment_primer.html


• Putting IDEA and NCLB together.
  Focus on Special Education is an issue of WestEd's R & D Alert that discusses the need of general education and special education to collaborate in order to meet the combined requirements of these two laws. Focus on Special Education is available online at:
  www.wested.org/online_pubs/RD-04-01.pdf


• More on the intertwining of the two laws.
  The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) and the National Education Association (NEA) have joined together to produce IDEA and ESEA: Intersection of Access and Outcomes to provide guidance to state and school district leaders who will be responsible for the implementation of both laws. The manual helps to clarify the parts of ESEA (now known as NCLB) that impact the education of students with disabilities as well as the effects ESEA may have on IDEA reauthorization. Find the manual online at:
  http://www.nea.org/specialed/ideanclbintersection.html
  
  
• No Child Left Behind and students with LD.
  from the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
  www.ld.org/advocacy/nclb_policy.cfm


• More on NCLB and LD.
  from the National Center for Learning Disabilities and Schwab Learning. This guide is for parents!
  http://ld.org/NCLB


• State Accountability for All Students--Project SAAS.
  The State Accountability for All Students project is a three-year national research project designed to explore the inclusion and performance of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs. Check out the SAAS site for issue briefs, including: Participation and Students with Disabilities; High Stakes Policies and Students with Disabilities; and Discipline and Students with Disabilities. Enter the site at:
  www.ssco.org/saas/


• And let's not forget about alternate assessment and IDEA's requirements.
  Student participation in high-stakes testing? How else might we assess their knowledge? Wanna know more? Visit our A-Z page on the very subject!
   http://www.nichcy.org/Documents/connections/largeassessments.asp

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Información en Español

• Diez datos que cada padre debe saber sobre la Ley Que Ningún Niño Se Quede Atrás (NCLB).
  www.ed.gov/nclb/choice/help/tenfacts/index.html
  Ten Facts Every Parent Should Know About NCLB? Find out what they are in English or in Spanish, at the link above.
  
  
• Una guía más detallada para los padres.
  www.ed.gov/espanol/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/index.html
  From the U.S. Department of Education, this parent's guide (available in English and Spanish) gives parents a solid overview of the law.
  
  
• Y una guía NO del gobierno.
  www.plassociates.org/publications.html#nclb
  NCLB...y Lo que Implica Para los Padres (NCLB and What's In It for Parents) takes a close look at the law and its requirements regarding parent participation. This publication, available in English and Spanish at the link above, comes from Parent Leadership Associates.
  
  
• Servicios educativos suplementarios (SES)--ayuda adicional para el éxito en la escuela.
  www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/suppservices/index.html
  This two-page brochure (available in English and in Spanish at the link above) will tell parents about SES and what it means for their child.
  
  
• Más sobre el programa SES.
  www.tutorsforkids.org/es/families.asp
  Learn still more about the SES program, where low-income families have the opportunity to find free individualized tutoring services for their children. The link above will tell you the details in Spanish.
  
  
• Lo que las familias le deben preguntar a los proveedores de SES.
  www.tutorsforkids.org/es/Quest_for_fam.asp
  Questions that families should ask SES providers...to help them pick the best one for their child.


• Recursos en español del Education Trust.
  www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/spanish
  Visit the link above to find out "documentos en español" such as: Mejorando su escuela: Una guía para padres y comunidades sobre la ley “Que ningún niño se quede atrás” (Improving your school: A guide for parents and communities on the No Child Left Behind Act) and ¿Tiene la tarea de mi hijo altos estándares? (Does my child's homework have high standards?).
  

Training Materials

• Want PowerPoint slides?
  www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/ESEA/ESEA+General.htm
  This PowerPoint presentation, presented at the Education Trust's annual conference, can serve as a tool to talk about the major provisions of NCLB with a particular emphasis on the new requirements in Title I. From the link above, use the right menu to select "No Child Left Behind” Overview for Annual Conference," which will take you to the PowerPoint presentation.
  


• More PowerPoint slides.
  www.aft.org/edissues/downloads/TitleI_PPC_Jan02.pdf
  This PowerPoint presentation of 45 slides is from the American Federation of Teachers.
  


• Scads of slides at the U.S. Department of Education. Pick your poison!
  
  
  • State Accountability Systems
    www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateacct/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Accountability and Annual Yearly Progress
    www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/ayp/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Strategies for Making Adequate Yearly Progress, Using Curriculum Based-Measurement for Progress Monitoring
    www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/aypstr/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Evidence-Based Education
    www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/whatworks/eb/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • New Flexibility Provisions under NCLB
    www.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/flex/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Highly Qualified Teachers & Paraprofessionals
    www.ed.gov/admins/tchrqual/learn/hqt/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Strategies for Improving Teacher Quality
    www.ed.gov/admins/tchrqual/learn/tqstr/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Mathematics and Science Partnerships: Scientifically Based Research in Mathematics
    www.ed.gov/admins/lead/math/ms/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals
    www.ed.gov/admins/tchrqual/qual/hqp/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Providing Title I Services to Eligible Private School Children
    www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/ps/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Research-Based Instruction in Reading
    www.ed.gov/admins/lead/read/rb/edlite-index.html
    
    
  • Choice Provisions in NCLB
    http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/choice03/edlite-slide2.html
    
    
• And yet more Power Point slides.
  http://lozanosmith.com/presentations/nclb12022002-1.ppt
  


• Not done yet.
  www.ncrel.org/policy/curve/whatis.htm
  Although these slides are in straigh text, not in PowerPoint, you can easily copy and paste the text NCREL (North Central Regional Educational Lab) provides into any presentation tool you choose.


• Or yet.
  www.ccsso.org/federal_programs/NCLB/3241.cfm
  The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has a number of Power Point presentations about NCLB online regarding implementing adequate yearly progress in state accountability systems.
  
  
• Specific focus: NCLB and the Assessment of Students with Disabilities .
  www.education.umn.edu/nceo/Presentations/presentations.htm
  The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) offers three Power Point presentations specific to NCLB and assessing students with disabilities. These are entitled: (1) NCLB Implications for Assessment and Accountability for Students with Disabilities, (2) No Child Left Behind: Considerations for the Assessment of Students with Disabilities, and (3) Civil Rights, No Child Left Behind, Assessments, Accountability, and Students with Disabilities.
  
  
• Not just for parents and community leaders---administrators and teachers can use this Action Guide, too.
  www.publiceducation.org/cgi-bin/nclborderform/orderform.asp
  The Public Education Network (PEN) offers Using NCLB to Improve Student Achievement: An Action Guide for Community and Parent Leaders, an 80-page guide on how to use NCLB to advocate for improved public education.
  

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How's Your State Doing?

• Who's Who in your state?
  www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html
  Use the map at the link above to choose a state and find out who to contact about NCLB, education matters in general, and disability-related issues (hey! they link to NICHCY, so you'll end up back here!). Also find state profiles presenting key data about each state's student and school population and its testing history and results under National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
  
  
• Want specific NCLB information on your state?
  http://nclb.ecs.org/nclb/
  The Education Commission of the States (ECS) offers the above Web site, which is a one-stop shop for learning the day-to-day status of how state policies match up with NCLB requirements.
  
  
• Is your child's teacher highly qualified as prescribed by NCLB?
  http://www.publiceducation.org/pdf/nclb/nclbbook.pdf
  Read about your right to know in the Public Education Network's NCLB Action Brief.
  
  
• AFT's Making Standards Matter.
  http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/msm2001.pdf
  The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) offers a state-by-state analysis of state efforts to implement a standards-based system.
  
  
• Check out your state's Accountability Plan.
  www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/index.html
  In 2003, each state submitted to the U.S. Department of Education a "Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook." In the workbook, each state indicated their progress toward 31 critical elements in 10 categories and wrote a narrative outlining the state’s activities. Wanna see the final approved accountability plan from your state? Visit the link above. The Consolidated Plan for your state is available on the Web site of the Education Commission of the States, at:
  www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/42/65/4265.htm
  


• How to communicate results -- state report cards and more.
  www.ccsso.org/federal_programs/NCLB/2896.cfm
  The link above will take you to a page of state-level resource information, where you can investigate: North Carolina's Plan to communicate about NCLB with various audiences; state report cards on various SEA Web sites; and state press releases and news coverage (for Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming).


• Alternate assessment: What guidelines does your state have for participation?
  from the Mid-South Regional Resource Center (MSRRC). (Title: "Compilation of State Alternate Assessment Participation Guidelines")
  www.ihdi.uky.edu/msrrc/publicat.htm


• Try the School Information Partnership.
  www.schoolresults.org/
  Here, you can find out the school, district, and state information required to be publicly reported under NCLB. State snapshots are also available.
  
  
• The School Evaluation Services (SES) database.
  http://ses.standardandpoors.com/
  Use Standard and Poor's (S&P) database to view academic, financial, and socioeconomic indicators, benchmark comparisons and trends. Also read S&P’s written reports on your district’s strengths and challenges.
  
  
• And what about that other SES--Supplementary Educational Services?
  www.tutorsforkids.org/state.asp
  The address above will take you to a map of the U.S., where you can pick your state and find a list of current SES providers, the application for SES providers, information about schools in your state identified for improvement, and who the SES contact person is for your state. Good info, eh?

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How Are We Doing Overall?

• Reflections on implementation: Two years and counting.
  www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=2298#FromASCD
  This October 2003 InfoBrief from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) takes a national look at our progress under NCLB.


• Are special education teachers qualified under NCLB? What the GAO found.
  from the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
  www.gao.gov/atext/d04659.txt (text-only version)
  www.gao.gov/new.items/d04659.pdf (PDF version)


• What do teachers think of the law?
  Find out in this report from the Civil Rights Project at Harvard.
  www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/
  articles/NCLB_Survey_Report.pdf


• And how are communities faring under the law?
  www.nclbgrassroots.org/
  This new Web site monitors how communities across the nation are meeting the challenges of NCLB. This includes tracking news articles on the subject. Visit and find NCLB News by state, by issue, and more.
  
  
• How do we improve NCLB's accountability standards?
  www.cep-dc.org/pubs/Forum28July2004/
  In July 2004 the Center on Education Policy held a forum on ideas for improving the accountability provisions of NCLB. The papers from this forum are posted at the link above. They include titles such as: "Rethinking the No Child Left Behind Act Accountability System"; "Adequate Yearly Progress Using the Hybrid Success Model: A Suggested Improvement to the No Child Left Behind Act"; and "The Implementation of the Accountability Provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act: A State Perspective" (California's).


• Are NCLB and IDEA improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities?
  www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/
  2004/educationoutcomes.htm
  To answer this question, the National Council on Disability (NOD) conducted a literature review and a series of interviews with a panel of policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from across the country. The resulting report, at the link above, focuses on the impact of NCLB on students with disabilities, alignment of NCLB and IDEA, and the use of evidence-based research in decision-making processes at the school and district levels.


• And how does NCLB affect postsecondary opportunities for individuals with disabilities?
  Find out in this 91-page report commissioned by the National Council on Disability (NCD) and written by the American Youth
  Policy Forum and the Educational Policy Institute.
  www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/NCD.pdf

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Keeping Up with NCLB

• Sign up for NCLB action briefs.
  www.publiceducation.org/nclb_actionbriefs.asp
  The Public Education Network (PEN) and the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE) offer an email service to keep you on top of NCLB action.
  
  
• Webcasts for parents!
  The Department of Education offers Education News Parents Can Use, a Web cast series about ways to ensure children's educational success. Learn more about the program, view previous Webcasts, see what's on the schedule for 2004, and sign up at: www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/index.html
  
  
• Sign up for a Title I Part A listserv.
  www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/titleilocalslistserv.html
  The titleilocals listserv is a free service offered by OESE's Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs. The information that subscribers to the "LEAtitleIdirector" listserv receive is intended to help them administer their programs and learn about new information regarding Title I Part A.
  
  
• And a wealth of information about Title 1 is available for a few $$.
  See above, under "What's Title I?" for two Title 1 services that keep administrators informed: the Title I Monitor and the Title I Report.
  


• Try the TitleIOnline News Desk.
  www.titleionline.com/libraries/titleionline/news_desk.html


• Want the latest in education news?
  www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=59
  Education Week provides articles and information on NCLB.
  
  

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