DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASES PRELIMINARY STATEWIDE DISTRICTS IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT LIST

Department of Education's Hope Institute to assist the 11 percent of districts on the list

On Friday (1/28) the New Hampshire Department of Education (DOE), for the first time, preliminarily identified districts that do not meet academic goals as defined under the federal No Child Left Behind ( NCLB ) Act.   Previously the state has only identified individual schools.

Of the 162 districts in the state, eighteen were identified as a "district in need of improvement" (DINI). Preliminarily identified were Dover, Exeter Cooperative, Hooksett, Raymond, Rochester, Wakefield and Winnacunnet in the area of Mathematics.   Barrington, Chester, Derry Cooperative, Farmington, Governor Wentworth Regional, Merrimack, Nashua, Newfound Area and Sanborn Regional were identified in the area of reading.   Manchester and Winnisquam were preliminarily identified in both areas.

The list of districts in need of improvement is preliminary.   Districts have 30 days to verify the accuracy of their data and appeal on technical and validity issues.   A final designation will be made at the end of 30 days.

"This is an early indicator in a long process that will help us better understand how to effectively support schools and districts," said Deputy Education Commissioner Dr. Paul Ezen.   "As we start to assess and collect data on more students, particularly those in grades three through eight, the confidence we have in the findings will grow and help direct improvement strategies for all students in a school or district.   The data will be richer and we will be able to better understand and focus on specific school needs.   With today's results based on small numbers of students, we may be hitting certain improvement targets, but missing others."

The Department of Education is required to notify the parents of each student enrolled in a Title I district that it has been classified as a DINI.   Title I districts have higher percentages of students from low-income families and as a result receive federal funds and are subject to different consequences when identified as in need of improvement.   The Department of Education must also explain the reasons why the district was classified as a DINI and how parents can participate in supporting the improvement plan of the district.

NCLB requires that all student scores in a district are combined and calculated as a whole to determine whether the district meets the required achievement, attendance, graduation and test-taking targets established by the State.   Districts not making AYP for two consecutive years in the same content area in each level existing within the district (elementary/middle and /or high school) are designated a DINI, and must develop a district improvement plan focused on the areas which caused the designation.

A district can be designated as not making AYP based on performance of the district as a whole, or the performance of one subgroup of students, which is broken down by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special needs and English language learners.

"Each district that is in need of improvement is unique," said Lorraine Patusky, director of the Office of Accountability.   "What we're hoping the designation does is prompt a conversation among community leaders, parents and educators as to how best to improve student performance."

The district must meet the same performance targets established for individual schools, which includes testing students in mathematics and reading; participation of 95 percent of students in the state assessment test; 90 percent attendance at the elementary and middle school levels and 75 percent graduation rate for high schools.

The Department of Education created the Habits of Professional Excellence (HOPE) Summer Institute to improve the academic performance of schools that may not meet state performance targets established by NCLB.   The Department of Education launched HOPE in 2003 to work closely with these identified schools and proactively implement research-based, proven strategies to improve student achievement.   In essence, HOPE offers a school the support necessary to begin developing an improvement plan well in advance of official notification of not making AYP.   The next HOPE Summer Institute will be held in July 2005, and the plan this year is to focus on helping districts that did not make AYP.

"While the Department of Education provides technical assistance and resources to the districts, we continue to believe that the best place to improve schools is at the local level," said Ezen.   "Schools and districts must set high expectations and be accountable to meet them with assistance from the DOE.   The requirements are challenging, but we must be rigorous about improving student success."

The Department of Education has in place a number of programs designed to continuously improve education in New Hampshire. The programs support communities' efforts to improve student achievement and demonstrate accountability.   For more information, please contact Lori Kincaid, public information officer, at 271-6646 or go to www.ed.state.nh.us .