No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a federal law that was enacted on January 8, 2002, to expand choices for parents, focus resources on proven educational methods and provide accountability for results.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, school districts are required to notify parents/guardians if their child's school is considered in "need of improvement" after failure to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for at least two years in a row.
Title I
Part of the Elementary and Secondary Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Title I is a federal entitlement program that provides the district and schools serving low income families with funds to improve student achievement. District and school allocations are based on the number and percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Currently, all of the Zanesville City Schools receive Title I funds based on their student population.
There are four guiding principles in NCLB:
- Schools are expected to teach students using standards-based curriculum and scientifically based methods proven to be successful.
- Schools and districts are accountable for demonstrating that all students are meeting academic goals each year. Schools not making adequate progress for two or more consecutive years in reading or math are in "school improvement" status.
- Teachers and instructional paraprofessionals must be highly qualified. School districts must develop plans to ensure highly qualified teachers and instructional paraprofessionals in Title I funded programs.
- Parents must be given information, rights and choices concerning their child's education. NCLB states parents have a right:
- to have access to their child's individual performance levels on the statewide assessments.
- to know if their child's school is making adequate yearly progress (links to Ohio Department of Education Local Report Cards) ilrc.ode.state.oh.us
- to know the qualifications of their child's teachers,
- to be informed if their child is being taught by a substitute or a non-highly qualified teacher for longer than four consecutive weeks, and
- to know about school choice and supplemental educational services.
Parents Right To Know
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), all school districts are required to notify parents with children in Title I Schools that they may request information regarding the professional qualifications of each student’s classroom teachers. This information may include qualifications listed below.
- If the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught
- If the teacher is teaching under emergency or temporary status in which state qualifications or licensing criteria are waived
- The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major, graduate certification, and field of discipline
- The qualifications of any paraprofessional that is providing services to the student
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact your building principal or Steven Foreman, Director of Title I and Special Services for Zanesville City Schools at 740-588-5539.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
McKinney-Vento is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. It was reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act.
The McKinney-Vento program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, state educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth. Homeless children and youth should have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment. States and districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth.
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children in homeless situations have the right to:
- Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there;
- Attend either the local school or the school of origin (the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled), if this is in their best interest;
- Receive transportation to and from the school or origin;
- Enroll, attend classes and participate fully in all school activities while the school arranges for the transfer of records,;
- Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students including transportation and supplemental services; and
- Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness - segregation based on a student's status as homeless is prohibited.
Our school district liaison is Mr. Steven Foreman, Director of Title I and Special Programs. He may be reached at 740-588-5539.
Our state coordinator for homeless education is Susannah Wayland, 614-387-7725.
Click here to read a copy of our Board of Education's policy on Homeless, approved on 4/03 and revised on 9/25/07.