Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has provided federal assistance to schools to meet the educational needs of disadvantaged students. Congress substantially revised the program, moving from a focus on remediation to high standards and accountability for further achievement. For the first time, the law detailed the requirements for the full inclusion of limited English proficient students in Title I programs, assessments, and accountability systems. California is an especially important state with respect to Title I reforms because it receives substantially more Title I funding than any other state. Twenty-two percent of California’s children live below the federal poverty line, and the achievement of its students, especially poor African-American and Latino students, has lagged behind the rest of the country.
California is one of the most critical states in the nation for the standards-based reform movement, but it has had an inconsistent record of addressing the needs of its students.
However, California districts have seen an influx of new funding in recent years. The state plans to increase general fund spending on education. Only 19% of California fourth-graders scored proficient or above on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) in reading, and among poor and minority students, only 8% of black students, 7% of Hispanics and 6% of free/reduced students. students eligible for priced lunch were at or above the proficiency level. A third of its ninth graders did not graduate from high school four years later. Black and Latino student numbers are higher; 44% of blacks and 45% of Hispanics in ninth grade did not graduate on time or did not graduate at all.
At the fifth grade level, only 8% of English Language Learners were above the national average in reading. In mathematics, 51% of all eighth graders fluent in English met or exceeded the national average compared to 15% of ELLs (English Language Learners).
Studies have found that third-graders enrolled in small class sizes performed slightly better than those who were not, and that improvements were found across all socioeconomic levels. However, there has been some criticism of the program because it prompted the rapid hiring of additional teachers in California, many with little or no experience. English-language advocates attribute gains for ELL students in some school districts solely to legislation, while bilingual education advocates argue gains owe more to reduced class sizes and increased accountability .
Federal law requires school districts and individual schools to provide assessment and accountability data indicating that specially funded students are learning the district’s core curriculum. State laws and regulations also require that a district have the results of an annual evaluation that demonstrates that each of its participating schools is implementing consolidated programs that are effective based on criteria established by the local governing board.
The state directs that the standards adopted for ELLs, former ELLs, and immigrant students in core subjects should be the same standards that are required for regular students. ELLS are expected to receive English language development until they are redesignated as fluent in English. In addition, all students will continue to take the appropriate grade level enrollment Stanford science test. Each student is required to take the high school exit exam in grade 10 and may take the exam during each subsequent administration until she has passed each section.
In addition to taking the designated test in English, ELLs who have been enrolled in California public schools for less than 12 months must also take a test in their primary language, if one is available. CDE (California Department of Education) guidance further suggests that, whenever possible, assessments in subjects such as mathematics, science, social studies, health, and other courses required for grade level promotion should be administered to ELL students. in the language in which they are found. where they can best demonstrate their knowledge of the subject.
For their local accountability system, districts are encouraged to use multiple measures in reading/language arts and mathematics for all students. The US Department of Education has informed the CDE that the state’s testing program may not meet Title I requirements for final assessments. Key federal law requirements that California education officials must follow include uniform state policies to ensure full inclusion of all students in assessments, the breakdown of assessment results by major racial and ethnic groups, as well as such as immigration status, and compliance with the Title I requirement for the use of multiple measures. Growth targets are set for each major ethnic subgroup and for the school as a whole. Schools that meet or exceed growth targets will be eligible for monetary and non-monetary awards. Schools that continue to fall below their targets or do not show significant growth may be subject to local interventions or eventually state sanctions.
The CDE reports that it is working to align state and federal requirements into a single state accountability system. Title I schools will be identified for program improvement when they have not made Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years. Despite recent progress, California still has a long way to go before fully complying with federal requirements. The state still has to:
– demonstrate that the state test is aligned with state content and performance standards. This is important because California has chosen to use a nationally norm-referenced, multiple-choice test as the centerpiece of its new school accountability program.
– develop valid and reliable multiple measures of student achievement. Current state standards for determining AYP are based solely on school scores and do not yet incorporate multiple measures of student performance required by Title I.
– provide for the appropriate inclusion of ELLs in the assessment and accountability program. Currently, ELLs are primarily assessed in English, although state law requires that students be assessed in the language in which they are most likely to provide accurate and reliable information about their knowledge and skills.
– provide the resources, capacity building and other assistance to schools and districts to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn and achieve high standards. In particular, class size reduction reforms have left many children in high-poverty schools without fully qualified teachers or adequate classroom space.
There are reasons to doubt whether the corrections and improvements necessary to comply with federal law can be made in time to meet the statutory deadlines. State and federal education officials are challenged to design a compliance and implementation plan for California that fulfills the promise that all students will reap the benefits of standards-based reform.
