Each year, as required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the New York State Education Department (SED) identifies a group of Title I public schools in New York City that are “Schools In Need of Improvement” (SINI). According to NCLB standards, these schools have not made “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP). They have not reached student achievement targets which are set for every school.
Under NCLB, AYP is determined based on each school’s progress toward meeting the state proficiency level for all students in English language arts, mathematics, science and/or high school graduation rate. Schools are held accountable for the achievement of students of different races and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency and low-income students. Schools must also have an average over two years of 95% of their students participating in State tests. If a school does not meet requirements in any one of these categories, it is placed on the list of Schools in Need of Improvement. While some schools on the list have educational programs that have produced good results for many students, they have not improved achievement sufficiently for other students. In other cases, not enough students participated in state-required tests.
SED identifies the following five categories of Title I schools in need of improvement, according to the number of years that the school has not made adequate yearly progress (AYP):
School Improvement Notification
NCLB requires that all SINI schools notify parents of enrolled students of the school’s improvement status. In addition, students in these schools may be entitled to Public School Choice and/or Supplemental Educational Services (SES).
The New York State Education Department (SED) most recently identified SINI in September for the 2009-2010 academic year. For information on how schools compare academically, parents can request a printed copy of the school’s report card from their school’s Parent Coordinator. All school report cards can also be viewed online on the NYCDOE website at:
http://schools.nyc.gov/daa/SchoolReports/default.asp.
Sample School Improvement Parent Notification Letter
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NCLB Public School Choice
In accordance with NCLB, students who attend schools identified as Title I Schools in Need of Improvement and Schools Under Registration Review must be provided with the opportunity to request transfers to schools not in need of improvement.
The New York City Department of Education administers the NCLB Public School Choice program to give parents of eligible students the opportunity to request transfers for their children to schools that have not been identified as SINI or SURR.
For more information on NCLB Public School Choice, click here.
Supplemental Educational Services
Students enrolled in SINI Title I Schools in Need of Improvement-Year 2, Title I Corrective Action Schools, Title I Schools Planning for Restructuring, and Title I Schools in Restructuring who are also eligible for the federal free lunch program are eligible for free Supplemental Educational Services (SES). SES include free after-school/weekend remedial help or tutoring services. For more information, click here: Supplemental Educational Services (SES)
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