Schools Identified as in Need of Improvement under Title I: Recent Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Schools. Evaluation Brief

The 1994 Title I reauthorization required states to establish rigorous and explicit criteria for measuring school progress. Based on these criteria, each Title I school is required to demonstrate adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward attaining the state's performance standards. Schools (and districts) that fail to make adequate progress for two consecutive years are to be identified for improvement. These schools are required to develop or revise their plans to address identified needs, and are to receive technical assistance by the states and districts through school support teams and other support mechanisms. There is a general lack of information on schools identified for improvement on a national basis. Using data from a large, nationally-representative study of Title I schools, this evaluation brief provides information on the following topics regarding schools identified as in need of improvement under Title I: (1) Whether principals in these schools fully comprehend what it means to be identified as in need of improvement under Title I; (2) What these schools look like in terms of demographic and other characteristics; (3) What kinds of technical assistance they have received (or failed to receive); (4) Whether schools have been subjected to corrective actions by districts; and (5) Whether some schools have been successful in meeting AYP targets or in moving out of in need of improvement status. This evaluation brief reports on data obtained through the National Longitudinal Survey of Schools (NLSS), a nationally representative survey of principals and teachers in Title I Schools in school year (SY) 1998-1999.