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WORDS AND TERMS TO KNOW

 

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The ABCs of Public Education

is North Carolina's major school reform effort. Begun in 1996 as a result of state law, the ABCs focuses on local school accountability, an emphasis on student mastery of basic skills, and as much local board and local educator control as possible.

Academic standards (See North Carolina Standard Course of Study.)

Academic year

is a period of 140 days for accountability purposes. Students who have attended a North Carolina school for 140 days prior to the first day of Spring testing are considered to have attended for the full academic year and that school is held accountable for the student's academic achievement scores. A student must attend a school 140 days by the first day of Spring testing to be included in Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculations at the school level. Students who are part of groups smaller than 40 or who attend a school fewer than 140 days contribute to AYP calculations at the district level. State law requires that schools offer 180 days of instruction.

Accommodations

are allowed for some students with Individualized Education Programs to allow for alteration of the testing process according to state guidelines. These accommodations allow for students with disabilities, English language learners and other students with documented special needs to avoid being discriminated against while allowing for fair testing procedures. These students take the standard tests, but may have extended time to take the test, a separate testing locations, assistive devices, large print, additional breaks during testing, etc.

Accountability

is the system in which the state requires that schools and districts meet achievement standards for what students should know and learn. The North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS), the state-adopted curriculum, defines what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Assessments and public reporting of assessment results are part of the accountability system of finding out and reporting if students are making progress toward meeting the achievement standards.

Achievement gap

refers to the differences in academic performance, measured by test scores or graduation rates, between different groups of students. Under No Child Left Behind, these groups are based on racial or ethnic backgrounds, family income, student disability or English language proficiency.

Achievement levels

refer to student achievement on North Carolina' s end-of-grade tests and end-of-course tests, which is reported by four achievement levels: Level I, insufficient mastery; Level II, inconsistent mastery; Level III; mastery; and Level IV; superior.

Achievement standards

are set by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSOS) outlining what all students should know and be able to do for each grade level and academic subject. It defines the minimum standards for school systems to follow and to communicate to the public. Some students with disabilities work toward modified achievement standards.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

measures the yearly progress of different groups of students at the school, district, and state levels against yearly target goals in reading/language arts and mathematics. All public schools, in North Carolina and throughout the country, must measure and report Adequate Yearly Progress as outlined in NCLB. Adequate Yearly Progress is the minimum level of progress in reading/language arts and mathematics proficiency made by students in a year. If a school misses one target goal, it does not make Adequate Yearly Progress. Title I schools and districts are especially affected if they do not make Adequate Yearly Progress.

Alignment

is the process of making content standards, achievement standards , assessment and instruction consistent so they are most effective in helping students reach state standards.

Alternate assessments

are ways, other than standard test administration, to assess students academically. Alternate assessments are used for some students with disabilities and some English language learners.

Assessment

is is another word for test. The term assessment is sometimes used to encompass not only standard test administration, but state-designed alternate assessments by which some students with disabilities are assessed. (See standardized tests.)

Assistance teams

are teams assigned by the North Carolina State Board of Education to work with individual low-performing schools to implement school improvement plans so that student achievement will increase.

Attendance rate

is the Other Academic Indicator determining if an elementary or middle school makes Adequate Yearly Progress. Schools must show that they are improving their attendance rates. Any progress of .1 percent or more or any percentage at or above 90 percent is considered as improving.

AYP (See Adequate Yearly Progress.)

AYP growth standard

is applied to student groups that don't initially meet target goals. Nonproficient students who are on track toward meeting the proficiency standards within four years of entering a tested grade in North Carolina, or by the end of 10th grade, can be counted as proficient. The AYP growth standard outlines predetermined incremental progress that students must demonstrate in order to be counted as “on track” and, therefore, proficient. If the percentage of nonproficient students on the set proficiency growth pathway and percentage of proficient students combine to meet the proficiency target goal, the group is considered to have met its target goal.

Choice (See school choice.)

Cohort graduation rate

reflects the percentage of ninth graders who graduated from high school four years later. The cohort graduation rate is the Other Academic Indicator for if a high school, or school that graduates seniors, make Adequate Yearly Progress. Schools must show that they are improving their cohort graduation rates. The cohort graduation rate is used as the Other Academic Indicator determining if school districts make Adequate Yearly Progress. Any progression of .1 percent or more or any percentage at or above 80 percent is considered improving.

Comparability

is a mandated fiscal requirement that encourages comparable distribution of funds. NCLB requires that the services provided with state and local funds in Title I schools are comparable to those provided in schools that do not receive Title I funds.

Confidence interval

under NCLB, refers to the margin of error applied to Adequate Yearly Progress calculations in North Carolina. For schools that meet a proficiency target goal through application of the confidence interval, actual proficiency percentages are reported with a notation (CI) indicating that the confidence interval was applied.

Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR)

is an annual performance report on the state's results from implementing various NCLB programs. The purposes of this reporting are to encourage the integration of State, local and federal programs in planning and service delivery to increase the likelihood that the State will coordinate planning and service delivery across multiple programs.

Core academic subjects

are English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, social studies, economics, arts, history, geography, and kindergarten through Grade 6 (K-6). Under NCLB, only teachers meeting Highly Qualified criteria can teach these subjects.

Corrective action

is a significant intervention in a Title I school after it has not made Adequate Yearly Progress for four years. Corrective action is an intervention for districts at a certain level of Title I District Improvement as well.

Curriculum alignment

means that the tests used in North Carolina have been developed for use as achievement tests to measure students' acquisition of specific subject/course area content and skills as defined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.

Department of Public Instruction (DPI) (See North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.)

Disaggregated data

is sorted data. Under NCLB, data is sorted by student groups according to achievement in reading/language arts and math.

District Improvement (See Title I District Improvement.)

Dropout rate

is the percentage of dropout events recorded in grades 9-12 who dropped out of school in a year's time. The cohort graduation rate is used for NCLB reporting purposes.

Economically disadvantaged

students, in North Carolina, are defined as those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

is the principal federal law affecting K-12 education. When the ESEA of 1965 was reauthorized and amended in 2001, it was renamed the No Child Left Behind Act. The 2001 reauthorization represented significant changes from the 1994 reauthorization. The law is up for reauthorization in 2007.

End-of-course tests (EOC)

are North Carolina's state-developed standardized tests designed to assess the competencies defined by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study at the high school level. Ten end-of-course tests are mandated: Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Civics and Economics, English I, Geometry, Physical Science, Physics, and U.S. History.

End-of-grade tests (EOG)

are North Carolina’s state-developed standardized tests in reading and math designed to assess the competencies defined by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in grades 3-8.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

is a program model that delivers specialized instruction to students who are learning English as a new language.

English language learners (ELL)

are students whose first language is not English and who need language assistance to participate fully in the regular curriculum. ELL students, also called Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, are one of the 10 NCLB-defined student groups.

Free and/or reduced price lunch (FRL)

is a federal government program allowing children who qualify, based on their parent's or guardian's financial status, to receive either free or reduced price lunch. FLR eligibility is what determines students who are economically disadvantaged in North Carolina.

Full academic year (See academic year.)

Grade level (See achievement levels, proficiency.)

Graduation rate (See cohort graduation rate.)

Highly Qualified

is an NCLB-defined teacher requirement which, in North Carolina, is a teacher who has obtained full state teacher certification or has passed the state teacher licensing examination and holds a license to teach in the state; holds a minimum of a bachelor's degree; and has demonstrated subject area competence in each of the core academic subjects in which the teacher teaches. The Highly Qualified criteria applies to all teachers - in Title I schools and non-Title I public schools - who teach in core academic subject areas. The federal regulations do not apply to non-core academic subject area teachers such as those in most vocational (workforce development/career-technical education) programs or physical education.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

is a written statement for a student with a disability that is developed, at least annually, by a team of professionals and the student's parents. Required by federal law for all exceptional students, the program must include specific information about how the student will be served and set student goals.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

is a federal law, reauthorized in 2004, designed to ensure that all students with disabilities have a free and appropriate public education available to them. The law requires all states to develop alternate assessments for students with disabilities for whom the standard statewide assessment program is not appropriate even when accommodations are used.

Levels I, II, III, IV (See achievement levels.)

Limited English proficient (LEP) (See English language learner.)

Local Board of Education

is charged with supervising and administering the free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support in a school district.

Local Education Agency (LEA)

in North Carolina is a school district or, in the case of a charter school, the school itself. The LEA is the public authority maintaining administrative control of the school or schools in a city or county.

Local Education Agency (LEA) Improvement (See Title I District Improvement.)

Local Education Plan

is a written district improvement plan, required under NCLB, for each district that includes strategies for improving student performance and outlines parent involvement policies as required by Title I. A Title I revised district plan is a two-year plan developed by the district to address issues that caused the district to go into Title I District Improvement.

Mathematics

is one of two academic subjects (in addition to reading/language arts) that determines Adequate Yearly Progress for schools based on student assessment results. For students in grades 3-8, the end-of-grade mathematics assessment is used to determine school performance. Students are tested in number and operations, measurement, geometry, date analysis and probability and algebra. For high schools, student assessment results in Algebra I determine Adequate Yearly Progress calculations.

Modified achievement standards

are standards that are aligned with grade-level content and are expectations of student performance that have been adjusted to reflect reduced breadth or depth of grade-level content.

"N" size

is a required sample size for making statistical calculations. Under NCLB, each state can determine the “N” size for Adequate Yearly Progress calculations. In North Carolina, NCLB-defined student groups are comprised of an “N” size of 40 or more across all tested grades at the school, district and state levels.

NCLB (See No Child Left Behind.)

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

,also known as the “Nation's Report Card,” assesses the educational achievement of elementary and secondary students in various subject areas. It provides data for comparing the performance of students in North Carolina to that of their peers in the nation.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001

is the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Authorization Act of 1965. The reauthorized law added strict new accountability changes and mandated that every child be taught by a Highly Qualified teacher. The law emphasizes new standards for teachers and new consequences for Title I schools that do not meet student achievement standards for two or more consecutive years. The law's major goal is for every school to be proficient in reading/language arts and mathematics by 2013-14 as measured by state tests.

Non-Title I schools

are schools that do not receive Title I funding. Highly Qualified teacher requirements apply to non-Title I schools. Adequate Yearly Progress is calculated for non-Title I schools, but sanctions do not apply. Non-Title I schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years due to missing one or more target goals in the same subject area, (reading/language arts or mathematics) are required to amend their School Improvement Plan to address the situation.

North Carolina Checklist of Academic Standards (NCCLAS)

is an alternate assessment designed to measure grade-level competencies of students identified as English language learners and some students with disabilities.

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)

is the State Education Agency (SEA) responsible for public K-12 education in North Carolina providing leadership and oversight for the state’s 115 school districts. The NCDPI carries out the policies of the State Board of Education.

North Carolina EXTEND1 (NCEXTEND1)

is an alternate assessment designed o measure the performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities using alternate achievement standards.

North Carolina EXTEND2 (NCEXTEND2)

is an alternate assessment designed to measure grade-level competencies of students with disabilities using modified achievement standards in a simplified multiple choice format.

North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSOS)

provides a guideline of what all students should know and be able to do for each grade level and academic subject. It defines the minimum standards for school systems to follow and to communicate to the public. State accountability measures are derived from the state curriculum.

North Carolina State Board of Education (See State Board of Education.)

Other Academic Indicator (OAI)

in North Carolina, is the attendance rate in elementary and middle schools, and the cohort graduation rate in high schools or any school that graduates seniors. Under NCLB, schools must show progress on the Other Academic Indicator in order to make Adequate Yearly Progress.

Paraprofessionals (See teacher assistants.)

Parent notifications

are required by NCLB in many cases involving Title I schools. Many parent notification requirements center around when Title I schools enter into or continue in Title I School Improvement and when teachers in Title I schools who are not Highly Qualified are teaching the same students for four or more weeks.

Parent/school compact

is a written agreement of shared responsibility that defines the goals and expectations of Title I schools and parents as partners in the effort to improve student achievement. Every Title I school must have a school-parent compact, developed with and approved by parents.

Parental involvement

is a key part of NCLB. Every Title I school and Title I district must have a written Title I parent involvement policy that is developed with and approved by parents, and evaluated every year. This policy should describe how parents will be involved in decision-making and in school life.

Participation rate

under NCLB, is the rate of student participation in taking state assessments. Schools must test at least 95 percent of students in each NCLB-defined student group in each subject (reading/language arts and math). If a school or any of its student groups has less than an average of 95 percent participation in reading/language arts or mathematics assessments, then the school doesn't make Adequate Yearly Progress.

Performance standards (See achievement standards.)

Persistently dangerous

is a term for a dangerous school in NCLB legislation, Title IV. The law requires states to define persistently dangerous and report on school safety, including individual school data. In North Carolina, a persistently dangerous school is a public school in which the conditions during the past two school years continually exposed its students to injury from violent criminal offenses and it is an elementary, middle or secondary public school in which a total of five or more violent criminal offenses were committed per 1000 students (0.5 or more per 100 students) in two consecutive school years. Violent criminal offenses are: assault resulting in serious injury, assault involving use of a weapon, homicide, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, robbery without a dangerous weapon, sexual assault (not involving rape or sexual offense), sexual offense, and taking indecent liberties with a minor. School districts must notify parents of students attending persistently dangerous schools of their option to transfer to another designated school. As of June 2007, North Carolina had no schools designated as persistently dangerous. Any student who suffers a violent criminal offense at school may transfer to a designated school.

Professional development

is a specific term in NCLB legislation referring to how Title I districts spend their Title II funding. In general, professional development funds must be spent on activities that involve both administrators and teachers, move teachers to Highly Qualified status and improve student achievement on state assessments. A district in Title I District Improvement must set aside 10 percent of its Title I funding allotment for professional development purposes.

Proficient/proficiency

are terms referring to student work that meets the achievement standard set by North Carolina for that grade level.

Proficiency level (See achievement levels.)

Proficiency targets

are target goals representing the percentage of students in each student group that must score at grade-level (proficiency) or above in reading/language arts and math assessments. Each student group has the same proficiency target goal. If one student group does not meet the proficiency target goal, the school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress. Proficiency target goals are increased every three years (in 2007-08, 2010-11 and finally in 2013-14) toward the NCLB goal of all students scoring proficient by the end of the 2013-14 school year. The target goal chart is available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/abcayp/overview/.

Public school choice (See school choice.)

Reading First

is a federal program through which states and districts receive support to apply research-based programs to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade. The program provides formula grants to states that submit an approved application. North Carolina has a Reading First initiative.

Reading/language arts

is one of two academic subjects (in addition to mathematics) that determines Adequate Yearly Progress for schools based on student assessment results. For students in grades 3-8, the end-of-grade reading assessment is used to determine school performance. The end-of-grade assessments measure competence in cognition, interpretation, critical stance and connections. For high schools, a combination of the English I end-of-course assessments and the Grade 10 writing assessments determine Adequate Yearly Progress calculations.

Reauthorization

refers to renewing an existing law. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is up for reauthorization by Congress in 2007. Many experts agree, however, that the law will not be reauthorized until later. No Child Left Behind is the renamed and reauthorized version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The 2001 reauthorization represented significant changes from the 1994 reauthorization, adding strict new accountability changes and other requirements and sanctions.

Report cards

are issued for each school, district and state in North Carolina, regardless of Title I status. NCLB requires reporting information on student groups in mathematics and reading/language arts each year in grades three through eight and at least once in the high school years. Information on Highly Qualified teachers and other data, including the participation rate of students tested and the Other Academic Indicator are reported as well. In addition, each school must produce reports for individual students that explain what their scores mean.

Research-based programs

are referred to throughout the NCLB legislation regarding student instructional methods, teacher professional development and the delivery of Supplemental Educational Services. NCLB defines the term as research that involves the application of rigorous, systemic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to educational activities and programs.

Restructuring

is the sanction level applied to a Title I school. After five years of not making Adequate Yearly Progress, the school must plan for restructuring. After six years of not making Adequate Yearly Progress, the school must implement the plan for restructuring.

Safe harbor

is a special provision that allows for consideration of a school's significant year-to-year improvement, even if it misses the proficiency target . If a student group doesn't meet the target goal in a given year, the group (and as a result, the school) can still make Adequate Yearly Progress if it reduces the percent of students below proficient by at least 10 percent from the previous year and the group shows progress on the Other Academic Indicator. Schools can apply this safe harbor analysis to any and all group(s) of students that do not meet the proficiency target goal.

Sanctions

is the term often used to describe the consequences for Title I schools in various levels of Title I School Improvement. The more years a school does not meet its Adequate Yearly Progress target goals in the same subject, the more severe sanctions become. If a Title I school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject for two consecutive years, the school enters Title I School Improvement and must offer parents the option to transfer their children to another school designated by the district until it exits Improvement status (unless the district is participating in a special pilot with the U.S. Department of Education). If a Title I school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject for three years, supplemental educational services must be made available to economically disadvantaged students while continuing to offer public school choice to all students. If a Title I school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject for four years, it is identified for corrective action. If a Title I school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject for five years, the school must continue taking corrective action measures and develop a plan for restructuring. If a Title I school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject for six years, the alternate governance plan that was developed the previous year must be implemented.

School as a whole, or All Students

refers to one of the NCLB-defined 10 student groups in which all the students at the school, district or state are counted.

School choice

refers to the sanction applied to Title I schools not meeting state proficiency target goals for Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject (reading/language arts or mathematics) for two or more years are under. Those schools must offer parents the option of transferring their children to another public school designated by the district, as required by NCLB.

School Improvement (See Title I School Improvement.)

School improvement plan

is a written improvement plan for each school, required by state law, that includes strategies for improving student performance taking into account the annual performance goals for the school set by the State Board of Education; how and when improvements will be implemented; use of state funds; requests for waivers, etc. Each school improvement plan must be approved by the local board of education and may be in effect for no more than three years. Title I schools and non-Title I schools must revise their school improvement plans after not making Adequate Yearly Progress in the same subject for two consecutive years. The plan must establish annual, measurable goals and overall improvement objectives (related especially to achievement of Adequate Yearly Progress), analyze why the school has not yet achieved its goals, and describe what strategies the school will use to improve performance.

Schoolwide programs

use Title I funding to support comprehensive school improvement efforts and help all students, particularly low-achieving and at-risk students, meet state achievement standards at particular schools. To qualify as a Title I schoolwide program, at least 40 percent of a school's students must be considered economically disadvantaged. (The 40 percent minimum may sometimes be waived.) Schoolwide programs can use Title I funds to upgrade the educational program of the entire school, rather than to provide services only to eligible students identified as most at risk of failing to meet state achievement standards.

Science assessments

must be conducted at least once in grades 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12, under NCLB. In North Carolina, students will be tested at the end of grades 5 and 8 beginning in the spring of 2008. The North Carolina end-of-course biology test, already in place, meets NCLB science testing requirements at the high school level. The science tests require students to demonstrate knowledge of important principles and concepts, understand and interpret laboratory activities, and relate scientific information to everyday situations. Currently, NCLB does not mandate that science assessments be included in Adequate Yearly Progress calculations.

Scientifically-based research (See research-based programs.)

Standard Course of Study (SCOS) (See North Carolina Standard Course of Study.)

Standardized tests

are tests on which all students answer the same questions, usually in multiple-choice format, and each question has only one correct answer. The tests are administered under standardized or controlled conditions that specify how the test should be taken, time limitations, etc. North Carolina's end-of-grade and end-of-course tests are standardized.

State assistance

is given to schools designated as low performing by the State Board of Education.

State Board of Education (SBE)

is charged with supervising and administering the free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support. The Board consists of the Lieutenant Governor, the Treasurer, and 11 members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the General Assembly in joint session. The SBE sets policy regarding teacher licensure, state curriculum standards and materials, financial and personnel allotments and school and district improvement efforts.

State Education Agency (SEA)

is the agency primarily responsible for the supervision of a state's public elementary and secondary schools. The State Education Agency is another name for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

State report cards (See report cards.)

Student groups, or student subgroups

are groups of students whose achievement is measured annually to determine if Adequate Yearly Progress has been made in reading and mathematics. NCLB-defined student groups are: 1) the School as a Whole; 2) White; 3) Black; 4) Hispanic; 5) Native American; 6) Asian; 7) Multiracial; 8) economically disadvantaged students; 9) limited English proficient students; and 10) students with disabilities. Achievement under North Carolina's ABCs of Public Education is reported according to groups defined by gender as well.

Students with disabilities

are students with physical, mental or behavioral handicaps. These students, comprising of about 14 percent of the student population in North Carolina, require the assistance of special educators and a specially tailored education program to achieve their potential. North Carolina's students with disabilities are, in order of prevalence: specific learning disabled, speech-language impaired, behaviorally-emotionally disabled, other health impaired, developmentally delayed (ages 3-7), educable mentally disabled, autistic, trainable mentally disabled, hearing impaired, multihandicapped, orthopedically impaired, visually impaired, severely/profoundly mentally disabled, traumatic brain injured, and deaf/blind.

Supplemental Educational Services (SES)

are extra academic services, such as tutoring, offered outside of regular school hours free of cost to eligible students. Low-income students who are attending Title I schools in Title I School Improvement are eligible. Services are designed to increase the academic achievement of low-income students, particularly in the areas of reading, language arts and mathematics. Service providers must be approved by the N.C. State Board of Education.

Supplemental Educational Services eligible students

are those students from economically disadvantaged families who attend Title I schools that are in their second year of Title I school improvement, in corrective action, or in restructuring. Eligibility is determined by a student's economic status and the improvement status of the school the student attends. This differs from the eligibility criteria for public school choice, which is made available to all students in Title I schools in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.

Supplemental Educational Services Pilot Program

,begun in the 2006-07 school year in North Carolina, is part of a national pilot program reversing the order of the first two years of sanctions applied to schools in Title I School Improvement. The pilot allows some North Carolina districts to offer Supplemental Educational Services, or free tutoring, to economically disadvantaged students in the first year a school is in Title I School Improvement instead of public school choice options, the usual first-year sanction.

Supplemental Educational Services providers

are providers approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education who may provide Supplemental Educational Services for economically disadvantaged students attending Title I schools that are under the sanction to offer the tutoring services paid for by the district. Providers may be public or private (non-profit or for-profit) entities that meet the State's criteria for approval.

Target goals

are what determine whether a school or district makes Adequate Yearly Progress. For a school to make Adequate Yearly Progress, each student group in the tested grades must meet proficiency targets in reading/language arts and math and each student group must have at least a 95 percent participation rate in the assessments for both subjects. This represents four targets (proficiency and participation in reading/language arts and math assessments) for each student group. In addition, the school as a whole must show progress on the Other Academic Indicator (attendance rate or the cohort graduation rate).

Targeted Assistance Program (TAP)

is a program in which a school uses its Title I funding to provide services only to the children who have been identified as most at risk of not meeting achievement standards. Targeted Assistance Programs operate at schools not eligible for, or those choosing not to run, a Title I schoolwide program. The Title I funding the school receives must be used to serve only economically disadvantaged children identified as having the greatest educational need.

Teacher assistants, or paraprofessionals

who assist in instruction must meet certain requirements under NCLB if they are paid with Title I funding in a Targeted Assistance school or if they work in a Title I schoolwide program. Most North Carolina school systems' local boards of education have set policies setting these standards for all paraprofessionals, regardless of if they're paid from Title I funds. In general, the requirements are that the teacher assistant holds a high school diploma or its equivalent and an associate's degree from an accredited community college, technical school or other institution of higher education or several other options including apprenticeships and other programs. The requirement does not apply to noninstructional teacher assistants.

Technical Assistance (See state assistance.)

Title I

is the largest federal education funding program. It provides funding for high poverty schools to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind. Many of NCLB's requirements - Adequate Yearly Progress, Highly Qualified teacher and teacher assistant standards, accountability, sanctions for schools designated for improvement, achievement standards and assessments, annual state report cards, professional development and parent involvement - are outlined in Title I. Title I used to be called Chapter One.

Title I district

is a district receiving Title I funding. All of North Carolina's 115 school districts receive Title I funding.

Title I District Improvement

is the status a district enters by not meeting target goals in the same subject (reading or math) in each of three grade spans (3-5, 6-8, and high school) for two years in a row. This definition of entering Title I District Improvement became effective for 2004-05 Adequate Yearly Progress calculations. All school districts in North Carolina receive Title I funding and are subject to being placed in Title I District Improvement. A district in Title I District Improvement must inform parents of the district's status, revise its local education plan, set aside 10 percent of its Title I allotment for professional development purposes, and can no longer be a direct provider of supplemental educational services. Sanctions escalate the longer a district remains in Improvement.

Title I funding

is based on the number of economically disadvantaged children in a school, defined as those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Title I is a federal entitlement program, or non-competitive formula fund, allocated on the basis of student enrollment and census poverty and other data. The U.S. Department of Education distributes these funds to State Education Agencies that in turn, distribute the funds to Local Education Agencies or school districts. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction holds 4 percent of the funds for administrative and school improvement purposes. Local school districts must allocate the funds to qualifying school campuses based on the number of economically disadvantaged students in a school. Funding supports Title I Schoolwide Programs and Targeted Assistance Schools, depending on the level of poverty in the school and how the school wants to function. A Title I school must have: 1) a percentage of low-income students that is at least as high as the district's overall percentage; or 2) have at least 35 percent low-income students (whichever is the lower of the two figures). Only about one-third of the schools eligible for Title I are funded nationwide. Many eligible North Carolina schools do not receive funding. Districts rank schools by poverty and serve them in rank order until funds run out. Schools with 75 percent or more of the students on free or reduced-price lunch must be served. Districts must provide sufficient funding in each school to ensure that there is a reasonable chance of the program being successful.

Title I school

is a school that receives Title I funding. About 45 percent of North Carolina's public schools are Title I schools. A Title I school must have: 1) a percentage of low-income students that is at least as high as the district's overall percentage; or 2) have at least 35 percent low-income students (whichever is the lower of the two figures).

Title I School Improvement

is the status a Title I school enters after not making Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years in the same subject (reading/language arts or mathematics). A Title I school exits Improvement after two consecutive years of making Adequate Yearly Progress in the subject that identified it for Improvement. It is possible for a school to exit Improvement for one subject, while entering into or remaining in Improvement based on the other subject.

Title II

is a federal program designed to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality. Funds are used by states and school districts to recruit and retain Highly Qualified teachers and principals, increase the number of Highly Qualified teachers in classrooms, and reform teacher and principal certification programs. The state agency of higher education, which also receives a portion of Title II, Part A funds, works in conjunction with the state education agency to carry out program activities.

Title III

is the section of NCLB that provides funding and addresses English language acquisition and achievement standards and accountability requirements for English language learners. Title III also requires that school districts fully explain the English as a Second Language program to parents with children identified as needing English instruction: How their child was assessed, the method of instruction, how it will help their child and requirements for completing the program.

Title IX

of the Educational Amendments of 1972 bans sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funds, whether it is in academics or athletics.

U.S. Department of Education (USED)

is the federal governmental body with authority over the state education agencies.