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 from a focus on remediation to high standards and accountability for higher achievement. For the first time, the law spelled out the requirements for the full inclusion of limited English proficient students in Title I programs, assessments, and accountability systems. California is a particularly 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 fall 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 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 were at or above proficient 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 competition level. A third of his ninth graders did not graduate from high school four years later. Black and Latino student numbers are higher; 44% of Black and 45% of Hispanic ninth graders did not graduate on time or did not graduate.

At the fifth grade level, only 8% of English language learners were above the national average in reading. In math, 51% of all 8th graders fluent in English met or exceeded the national average compared to 15% of ELLs.

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. Advocates of teaching in English only attribute gains for ELL students in some school districts to legislation, while advocates of bilingual education argue that gains are due more to reduced class size and increased accountability. .

Federal law requires school districts and individual schools to provide assessment and accountability data that indicates that students with special funds are learning the district’s core curriculum. State laws and regulations also require a district to have the results of an annual evaluation showing that each of its participating schools is implementing consolidated programs that are effective based on criteria established by the local governing board.

The state indicates that the standards adopted for ELLs, former ELLs, and immigrant students in core subjects must be the same standards required for mainstream 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 Stanford Science Test appropriate to their grade level enrollment. 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. The CDE (California Department of Education) guidance further suggests that, whenever possible, assessments in subjects such as math, 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. in which they can better 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 assessment program may not meet Title I requirements for final assessments. Key federal law requirements for California education officials include uniform state policies to ensure full inclusion of all students in assessments, disaggregation 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 short of their goals 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 national 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 adequate yearly progress are based solely on school scores and do not yet incorporate multiple measures of student performance required by Title I.
– provide for the proper inclusion of ELLs in the assessment and accountability program. Currently, ELLs are tested primarily in English, although state law requires students to be tested in the language that is most likely to provide accurate and reliable information about their skills and knowledge.
– 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 is reason to doubt whether the corrections and improvements necessary to comply with federal law can be made in time to meet statutory deadlines. State and federal education officials are challenged to design a compliance and implementation plan for California that delivers on the promise that all students reap the benefits of standards-based reform.