Welcome to Virginia Beach City Public Schools' resource center for the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The school division recognizes the importance of this federal legislation and is committed to improving student achievement.On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This new law represents his education reform plan and contains the most sweeping changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965. NCLB changes the federal government's role in kindergarten-through-grade-12 education by asking America's schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. Virginia Beach City Public Schools developed the following NCLB questions and answers for your convenience.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the basis of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001?
- What are the key areas of focus for NCLB?
- Is there a target date for NCLB's strong academic standards?
- What is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)?
- What if a school does not make AYP?
- How does a school make AYP?
- How can I find out the AYP status for schools and school divisions?
- Does the federal AYP status for schools replace the Virginia Board of Education's accreditation ratings?
- How does NCLB address the qualifications of teachers?
- According to NCLB what is the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher?
- Will all teaching staff, including teacher assistants, be subject to NCLB requirements?
- How does NCLB encourage parental involvement?
- What else does NCLB address?
What is the basis of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001?
The basis of NCLB is to close the achievement gap among all students and ensure high academic standards. Virginia Beach City Public Schools recognizes the importance of this federal legislation and is committed to high standards for all students in every classroom.
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What are the key areas of focus for NCLB?
Key areas of NCLB include: measurement of student progress, accountability for every school and the school division, highly qualified instructional staff in all classrooms, English proficiency for limited English speaking students, increased parental involvement, and learning environments that are safe, drug free, and conducive to learning.
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Is there a target date for NCLB's strong academic standards?
NCLB intends for all students to be proficient in reading and mathematics by the school year 2013-2014. In Virginia, proficient means passing the reading and mathematics SOL tests. SOL tests must be developed for students in grades 4, 6, and 7 where currently no SOL tests are administered. The law also requires that annually at least 95% of all eligible students take the SOL tests.
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What is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)?
Starting with the 2002-2003 school year, individual schools and the school division as a whole will be held accountable for reaching state-established target goals for the percentage of students proficient in reading and mathematics. For high schools there is an additional annual target goal for graduation rate, and in elementary and middle schools there is a target goal for student attendance rate. Reaching these target goals is referred to as making "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP). A key provision in the NCLB law is that each school and school division must make AYP for each of the target goals, but the progress must be for the overall student population as well as for each of the following subgroup populations: students with disabilities, students with limited English Proficiency, economically disadvantaged students (free and reduced lunch), and students in the major ethnic/racial groups.
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What if a school does not make AYP?
Schools and school divisions that do not make "Adequate Yearly Progress" two or more years in a row are identified as needing improvement. NCLB and state guidelines outline sanctions for schools and school divisions needing improvement and rewards for schools making progress. Sanctions vary in severity based on the number of years a school or school division has not made AYP. At a minimum, there is the requirement to develop a plan of action to increase student progress toward reaching the target goals. In Title I schools, sanctions also include providing support options to students such as supplemental educational services (tutoring) and transferring to a school that has made AYP.
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For a school or school division to make AYP under NCLB it must meet or exceed 29 to 35 separate requirements including participation in statewide testing, achievement in reading and mathematics, and attendance (elementary and middle schools) or graduation (high schools). These requirements apply to all students as a group as well as to these subgroups: students with disabilities, limited English proficient students, economically disadvantaged students, and major racial/ethnic groups (Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic). A school or school division that falls short in a single requirement is not considered to have made AYP.
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How can I find out the AYP status for schools and school divisions?
The AYP status of all Virginia schools and school divisions is available on the Department of Education Web site as part of the online Virginia School Report Card. Passing percentages in reading and mathematics displayed on tables contained in the online report cards for individual schools, school divisions, and the state include the achievement of students with disabilities on alternative assessments and local tests and should not be confused with official pass rates for SOL tests administered during spring 2003.
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Does the federal AYP status for schools replace the Virginia Board of Education’s accreditation ratings?
Federal AYP designations do not replace school accreditation ratings issued by the Virginia Department of Education. The AYP status is in addition to the high standards for learning and achievement required under Virginia’s Standard of Accreditation program. The Virginia Board of Education adopted rigorous academic standards in English, mathematics, science, and history/social studies in 1995. In 1998, students in grades 3, 5, 8, and in high school began taking annual Standards of Learning (SOL) tests to measure their achievement against the commonwealth’s academic standards. In 1999, the commonwealth began
accrediting schools 
based on student achievement on these and other tests.
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How does NCLB address the qualifications of teachers?
NCLB required that all teachers in "core" academic subjects be "highly qualified" by the 2005-2006-school year. NCLB defines core academic subjects as English, reading/language arts, mathematics, science, foreign language, civics/government, economics, visual/performing arts, history, and geography. In some cases the requirement to be highly qualified is immediate for newly hired teachers.
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According to NCLB what is the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher?
In Virginia, a "highly qualified" teacher is one who holds full state licensure and teaches only in the area(s) of endorsement. For new teachers there are some additional provisions. Virginia Beach City Public Schools has always made every effort to hire highly qualified instructional staff. The school division proactively recruits exceptional teachers capable of inspiring and challenging our students to excel.
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Will all teaching staff, including teacher assistants, be subject to NCLB requirements?
The school division is currently reviewing the credentials of teacher assistants in Title I schools. NCLB requires all existing teacher assistants in Title I schools be "highly qualified" by January 2006. According to NCLB, highly qualified for a teacher assistant in a Title I school requires a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition, teacher assistants that provide instructional support are required to satisfy one of the following three requirements: (1) two years of higher education; or (2) receive an associate's or higher degree; or (3) pass a formal assessment of knowledge and ability to assist in instructing reading, writing, and mathematics.
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How does NCLB encourage parental involvement?
NCLB reinforces and underscores the tenant that parental involvement is important to a student's success in school. Throughout the law, new provisions promote increased parental involvement and communication between the school and parents. There are new notification requirements for some school activities and mandates for reporting more details about student progress and staff qualifications. Virginia Beach and the Virginia Department of Education currently provide parents with an annual school performance report card. NCLB requires that additional data be communicated in the report card such as the percentage of classes not taught by highly qualified teachers and the school improvement status of a school. Virginia Beach will continue to share with parents important data through various means, from printed publications to electronic communications.
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There are numerous provisions in NCLB that address limited English-speaking students including specific requirements for annual assessments of English proficiency. The issue of safe schools is included in NCLB and states must now identify "persistently dangerous schools" and require corrective actions. The law also addresses educating homeless and migrant students along with equal access to school facilities.