Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act

Presented by Vicki NillesMarch, 2003

What is Title III of NCLB?

Title III is the English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement and Academic Achievement Act.

This act was signed into law as part of the No Child Left Behind Act as of January of 2001.

What is the purpose of Title III?

To ensure that LEP students (including immigrant children & youth) develop English language proficiency

To ensure that LEP students meet the same academic content & academic achievement standards that other children are expected to meet

Purpose of Title III continued:

To ensure that schools use Title III funds to implement language instruction educational programs designed to help LEP students achieve these standards

To ensure that SEAs and LEAs are accountable for increasing the English proficiency and core academic content knowledge of LEP students.

Who has accountability?

State Educational AgenciesLocal Educational Agencies

What are the responsibilities of State Educational Agencies under Title III?

To establish English language proficiency standards

To identify and/or develop, and implement English language proficiency assessments

To define annual achievement objectives for increasing and measuring the level of LEP student’s development and attainment of English proficiency

SEAs must:

Hold LEAs accountable for meeting annual measurable achievement objectives that relate to LEP student development of English language proficiency & academic achievement

Responsibilities of Local Educational Agencies under Title III

LEAs must implement quality instruction educational programming that is supported with scientifically based research in its effectiveness with LEP students in acquiring English language proficiency

LEAs are accountable for meeting annual measurable achievement objectives that relate to LEP student’s development & attainment of English proficiency & academic achievement

LEAs must:

LEAs must assess, annually, the progress of LEP children enrolled in Title III language instructional programs in the five domain areas of listening, speaking, reading, writing & comprehension

And even more of what LEAs must do:

Report on the progress made by LEP students in meeting state academic content & achievement standards for each of the two years after these children no longer receive services under Title III

Follow any requirements based on subgrantee guidelines if receiving Title III funding

How are Title III funds made available?

A state educational agency may make a subgrant to an eligible entity from funds received through a Title III federal grant, only if the entity agrees to expend the funds to improve the education of limited English proficient children, by assisting the students in learning English and meeting challenging academic content and student achievement standards.

Required Title III subgrantee activities/objectives:

To increase English proficiency of all LEP students by providing high-quality language instruction educational programs that are based on scientifically based research demonstrating the effectiveness of the program in increasing:

English language proficiencystudent academic achievement in core academic

subjects

Required subgrantee activities/objectives:

To provide high quality professional development to classroom teachers (including teachers in classroom settings that are not the settings of language instruction educational programs) principals, administrators, and other school & community based organizational personnel that is:

designed to improve the instruction & assessment of LEP students

designed to enhance the ability of such teachers to understand and use curricula, assessment measures, & instructional strategies for LEP students

supported by scientifically based research demonstrating the effectiveness of the professional development in increasing student’s English proficiency, subject matter knowledge, teaching knowledge, & teaching skills of such teachers

Of sufficient intensity and duration which shall not include activities such as one day or short-term workshops and conferences) to have a positive and lasting impact on the teacher’s performance in the classroom, except if the short-term activity is one component of a long-term comprehensive professional development plan established by a teacher and teacher’s supervisor based on an assessment of the needs of the teacher, the supervisor, the students of the teacher, and any local educational agency employing the teacher

What does the educational instructional programming need to look like for LEP students?

High quality English language instruction educational programming can look many different ways. It must, however, be supported by scientifically based research that has been demonstrated to be effective with students who are limited English proficient.

What quality instructional programming does not look like is a pre-packaged program that can be bought and implemented tomorrow (there is no thing!)

An effective program is based on a sound theoretical foundation which is embedded in research surrounding second language acquisition… Theory first…materials later!

What are the details regarding professional development opportunities for teachers?

Title III States:Scientifically based, high quality

professional development opportunities for teachers in all settings must be:

designed to improve the instruction & assessment of LEP children

designed to enhance the ability of such teachers to understand & use curricula, assessment measures, & instructional strategies for LEP children

Professional development continued:

supported by scientifically based research demonstrating the effectiveness of the professional development in increasing children’s English language proficiency or substantially increasing the subject matter knowledge, teaching knowledge, and teaching skills of such teachers

of sufficient intensity & duration (which shall not include activities such as one day or short-term workshops & conferences) to have a positive & lasting impact on the teacher’s performance in the classroom

When must States begin requiring LEAs to conduct an annual assessment of the English language proficiency of LEP students?

Both Title I & Title III require LEAs to conduct, beginning in school year 02-03, an annual assessment of the English language proficiency of all students with limited English proficiency in the schools of the State.

Does Title III permit waivers of the requirement to annually assess LEP students in English language & academic achievement?

No. All means all. Title III does not provide for waivers of the requirement to annually assess LEP students in English language proficiency & academic achievement. Each State must implement policies & procedures to ensure that all students enrolled in schools in the State who meet the definition of LEP participate in the annual State English language proficiency assessment(s) & the annual State academic assessments.

What are the evaluation requirements for LEAs that receive Title III subgrants?

LEAs that receive Title III subgrants must submit every second fiscal year and evaluation, in a manner determined by the State, that includes a description of the programs and activities conducted by the school district with Title III funds during the two immediately preceding fiscal years.

Evaluation components

The evaluation must: 1) Describe the progress children have made in

attaining English language proficiency, including the percentage of children who have achieved that proficiency

2) Indicate the percentage of children who have transitioned into instructional settings that are not designed for LEP students, and have a sufficient level of English language proficiency to achieve in English & make that transition

3) Indicate the percentage of children who have made progress in meeting the same state academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet

Evaluation Measures

The measures in the local evaluation should assess:

The progress of children in attaining English proficiency, including the level of comprehension, speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English

Student attainment of challenging State student academic achievement standards as measured by performance on State content assessments

And:

Student progress in meeting the annual measurable achievement objectives for English language proficiency

Title III and Parent Notification

Parent’s Right to Know: Under the new opt-out provision, parents must be notified within 30 days after the start of the school year of the following; The reasons for identifying their child as LEP

and in need of placement in a language instruction educational program

The child’s level of English proficiency, how such level was assessed, and the status of the child’s academic achievement

Parental Rights Continued: The methods of instruction used in the program in

which their child is or will be participating, and the methods of instruction used in other programs available to the child, including how such programs differ in content, instructional goals, and the use of a native language in instruction.

How the program in which their child is or will be participating will meet the educational strengths and needs of their child

How the program will specifically help their child learn English and meet age-appropriate academic achievement standards for grade promotion and graduation

The specific exit-criteria requirements for the program, including the expected rate of transition from such program into classrooms that are not tailored for LEP children, and (if the funded program extends into high school) the expected graduation rate for the children

In the case of a child with a disability, how the program will meet the objectives of the child’s individualized education program (as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Act)

Information pertaining to parental rights that includes written guidance:

A) On the parents’ right immediately to

withdraw their child from a program (opt-out) and the options they have to choose another program, if available;

B) Assisting parents in choosing among various programs and methods

Separate Parental Notification Requirements

LEAs are required to provide notice to the parents of LEP children participating in a Title III language instruction educational program of any failure of the program to make progress on the annual measurable achievement objectives described in section 3122 of Title III. This is to be provided no later than 30 days after this failure occurs.

What are requirements on the format of language of notices to parents?

The required notices described must be provided in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in language that the parent can understand.

What Title III Does:

Focuses on what works: Requires that teachers be certified as English language

proficient. School districts are to certify that all teachers in a language instruction education program for limited English proficient students are fluent in English and any other language used by the program, including written and oral communication skills.

Requires that curricula be demonstrated to be effective. Language instruction curricula used to teach limited English proficient children are to be tied to scientifically based research and demonstrated to be effective.

Reduces Bureaucracy and Increases Flexibility: Provides discretion over instruction

methods. Local entities have the flexibility to choose the method of instruction to teach limited-English-proficient children.

Targets funds to the classroom. 95% of funds must be used for grants at the local level to teach LEP children.

Increases Accountability for Student Performance: Establishes annual achievement objectives for LEP

students. States must establish standards & benchmarks for raising the level of English proficiency & meeting the academic state standards for LEP students that are aligned with state standards.

Sets English language proficiency as the objective. Annual achievement objectives for LEP students must relate to gains in English proficiency & meet challenging state academic standards that are aligned with Title I achievement standards.

Increases Accountability cont.Requires reading & language arts assessments

of children in English. Title I requirements to annually assess children, including LEP students, in English for any student who has attended school in the U.S. for three or more consecutive years apply to grantees funded under Title III.

Enforces accountability requirements. States must hold subgrantees accountable for making adequate yearly progress as described in Title I for meeting all annual achievement objectives.

Empowers Parents. Notifies parents about program placement.

Parents must be notified by the local education agency concerning why their child needs a specialized language instruction program. Parents have the right to choose among instructional programs if more than one type of program is offered and have the right to remove their child from a program for limited English proficient children.

The major goals of Title III are to help ensure that Limited English proficient children attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic competence in English, and meet the same challenging State academic content and student achievement standards that all children are expected to meet. Title III holds States, LEAs, and individual schools accountable for meeting these goals.