The Importance of No Child Left Behind

NCLB recognizes what truly makes a difference in providing a quality education.  It calls for a highly qualified teacher in the core subjects in every classroom; the use of proven, research-based instructional methods; and timely information and options for parents.  Schools that underperform are held accountable, providing their students with free tutoring or transfer to a better-performing public school.  In other words, children's education needs are placed first - where they belong.

Parent Involvement and No Child Left Behind
Title I is the keystone of NCLB.  If you have a student attending a Title I school, your school has certain obligations and you have certain opportunities and rights.

Parental Involvement:  No Child Left Behind empowers you to ask important questions and make informed decisions about your child's education.  The law also requires states, districts and schools to develop ways to get parents more involved in their child's education and in improving your child's school.  For example, both Title I districts and schools must have written policies on parental involvement and provide this information to you.

What Parents Need to Know:
Benefits of NCLB For You and Your Children

Accountability:  No Child Left Behind requires strong accountability.  For the first time, every public school is held accountable for the academic performance of every child - regardless of race or ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability or native language.  The measure of accountability is called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is defined by every state.  Delaware has set certain goals for student achievement and progress is measured by how well all students perform on the Delaware State Testing Program (DSTP).

Testing to Measure Knowledge gives states the information they need to determine whether their schools and districts are making AYP.  In addition, you'll get a confidential report on your own child's DSTP test results that can help you, your child and your child's teachers as how well he or she is learning, and whether additional help is needed.

Local Report Cards are prepared every year by school districts that receive Title I funds.  They include information on how students performed on the DSTP - not only in the districts as a whole but also in individual schools.

Help for Children at Underperforming Title I Schools:  No Child Left Behind offers options to students in Title I schools that are "in need of improvement."  These include public school choice and extra help with learning.

Public School Choice may let you transfer your child to another public school.  In addition, your school district may pay for the transportation of your child.

Extra Help With Learning - or Supplemental Educational Services - could be free tutoring, homework help or other extra help outside the regular school day - before or after school, on weekends or in the summer.  Your child may qualify if he or she is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and is enrolled in a Title I school that has not made AYP for three years or longer.

High-Quality Teachers:  No Child Left Behind provides funding to help teachers improve their instructional skills through training and other professional development.  The law also requires states to develop plans to make sure that all teachers of core academic subjects are highly qualified.  If your child is in a Title I school, NCLB requires the district to let you know the qualifications of your child's teachers.