Title I Compliance Report

As a result of NCLB creating standard-based expectations by implementing a rigid accountability system, schools identified as Title I programs failed to achieve NCLB standards.(7) Title I programs are designed to decrease the academic achievement gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students; the program specifically aims at school districts and schools that include low-income families. The NCLB Act required Title I program schools to achieve a series of academic performances, which are based on each state’s academic content and academic achievement standards in reading/language arts, mathematics, and science to attain Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) (5).The AYP goals are set for the achievement for all students and for subgroups of students, such as major ethical/racial groups, economically disadvantaged students, limited English proficient students, and students with disabilities;(2) the AYP allows the government to determine if states, schools districts, and schools achieve NCLB’s standard of reaching proficiency levels in reading/language arts and mathematics by the 2013-2014 school year.

(5, Agbeh) Schools must also demonstrate that at least 95% of all students participated in the state assessment at each grade in order to achieve AYP;(2) however, if schools receiving Title I funding failed to meet AYP for two consecutive years, the school is considered “in need of improvement” and are referred to as “failing.” (4) For example, in the 2007-2008 school year, almost 30,000 of about 132,600 schools in the country failed to achieve AYP, thus indicating that target performances are