42 Oklahoma Schools Identified For 2009 'Needs Improvement' List

NewsOn6.com

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - The State Board of Education on Thursday received the 2009 Schools in Need of Improvement List as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In a news release Thursday afternoon, State Superintendent Sandy Garrett said that 42 Oklahoma schools have been identified for the 2009 list, as compared to 45 identified last year.

The list includes, 11 Tulsa Public Schools, 3 Union Public Schools, 1 Okmulgee Public School, 1 Sapulpa Public School, 1 Jay Public School and 1 Muskogee Public School.

SEE THE ENTIRE LIST.

To be identified for the Schools in Need of Improvement List, a school must fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress in one or more performance benchmarks for two consecutive years.

8/28/2008 Related story: Some TPS Schools Not Making The Grade 

For elementary schools, those benchmarks are math and reading achievement; percent of students tested in math and reading; and attendance.

The benchmarks for secondary schools are math and reading achievement; percent of students tested in math and reading; and graduation rate.

Schools must reach all of the benchmarks in every socioeconomic student group to avoid making the list. And, to be removed from the list, a school must make AYP for two consecutive years in the benchmark that landed them on the list.

"It's very encouraging that 15 of the schools that were on the list last year are exiting because they have made two years of steady progress,"

"Moreover, 17 other schools from last year's list made AYP this year, so they will be removed if they make progress again this year," Sandy Garrett said.

As required in federal law, schools on the School Improvement List are subject to sanctions or interventions ranging from offering school choice and providing supplemental services to students, to required reorganization of the school or district, depending on the number of years schools remain on the list.