The Bellevue School District sent letters to parents this week informing them that six schools receiving Title 1 funding failed to meet the federal benchmark for improvement.
Beginning in March 2014, school districts in the state of Washington became subject to Title 1 requirements after the U.S. Department of Education declined to renew a pre-existing waiver.
Under the current regulations, all students must reach an Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) benchmark to avoid receiving a failing grade. Specifically, schools receiving Title 1 funds are required to have 100 percent of students demonstrate proficiency in both reading and math on the state assessment. That yardstick is regardless of special needs, mastery of the English language, or other circumstances.
Six Bellevue schools receive Title 1 Part A funding: Ardmore, Lake Hills, Sherwood Forest and Stevenson Elementary, and Highland and Odle Middle School. All six failed to meet the 100 percent mark, and were required by to send letters to parents explaining this and detailing their plans to change that. Most schools in the district and in the state did not meet AYP.
For the 2014-15 school year, Highland and Odle Middle School both came in under the 100 percent gauge with reading scores of 88 and 90 percent and math scores of 80 and 87 percent, respectively. Both schools did see score increases over the previous school year. Statistics for the four elementary schools are available online at http://tinyurl.com/pnbusuu.
“We have made progress toward meeting Washington State’s rigorous standards for learning and we will continue intentional and innovative steps to address each student’s academic achievement,” the letter to parents of students from both schools stated.
For the 2015-2016 school year, the Bellevue School District received $1,764,960 in Title I Funds.
In Bellevue, the federal Title I funding and state-funded Learning Assistance Program (LAP) dollars are used on facilitators, reading intervention teachers, professional development, parent involvement, materials and support classes in the middle schools.
This was the first year that Sherwood Forest Elementary and Odle Middle School failed to meet the AYP. It was the fourth or fifth time that Lake Hills and Stevenson Elementary and Highland Middle School failed to meet the standard.
Superintendents have long opposed the Department of Education’s decision not to renew the waiver and enforce the testing benchmark.
Bellevue School District Superintendent Dr. J. Tim Mills joined superintendents from 27 other districts in the Puget Sound Educational Service District last year in signing a letter opposing the U.S. Department of Education’s decision not to renew the State of Washington’s conditional Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility Waiver.
“The label of “failing” schools is regressive and punitive, as nearly every Washington school will not meet the NCLB Requirements. Some of our state’s and districts’ most successful and highly recognized schools are now being labeled “failing” by an antiquated law that most educators and elected officials – as well as the U.S. Department of Education – acknowledge isn’t working,” the letter read.
As the Reporter previously reported, while many Washington school districts depend heavily on Title I funding, Mills said Bellevue’s share is fairly minimal, given about 21-22 percent of students in the district receive free or reduced meals. He added the district had not received a clear answer whether it can opt out of Title I funding at that time.
“We may not have the option to opt out, however,” he said. “… Right now, these are the rules that we need to abide by.”
Correction: This story previously read that this was the first year Washington schools were required to send out letters. The BSD says they did send out letters to parents last year.
