What It Means to be in Year 3 of Program Improvement

Like many districts throughout the state, Newark Unified is stuck in a Catch 22.

Newark schools are making significant strides toward reaching statewide goals but are continuing to fall under Program Improvement status — a label that marks schools and districts as educational institutions failing to meet their goals when it comes to standardized tests.

But the district is not throwing in the towel.

“We’re being very proactive. We’re not sitting and waiting to see how we’ll do next year,” said Cecelia Greenberg-English, senior director of educational services for the .

Each school’s success is weighed by two separate measurements: the state Academic Performance Index, or API, and the federal Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP. Together – with the Program Improvement designations – they make the Accountability Progress Report. to learn more about the difference.

While the district as a whole grew by 10 points in its API score for 2011, Newark Unified failed to meet federal AYP goals – bumping them into their third year as a Program Improvement district.

The biggest challenge, Greenberg-English said, is the all-or-nothing way of measuring federal benchmarks.

“ met all [AYP]requirements but one and now exceeds the average for similar schools. ... made almost everything except one subgroup. They would’ve made AYP and wouldn't have advanced to Program Improvement," she said.

Under the statewide API gauge, the only school that did not grow in its API scores was Bunker Elementary School — whose API score has already exceeded the statewide target of 800. Six of the district’s eight elementary schools made double-digit gains in the statewide targe

"We have had so much growth. With API over the past few years, [we] grew 45 points. We still see that as a positive,” Greenberg-English said.

Now, the district is looking toward the future.

District and school officials are now focusing on Safe Harbor provisions, where the goal is to move approximately 10 percent of its student population to scoring at or above proficient levels, according to Greenberg-English.

The focus will be on improving the scores for four subgroups: English-language arts, math, students with disabilities and English language learners. 

To do so, more intervention programs will be put in place.

New English-learner programs are being established at the elementary — including Read 180 for grades 4 and higher — and the high school is offering both strategic and intensive interventions in math and English-language arts.

Intensive interventions are offered to students who are two or more grade levels behind, while strategic interventions are for students who are less than two years behind. 

Greenberg-English said school and district staff will be assessing data throughout the school year to measure students’ development.

“We don’t want surprises. We want to make sure what we’re doing and what we’re implementing is working,” she said.

And what is being implemented is being prioritized.

As a district in its third year of Program Improvement, consequences can vary.

The state Department of Education could request the district to revise its Local Educational Agency (LEA) plan, which explains how a district expects to grow.

Once assessed, the state department might ask the district to replace its curriculum or hire an adviser, who would be paid by district dollars.

Sometimes the district is given more funds, depending on the number of Program Improvement schools — which is what Greenberg-English said the district is hoping for.

“We know our best practices. We know what to do … but in the budget situation we’re in from the state, we don’t receive the money. So sometimes we don’t have the money [for what] you know are best practices and will accelerate the students.”

To view the APRs, click here.