An OSBA newsletter for school board members on the No Child Left Behind Act — July 2006

Legal issues                                                                                                                                     by Hollie Reedy, staff attorney
SES and school choice options reversed
The U.S. Department of Education has piloted an option allowing states and districts that meet certain criteria to offer supplemental educational services (SES) before public school choice, a reversal of the cascade of options available to districts that have not met adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for two years. The project being piloted limits eligibility to states that for two years made AYP determinations before the school year began, have an SES evaluation process ongoing and whose assessment system is in an expected, conditional or approved status with the federal education department. Districts within eligible states (up to a maximum of seven districts) must have, over the past two years, timely notified parents of school choice and SES options.

HOUSSE process for highly qualified teachers ending this year
The “high, objective uniform state standard of evaluation”(HOUSSE) that allows teachers “not new to the district” to demonstrate that they are highly qualified in their subject areas without taking a test or additional classes will be ending. In Ohio, HOUSSE is known as the teacher rubric. The U.S. Department of Education notified states in mid-May that the HOUSSE process will be phased out over the summer and end at the start of the 2006–07 school year. However, special education teachers hired after the end of the 2005–06 school year who teach multiple subjects and are highly qualified in language arts, math or science when hired still will be able to use the HOUSSE form to show competence in additional areas. District are encouraged to ensure that any teachers who have not yet filled out the HOUSSE form to do so prior to the start of the school year.

Legislative issues                                                                                               by Fred Pausch, director of legislative services
Public education taking a hit on federal appropriations legislation
The House Appropriations Committee reported out the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 appropriations bill, which will level fund the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The bill proposes $12.7 billion for Title I and $10.7 billion for IDEA for FY ’07, and several amendments increasing funding for education and health care failed along party lines. Many school districts are seeing increased enrollment of Title I students, while federal funding has either decreased or remained stagnant. It is imperative that the education community continues to contact its federal representatives, urging them to sponsor and support amendments to increase Title I and IDEA funding, and restore appropriations for other key programs.

Curriculum issues                                                                              by Rob Delane, director of school board development
Supplemental educational services provide extra help for students
Low-income families can enroll their children in supplemental educational services if the children attend a Title I school that has been designated by the state to be in need of improvement for more than one year. Supplemental educational services refers to free extra academic assistance, such as tutoring or remedial help, that is provided to students in subjects that include reading, language arts and math. This extra help can be provided before or after school, on weekends or in the summer. Districts also must provide parents with a list of state-approved supplemental educational services providers in the area and let parents choose the provider that will best meet the needs of their child.