Impact on Our School

The Altar Valley School District is dedicated to making sure all children succeed in school and in life. Each school and student's achievement is measured and reported under the federal law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It's important for you to understand how this law affects our schools and our students

NCLB, signed into law by President Bush in January, 2002, is the federal government's largest ever expansion into our schools. Under NCLB, a measure known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is used to report student progress on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS).
One goal of NCLB is that by the 2013-14 school year, all students will show adequate yearly progress.

Each year, our schools receive a report from the state that shows our AYP status. The report includes summaries of student scores for each school and breaks those scores into different subgroups including race/ethnicity, students with disabilities, Limited English Poficiency and economically disadvantaged. There are other indicators such as attendance that also impact the AYP determination.

Our school receives Title 1 funding. Title 1 is a federal program that provides resources to schools in areas of economic need. NCLB focuses on schools, like ours, that receive Title 1 funding. Under NCLB, every school receiving Title 1 money is required to notify parents of their rights to request and receive the following information from the school:

• Professional qualifications of their child’s teacher (s) including degrees/certifications held and whether the teacher is certified in the area he/she is teaching.
• Whether or not their child is receiving instruction by a paraprofessional, and if so, his/her qualifications. This applies to all instructional staff in the school, not just those paid with Title 1 funds.
• The school improvement status of their child’s school. Title 1 schools that do not meet AYP for at least two years in a row may be required to offer students public school choice within the district or other services such as tutoring. Schools that continue to be identified for improvement may be listed for corrective action. Letters of our district's status are sent home to parents. View our recent letters in both English and Spanish.
• Their child’s achievement level on tests. If you need to discuss your child’s achievement level, contact your site principal.
• If your child has been assigned or taught for at least four consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the highly qualified definition.
• Of parent's right to be included in the planning and implementation of the parent involvement program in their school.

We need your help to make sure that all children are successful in school and in life. By working together as a community, we will overcome our challenges and build the bright future our children deserve. If you would like to get involved, contact Mary C. Miller, NCLB Coordinator at (520) 822-0002.