8.30.2012
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Dear Parents:
Many of us in the school community - parents,
teachers, administrators and students - have
numerous questions about the Elementary
and Secondary Education (ESEA) Act
formerly known as No Child Left Behind, and
how it affects our school. This pamphlet is
designed to answer in plain English some of
the most frequently asked questions posed by
parents. I hope it helps clarify what can be a
very confusing and challenging law. For more
information on ESEA and the role of Title I
parents, please visit the United States
Department of Education Web site at
www.ed.gov/nclb.
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Whether the teacher is teaching under
emergency or other provisional status
through which State qualification or
licensing criteria have been waived.
The baccalaureate degree major of the
teacher, any other graduate certification
or degree held by the teacher, and the
field of discipline of the certification or
degree.
Timely notice that the parents’ child has
been assigned, or has been taught for four
or more consecutive weeks by a teacher
of a core academic subject who is not
highly qualified.
Whether the child is provided services by
paraprofessionals, and if so, their
qualifications.
Yvonne Watterson, Head of School
All instructional staff at Girls Leadership Academy
of Arizona teachers are highly qualified, and most
hold advanced degrees. We are also proud to
have two National Board Certified Teachers on
our staff. All our teachers continue learning
through professional development activities, and
teachers are formally evaluated twice each year to
make sure that their teaching skills remain at the
highest possible level.
Under the ESEA, what does a parent have the
right to know?
Because GLAAZ receives Title 1funding, our
parents have the right the right to request
information regarding the professional
qualifications of the student’s classroom
teachers including, at a minimum, the
following:
How do I know if my child is being served by a
paraprofessional?
A paraprofessional, (an instructional assistant
or aide), is a person employed by GLAAZ, and
assigned to a classroom or classrooms to
provide instructional support consistent with
the instruction provided by the classroom
teacher or teachers.
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Paraprofessionals must have:
1. Completed at least two years of study
at an institution of higher education;
As always, please do not hesitate to contact
me at 602-288-4522 if you have any questions
or concerns.
Your partner in education
Whether the teacher has met Arizona
qualification and certification criteria for
the grade levels and subject area in which
the teacher provides instruction.
2. Obtained an associate’s or higher
degree; or
3. Met a rigorous standard of quality, and
can demonstrate, through a formal
State exam or local academic
assessment, knowledge of, and the
ability to assist in instructing either of
the following:
a. Reading/language arts, writing,
and mathematics; or
b. Reading readiness, writing
readiness, and mathematics
readiness.
Any paraprofessionals hired by GLAAZ will meet
the “highly qualified” requirements outlined above.
What do I have the right to know in regards
to school improvement?
At each stage of school improvement
-initial identification, corrective action,
and restructuring - GLAAZ must furnish
parents with a detailed explanation of the
causes and consequences of the school’s
performance, and how they can be involved.
Please let us know if you have not received
the notice mailed out on August 23, 2012
which contained the following:
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An explanation of our federal label
An explanation of Arizona’s a new
system of A through F letter grade
designators to help parents better
understand how our schools are
performing academically.
An explanation of our identification as
a Priority School and how GLAAZ
compares in terms of academic
achievement with other high schools
in the state.
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The reason for the identification.
An explanation of what the school is
doing to address the problem.
An explanation of what the school
district or state is doing to help the
school address the problem.
An explanation of how the parents
can become involved in addressing the
academic issues that caused the
school to be identified.
On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed his
education plan, No Child Left Behind, into law.
As part of that law, low-performing schools
are required to provide parents with specific
information. In July 2012, Arizona was granted
a Flexibility Request under the provisions of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), formerly known as No Child Left
Behind, which allows Arizona flexibility in
designing and implementing a school
accountability system. The purpose is to
improve educational opportunities for all
children attending a Title I school. This
legislation supports our charter’s efforts to
provide a strong standards-based educational
program for students along with accountability
for student achievement
Our school’s state label is: C
Our school’s federal label is: Priority.
Florence Crittenton Services of AZ, Inc. had
operated a charter school, Crittenton Youth
Academy, a 6th – 12th grade co-ed school
from 1997 – 2010. Given Crittenton Youth
Academy’s historically poor academic
performance, it was identified for
improvement and restructuring in 2009. In
2010 the decision was made to amend the
charter’s mission, program of instruction, and
grade levels served. Transformed as the Girls
Leadership Academy of Arizona, our school
now provides a learning environment that
ensures a rigorous education including early
college access. Given the caliber of the staff
and faculty, the quality of our curricula, and
the commitment of our stakeholders, we are
convinced that GLAAZ is poised to make a
significant contribution to reforming education
in Arizona.
Comparing GLAAZ 2012 AIMS scores to
other Arizona Public High Schools
Fall 2012
Annual Title I Meeting
100
80
60
GLAAZ
40
AZ schools
20
0
Math
Reading Writing Science
Based on Arizona’s ESEA Flexibility Request,
the state was required to set annual
measurable objectives (AMOs) that increase in
annual equal increments and result in 100
percent of students achieving proficiency no
later than the end of the 2019–2020 school
year.
For the 2012-2013 school year, the state
AMOs are:
71% for math
84% in reading.
Our goal is to meet or exceed the AMOs as
measured by the Spring 2013 AIMS.
A PARENT’S GUIDE TO
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION ACT (ESEA) &
YOUR RIGHT TO BE INFORMED
For more info visit:
www.NoChildLeftBehind.gov or
call 1-800-USA-LEARN