School Improvement Grants

In August 2009, the U. S. Department of Education released its draft regulations for the School Improvement Grants (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). Comments on these regulations are due by September 25, 2009, and National Middle School Association will be submitting comments for revisions that we believe will better serve our members and middle grades students. Further, NMSA Executive Director Betty Edwards has sent a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan requesting a meeting to discuss middle grades policy and our call to action, "Success in the Middle."

The total appropriations for the School Improvement Grants (SIG) would be $3.546 billion, which is an unprecedented amount of money directed toward improving struggling schools. The goal of the funds is to "target resources to each state's chronically low-performing schools, including high schools and their feeder schools, to implement robust and comprehensive reforms to dramatically transform school culture and increase student outcomes."

Three tiers of schools have been identified by the U.S. Department of Education as eligible to receive these funds:

Tier I: The state's bottom 5% of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring (or the state's bottom 5 lowest-achieving Title I schools, whichever is greater).

Tier II: The state's Title I eligible (but not necessarily participating) secondary schools with equivalently poor performance as Tier I schools.

Tier III: Any state Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring; SEAs will set exact criteria, which could include rewards for schools with low absolute performance but high growth rates over a number of years, or the bottom 6-10% of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. State Education Agencies must have a surplus after providing for Tier I and II schools.

It is important to note that the original thinking did not provide for Tier II schools. Only schools currently receiving Title I funds would have been eligible for the School Improvement Funds (SIG). National Middle School Association has worked with other education associations to ensure that all struggling middle grades schools would be eligible for the additional assistance.

The draft regulations state that schools receiving the SIG funds must select one of four different models as currently defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Turnaround Model
Replace principal and at least 50% of the staff, adopt new governance, and implement a new or revised instructional program. This model should incorporate interventions that take into account the recruitment, placement, and development of staff to ensure they meet student needs; schedules that increase time for both students and staff; and appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented services/supports.

Restart Model
Close the school and restart it under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization (CMO), or an educational management organization (EMO). A restart school must admit, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend.

Close/Consolidate Model
Close the school and enroll the students who attended the school in other, higher-performing schools in the local education agency.

Transformation Model

1. Develop teacher and leaders effectiveness. (The principal who led the school prior to commencement of the transformation model must be replaced.)
2. Comprehensive instructional programs using student achievement data.
3. Extend learning time and create community-oriented schools.
4. Provide operating flexibility and intensive support.

We have asked that rather than have an arbitrary requirement to remove the school's principal and, as in the case of the Turnaround Model, at least 50% of the staff, local education agencies would first evaluate the school governance and make changes based on the information obtained. Since the majority of the lowest-achieving middle grades schools have not had the benefit of Title I funds, principals at these schools have not had the resources or technical assistance to be effective in school improvement efforts. We believe that many principals will take the initiative, make the commitment, and take ownership in the process if given the necessary resources. Additionally, we have asked that the local education agency be required to serve the needs of both its Tier I and Tier II schools to ensure that our middle grades schools are receiving the support they need.

As we receive updated information on the School Improvement Grants regulations, we will provide that to you. Also, please know that NMSA stands ready to assist you in your school improvement efforts.

The complete set of proposed guidelines for the School Improvement Grants can be accessed at the following site:

Fact Sheet: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/factsheet.html
PowerPoint: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/090825sigv2.ppt