These policy letters provide guidance and insight on a variety of topics of interest to State Educational Agencies (SEAs), school districts, federal program directors, and others in implementing No Child Left Behind.

		More Resources Policy Letters from the Secretary and Deputy Secretary NCLB Legislation, Regulations, Updated Guidance Standards, Assessments, Accountability

Accountability

• Decision letters on state accountability plans

• Approved state accountability plans

• Process to amend state accountability plans

  • Memo from Assistant Secretary to Superintendents
    MS WORD (30K)

• Letter to Chief State School Officers regarding inclusion of students with disabilities in state accountability systems

Adequate Yearly Progress in Title I Targeted Assistance Schools

• Determining AYP

Adjustments to Title I Allocations

• California

Alternative Methods for Distributing Title I Funds

• Local educational agencies (LEAs) with fewer than 20,000 total residents
  • Alaska
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Nebraska
  • North Dakota
  • Oklahoma

Assessment

• Decision letters on each state's final assessment system under Title I
• Assessment of English proficiency of students with limited English proficiency for students with cognitive disabilities
• Guidance on Alternate Assessments
• Kansas
• Ohio
• Virginia

Calculating Participation Rates for AYP Determinations

• Letter to Chief State School Officers regarding flexibility in calculating participation rates for States when making this year's adequate yearly progress (AYP) determinations.
• This letter is a follow-up to the Secretary's announcement regarding participation rates on March 29, 2004.

Choice

• Letter to Chief State School Officers on calculating costs for transportation under the public school choice provision
• Supplemental Educational Services Policy: LEA conditions on providers

Flexibility

• ED-Flex
  • Maryland

  • North Carolina

• Local Flex
  • Washington

  • Dear Colleague-Washington

• State Flex

  • Florida

• Transferability
  • Florida

Highly Qualified Teachers

• Memo to Chief State School Officers on sharing ideas about improvements in teacher quality with Teacher Assistance Corps

Identification of Schools for School Improvement

• New Hampshire
• Memo to Title I Directors on clarification of the delay provision in identifying schools for school improvement

Paraprofessionals

• Memo to Chief State School Officers on key paraprofessional requirements
  MS WORD (26K)
• Treatment of artists as paraprofessionals (1)
• Treatment of artists as paraprofessionals (2)

Use of Funds

• For districts and schools identified for improvement
• For state assessments
• For professional development
• For schools not formally identified for school improvement
• To pay an employer's early retirement contribution