CA Educ Code Section 52055.57

(a)

(1)Provisions that are applicable to local educational agencies under this section are for the purpose of implementing federal requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.). The satisfaction of these criteria by local educational agencies that choose to participate under this article shall be a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this section.

(2)

The department shall identify local educational agencies that are in danger of being identified within two years as program improvement local educational agencies under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and shall notify those local educational agencies, in writing, of this status and provide those local educational agencies with research-based criteria to conduct a voluntary self-assessment.

(3)

The self-assessment shall identify deficiencies within the operations of the local educational agency, and the programs and services of the local educational agency.

(4)

A local educational agency identified pursuant to paragraph (2) is encouraged to revise its local educational agency plan based on the results of the self-assessment.

(5)

The program described in this subdivision shall be referred to as the “Early Warning Program.”

(b)

(1)A local educational agency identified as a program improvement local educational agency under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 shall do all of the following:

(A)

Conduct a self-assessment using materials and criteria based on current research and provided by the department.

(B)

No later than 90 days after a local educational agency is identified for program improvement, contract with a county office of education or another external entity after working with the county superintendent of schools, for both of the following purposes:

(i)

Verifying the fundamental teaching and learning needs in the schools of that local educational agency as determined by the local educational agency self-analysis, and identifying the specific academic problems of low-achieving pupils, including a determination of why the prior plan of the local educational agency failed to bring about increased pupil academic achievement.

(ii)

Ensuring that the local educational agency receives intensive support and expertise to implement local educational agency reform initiatives in the revised local educational agency plan as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

(C)

Revise and expeditiously implement the local educational agency plan to reflect the findings of the verified self-assessment.

(D)

After working with the county superintendent of schools or an external verifier, contract with an external provider to provide support and implement recommendations to assist the local educational agency in resolving shortcomings identified in the verified self-assessment.

(2)

(A)Subject to the availability of funds in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, a local educational agency described in paragraph (1) annually may receive fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), plus ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each school that is supported by federal funds pursuant to Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 within the local educational agency, for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of this subdivision. If funding is not provided in the annual Budget Act or other statute, local educational agencies shall not be subject to the requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (D) of paragraph (1).

(B)

Subject to the availability of funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, a local educational agency identified as a program improvement local educational agency during the 2005–06 fiscal year, shall receive priority for funding based upon the performance of the socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroup of the local educational agency on the Academic Performance Index. Priority for funding shall be provided to the lowest performing local educational agencies that are identified as program improvement local educational agencies. It is the intent of the Legislature that funds apportioned pursuant to this paragraph be used to support activities identified in paragraph (1).

(C)

It is the intent of the Legislature that a local educational agency identified as a program improvement local educational agency receive no more than two years of funding pursuant to this paragraph.

(c)

A local educational agency that has been identified for corrective action under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 shall be subject to one or more of the following sanctions as recommended by the Superintendent and approved by the state board:

(1)

Replacing local educational agency personnel who are relevant to the failure to make adequate yearly progress. (2)Removing schools from the jurisdiction of the local educational agency and establishing alternative arrangements for the governance and supervision of those schools. (3)Appointing, by the state board, a receiver or trustee, to administer the affairs of the local educational agency in place of the county superintendent of schools and the governing board. (4)Abolishing or restructuring the local educational agency. (5)Authorizing pupils to transfer from a school operated by the local educational agency to a higher performing school operated by another local educational agency, and providing those pupils with transportation to those schools, in conjunction with carrying out not less than one additional action described under this paragraph. (6)Instituting and fully implementing a new curriculum that is based on state academic content and achievement standards, including providing appropriate professional development based on scientifically based research for all relevant staff, that offers substantial promise of improving educational achievement for high-priority pupils. (7)Deferring programmatic funds or reducing administrative funds.

(d)

(1)The department shall develop, and the state board shall approve at a public meeting, objective criteria by which a local educational agency identified for corrective action and subject to a sanction listed under subdivision (c) shall be evaluated to determine the pervasiveness and severity of its performance problems and the sanction to be imposed.

(2)

A local educational agency identified for corrective action and subject to a sanction listed under subdivision (c) may apply for a one-year, nonrenewable grant of federal improvement funding to assist in its improvement process and may expend that grant funding over the time period allowable under federal law. It is the intent of the Legislature to integrate federal funding that is available for this purpose, including, but not limited to, funding for program improvement and school improvement grants pursuant to Section 6303 of Title 20 of the United States Code.

(3)

The amount of a grant for a local educational agency with extensive and severe performance problems shall be one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) per school identified for program improvement pursuant to federal law. The amount of a grant for a local educational agency with moderate performance problems shall be one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per school identified for program improvement pursuant to federal law. The amount of a grant for a local educational agency with minor or isolated performance problems shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per school identified for program improvement pursuant to federal law.

(4)

A local educational agency that receives funding under this subdivision shall use the funds in accordance with Section 6316(b) and (c) of Title 20 of the United States Code. Pursuant to the technical assistance requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 outlined in Section 6312(b) and (c) and Section 6317 of Title 20 of the United States Code, the Superintendent may recommend, and the state board may approve, that a local educational agency contract with a district assistance and intervention team or other technical assistance provider to receive guidance, support, and technical assistance. A district intervention and assistance team or other technical provider with which a local educational agency is required to contract shall perform the duties specified in subdivision (e) of Section 52059.

(5)

Notwithstanding any other law, a local educational agency that receives funding under this subdivision or that receives other federal funds for school improvement shall not use those funds to compensate a receiver or trustee assigned by the state board pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c). (e)A local educational agency that has received a sanction under subdivision (c) and has not exited program improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 shall appear before the state board within three years to review the progress of the local educational agency. Upon hearing testimony and reviewing written data from the local educational agency, the district assistance and intervention team, or county superintendent of schools, the Superintendent shall recommend, and the state board may approve, an alternative sanction under subdivision (c), or may take any appropriate action. (f)Subject to the availability of funds in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, a local educational agency that is not identified as a program improvement local educational agency under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 may annually receive up to fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per school identified as a program improvement school for the purposes of supporting schools identified as program improvement schools in the local educational agency and determining barriers to improved pupil academic achievement. That local educational agency shall receive no less than forty thousand dollars ($40,000) and no more than one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) for those purposes. The Superintendent shall compile a list that ranks each local educational agency based on the number of, and percentage of, schools identified as program improvement schools and shall provide this funding to local educational agencies equally from each list until all funds appropriated for this purpose are depleted. These funds shall be provided for no more than three years.

(g)

For purposes of this article, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school that elects to receive its funding directly pursuant to Section 47651, and that provides public educational services to pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.