Program Improvement
All Title I funded schools and local educational agencies (LEAs) that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) are identified for Program Improvement (PI) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).The ESEA requires all states to implement statewide accountability systems based on challenging state standards and annual statewide progress objectives ensuring that all groups of students reach proficiency. Assessment results are disaggregated by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency to ensure that no group is left behind.
Title I LEAs and schools that fail to make AYP toward statewide proficiency goals are subject to improvement and corrective action measures. In California, PI is the formal designation for Title I-funded schools and LEAs that fail to make AYP for two consecutive years.
Once in PI, a school or LEA that fails to make AYP will advance further in PI status. See Data Files Listing Schools and LEAs in PI or At Risk of Entering PI.
PI Status Determinations
Determinations are made using two years of data for schools and LEAs that receive Title I funds. Information on PI status determinations (identification, advancement, and exit criteria) at both the school and LEA level can be found at Title I PI Status Determinations.
See also Accountability Progress Reporting which provides links to PI Reports by school and LEA.
Important Changes in PI Status Determinations for 2014–15
On March 7, 2014, the U.S. Department of Education approved California's testing waiver for certain statutory and regulatory requirements of Title I, Part A of the ESEA of 1965, as amended. Specifically, a one-year waiver was granted that allows flexibility in making AYP determinations for schools and LEAs participating in the Smarter Balanced assessment field test.
The California Department of Education (CDE) will not produce a 2014 AYP report for elementary and middle schools and elementary and unified school districts. Therefore, PI status for these schools and districts will not change. Schools and districts will not enter or exit PI. However, schools and districts will continue to implement PI requirements associated with their current PI status.
The CDE will continue to make AYP determinations for any high schools serving only grades nine through twelve and high school districts based on achievement results from the grade ten California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) and the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA). The AYP will be used to identify PI status for these high schools and high school districts.
PI Requirements
Under ESEA, PI schools and LEAs are responsible for implementing certain federal and state requirements during each year that they are in PI. These vary, based on the PI year and whether the entity is a school or LEA.
Title I Program Improvement School Requirements
Requirements for schools in PI Years 1–5, including summary outline and detailed requirements.
Title I Program Improvement LEA Requirements
Requirements for LEAs in PI, including summary outline and detailed requirements.
PI Resources
Statewide System of District and School
Support
The Statewide System of School Support provides intensive and sustained support and improvement for LEAs and schools receiving Title I funds to increase the opportunity for all students to meet the state's academic content and achievement standards.
Parent Notification Letter Templates for PI Schools and LEAs
Sample letters (with available translations) notifying parents of a school's and/or LEA's PI status.
Parent Notification Model Letter of Four-Week Notice (DOC)
Model letter for informing parents of a teacher's non highly qualified status can be found in the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) Guide (DOC), section 4.2.1, Exhibit 2.
State Program Assessment Tools
Underperforming schools and districts need policy and programmatic coherence to effectively address their students’ diverse needs. The state has developed several tools to help create this coherence, including the Academic Program Survey (APS), the District Assistance Survey (DAS), the English Learner Subgroup Self Assessment (ELSSA), and the Inventory of Services and Supports (ISS) for Students with Disabilities.
Correspondence
A comprehensive collection of all correspondence to the field regarding PI.
Program Improvement Overview - CalEdFacts
Part of the CDE's information and media guide about education in the State of California. For similar information on other topics, visit the full CalEdFacts.
PI Funding
LEAs identified as PI Corrective Action, may receive funding to implement provisions of the federal ESEA and California Education Code Section 52055.57. Funding is provided with the goal to improve student achievement while meeting the state's standards that will allow identified districts and county offices to exit from PI status.
Funding Profiles and Results
Funding profiles and results for both PI LEAs and Non-PI LEAs with PI schools.
