The Iowa Department of Education (DE) released the state report card for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Thursday. The report shows a change in the state's proficiency targets, which is the percent of students across the state that must be proficient in reading and math.

On average, the state proficiency targets increased by approximately 6 percent. These goals are currently adjusted every three years to ensure all schools reach 100-percent student proficiency in reading and math by the 2013-14 school year, as required by the NCLB law.

"While the target increases are incremental, the changes provide ever-increasing challenges for schools to make sure students not only make yearly growth, but, in some cases, make more than a year's growth to achieve proficiency," said Iowa Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey. "I congratulate those schools that work to continue to meet the challenge."

Of the state's 1,477 schools in 2007-08, 136, or 9.2 percent, were identified as Schools in Need of Assistance (SINA). Of the state's 364 school districts, 13, or 3.6 percent, were identified as districts in need of assistance.

This is a 1 percent increase over the previous year in the number of SINA. Though slight this year, the increase in the number of federal SINA designations may increase in the next few years because of the adjusted proficiency targets, Jeffrey said. A school or district must miss a target for two consecutive years to be identified as needing assistance.

All public school students in grades three-through-eight and 11 are tested to determine proficiency in reading and math. Proficiency is measured using the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) for elementary and middle school students, the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) for high school students or the Iowa Alternate Assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

The targets must be met by all students in every grade and in subgroups (Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, White, Low-income, English Language Learners and Special Education) that have at least 30 students. When a school misses any target for two consecutive years -- in even one subgroup at any of the tested grades -- it is placed on the SINA list.

Spencer Middle School is listed as a SINA for the 2008-09 school year based upon a subcategory of students previous school years' performance in reading proficiency.

Once a school is listed as a SINA, it must show it has met achievement targets for two consecutive years before it can be removed from the list. The DE has a statewide support team whose activities and interventions are structured to provide in-depth assistance to SINA designated schools.

In addition to student achievement information, NCLB requires that states provide information on teachers in high- and low-poverty schools in their annual report card. The 2008 Iowa report card shows that 99.5 percent of all the assignments in Iowa schools are taught by highly-qualified teachers. This indicates a match between the assignment and the teacher's endorsement area.

* The complete report is available on the Iowa DE Web site at: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/component/op....