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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August
16, 2002
Schools to get $136 million more this year in federal
funding through NCLB
As the 2002-2003 school year begins, the State Board of Education
reports Illinois schools will receive about $136 million more
in federal funding through the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001 (NCLB), a 25 percent increase over the 2001-2002 year.
The biggest funding boosts are in basic Title I assistance
to low-income students (up $65 million); Teacher Quality support
under Title II (up $27 million); and English Language Enhancement
(up $10 million, more than doubling last year’s funding
level.) A new program, 21st Century Community Centers, offers
$12 million in competitive funds to bring communities and
schools together in joint services and improvements.
“The new federal legislation brings with it new responsibilities
for school districts,” said Robert E. Schiller, State
Superintendent of Education. “Much of the new money
is targeted toward closing the achievement gap,” he
said. “Our agency has already begun to distribute these
funds to districts, and is on schedule to send out additional
federal dollars throughout the coming months as they become
available from Washington.”
The State Board of Education is responsible for distributing
ESEA federal funds to local education agencies (school districts)
according to established federal formulas.
With the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act in the form of the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 (NCLB), school districts can look forward to additional
funds to implement new requirements. The NCLB repackages many
of the former Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) programs
to ensure more targeted assistance for at-risk students and
higher expectations for school performance over time.
New requirements of NCLB include:
- Annual testing of all students against the state standards
in reading and mathematics in grades 3-8 by 2005-2006 and
in science at three points in a student’s school career
(including once in high school).
- “Verification” of each state’s assessment
system via required participation (every other year) by
selected districts in the National Assessment of Educational
Progress.
- Aggregate and disaggregate analysis and reporting of student
achievement results.
- A state definition and timeline for determining whether
a school, district and the state are making “adequate
yearly progress” (AYP) toward the goal of 100 percent
of students meeting state standards by the 2013-2014 school
year.
- Technical assistance and then sanctions for schools, districts
and the state for failure to make AYP.
- Highly qualified teachers in core academic subjects by
2005-2006.
- Highly qualified aides or paraprofessionals.
- Support for students not meeting standards and/or for
those who have special needs (e.g., homeless, limited-English-proficiency).
- The use of “scientifically-based” research
in developing and implementing programs.
The $136 million increase through NCLB is in addition to
federal funds the state will receive for special education,
vocational education and nutrition programs. Including those
programs, Illinois schools will get increased federal funding
of about $220 million for the 2002-2003 school year.
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