Idaho Building Capacity: Developing a Statewide System of Support for Districts and Schools in Need of Improvement

摘要

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, established by Congress as a re-authorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (EASA) requires that all states establish a statewide system of intensive and sustained support and improvement for local educational agencies and schools. This provision in the law was designed to insure that states are adequately supporting districts and schools in their efforts to help all students meet the State’s academic content standards and student academic achievement standards. This study will describe and analyze the design and establishment of a comprehensive statewide system of support in Idaho, the Idaho Building Capacity (IBC) project. Central to the study is the question: How does Idaho develop and implement an effective, comprehensive statewide system of support that will provide technical assistance to schools and districts at all levels of needs improvement status? This study will also look at a second question: How has a targeted district and its schools integrated these efforts into its improvement process? Information learned during the course of this study will be applied toward the continued expansion and improvement of Idaho’s statewide system of support. While each state currently is implementing a unique statewide system of support, all states can continue to learn from one another. The Idaho story to date has key findings that are not only critical to the continued evolution of Idaho’s statewide system of support, but may also prove useful for other states that are striving to develop and refine their own statewide systems of support. Additionally, the comprehensive review of statewide systems of support best efforts and practices has provided implications for the continued work in Idaho.