In January 2002, the federal No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law. This federal law includes many changes to public education, including more parental choice in public schools.

Teacher Qualifications

The new federal law allows parents to request information on the qualifications of their child's teacher, such as education level, teaching license and experience. To request a teacher's qualifications, simply contact your school principal.

Highly Qualified Staff

The school district must notify you if your child's teacher does not meet the federal definition of "Highly Qualified." A highly qualified teacher is defined as having a bachelor's degree, holding a regular teaching license and demonstrating competency in the subject area he/she is teaching. Currently, this notification requirement is for Title I schools only . These notices are mailed out in the fall. To find out if your school is in the federal Title I program, call your school office.

All Salem-Keizer teachers are licensed to teach in Oregon, and meet the District's strict hiring guidelines for being a teacher in our classrooms. 

Adequate Yearly Progress

One of the biggest components of this federal law is adequate yearly progress. Each year, a school must make adequate yearly progress in academics, and its students must progress toward meeting State standards. By 2014, 100 percent of students must meet State standards in academics. Adequate yearly progress is determined by a variety of criteria, but if any one piece of the criteria is not met, a school does not make adequate yearly progress for the year.

What does this mean for parents?

Public School Choice

If your child's school does not make adequate yearly progress for two years in a row , you have the choice of sending your child to another school within the Salem-Keizer School District, and the District will provide your child with transportation. Currently, this parental option applies only to Title I schools. Contact your local school to find out its adequate yearly progress status and whether or not it's a Title I school.

Supplemental Educational Services

For Title I schools that do not meet AYP for three years in a row must also offer Supplemental Educational Services (tutoring) to eligible students after school. A parent at one of these schools has two choices. 1. they can transfer their child to another school (read about Public School Choice), or 2. they can apply to receive supplemental educational services for their child (if eligible). They can't do both. Contact your local school to find out if it's a Title I school that must offer supplemental educational services.

Safe School Choice

The No Child Left Behind Act also addresses school safety. The current criterion for Oregon schools is based on the number of student expulsions per year for specific offenses. If a school goes over the limit of expulsions for three years in a row , it receives the federal label of Persistently Dangerous. The school district must offer parents the choice to send their child to another District school if their local school receives this federal label.

Student safety is a top priority in Salem-Keizer, and the District has in place strict discipline rules that provide appropriate consequences for inappropriate actions. Please review the discipline section of this handbook with your child.

What does this mean for parents? If your child's school receives the federal label of Persistently Dangerous, you have the option of sending your child to another school within the Salem-Keizer School District. To find out whether or not your school has received this federal label, please contact your school principal.

Military Recruiters

Under NCLB, schools must provide students' names, addresses, and telephone listings to military recruiters, when requested, unless a parent opts out of providing such information. A parent may opt out by notifying their school that they do not want his/her child's directory information released.

More Information

Contact the district's NCLB coordinator at 503-399-3004.