Fenty Administration Examines Options for Schools in Federal Restructuring Status

(Washington, DC) Today, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso and State Superintendent of Education Deborah A. Gist announced school restructuring options, as defined by the US Department of Education, for 31 schools (27 DCPS, 4 charter schools) that have failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for five consecutive years. As required by federal law, the No Child Left behind Act (NCLB) calls for a tiered intervention approach for these schools. Projections show that more than half of the DCPS schools are likely to be in restructuring next school year.

“When I took on the responsibility of fixing the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), I did it with the notion that academic reform would be the most critical component and one that the administration would need to quickly zero in on,” said Mayor Fenty. “Now that we know which of our schools need to be restructured and immediately reformed, we will begin working toward the goal of making these schools better for students and families.”  

As schools fail to meet AYP, the level of intervention increases until it reaches restructuring status.



NCLB Options Available to Schools in Restructuring Status

The US Department of Education requires that schools in restructuring status have a fundamental change in governance. NCLB offers the following five school restructuring options: