An Overview of SIFI
Requirements
Nancy B. Booth,
CESA #2 Title I Network Consultant
Fall, 2010
Agenda
NCLB Requirements for Title I Schools
Identified for Improvement (SIFI)
 Definition of SIFI
 SIFI Level 1-5
 Title I Supplemental Grants
 SIFI Resources
AYP and Schools Identified for
Improvement (SIFIs)
Quick Reminders
 School Identified for Improvement (SIFI)
identification results from missing adequate
yearly progress (AYP) in the same indicator
for two consecutive years
 NCLB sanctions apply only to Title I SIFIs
 District = LEA or chartering authority
Current SIFI Status:
Based on 2009-10 data, in the 2010-11 school
year there are:

89 schools in 14 districts that are identified
for improvement (SIFI).
Current Missed AYP Status:
Based on 2009-10 data, in the 2010-11 school year
there are:

101 Title I schools in 20 districts that missed
AYP for the first time
 If
these schools miss AYP in 2010-11, they will be
SIFI in 2011-12
 Preliminary AYP results are typically shared with
districts in late May
Title I SIFI Requirements
Title I SIFI
Level 1
(School
Improvement
Status)
Title I SIFI
Level 2
(School
Improvement
Status)
Title I SIFI
Level 3
(Corrective
Action Status)
Title I SIFI
Level 4
(Restructuring
Status)
Title I SIFI
Level 5
(Restructuring
Status)
Develop or
Revise a
School
Improvement
Plan
Set Aside Title
I, Part A Funds
X
X
Notify
Parents
Provide
Public
School
Choice
Provide
Technical
Assistance
Provide
Supplemental
Educational
Services (SES)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Take
Corrective
Action
Develop
Restructuring
Plan
Implement
Restructuring
Plan
X
X
X
Title I SIFI – LEVEL 1
 School Improvement Plans and Peer
Review Process
 Title I Allocation Set-Asides
 Parental Notification
 School Choice
 LEA Technical Assistance
School Improvement Plans
(SIFI Level 1 - 2)
 Two year plan to be completed by the SIFI within
three months of identification
 Can be revision of existing plan
 Developed in consultation with parents, staff, district,
and outside experts
 Applies to SIFI Level 1-2 only
School Improvement Plan
Requirements:



Incorporates strategies based on scientifically-based
research to strengthen core academic subjects and
address specific core concerns;
Adopts policies and practices that have the greatest
likelihood of ensuring all groups of students will
meet the state’s proficiency levels of achievement;
Incorporates strategies to promote high quality
professional development that directly address the
academic achievement area that caused the school
to be identified for improvement;
School Improvement Plan
Requirements:



Specifies how Title I, Part A funds set aside for
professional development will be used to remove
the school from school improvement status;
Establishes specific, annual, measurable objectives
for continuous and substantial progress by
indicators;
Describes how the school will provide written
notice about the identification of school
improvement status to parents in a format that
parents can understand;
School Improvement Plan
Requirements:




Specifies the responsibilities of the school, the
district, and the State educational agency serving the
school under the plan including the technical
assistance to be provided by the district;
Includes strategies to promote effective parental
involvement in the school;
Incorporates, as appropriate, activities before school,
after school, during the summer, and during any
extension of the school year; and
Incorporates a teacher mentoring program
Peer Review Process
(SIFI Level 1 - 2)
 District must establish a peer review process to assist
with the review of the school improvement plan
 Must include staff (admin and teachers) with
demonstrated effectiveness in school improvement
 Peer review must take place within 45 days of plan’s
submission
 Applies to SIFI Level 1-2 only
Questions to Consider:


Does your school have a current school
improvement plan that could be modified/edited/
revised to be used as part of their SIFI school
improvement plan?
What additional resources and supports does your
school need as they develop and revise their School
Improvement Plan?
Title I Allocation Set-Asides
(SIFI Level 1 – 5)
 20% set-aside of district’s Title I allocation to fund
school choice and SES
 1% of the 20% can be used to offset district cost
for parent outreach
 10% set-aside of each Title I SIFI’s school budget
for professional development activities
 Applies to SIFI Level 1-2 only
Parental Notification of SIFI Status
(SIFI Level 1 - 5)
The SIFI must inform parents of improvement
status and include the following items:
 What identification means including how the school





compares with other schools in the district and state in
terms of academic achievement
Reasons for identification
What the school is doing to address low achievement
What the LEA is doing to address low achievement
Explanation of opportunities for parent involvement
School choice option
Parental Notification of SIFI Status
(SIFI Level 1 - 5)
The district must ensure that the parent notification
letters are:
 Provided at least 14 days prior to the start of
the school year
 In a format/language understandable to parents
School Choice
(SIFI Level 1 - 5)
 Option for parents to transfer their child to
another school in the district that is not a SIFI
 School Choice option not valid in districts with
one school per grade level
 Priority must be given to the lowest achieving
students from low income families
 Notice of school choice option must be
provided to parents no later than 14 days prior
to the first day of the school year
School Choice
(SIFI Level 1- 5)

The district must prominently display on their
website:
 Beginning with the 2007-08 school year and
for each subsequent year the number of
students who are eligible for and participated
in school choice
A
list of the available schools to which
students may transfer in the current year
LEA Technical Assistance
(SIFI Level 1 - 3)
District is required to provide TA to the Title I-SIFI
in three areas:
 Data Analysis: Utilize student data to identify
and address issues regarding:
 Instruction
 Implementing parent involvement
 Professional development offerings
LEA Technical Assistance
(SIFI Level 1 - 3)


Identification and implementation of effective
strategies that address the specific
instructional issues that caused the SIFI
status. Focus on:
 Professional development
 Instructional strategies
 Methods of instruction
Budget analysis and revision to fund activities for
increased student achievement
Questions to Consider:


In what ways has your district been able to
provide technical assistance to your school
regarding data, instructional strategies and
professional development?
What additional resource and supports does
your district need to provide quality technical
assistance (regarding the topics above) to its
schools?
Title I SIFI – LEVEL 1 Improved
Continue with:
 School Improvement Plans and Peer Review
Process
 Title I Allocation Set-Asides
 Parental Notification
 School Choice
 LEA Technical Assistance
Title I SIFI – LEVEL 2
Continue with:
 School Improvement Plans and Peer Review
Process
 Title I Allocation Set-Asides
 Parental Notification
 School Choice
 LEA Technical Assistance
ADD:
 Supplemental Educational Services
Supplemental Education Services (SES)
(SIFI LEVEL 2 – 5)
 Designed to help students receive extra
academic support in reading and math
 DPI maintains list of approved providers
 District contracts with providers to serve
eligible students
SES Parental Notification
(SIFI Level 2 - 5)
 Annual notice of availability of SES option
 Provide enough time for parents to select provider
 Must include:
 How to obtain SES for their child
 List of approved providers
 Specify those providers that can serve students
with disabilities
 Brief description of services and its benefits
 Dates of the two available enrollment windows
SES Parental Notification
(SIFI Level 2 - 5)
The LEA website must prominently display:
 Beginning with data from the 2007-08 school
year, and for each subsequent year, the number
of students who were eligible for and the
number of students who participated in SES
 For the current school year, a list of SES
providers approved by the State to serve the
LEA and the locations where services are
provided
Title I SIFI – LEVEL 3
Continue with:
 Title I Allocation Set-Asides
 Parental Notification
 School Choice
 LEA Technical Assistance
 SES
ADD:
 Corrective Action
Corrective Action
(SIFI Level 3)
 District must implement one of the following:
 Institute new curriculum
 Extend the school day or school year
 Replace school staff
 Decrease management authority of the school
 Restructure internal organization of the school
 Appoint outside experts to advise the school
Corrective Action
(SIFI Level 3)
Publication & Dissemination:
 The LEA must publish and disseminate
information regarding the corrective action:
 To the public and the parents of each student
enrolled at the SIFI
 In an understandable and uniform format
 Through such means as the Internet, media
and public agencies
Title I SIFI – LEVEL 4
Continue with:
 Title I Allocation Set-Asides
 Parental Notification
 School Choice
 SES
ADD:
Develop Restructuring Plan
Restructuring Plan
(SIFI Level 4)
Restructuring – Year 1 (Planning)
 District must plan for a major reorganization of a
school’s governance structure
 Possible alternative governance options include:
 Reopen as a charter school
 Replace all or most staff
 Contract with an entity to operate the school
 Other, as consistent with the principles of
restructuring
Restructuring Notification
(SIFI Level 4 - 5)
Prompt Notice:
The LEA shall provide prompt notice to teachers
and parents regarding the restructuring plan
(level 4) and the restructuring implementation
(level 5) as well as give the opportunity to:
 Comment before taking any restructuring action
 Participate in the development of the
restructuring plan
Title I SIFI – LEVEL 5
Continue with:
 Title I Allocation Set-Asides
 Parental Notification
 School Choice
 SES
ADD:
 Implement Restructuring Plan
Restructuring Implementation
(SIFI Level 5)
Implementation of the Restructuring Plan
 District must provide technical assistance as
necessary to ensure successful implementation
 Note: Prompt notice regarding the
restructuring plan also applies to
implementation
Title I Supplemental Grants
In 2010-11 eligible applicants are public Title I schools
that have:
 Been identified for improvement (SIFI)
 Missed AYP in reading, math and/or
attendance/graduation
 Have 40 students or more and have been identified
as high need as a result of a three year average of
Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE)
in reading and/or mathematics.
Use of Supplemental Grants (10-11)
Supplemental grant activities:
 enhance and work with existing Title I
programming


focus on addressing areas of need identified by the
school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports
and local data
provide funds with which to create a school
support team (if SIFI)
School Support Teams
Composition:
 Distinguished educators
 Pupil services staff
 Members of IHEs, CESAs, etc.
Function:
 Analyze school functioning
 Monitor implementation of the SIP
 Provide feedback to district about effectiveness of
school’s current school improvement efforts
SIFI Resources:
Sanctions for Title I schools not making AYP
(school & district responsibilities):
http:www.dpi.wi.gov/esea/doc/sanctionsschools.doc
 SIFI Requirements (DPI websites):
Level I:
http://dpi.wi.gov/titleone/sifi_level1.html
Level 2:
http://dpi.wi.gov/titleone/sifi_level2.html

SIFI Resources:
Parent Letter Templates:
 Parent
Notification Letter:
http://dpi.wi.gov/esea/doc/samplesifi_level_1_parent_notif.doc
 School
Choice Letter:
http://dpi.wi.gov/esea/doc/samplesifi_school_choice_parent_notif.doc
SIFI Resources:
Supplemental Educational Services (SES):
 DPI SES Website:
http://dpi.wi.gov/esea/ses_index.html
 Required information for SES letter:
http://dpi.wi.gov/esea/doc/sample-ss.doc
 SES in action: A toolkit for parents and
community leaders:
http://www.tutorsforkids.org/ToolkitDownload2.asp
SIFI Resources:
Department of Ed Non-Regulatory Guidance:
 LEA and School Improvement:
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/schoolim
provementguid.doc
 Public School Choice:
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/schoolch
oiceguid.doc
 Supplemental Educational Services:
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/suppsvcs
guid.doc
Wrapping Up:
Do you have any…


follow up questions regarding SES,
supplemental grants or school support teams?
OR, any other additional questions regarding
SIFI requirements and support?
SIFI Support Contacts
• Statewide Title I Network Consultant
Nancy Booth, CESA#2
[email protected]
608-931-2930
448 E. High Street, Milton, WI 53563
• Title I Consultant (DPI) for CESA#2:
• Mary Jo Ziegler [email protected]
608-267-1281
125 E Webster Street, Madison, WI 53507
Thanks to:
Title I & School Support Team
Naomi Gray, Education Consultant
[email protected]; (608) 266-4499
Kim Jenkins, Education Consultant
[email protected]; (608) 267-9216