ABSTRACT
The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) signaled an augmented role for the federal government in public education; likewise, state education agencies (SEA) were laden with more policy responsibilities than they had previously assumed. Under NCLB, states are required to establish content standards; administer aligned assessments in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school; determine state academic achievement standards; develop definitions of adequate yearly progress for all schools; identify schools for improvement; approve supplemental educational service providers; administer targeted school improvement funds; determine which teachers are "highly qualified" in core academic subjects; outline state equity plans for the equitable distribution of "highly qualified teachers"; develop standards for English language proficiency and aligned assessments; and calculate annual measurable achievement objectives for Title III districts—to name but a few of the state-level responsibilities. Although these are all important obligations, this chapter will focus primarily on the activities of state officials in two key policy areas: (1) the development of state definitions of adequate yearly progress (AYP), and (2) state approaches to defining what it means to be a highly qualified teacher 1 under NCLB.
