Program Improvement

All Title I funded schools and local educational agencies (LEAs) that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) are identified for Program Improvement (PI) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

The ESEA requires all states to implement statewide accountability systems based on challenging state standards in reading and mathematics, annual testing for all students in grades three through eight, and annual statewide progress objectives ensuring that all groups of students reach proficiency within 12 years. Assessment results are disaggregated by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency to ensure that no group is left behind. LEAs and schools that fail to make AYP toward statewide proficiency goals are subject to improvement and corrective action measures.

In California, PI is the formal designation for Title I-funded schools and LEAs that fail to make AYP for two consecutive years.