Local-Flex Examples

Example 1:

District W is reviewing the requirements for meeting adequate yearly progress under ESEA. The district has had an influx of limited English proficient students in the past decade, and is concerned that the services for these students are not as coherent and aligned to academic standards as they should be. Using baseline data, district officials determine that the lowest achieving subgroup in the district are LEP students, making them the group with the highest risk for not meeting AYP targets. Further data analysis helps district officials identify specific needs for this population and to develop a plan to support the academic improvement of LEP students.

The district decides to develop a Local-Flex plan to address the needs of LEP students.

The plan includes:

• Activities to upgrade program objectives and instructional strategies for LEP students, authorized under Title III of ESEA
• Purchase of language appropriate textbooks and instructional materials that are aligned with the State standards, authorized under Title V, Part A
• Establishing in one school a demonstration project where LEP students are taught using gifted and talented instructional methodologies, authorized under Title IV, Part D, subpart 6
• Acquisition and use of telecommunication technologies for training all teachers in the district on methodologies for instructing LEP students, and for sharing curriculum resources with districts that have more experience in serving LEP students, authorized under Title IV, Part D, subpart 7.

Example 2:

District X, a mid-size urban LEA, is interested in upgrading educational services across the district. A review of student achievement data and other district data shows that the district has a growing number of mobile students. Further research shows that most of the mobility occurs within the district: mobile children tend to go to another school in the district rather than leave the district.

The district decides to develop a Local-Flex plan to develop and sustain a coherent set of activities to support the academic improvement of the mobile children in the district.

These include:

• Alignment of curriculum among the schools with the highest numbers of mobile students through implementation of a common comprehensive school reform model, authorized under Title I, Part F
• Establishing an after school program where mobile students receive tutoring services, authorized under Title IV, Part B
• Strategies for recruiting students who have dropped out to come back to school, authorized under Title I, Part H
• Establishing a counseling program to target the particular needs of mobile students, authorized under Title V, Part D, subpart 2
• Development of social support networks through a community service program that provides students with mentors, authorized under Title V Part A.

Example 3:

District Y is reviewing the test results from the latest administration of the state assessments. The data show that, although average third grade math student performance is similar to the state average, by seventh grade the district performance in math is substantially below the state average.

The state is implementing a new state-wide initiative to upgrade math instruction. The district decides to develop a Local-Flex plan to support the state’s math initiative. The plan will seek to address the particular need of the district to improve math achievement at the lower levels and to turn around the trend towards decreased math performance, as students grow older.

Activities under the Local-Flex plan include:

• Development of a partnership with the SEA and a local institution of higher education to improve the skills of instructional personnel, authorized under Title II, Part B. The partnership will focus efforts on
  • Intensive professional development for mathematics instructional personnel in both instructional skills and mathematics
  • Professional development for instructional personnel who do not teach mathematics on incorporating mathematical principles in the instruction of other subject matters
  • Training instructional personnel on State content standards for mathematics
• Developing smaller learning communities in the 3 middle schools that show the sharpest decline in math achievement over time, authorized under Title IV, Part D, subpart 4.
• Purchasing tutoring services from a commercial vendor for the lowest performing 100 students in math in 6th and 7th grades, authorized under Title V, Part A.

Example 4:

District Z, a large urban schools district is like most others across the country and faced with declining state revenues and increasing costs. At the same time its goal is to serve students even more effectively, ensuring that all possible resources are brought together to help all students meet standards. While the Local-Flex authority will not bring extra dollars to the District, it will allow the district staff to consolidate specific federal formula grant funds to meet local priorities in exchange for increased accountability for student academic success and to target these funds where they are most needed.

The district's Local –Flex plan seeks to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools that failed to make adequate yearly progress and in schools that may have met adequate yearly progress but still failed to meet the needs of the lowest performing, underserved students. The plan attempts to address these schools’ needs in the following ways:

• Improving teachers knowledge and skills in research-based practices and strategies
• Using data to improve instruction
• Improving beginning teacher quality
• Enhancing technology in instruction

In addition to supporting schools that failed to meet AYP, District Z has the flexibility to use the Local-Flex dollars for district-wide professional development to support teachers in meeting the needs of students in non-AYP schools where there are groups of students not meeting district academic standards. Activities such as these translate into additional services for the targeted schools, such as support for beginning teachers, professional development for staff on instructional practices that will have a positive impact on student learning, culturally responsive teaching, the integration of technology, as well as providing intervention and support services for students.

Before services are allocated to schools, a detailed analysis of each school's current situation, challenges, and needs is completed.  Then, working with the principal, a plan is developed to provide resources to met those needs. Monitoring of effectiveness and adjustments take place throughout the year.

In one particular K-8 school, the principal and staff agreed that the greatest needs were in the area of improving achievement in literacy and in mathematics.  The Local-Flex grant was used to develop customized plan, at primary, intermediate, and middle school levels, to help students meet standards in mathematics.

The Local-Flex Demonstration Program will also allow District Z to supplement ESEA Title I Programs by offering needed services to middle school and high school students who are most at-risk of not meeting challenging State standards. Local-Flex broadens the ability to target the use of these funds to student subpopulation groups outside of eligible and participating public schools. Title I funds are distributed to the schools where the school has choice in how to spend the funds based on their school data and the strategies in their school Transformation Plan. The Local-Flex dollars are centrally directed and have allowed the district to have flexible resources that support district-wide initiatives.

The resources and tools provided on this website are brought to you by The Northeast and the Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium (NEIRTEC) and its partners in collaboration with the US Department of Education. For more information, contact jnesbit@wested.org.

This page last modified—July 22, 2005.