23 schools in NH flagged 'in need' of extra support
Nov. 11—The state Department of Education has identified 23 schools across New Hampshire — including three in Manchester and one in Nashua — in need of extra support to help students succeed.
The schools, identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools, include Beech Street Elementary, Henry Wilson Elementary, and West High in Manchester, along with Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary in Nashua.
Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools are designated once every three years — as required by law — as schools that are showing the greatest challenges with academic achievement and student performance.
CSI schools are defined as the lowest-performing 5% of all schools in the state receiving federal Title I, Part A funds, as well as all high schools in the state with a four-year graduation rate less than 67%, regardless of Title I status.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, a Title I school is one "enrolling at least 40% of children from low-income families."
Schools are reviewed under the Every Student Succeeds Act, a law signed by President Obama in 2015 that succeeded No Child Left Behind.
Under NCLB, passed in 2001, schools were expected to reach 100% proficiency by 2014 — a standard considered too high for almost every school in the U.S.
ESSA instead asked states to set "reasonable" and ambitious" goals.
By 2025, New Hampshire's ESSA plan expects 74% of students in the Granite State to score proficient in English, and nearly 54% to score proficient in math.
It also anticipates a graduation rate of nearly 94%.
ESSA requires states to calculate and release the list of public schools identified for CSI every three years.
The data represents elementary and middle school performance in academic achievement, growth, progress toward English language proficiency, and equity.
Key indicators for high schools include academic achievement, graduation rates, progress toward English language proficiency and college and career readiness.
"The New Hampshire Department of Education will be providing ongoing reviews, technical assistance and monitoring to support improvement efforts within each CSI school, and help aid with continued progress. These schools will develop improvement plans that ensure effective learning strategies are being implemented," Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a statement.
In accordance with ESSA, a total of $3.44 million in federal funds was reserved by the state Education Department from its $49,193,724 Title I allocation to provide direct funding and support for improvement programming to identified schools.
In response to having three city schools appear on the list, Manchester Superintendent of Schools Jenn Gillis said the district's goal is "student growth and achievement," and as such they'll respond to the designations "as a team."
"We take this as an opportunity to re-examine the systems that support both student growth and staff development not just at the identified schools, but across the district," Gillis said.
Goals met
"While we recognize we have much work to do," Gillis said, "we also must recognize the hard work of the schools that have exited designations, specifically Bakersville, Parker-Varney, Smyth Road and Webster elementary schools."
According to the Education Department, nine schools identified as CSI schools in 2018 have since met the improvement criteria to exit CSI status: Antrim Elementary, Grinnell School in Derry, Freedom Elementary, Hillsboro-Deering Elementary, Franklin Elementary in Keene. Bakersville School in Manchester, Parker-Varney School in Manchester, Nute Junior High in Milton, and Ledge Street School in Nashua.
In Keene, SAU 29 Superintendent Robert Malay said students, staff and the community have worked hard under the leadership of Franklin Elementary School Principal Erik Kress "to improve their student performance outcomes."
"The turnaround they made is a reflection of the focused efforts they put in during the difficult time the COVID pandemic bestowed on schools around the world and is truly commendable," said Malay.
This year's CSI list
A total of 13 elementary and middle schools in New Hampshire received a CSI designation this year:
Barnstead Elementary School.
Franklin Middle School and Paul A. Smith School in Franklin.
Beech Street School* and Henry Wilson Elementary* in Manchester.
Marlborough Elementary.
Middleton Elementary.
Milton Elementary.
Dr. Norman W. Crisp, Nashua.
Richards Elementary, Newport.
Northeast Woodland Charter, Conway.
Groveton Elementary in Northumberland.
Pittsburg Elementary.
There are a total of 10 high schools that received CSI status:
Next Charter School* in Derry.
CSI Charter School(in Concord.
Kreiva Academy Charter School in Manchester.
Ledyard Charter School in Lebanon.
Making Community Connections Charter School*in Keene.
Manchester West High School*.
North Country Charter Academy in Littleton.
Pittsfield High School.
Bud Carlson Academy* in Rochester.
Virtual Learning Academy Charter School in Exeter.
* First received CSI status in 2018.
