New Hampshire’s Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools Definition

The following provides details as to the information and process used by New Hampshire to identify the 

persistently lowest-achieving schools.

Definitions from New Hampshire’s Rules for Public School Approval (NH RSA 189:25):

school.

A public school containing any of the grades kindergarten through 8 is classified as an elementary

 public middle school, subject to meeting the rules applicable to all middle schools. (NH RSA 

189:25)

A public elementary school containing any combination of grades 4-8 may be classified as a

 secondary, or high school, subject to meeting the rules applicable to all high schools. 

Using the above referenced state definitions and in accordance with US Department of Education

guidance entitled: “

New Hampshire’s “persistently lowest-achieving schools” are:

(a) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that —

(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I Schools in Need Improvement,

Corrective Action, or Restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in

improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools

is greater; or

(ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is

less than 60 percent over a number of years;

and

(b) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that —

(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the lowestachieving

five secondary schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I

funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or

(ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is

less than 60 percent over a number of years.

IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

Review of student achievement results. All available student achievement data for the “all students”

group from New Hampshire’s approved state assessment, the New England Common Assessment

Program (NECAP), was reviewed for each school on the above-referenced lists. Four years of NECAP

data (2005-2008) was reviewed for elementary and middle schools, and two years of NECAP data (2007

and 2008) was reviewed for high schools. As the data available increases in future years, four years of

data across all school attendance areas will be used. As the raw student achievement data for the state’s

A public school or public academy containing any of the grades 9 through 12 is classified as a