After failing to meet adequate yearly progress for the last five years, federal guidelines mandate that Urbana Middle School must implement a restructuring plan.

Under the No Child Left Behind guidelines, schools who do not meet the progress standards for five straight years must submit a restructuring plan to the state. Urbana’s plan was submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education on Feb. 6.

“The plan paints the blueprint for how we as a district are going to help the middle school move forward,” said Don Owen, Urbana’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. “When a building comes under construction it’s kind of like putting the microscope on a higher power.”

School board president Mark Netter said the plan will be effective.

“There’s going to be some very good things that will come out of it,” said Jamie Peterson, co-president of the Urbana Middle School parent-teacher alliance.

Urbana is going to change its special education programming because special education students have failed to meet No Child Left Behind’s mandates. Owen said the district’s goal is to make sure all students are receiving support so they can achieve academic success.

Owen said the district is also focusing on changing the climate at the middle school so students want to be at school. They are using the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports program, an education program that gives schools information and ideas on how to implement successful discipline strategies in order to create positive, encouraging climates.

“They’re focusing on a sense of school community,” Peterson said.

The district is going to rework some programs that have been put into place in the last two years. The middle school has reading and math connections classes that help students who are struggling. Urbana is going to look at these classes to make sure they are providing efficient and effective support for students.

Owen said the district has been making positive changes in the schools, but it is hard to see progress because teachers are working with new students every year. Thus, the district does not just use the No Child Left Behind standards as an indicator of its success. Owen said Urbana also uses the results of local testing to judge performance.

Peterson said the district needs to continue working to help families feel invested in the school.

“(They need to) focus on continuing to reach out to the community (and) to find ways to inspire parents to get more involved,” she said.

The middle school can look to the success of the high school, which did not make adequate progress for five straight years, but in 2007-08 was able to meet No Child Left Behind’s standards. On Feb. 17, the district shared its success story with the Illinois State Board of Education.

“It was a huge indicator that some of the things that had been put in place paid off,” Owen said.

The district presented the ideas and improvement strategies it used to meet the standards to help other schools that have struggled to meet them.

“We’re very pleased for our students and we’re very pleased we’re able to help other schools in the state,” Netter said.

Sue Keller, president of the parent-teacher association at Urbana High School, said the high school has done a fantastic job giving each student the direction and attention he needs.

Owen said the needs of high school and middle school students are different but the two schools have similarities. The restructuring plans and school strategies were compiled using the same research.

“Both schools are working hard … they’re kind of in the same boat in a lot of ways,” Owen said. “When it comes down to how they look and practice … the core beliefs behind it are kind of the same.”