You’ve probably heard the term "failing schools" tossed around in the news or at a heated school board meeting. It’s a heavy label. But in 2024, the reality is a lot more nuanced than just a simple pass-grade. When the government drops the schools targeted list 2024, it’s not just a "wall of shame." It’s a massive data dump that triggers millions of dollars in federal funding and specific legal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Honestly, if you live in a state like Texas, North Carolina, or California, your local elementary might be on this list without you even realizing it. And no, it doesn't mean the whole school is falling apart. Sometimes, it just means one specific group of kids—maybe students with disabilities or English learners—isn't getting the support they need to keep up.
What the Schools Targeted List 2024 Actually Means
Basically, there are three main "buckets" a school can fall into when the state starts flagging underperformance. If you're looking at the schools targeted list 2024, you’ll see acronyms like CSI, TSI, and ATSI. They sound like alphabet soup, but they determine which schools get the "good" kind of government attention (money) and which get the "bad" kind (intense oversight).
Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI): This is the "big one." These schools are usually in the bottom 5% of all Title I schools in the state. Or, they’re high schools where more than a third of the kids aren't graduating on time. In states like North Carolina, 52 new schools were recently dragged into this category because their performance grades hit that bottom 5% threshold.
Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI): This is way more common. A school lands here if just one group of students—say, Hispanic students or those from low-income families—is consistently underperforming. The school might be great overall, but for that specific group, something is broken.
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Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI): This is the middle ground. It’s for schools where a specific group of kids is doing so poorly that they’d qualify the whole school for CSI status if the rest of the kids weren't doing okay.
It’s a complex system. A school in Tennessee might be a "Reward School" one year and end up on the targeted list the next if their achievement gap widens. It’s not a life sentence. It’s a signal that it’s time to pivot.
Why 2024 Was Such a Weird Year for These Lists
Everything changed because of the "COVID hangover." For a couple of years, the federal government gave states a pass on these rankings because, well, the world was ending. But in 2024, the gloves came off. States like Texas had to fight through massive lawsuits just to release their accountability ratings.
In fact, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had a whole mess with the courts over their 2023 and 2024 ratings. Because of that legal drama, many schools were left in limbo, not knowing if they were "targeted" or not. When the schools targeted list 2024 finally started trickling out, it revealed a harsh truth: chronic absenteeism is killing school scores. If kids aren't in seats, they aren't learning. And if they aren't learning, the school gets flagged. Simple as that.
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California’s 2024 Dashboard also showed some interesting shifts. They started making TSI determinations for the first time using new data sets. It’s not just about test scores anymore. They’re looking at:
- Chronic Absenteeism: Are kids missing 10% or more of the year?
- Suspension Rates: Is the school relying too much on kicking kids out?
- English Learner Progress: Are kids actually becoming fluent?
The Money Question: Does Being Targeted Help?
Here’s the part most people get wrong. Being on the schools targeted list 2024 actually opens up a chest of federal cash. Under Section 1003 of the ESSA, millions of dollars are set aside specifically for "School Improvement Grants."
If your school is labeled CSI, they can apply for massive grants to hire better coaches, buy new tech, or start after-school programs. In Oregon and Florida, schools are using this money to overhaul their reading curriculum. It’s basically the government saying, "We see you're struggling, here’s a check to fix it—but we’re going to watch you very closely."
But there’s a catch. If a school stays on the list for too long (usually three years), the state can step in and take over. They can replace the principal or even turn the school into a charter. The pressure is real.
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How to Find Out if Your School is on the List
You won’t usually find this in a friendly newsletter from the PTA. You’ve gotta dig. Most State Departments of Education (like NC DPI or the Florida DOE) host these lists as Excel files or PDFs on their "Accountability" pages.
Look for words like "Federal Designations" or "ESSA School Support." If you see your kid’s school on there, don’t panic. Ask the principal: "What’s our plan for the 1003 funding?" or "Which subgroup triggered our TSI status?" Most administrators are actually relieved to have the extra resources, even if they hate the label.
Real Examples from Across the Country
In North Carolina, the 2025-26 CSI list (based on 2024 data) showed that schools like Wadesboro Primary and Northeast Elementary were re-identified for support. They aren't alone. In Tennessee, even districts that seem "fine" on the surface, like Clarksville-Montgomery, had schools flagged for targeted support for specific student groups.
It shows that the "targeted" part of the name is literal. It’s a sniper, not a shotgun. It identifies exactly where the leak is in the boat.
Actionable Next Steps for Parents and Educators
If you’re dealing with a school on the schools targeted list 2024, here is what you actually need to do:
- Check the Subgroup Data: Go to your state's "Report Card" website. Look at the "Closing the Gaps" section. That’s where the real story is.
- Demand the "School Improvement Plan": By law, any school on this list must have a public plan. It should outline exactly how they’re spending the extra federal money.
- Focus on Attendance: If your school is targeted, the fastest way to get off that list is to fix absenteeism. It’s the lowest-hanging fruit in the accountability formula.
- Engage with the District: For TSI schools, the district leads the improvement, not the state. Show up at district meetings and ask how they’re supporting that specific school’s "Local Improvement Plan."
The 2024 lists are a wake-up call for a post-pandemic education system that's still trying to find its footing. It’s less about "bad schools" and more about "missed opportunities." Whether you're a parent or a teacher, knowing where your school stands is the only way to make sure no kid gets left in the gaps.