For the purposes of this program, the National Science Foundation defines a high need district as one that meets at least one of the following criteria:

1. It has at least one school in which 50 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for participation in the free and reduced price lunch program.

2. It has at least one school in which: (i) more than 34 percent of the academic classroom teachers at the secondary level (across all academic subjects) do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes; or (ii) more than 34 percent of the teachers in two of the academic departments do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes.

3. It has at least one school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15 percent or more over the last three school years.

The following Massachusetts districts meet criterion 1 of NSF's definitions of high need districts according to information form the Massachusetts Department of Education. Additional districts may meet one of the other two criteria. This list was updated in March, 2008.