"Everybody Should Get It, Do You?" Lady at Breakfast in Bethesda
Where have we gone astray? No Child Left Behind (NCLB)? This law has cemented this country into having standards, testing, and “test score accountability” as our educational foundation. Is this the best we can do for our children?
Many an “official” will tell you that NCLB isn’t “working,” including my own senator. But then, he left the room saying that the re-writing “won’t be happening anytime soon.” What does that say about our priorities and values?
Why NCLB must be overhauled can be summed up in two words. Faulty Assumptions.
This document written by Gary Ratner of Citizens for Effective Schools explains the major faults of the law. It is just one page that can easily be given out to others who may not understand the law's problems. Ask your representative if he or she would like to read it. Summarized here for you are the faults:
AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress – is unscientific. It has never been proven to “work.”
Mandates made unrealistic demands on states that did not have the capacity to carry them out.
Sanctions as motivation to improve are not based on fact. What underperforming schools do demonstrate is that they either don’t know what to do or how to do it, or they lack the resources.
Sanctions are ineffective in enhancing the elements that make schools successful – better administration, teachers, curriculum, and family and community engagement.
Test scores as the judge of educational quality misses the mark and has led to manipulation of various kinds, teaching to the test, narrowing of the curriculum, and lost learning time.
The 100% “proficiency” goal is unworkable. At the rate of “improvement” under NCLB, it cannot happen in any of our lifetimes let alone by 2014.
If we acknowledge these faulty assumptions, what can we change to improve the law? Consider the following:
Re-write No Child Left Behind into an effective, targeted re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Specifically, the Key Changes proposed:
:
Eliminate the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement and escalating sanctions.
Support the lowest achieving public schools through guidance by;
Establishing use of the common elements of successful schools,
Providing narrative reports to the public that include major actions and obstacles,
Annual reporting of Indicators as designated during the improvement process,
Establishing state level School Quality Review Teams,
Implementing the School Improvement Process.
Establish a School Leadership Academy to develop experienced principals.
Allocate Title I (low-income students) funds to build (capacity) states’ knowledge and skills where needed.
Re-authorize and fund Title II (teacher, principal, counselor training) and improve other teacher quality programs.
My "ask" to you is to please consider that NCLB, if reverted back to its aim as written in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, could become the legislative instrument through which we can improve education in America.
Ask yourself if it is a federal law based on tests and sanctions that this country’s children need, or is it school improvement leading to quality educational opportunities for all that we should seek for our nation's children? Then, ask your representatives where they stand on NCLB and ask that they re-write it, now, beginning with understanding the intent of the law. Re-write or revert to the 1965 version. It isn't acceptable to allow Congress to leave a law that is harmful to children in place any longer.
Many an “official” will tell you that NCLB isn’t “working,” including my own senator. But then, he left the room saying that the re-writing “won’t be happening anytime soon.” What does that say about our priorities and values?
Why NCLB must be overhauled can be summed up in two words. Faulty Assumptions.
This document written by Gary Ratner of Citizens for Effective Schools explains the major faults of the law. It is just one page that can easily be given out to others who may not understand the law's problems. Ask your representative if he or she would like to read it. Summarized here for you are the faults:
AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress – is unscientific. It has never been proven to “work.”
Mandates made unrealistic demands on states that did not have the capacity to carry them out.
Sanctions as motivation to improve are not based on fact. What underperforming schools do demonstrate is that they either don’t know what to do or how to do it, or they lack the resources.
Sanctions are ineffective in enhancing the elements that make schools successful – better administration, teachers, curriculum, and family and community engagement.
Test scores as the judge of educational quality misses the mark and has led to manipulation of various kinds, teaching to the test, narrowing of the curriculum, and lost learning time.
The 100% “proficiency” goal is unworkable. At the rate of “improvement” under NCLB, it cannot happen in any of our lifetimes let alone by 2014.
If we acknowledge these faulty assumptions, what can we change to improve the law? Consider the following:
Re-write No Child Left Behind into an effective, targeted re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Specifically, the Key Changes proposed:
:
Eliminate the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement and escalating sanctions.
Support the lowest achieving public schools through guidance by;
Establishing use of the common elements of successful schools,
Providing narrative reports to the public that include major actions and obstacles,
Annual reporting of Indicators as designated during the improvement process,
Establishing state level School Quality Review Teams,
Implementing the School Improvement Process.
Establish a School Leadership Academy to develop experienced principals.
Allocate Title I (low-income students) funds to build (capacity) states’ knowledge and skills where needed.
Re-authorize and fund Title II (teacher, principal, counselor training) and improve other teacher quality programs.
My "ask" to you is to please consider that NCLB, if reverted back to its aim as written in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, could become the legislative instrument through which we can improve education in America.
Ask yourself if it is a federal law based on tests and sanctions that this country’s children need, or is it school improvement leading to quality educational opportunities for all that we should seek for our nation's children? Then, ask your representatives where they stand on NCLB and ask that they re-write it, now, beginning with understanding the intent of the law. Re-write or revert to the 1965 version. It isn't acceptable to allow Congress to leave a law that is harmful to children in place any longer.
We, the nation and its children, Need Citizen Lobbyist
“To strengthen and improve educational quality and educational opportunities in the Nation’s elementary and secondary schools.” ESEA 1965 ( Summary of ESEA )
Action Progress Succeed
Action Progress Succeed
