Teacher Leaders Network - NCLB - (Page 1)

“It is essential that the voices of accomplished teachers be heard as education policy is formed. What better way to ensure that policies are workable, relevant, and meet the needs of today's classrooms?” – Susan Bischoff, National Board Certified Teacher The Future of American Education in the Making The 2002 passage of No Child Left Behind represented a major overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, initially enacted in the mid-1960s under President Lyndon B. Johnson. NCLB was hailed by policymakers from both sides of the political aisle as a major step forward in improving academic achievement for those children typically left behind — particularly those who live in poverty and those of color. For many, the focus of the law’s intended outcomes — attempting to address the learning needs of all students, identifying academic progress, and holding schools and educators accountable — had been too long coming. Relying heavily on standardized tests in math and reading, NCLB has required states to demonstrate annual progress in student achievement, with the goal that all students will be proficient in both subjects by the end of the 2013-14 school year. Although states can use different standardized tests and formulas for determining proficiency, schools must meet their state’s annual achievement benchmarks (in grades 3-8 and once in high school) for all student subgroups, and the states must report the data publicly. If a school fails to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two years, a number of sanctions are triggered. These include providing students an option to attend another public school (including public charter schools) or, after three years of failing to meet AYP, providing private tutoring paid for by their resident school district and offered by outside vendors. Additionally, the law has required that every teacher in core content areas working in a public school must be “highly qualified” in each subject he or she teaches. This first-of-its-kind federal intervention was intended to correct one of the most egregious injustices in the U.S. public school system: students of poverty and students of color are the children most likely to be taught by inexperienced and under-qualified teachers. While states differ in how they define a “highly qualified” teacher, the law undoubtedly has initiated new efforts to attract teachers into the profession and support them after they enter. It is Time to Align NCLB Intentions and Consequences Few policymakers and practitioners dispute the high purpose of NCLB — to close our nation’s daunting achievement gap and to hold states and schools more accountable for student progress. However, a wide range of vexing issues has sparked NCLB controversy within the education, business, and policymaking communities. These include tough questions about the quality of the student tests, the elements that constitute “adequate progress,” the consequences for failing to meet targets, and the characteristics of a “highly qualified” teacher. Over Page 1

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Teacher Leaders Network - NCLB

Executive Summary The Future of American Education in the Making It is Time to Align NCLB Intentions and Consequences The Teacher Leaders Network Encounters NCLB from the Classroom NCLB Demands Results and So Do We Attention Alone Does Not Equal Effective Accountability Standardized Tests Fall Short of 21st Century Demands For What Future Is NCLB Preparing Students? As Testing Expands, the Curriculum Shrinks The Drive for Data Presents Potential for Significant Change Data Systems Don’t Keep Pace with Real-Time Instructional Needs AYP Highlights the Good, Bad, and Ugly of NCLB Does “Highly Qualified” Set the Teaching Bar Too Low? Teaching Quality Must Be More Than a Number Every Student Deserves a Highly Effective, Well-Trained Teacher Conclusions References

Teacher Leaders Network - NCLB

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