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No Child Left Behind overhaul: five key things that would change - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100314/ts_csm/287372 - broken link)
No Child Left Behind overhaul: five key things that would change
On Saturday, the Obama administration released its blueprint for overhauling the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act. US lawmakers are to consider the blueprint – and make their own revisions – as part of a reauthorization process for the education law.
Although the administration’s proposals would change many things about No Child Left Behind, one central component would remain: annual tests in reading and math for students.
On the other hand, one component that is likely to go away is the very name “No Child Left Behind.” Administration officials have indicated that the law should take on a new name, though this point wasn’t brought out in the blueprint.
Beyond the likely name revision, here are five key changes that the Obama administration is proposing:
• The goal of student proficiency in reading and math by 2014 would change to a standard of “college and career readiness” for students by 2020. As 2014 has approached, it’s become clear that the proficiency goal won’t be reached in that time frame. With the new goal, administration officials are focusing less on grade-level attainment and more on the skills that students will need for school or work after high school.
In a development related to this goal, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) have drafted a set of “common coreâ€
• Although reading and math tests would remain in the administration’s proposal, schools could also include student performance in other subjects as part of overall measurements of progress. Critics say that the current education law has narrowed the curriculum for students: Many teachers zero in on math and reading at the expense of other subjects to help students prepare for the required tests.
Now, administration officials are encouraging a broader outlook. “Students need a well-rounded education,” the blueprint declares, and it cites disciplines including history, civics, foreign languages, and the arts.
• Evaluations of schools would shift, being less punitive and offering more rewards. A common complaint of No Child Left Behind is that it labels too many schools as simply failing. The new proposal sets forth a multitiered system: One tier would identify the 5 percent of schools struggling the most in each state, while other tiers would apply to schools facing less-severe challenges. Different remedies are outlined for different tiers in the blueprint.
And the proposal outlines opportunities for rewards. “The schools, districts, and states that are successful in reaching performance targets ... will be recognized,” the blueprint reads. “Rewards may include financial rewards for the staff and students ....”
• More federal funding would be switched from formula-based allocations to competitive grants. The new system would build on the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program, which has offered stimulus money to states that both apply for the education funds in a competition and demonstrate a reform-oriented approach. That setup has encouraged states to adopt more reforms promoted by the US Education Department.
The Obama administration’s budget for 2011 would increase competitive funding by $3 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Schools that miss certain targets would not be required by the federal government to provide students with tutoring or with the option to transfer. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has objected to such requirements in No Child Left Behind, according to Education Week.
But this proposed change could meet with resistance from Congress, especially Republicans. Education Week quotes Alexa Marrero, a spokeswoman for Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee: “It’s disappointing to see [tutoring] and school choice removed from the parental toolbox, particularly because it appears the focus is shifting to the needs of schools rather than the needs of students.”
Where is the provision for requiring parents to get kids ready for school? What happens to the families where little Johnny shows up for kindergarten having never had a book read to him, not knowing the ABC's, never writing his name, never being told no? Can we require them to take parenting classes then? How about the families where the kid is failing every class and the parents never show up to conferences, never contact the teacher? How about the families where the parents pull their kids out of school every time they sneeze or because they are too tired and want to sleep in? How about the ones that let the kids go to tanning appointments during math tests?
How about removing high stakes testing of ELLs or removing assessments for students who are on a functional curriculum not an academic track. Why should I teach the water cycle when really the student needs to learn how to feed themselves???
It would be nice if the democrats started acting like democrats and advocated supporting
education instead of jumping on the "test them 'til they bleed" and punish them into privatization
bandwagon. Throwing a financial reward for results on high stakes tests will just shift teachers from
cooperation to competition which is not necessarily a healthy way to raise children. You know the teaching/learning environment is going to get extremely politicized as administrator's cohorts and/or spouses suck up all the funds.
As much as I detest the disastrous effects of NCLB, I worry that this will only make things worse. From reading this, it seems like they are going to increase funding - but in the form of rewards and grants for those schools that are doing well. I see no mechanism to help those that are doing poorly and really need the help.
I worry that including History and CIVICS as well as the Arts in the formula just opens the door for further indoctrination via more stringent Federal Guidelines as to what needs to be taught, what will be tested. Kind of puts us further at the mercy of Government Indoctrination of our kids.
Where is the provision for requiring parents to get kids ready for school? What happens to the families where little Johnny shows up for kindergarten having never had a book read to him, not knowing the ABC's, never writing his name, never being told no? Can we require them to take parenting classes then? How about the families where the kid is failing every class and the parents never show up to conferences, never contact the teacher? How about the families where the parents pull their kids out of school every time they sneeze or because they are too tired and want to sleep in? How about the ones that let the kids go to tanning appointments during math tests?
Kids never started kindergarten knowing the alphabet or how to write their names. Kids were seldom read to not too long ago. That's what kindergarten is for.
Where is the provision for requiring parents to get kids ready for school? What happens to the families where little Johnny shows up for kindergarten having never had a book read to him, not knowing the ABC's, never writing his name, never being told no? Can we require them to take parenting classes then? How about the families where the kid is failing every class and the parents never show up to conferences, never contact the teacher? How about the families where the parents pull their kids out of school every time they sneeze or because they are too tired and want to sleep in? How about the ones that let the kids go to tanning appointments during math tests?
YES YES YES YES! As parents we are with the kids for 5 years before they enter "school" yet we want to all the blame on the poor teachers. Believe it or not, by the time they kids enter school- foundation's already lay- nice and firm. Time to put the paint on the walls and furnish the home!!! Anyways, back to our point-- What about the kids who go to school hungry and can't seem to make it to school on time? I suppose we should blame the teachers for not providing them with things such as sleep and breakfast All this talk about "teacher's accountability" yet no one wants to talk about "parent's accountability." If we want "change" it needs to start at home with the values that we instill from the day they enter this world kicking and screaming. Let's not wait until they enter school and the teacher askes them what their favorite story is and they sit looking blank
Kids never started kindergarten knowing the alphabet or how to write their names. Kids were seldom read to not too long ago. That's what kindergarten is for.
The bolded is negligence.
It may be negligence but a REALITY nonetheless, happening more often than you think...
Honestly- kids are not read to? WOW! What a sad sad reality. They might not have been read to AS MUCH but then again more than likely the parents we around TALKING to them, problem solving with them, etc. (it's hard to believe that kids in the past entered school without any experience with books or other language development help).
No Child Left Behind overhaul: five key things that would change - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100314/ts_csm/287372 - broken link)
No Child Left Behind overhaul: five key things that would change
On Saturday, the Obama administration released its blueprint for overhauling the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act. US lawmakers are to consider the blueprint – and make their own revisions – as part of a reauthorization process for the education law.
Although the administration’s proposals would change many things about No Child Left Behind, one central component would remain: annual tests in reading and math for students.
On the other hand, one component that is likely to go away is the very name “No Child Left Behind.” Administration officials have indicated that the law should take on a new name, though this point wasn’t brought out in the blueprint.
Beyond the likely name revision, here are five key changes that the Obama administration is proposing:
• The goal of student proficiency in reading and math by 2014 would change to a standard of “college and career readiness” for students by 2020. As 2014 has approached, it’s become clear that the proficiency goal won’t be reached in that time frame. With the new goal, administration officials are focusing less on grade-level attainment and more on the skills that students will need for school or work after high school.
In a development related to this goal, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) have drafted a set of “common coreâ€
• Although reading and math tests would remain in the administration’s proposal, schools could also include student performance in other subjects as part of overall measurements of progress. Critics say that the current education law has narrowed the curriculum for students: Many teachers zero in on math and reading at the expense of other subjects to help students prepare for the required tests.
Now, administration officials are encouraging a broader outlook. “Students need a well-rounded education,” the blueprint declares, and it cites disciplines including history, civics, foreign languages, and the arts.
• Evaluations of schools would shift, being less punitive and offering more rewards. A common complaint of No Child Left Behind is that it labels too many schools as simply failing. The new proposal sets forth a multitiered system: One tier would identify the 5 percent of schools struggling the most in each state, while other tiers would apply to schools facing less-severe challenges. Different remedies are outlined for different tiers in the blueprint.
And the proposal outlines opportunities for rewards. “The schools, districts, and states that are successful in reaching performance targets ... will be recognized,” the blueprint reads. “Rewards may include financial rewards for the staff and students ....”
• More federal funding would be switched from formula-based allocations to competitive grants. The new system would build on the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program, which has offered stimulus money to states that both apply for the education funds in a competition and demonstrate a reform-oriented approach. That setup has encouraged states to adopt more reforms promoted by the US Education Department.
The Obama administration’s budget for 2011 would increase competitive funding by $3 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Schools that miss certain targets would not be required by the federal government to provide students with tutoring or with the option to transfer. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has objected to such requirements in No Child Left Behind, according to Education Week.
But this proposed change could meet with resistance from Congress, especially Republicans. Education Week quotes Alexa Marrero, a spokeswoman for Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee: “It’s disappointing to see [tutoring] and school choice removed from the parental toolbox, particularly because it appears the focus is shifting to the needs of schools rather than the needs of students.”
It all makes me ill. Get the Feds out of Education! Its role should be limited to research and getting America to learn about its schools and how different models have success and how some combos fail.
Reagan should have disbanded the DOE when he had a chance.
S.
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