Did you know that 68 percent of fourth
graders cannot read proficiently at grade level?(1) Did
you know that 83 percent of twelfth graders are not proficient
in math (2) and
that 82 percent of twelfth graders are not proficient in
science (3)?
These statistics have held steady for years, leading to an
increased emphasis on accountability in the No Child Left
Behind Act.
The Challenges
Twelve years from now, all children who attend public schools must be
proficient in reading, math and science. We will not reach this goal
if we continue to do more of the same thing with more intensity. How
schools are structured and what successful schools look like is changing.
Teachers, principals and school administrators who are knowledgeable
about these changes will be able to meet the challenges of the No Child
Left Behind Act.
The No Child Left Behind Act affects virtually every
person employed in the public school system. All schools
in districts that accept Title 1 federal funds must make
detailed annual reports on the progress of all children.
Each school must also report the progress of four subgroups:
minority children, children with disabilities, children
with limited English proficiency, and children from low-income
families.
If a district is not successful in raising the level
of all students, immediately and steadily, to the state-defined
level of proficiency, the district will lose control.
Detailed information about the performance of schools in the district
and subgroups of children must be readily available to anyone who wants
this information. Real estate agents will use these reports to answer
customer questions about school districts and neighborhoods. Teachers
will examine this information before deciding to apply for a position
in a school, district, or state. Superintendents will use this information
to determine which principals are running successful schools and which
are not. School boards will use this information to evaluate superintendents.
Voters will use this information to evaluate school boards. Industry
will use state report cards to make decisions about where to locate new
facilities.
What company wants to locate a new factory in a state
with a high dropout rate? Who wants to buy a house in a
neighborhood where the schools are not successful? Who
will apply for a teaching job in an unsuccessful school?
The Changes
The No Child Left Behind Act changes public school accountability. No
one will judge schools as successful because of attractive buildings,
new books, small classrooms, number of volunteers, etc. The only thing
school personnel will get credit for is their ability to teach children
to the level of proficiency-all children, not just the easy ones. Being
able to say that 20 percent of a school's graduates go on to Harvard
will not keep a school out of the "Needs Improvement" category
if the drop out rate is high, or if children in one of the subgroups
are not learning to read or do math at a proficient level.
Principals and teachers in successful schools should
expect an influx of students because of the school choice
provisions. Saying the school is too full to accept new
students is not an option. Saying the school cannot accept
new students because the staff wants to maintain a specific
class size is not an option. Saying there are not enough
teachers to teach new students is not an option.
The Impact on School Personnel
Student test results will affect everyone employed by the school district…
K-3 teachers must teach all children to read. These teachers must learn
how to assess children and how to use assessment results to plan effective
instruction. If a child is not making progress with one method of instruction,
the teacher must use a different, more appropriate method. Teachers must
use research-based methods of teaching and be knowledgeable about phonemic
awareness and phonics.
Many teacher-training programs do not require students
to be knowledgeable about research-based teaching methods
or phonemes in order to graduate. Many states do not require
this knowledge for certification or licensure of elementary
school teachers. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, elementary
school teachers must meet the new "highly qualified" standard.
Music teachers, gym teachers, computer teachers, and
foreign language teachers are not immune from this law.
If their school must offer school choice, many of their
students may leave. They may have to follow the students
to a better school and teach the rising population there.
Speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical
therapists and guidance counselors may have to work academics
into their therapies to make up for the child's time out
of the classroom. When children exercise their school choice
options and leave unsuccessful schools, there may not be
a need for as many related service providers.
Special education teachers must teach students to the
level of proficiency. If a special education teacher teaches
a core subject, she must meet the standard of a highly
qualified teacher in that subject. Special education teachers
must work more closely with regular educators. A student
may take an alternative assessment if his disabilities
prevent him from taking the regular state assessment but
alternative assessments must test grade level knowledge.
Principals must redesign their schools, implement research-based
curricula, ensure that teachers are trained in research-based
instructional methods, and provide core reading knowledge
to elementary teachers who did not get this training in
college. Principals who increase their school's effectiveness
must prepare for sudden increases in student population.
Special education directors must recommend effective
research-based methods for children with different learning
styles. Graduation rates for students with disabilities
will be broken out on school and district report cards.
These report cards will show the proficiency rates of students
with disabilities at each school. If the drop out rate
is high, the superintendent or school board will expect
an explanation. If test scores of students with disabilities
are low, directors of special education may need to explain
why these children are not achieving higher scores, even
though each child has an Individualized Educational Plan
(IEP) that is designed to meet the child's unique needs.
Superintendents must oversee and evaluate training for
personnel in research-based methods and curricula. They
must also ensure that all paraprofessionals in Title 1
schools are working in appropriate capacities and meet
minimum education and knowledge requirements.
Superintendents must deal with student populations that
fluctuate annually as school choice options change. These
changes will affect schools that have to offer school choice,
and schools that do not accept Title 1 funds. The child
who exercises school choice does not have to attend another
Title 1 school. He may choose to attend a school that does
not receive Title 1 funding. Once a child chooses a school,
he may stay at that school until he successfully completes
the highest grade in the school.
If students in a district are eligible for supplemental
services, the superintendent must contract with providers,
monitor goals for each student, monitor the effectiveness
of service providers, and pay service providers according
to their individual payment requirements.
School board members must hire administrators who have
the expertise to improve student learning and make the
district successful. School board members must become knowledgeable
about effective teaching methods and research-based curricula.
Some board members may think they have this knowledge.
If this were true, schools would not have a 68% failure
rate in teaching students to read by fourth grade.
By the time the school board receives their school and
district report cards, more schools may have entered the "Needs
Improvement" category. School boards must deal with
the personnel and transportation issues that occur when
student populations fluctuate. In the past, school boards
could study population growth trends to determine when
they would need more space, and for which grades. Anticipating
sudden student population shifts will be more difficult.
Because districts and states will issue report cards
during the summer, children will make school choice decisions
before the new school year begins. Managing budgets, transportation
contracts, teaching contracts, and space will be difficult
in districts when schools are moving in and out of the "Needs
Improvement", "Corrective Action" and "Restructuring" categories.
Learning how to be successful the first time around will
be the key to keeping the needs for space and teachers
stable.
The Good News
The good news is that there is finally a way to draw attention to what
does not work and to fix it. Teachers who want to teach a solid curriculum
will have that curriculum. Teachers who need training they did not
receive in college will receive that training.
We have research that shows what works. Funding is available
for effective programs. Money is available to train teachers.
Supplemental services are available to raise student achievement.
Detailed annual reports are available to show schools where
to direct their efforts, and when they have reached their
goals.
The improvements mandated by the No Child Left Behind
Act will lead to changes in other areas. The No Child Left
Behind regulations include statements about the economic
and non-economic benefits of a good education:
- Nations that invest in quality education enjoy higher
levels of growth and productivity, and a high-quality
education system is an indispensable element of a strong
economy and successful civil society.
- High school graduates are more likely to continue their
education and receive the additional skills and knowledge
necessary to compete for jobs in a high-technology, knowledge-driven
economy. Scholars have also found strong, positive correlation's
between higher levels of schooling and higher lifetime
earnings, higher savings rates, and reduced costs of
job search.
- More educated individuals lead healthier lives and
have lower mortality rates. They are more likely to donate
time and money to charity, and to vote in elections .
. . the educational level of parents is a positive predictor
of children's health, cognitive development, education,
occupational status, and future earnings . . . education
is negatively correlated with criminal activity and incarceration,
and more educated mothers are less likely to have daughters
who give birth out of wedlock as teens.
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