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May 2, 2008

No Child Left Behind is providing a lot interesting civics lessons lately. Last week the big news in NCLB came to us courtesy of the executive branch. This was in the form of the proposed regulations the feds have issued on a whole variety of NCLB topics. As NSBA said here, there's good, bad, and ugly in that one.

This week the big developments are judicial. First, a federal court has thown out the last remaining count in Connecticut's lawsuit challenging the act. Legal details here courtesy of NSBA's Legal Clips. The short version is the court said the feds didn't act "arbitrarily and capriciously" when they denied Connecticut's requests on testing of kids in special ed and English language learners and that, regrettably, there was a procedural reason the state's "unfunded mandates" argument couldn't be ruled on. Meanwhile, in the other big NCLB lawsuit, the full Sixth Circuit U.S. appeals court has agreed to rehear the case organized by the NEA. A three-judge panel of that court had handed the NEA a big victory in January when it found the unfunded mandates argument was legit, but we'll have to see whether entire court has a different take. Details from Ed Week here, and BoardBuzz's past take on the suit here.

Meanwhile, the outlook remains bleak from the branch of government that's actually supposed to be the one fixing its own mess. Congress seems unable to act. That doesn't excuse the administration's own culpability. But it's been a big part of the reason all along that we've seen these issues playing out so much in the other two branches.

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April 28, 2008

Given the proposed Title I regulations that were released last week by the U.S. Department of Education, NSBA belives that school districts must look to Congress, not ED, to fix the accountability flaws of the law and address its unintended consequences.

Overall, the proposed regulations add new requirements but offer little flexibility to educators who are struggling to implement the law that is based on a flawed accountaiblity framework. NSBA continues to urge Congress to reuathoarize the law now that would support states and school districts in improving student achievement, see the official statement from NSBA Executive Director Anne Bryant here.

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April 23, 2008

When it comes to NCLB, more is not better. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings' proposed NCLB rules yesterday add many new requirements for states, school districts and schools (see here), but make no improvement to the law's accountability structure, which has been a central flaw that identifies so many schools as failing.

From requiring states to use a uniform calculation for high school graduation rates and disaggregate the rates by student subgroups, to restricting the use of unspent funds for choice and tutoring, Spellings' proposed regulations simply pile on more burdens for schools.

BoardBuzz can't help but asks how these new requirements are going to improve student learning and achievment? Uniform graduation rates sound good, but where is the support for state and district capacity? According to its own Inspector General, ED didn't do its job early on to insist that states develop the data systems needed for accurate graduation rates.

And instead of helping schools and districts implement best practices for school choice and tutoring, the rules tie the hands of educators to use unspent funds and create burdensome paperwork districts must submit to states. Finally, BoardBuzz questions whether Spellings actually has the authority to make some of these changes to the law. With the lack of congressional action, Spellings seems to be playing the role of a lawmaker.
NSBA believes that ED's piecemeal approach to change the law is not a substitute for reauthorization.

Speaking of which, if the sounding of the death knell for reauthorizing NCLB had not already occurred (plenty believe we crossed that mark some time ago), this week has left little doubt that this Congress and this administration will not complete their work. Yeah - imagine that. A bit of a dog-bites-man storyline.

The adminstration's regulatory moves make it patently clear they won't be partners in a reauthorization. They will take matters into their own hands and then ride off into the sunset. Meantime, earlier today at a National Press Club event, Representative George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, left no room for confusion on where he stands, essentially saying that as long as the administration won't pony up the resources or even partake in a serious discussion about funding, he won't be moving any NCLB legislation. NSBA can certainly attest to the frustrations of local districts over the paltry federal funding our schools have received and the Feds' unwillingness (because it isn't a true lack of resources) to fulfill its financial promises.

But we have to ask: who benefits from this unfortunate game? Call it the Washington shuffle. Congress and the White House pointing fingers about which is to blame for inaction on a law that all realize is deeply flawed. Who benefits? It certainly isn't the nation's schoolchildren.

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March 21, 2008

Many public school advocates consider Education Secretary Margaret Spellings' annoucement to allow up to 10 states to use a "differentiated accountability" pilot program under NCLB a step in the right direction. In NSBA's statement, Executive Director Anne Bryant emphasizes that the small scale pilot program is "not a substitute for the immediate need for reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act."

By limiting the number of states that can use the new system -- which would allow schools and school districts to target limited resources and interventions for students who are most in need -- Spellings is placing "additional arbitrary barriers in place to the changes that are badly needed now." With these criteria in place, it is uncertain how many states will be eligible for the pilot program.

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BoardBuzz was pointed in the direction of this website from our friends at the Public Education Network (PEN)'s weekly Newsblast (which if you don't get, you should definitely sign up for).

It seems that Tom Chapin, the product of public schools, is disappointed (as is BoardBuzz) in the cuts that are taking place to art, music, and other stuff that's "Not on the Test." And in this digital age, Tom has put his thoughts to music, made a video and posted it to the internet. He laments,

Your School Board is faced with no child left behind
With rules but no funding, they’re caught in a bind.
So music and art and the things you love best
Are not in your school ‘cause they’re not on the test.

Sleep, sleep, and as you progress
You’ll learn there’s a lot that is not on the test.

Debate is a skill that is useful to know,
Unless you’re in Congress or talk radio,
Where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed
'Cause rational discourse was not on the test.

And while the lyrics do elicit a chuckle, it actually makes BoardBuzz feel like crying. Chapin is right, school boards' hands are often tied when dealing with the requirements of NCLB. The good news is that some school districts are doing whatever they can to incorporate the things that aren't on the test. We loved this story from the Washington Post about one school in Maryland that threw testing to the wind in favor of a day of arts instruction.

For more information on No Child Left Behind, NSBA's recommendations for changes to the law, and the law's reauthorization, click here.

What's your school district doing to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education, incorporating subjects beyond what's required on the test? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

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March 18, 2008

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced today that she will allow as many as 10 states to use a "differentiated accountability" system to target interventions/sanctions for chronically low-performing schools rather than to treat all schools that didn't make AYP under NCLB the same way, see this.

That's good news, on the surface. But BoardBuzz has to wonder, why only 10 states? If a differentiated accountability system is good for the goose, why not for the gander? If it's a fairer and more accurate measurement and helps target limited resources to schools and students most in need, why isn't that good for all states? We are talking about accountability that can have serious consequences for schools, so why should one state be allowed to have a fair system, while another would continue to be subject to the current one-size-fits-all accountability framework? Good questions, all.

Spellings wants to give this flexibility in the form of a "pilot program," limiting the number of states that can implement the new framework. Sen. Edward Kennedy hit the nail on the head in responding to the annoucement:

But schools need more than new pilot programs to respond to No Child Left Behind’s challenges. I commend Secretary Spellings for giving schools greater flexibility, but experience shows it won’t get us very far as long as the Bush Administration continues to shortchange its budget for school reform.

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March 6, 2008

Remember a few years back (4 to be exact) when several state legislatures (27 rings a bell) threatened to go nuclear over NCLB? Of course ultimately it didn't happen after the Feds took notice and offered up a little (we do mean little) flexibility here and there.

Are we on the cusp of another revolt? Today's Washington Post editorial board is exercised over the possibility that Virginia may opt out of NCLB if the Feds don't give ground on additional flexibility.

BoardBuzz can't help but ask: Is this what federal inaction on NCLB / ESEA reauthorization has wrought? With no needed improvements looming, states are saying enough is enough. Could Virginia's frustration open the door to other states taking action? Maybe. The same editorial notes that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine opposes the opt-out legislation and the session is nearly over anyway, so it probably ends up more as a message piece than anything else.

UPDATE: BoardBuzz readers send this along. Apparently Utah's still steamed.

How telling though that 4 years after states made much noise about NCLB's flaws that similar legislative threats are back. Kinda begs the question: with so many problems identified by so many different states and districts so long ago why are schools and students still suffering under the same old broken, underfunded NCLB with no reauthorization on the immediate horizon?

We know. It's an election year. Congress and the Administration have a lot on their plates and can't get on the same page on an issue as complicated and divisive as NCLB. There's no money. A new administration and Congress can take care of this. Just wait. And on. And on. And on.

As BoardBuzz keeps asking, in whose interest is prolonging the status quo of NCLB for one, two, three or more years? Not students. Not teachers. Not parents. Not taxpayers.

You can get involved in pressuring Congress to fix NCLB.

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March 3, 2008

Our good friends at the Center for Public Education have done it again. In their ongoing mission to bring the unbiased truth in public education to the world, the Center has created a new tool called Good Measures for Good Schools.

The tool, which is a practical guide to the various measures of school quality, helps you determine the right questions you should be asking about our schools.

Good measures for good schools provides the national average performance for each measure, and links you to comparable state data where you can see how your state performs. On some measures, we also link you to web pages that offer data for your district and school. By clicking on each question you should be asking, you can learn more about the usefulness and limitations of every measure and get easy-to-understand tips for how to interpret the data. When possible, the measures are linked to relevant research, analyses, and success stories on the Center site so you can find the best thinking on what to do to improve school performance.

The guide also gives you:

The right questions to ask for a full picture of the quality of your schools.
National data and easy links to state data to help you gauge the performance of your schools on 28 key measures. We also link you to district and school-level data as much as possible.
An explanation of each measure including how the data is useful and how it is limited.
Other questions to ask when the available data doesn't say enough.

The tool, which is denoted by the yellow ruler graphic, offers a great at-a-glance resource, as well as in depth information on each of the measures. But don't take BoardBuzz's word for it -- visit the Center and check it out for yourself.

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February 14, 2008

The fate of NCLB reauthorization in 2008 rests squarely in the hands of Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Politico takes a look at the prospects and whether the powerful chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee can advance the legislation this year. While political oddsmakers still say it is a long shot, many acknowledge that doubting Kennedy's ability to move a tough bill would not be wise.

Tom Loveless, an education policy expert at the Brookings Institution, says chances are “very slim” that NCLB will get out of committee this year. Still, Loveless says if there is anyone in the Senate capable of finding the middle ground necessary to pass NCLB, it is Kennedy — and that even if he fails this year, Kennedy will be well-positioned to get NCLB passed in 2009.

Meantime, school boards press forward in pointing out NCLB's flaws and the need for the right changes to be made this year.

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February 12, 2008

Inaction is a disservice to students and schools. That's the message on No Child Left Behind reauthorization that school boards across the country continue to make to members of Congress. And more and more House members seem to agree as the number of co-sponsors of H.R. 648, the comprehensive bill backed by NSBA to correct problems and improve NCLB, grows by the day.

According to Rep. Don Young's office (the lead sponsor of H.R. 648), Representatives William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Dennis Moore (D-KS) and Rick Renzi (R-AZ) have now signed onto the legislation. That follows Representatives Barbara Cubin (R-WY) and Tim Holden (D-PA), who signed on last month, bringing the total to 24 co-sponsors.

UPDATE: Our thanks to 2 more co-sponsors: Representatives Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH).

Meanwhile, nearly 700 local school boards nationwide have now passed resolutions urging their members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 648 and encourage the inclusion of the bill's recommendations in a final ESEA / NCLB bill.

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February 6, 2008

Not unexpectedly, the U.S. Department of Education has decided to petition the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision allowing a lawsuit to go forward that challenges the federal failure to fund the act. In her statement announcing the decicion, Secretary Margaret Spellings says:

NCLB is not an unfunded mandate. It is a voluntary compact between the States and the Federal government, which asks that in exchange for Federal tax dollars, results be demonstrated.

A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit ruled on January 7, that the lawsuit initiated by the National Education Association over unfunded mandates could go forward. Now the feds will ask the entire Sixth Circuit to rehear the case. The court could do so, or it could refuse. If it refuses, the feds could consider asking the Supreme Court to hear the case.

Meanwhile, Spellings has been warning school districts that the law still stands, so don't get any ideas about ignoring it. And this was the week, as The Politico reports, that 1,000 NSBA members descended on Capitol Hill to push their members of Congress to get on with reauthorizing the act. At the end of the day, the real significance of the lawsuit may have more to do with the politics of the needed fixing and funding than the legal question.

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January 8, 2008

More now on the biggest development on the sixth anniversary of No Child Left Behind that we noted yesterday: the ruling by the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that NCLB's "unfunded mandate" provision means requiring states and school districts to spend their own funds to comply with NCLB mandates is unconstitutional. The decision in School District of the City of Pontiac v. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education is the federal government's first court loss on this question. You can retrace the whole history of the case blow-by-blow, courtesy of NSBA's Legal Clips e-newsletter, on the School Law Issues section of the NSBA website.

As BoardBuzz explained way back in April 2005 when the suit was filed, NCLB includes language that states and districts don't have to foot the bill for the act's mandates, and the argument is that when Congress and the administration took credit for the act but then walked away from paying for it, they violated the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Spending Clause requires that Congress make very clear to states what strings are attached to federal funds.

One thing we finally got out of the lawsuit, as we pointed out, was at least a plausible interpretation from the feds about what the unfunded mandates language means. The lower court accepted that interpretation, but the Sixth Circuit decided for a variety of reasons it just doesn't hold up. More important, the appeals court said, just cooking up some explanation doesn't meet the test, which is that states know unambiguously what the deal is.

Now the case goes back down to the lower court. Secretary Margaret Spellings has indicated that the federal government will consider appealing to the Supreme Court. It's unclear whether or how this development will affect NCLB's prospects on the Hill or in the presidential race. Congress could change the language if it could get around to fixing NCLB—and if you read our past postings you'll notice BoardBuzz was urging Congress to improve NCLB even way back when the lawsuit was filed. Better yet, our lawmakers could really invest in America's children instead of just taking self-congratulatory bows for passing laws but leaving it to states and school boards to come up with the money.

They might want to act soon. Anti-NCLB rhetoric in the presidential race keeps heating up. One measure of that mood is this. Not so long ago NSBA was derided by NCLB cheerleaders for calling attention to the act's many shortcomings. Nowadays NSBA sometimes catches flak for working so hard to get the thing fixed and funded instead of trying to do away with it altogether.

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January 7, 2008

Odds are there won't be too many 'Happy Birthday' songs, cakes and balloons around the country Tuesday when No Child Left Behind turns 6. Although there is this pre-birthday surprise courtesy of a federal appeals court regarding NCLB compliance and funding.

And the law's anniversary is prompting the expected speeches, statements and op-eds from President Bush to leading lawmakers like Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative George Miller (D-CA). Taken together one does not discern a great sense of urgency among Washington politicians to complete NCLB's reauthorization in 2008. You already know where BoardBuzz stands on that: The law is broken and waiting two or three years to make the many needed improvements put forward by NSBA is a disservice to students and schools.

Senator Kennedy prescribes his remedies for a new law in today's Washington Post. Among them: growth models, multiple measures, teacher quality improvements and supports, tackling the high school dropout rate and last but certainly not least, adequate funding -- where the gulf between Democrats and Republicans is as wide as the Atlantic.

President Bush marked the occasion today in Chicago, again envoking the threat of a veto should Congress send him a bill that he thinks takes a step backward on accountability.

And so now is the time for Congress to reauthorize it. I'm sure a lot of people look around the country and say it's impossible for Congress and the President to work together. I strongly disagree. We worked together to get the bill written in the first place, and I believe we can work together to get it reauthorized. If it's not reauthorized, then I've instructed our Secretary to move forward on some reforms or to analyze reforms that she can do through the administrative process. If Congress passes a bill that weakens the accountability system in the No Child Left Behind Act, I will strongly oppose it and veto it, because the act will continue on -- in other words, this act isn't expiring, it just needs to be reauthorized.

His speech elicited a response from Rep. Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee: “Six years after No Child Left Behind was first enacted, the original goal of the law remains more important than ever: To provide every child with the opportunity to get a good education. I am committed to passing legislation that will make No Child Left Behind fair and flexible while retaining the law’s strong focus on accountability.”

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December 14, 2007

As Congress stumbles toward an end to its 2007 session, school board members want to see lawmakers get their act together and fix the broken No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2008. That's the bottom line message in a Cincinnati Enquirer op-ed by John Pennycuff, the president of the Winton Woods School District Board of Education in Ohio.

Writes Pennycuff:

School boards across the country have shown Congress the many obstacles and unintended consequences created by the law. Its "one size fits all" approach rigidly tied to high-stakes testing is inadequate and does not provide a true picture of performance. This has led to schools being identified as failures even though they may be making significant progress in raising student achievement. Uncorrected, this misidentification of schools will only grow worse in the years ahead.

And more:

Students should not be told to "wait it out" until after the 2008 presidential election when Congress can find the time to fix an unsound and underfunded law. No one, least of all our students, will benefit from a continuation of the status quo. It is time for our leaders in Washington to deliver for our children by improving the law.

And BoardBuzz knows just the legislation that can lead to needed improvements.

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December 7, 2007

John Merrow criticized how states are using NCLB “loopholes” to get around the law and help schools make AYP in this editorial (registration required) in Education Week. The issues he discussed in the article – statistical tools, minimum subgroup size, etc. – are not news as other reports such as this one by the Education Sector have also focused on these so called “loopholes.” But Merrow’s assertion that NCLB should not be reauthorized until “the law’s blatant loopholes are addressed” sends a misleading message to parents, educators, and policymakers.

Whether states are justified to use certain statistical tools and subgroup sizes to affect AYP results remains in question, but BoardBuzz understands two wrongs don’t make a right. If states are gaming in the face of a severely flawed law, the loopholes would be created in an attempt to right the wrongs of the law. Educators’ hands are tied when it comes to how certain students are assessed under NCLB. For example, students with disabilities and those who are English language learners are required, under the law, to be assessed in ways that do not accurately measure their achievements. As a result, schools face sanctions because of the test scores that do not reflect the true performance of the student population.

Did some states over correct the wrongs with these loopholes? That’s a question to be examined. But not until NCLB is improved and becomes a more accurate accountability measure for student and school performance –through timely reauthorization in 2008 – would we be able to eliminate the incentives to use any loopholes. NSBA continues to urge Congress to renew the law next year so our schools will not continue to be mislabeled for another two or three years. You can check out NSBA's recommendations here.

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December 3, 2007

Wondering how you can help "move the needle" on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)? Tomorrow from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. EST, you can participate in a special webinar "NCLB and the Impact of Grassroots Efforts" hosted by the National School Boards' Associations National Affiliate program and featuring Michael A. Resnick, NSBA associate executive director and Kathleen Branch, NSBA manager of Federal Advocacy Programs.

It's easy to sign-up for the webinar. They are a free benefit for National Affiliates and cost $50 for all others.

Check out the schedule for future webinars too.

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November 29, 2007

We noticed that the Washington Post editorial page took to task nearly all the presidential candidates for saying very little of substance when it comes to the No Child Left Behind Act. We've noticed too. In debate after debate this year, education overall, including NCLB, has received less attention than Rudy Giuliani's recent support for the Boston Red Sox.

The Post editorial also notes the "Congressional inertia" that threatens to derail NCLB reauthorization past the 2008 elections. As BoardBuzz has said before, that would be a disservice to our schools and students. It is hard to find anyone, in Congress, in schools, in local communities, who thinks NCLB is working well and can be left untouched for another 2 or 3 years. And as Education Week's David Hoff darkly warns, it's taken Congress forever to reauthorize relatively non-controversial programs like Head Start and Higher Education. So punting NCLB to a new administration and Congress could, gasp, potentially mean no improvements or relief until 2010? 2011? One would have to say it's at least possible.

Or, Congress can step up and make the substantive improvements needed. Without improvements, more and more schools will be misidentified for missing AYP under the current, flawed system, and will face costly and ineffective sanctions. One solution to the problem is the comprehensive H.R. 648, which more and more Democrats and Republicans are supporting.

For more details on why Congress needs to improve NCLB check out NSBA's recent letters to the House and Senate.

Posted at 2:31 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)

October 25, 2007

Kudos to Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) on becoming the latest member of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 648, the NSBA-backed No Child Left Behind Improvements Act of 2007. Jackson is the ninth co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK). We also thank Reps. Jo Bonner (R-AL), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Todd Platts (R-PA), Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Terry Everett (R-AL), Charlie Melancon (D-LA) and Mike Ross (D-AR).

The bill would make more than 40 improvements to NCLB on issues such as assessments, Adequate Yearly Progress, sanctions and funding requirements. Read a bulleted summary of the bill or check out our Issue Brief.

Meanwhile, close to 550 local school boards have passed resolutions urging their members of Congress to support the provisions in NSBA's comprehensive NCLB bill. If your board has not, here's a sample resolution.

What's the status of the reauthorization? Talk continues that the House Education and Labor Committee could (heavy emphasis on could) take up a bill at any time, while the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee also continues working toward introduction of a bill for possible markup. NSBA's Advocacy Office has compiled a side-by-side look at our recommendations compared to current law and to the House committee's discussion draft.

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October 16, 2007

The NCLB discussion draft released by the House Committee on Education and Labor has received much buzz since its released late August. NSBA has published a detailed analysis of the dicussion draft along with its position on the proposal, here; another easy-to-read side-by-side comparison between NSBA's bill, the dicussion draft and the current law is here.

The lurking question these days behind all NCLB-related discussions is when the law will be reauthorized. House education committee chairman Rep. George Miller, D-CA, remains firm in his committment to pass a bill on the floor by the end of this year. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions reportedly has been drafting language and moving along.

Although NSBA is concerned with some of the provisions in the House committee's discussion draft, we believe there is still time to improve the draft and complete floor action this year. Think about what the consequences would be if NCLB is not reauthorized by early next year. With the presidential election next year, Congress would likely not call up the controversial NCLB if its initial floor passage does not occur this year. That would mean that the reauthorization would not be finalized until at least 2010 and schools and school districts would have to live with the flaws of the law for another 3 years. By then California alone would likely see most of its 6,063 Title I schools labeled as chronically failing (more information in this New York Times article).

The House discussion draft is by no means perfect. But stalling the process of reauthorization will get us to nowhere this year, and threatens to send our kids and schools further down the law's sanction trail. If we miss this opportunity to fix the law, the next opportunity would come too late to get the much needed resources to our public schools and to perserve the crediability of NCLB.

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September 27, 2007

BoardBuzz couldn't resist this tidbit in the Washington Post. Sure, we told you about the NAEP scores yesterday, but what's even more interesting is President Bush's comments on them.

"Childrens do learn," he said Wednesday. Indeed they does.

The Post calls the gaffe, "a classic malapropism, the sort of verbal miscue that occasionally bedevils him in public speaking and provides critics and the media easy fodder for ridicule. Subject-verb agreement actually is taught at Andover, Yale and Harvard, the president's alma maters, but in an unforgiving job that requires him to speak hundreds of thousands of words with cameras rolling, the tongue sometimes veers off in mysterious ways -- and someone always seems to notice. "

We noticed alright. Sure, we all slip up here and there, but we're not all subject to on-camera public scrutiny when we do. On the other hand, the Post points out,

His latest misstatement masked a serious issue, of course. As Bush's first-term No Child Left Behind law comes up for reauthorization, many in Congress are attacking it from both the left and the right. The president is trying to preserve what he sees as one of his most significant domestic achievements, an effort to increase accountability through rigorous standardized testing. The latest report card released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress gave him some ammunition.

No doubt this most recent slip up gave some additional fuel to Bush's opponents' fires.

Others offered a more measured assessment. "Unfortunately, this administration has dropped the ball on education reform by shortchanging this law to the tune of $56 billion since its enactment," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate education committee. He vowed "to provide the solutions and the resources needed to ensure that students and schools can succeed."

BoardBuzz recommends you check out NSBA's recommendations for the law's reauthorization. Do it for the childrens.

Posted at 3:15 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007

Every two years those in the education community eagerly await to see of how well our nation’s students perform on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) also referred to as The Nation’s Report Card. Although NAEP has been administered since the 1970s, the passage of the controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2002 has escalated its importance. Since it is the only assessment that measures the reading and math skills of all students throughout the country both proponents and critics of NCLB look to NAEP results to argue their positions on whether NCLB is working or not and this year was no exception.

President Bush noted “These scores confirm that No Child Left Behind is working and producing positive results for students across the country.”

While Fairtest, an organization critical of NCLB and standardized testing, stated that “NAEP shows educational improvement across the nation slowed significantly since NCLB went into effect.”

While NAEP scores are an important tool in determining the impact NCLB is having on our nation’s schools, it should be just that a tool. NAEP provides a great view from 30,000 feet but it is those working closest to schools that know the real impact NCLB is having on our nation’s schools. It is the students, the parents, the teachers, the administrators and the school board members that Congress need to listen to as they debate reauthorizing NCLB.

As the debate rages over what impact NCLB is having on our schools, what should not get lost in the discussion is that schools keep getting better and better.

Black and Hispanic students have made significant gains since 1990 in both math and reading while white students continued to improve as well.

Schools have been especially effective in math where fourth-graders improved by 27 points and eighth-graders improved by 19 points between 1990 and 2007.

In reading schools are doing a better job with their struggling readers. The scores of those students scoring at the lowest 10 percent increased by 15 points between 2000 and 2007.

The results show that schools are at least on the right track on improving student achievement. While achievement gaps persist, schools are more effective educating their minority students than they were seventeen years ago when the student population was less diverse. The progress schools have been making over this time should not be overshadowed by the debate over NCLB.

For more information on the NAEP results visit The Center for Pubic Education.

Posted at 3:21 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)

September 19, 2007

Education advocate Jonathan Kozol is on a hunger strike. What? You heard it. USA Today reports in yesterday's “A Better Life” section that Kozol, known for his passionate tales of children and public education, such as Savage Inequalities, is on the “75th day of a partial hunger strike to protest” the No Child Left Behind Act.

Long gone is the day when hunger strikes were reserved for IRA inmates in British prisons. Apparently casting a nodding glance to suffragettes, Kozol seeks to compel the chair of “the Senate Education Committee, to commit to ‘a stark reduction in the use of standardized exams’ to measure [student] progress” under NCLB. And, while committee chair Ted Kennedy may in fact be willing to meet with Kozol, the paper reports that not all education advocates have taken a shine to Kozol’s methods. “Amy Wilkins of the Education Trust” says his “fast is misguided.”

BoardBuzz agrees that there are better ways to fry up the proverbial NCLB chicken (pardon the food reference). For more information, and NSBA's method, see the recent Congressional testimony of NSBA's top lobbyist Michael Resnick here regarding NCLB reauthorization.

But, even so, BoardBuzz wouldn't dare dismiss Kozol’s oh-so-brave efforts. He has, after all, lost an impressive 29 pounds on his quest. Talk about savage, er, fierce, willpower. We're impressed. So much so that BoardBuzz expects a new book this year from Mr. Kozol: Yes, You Can: Slimming Secrets in Fighting for a Cause.

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September 10, 2007

Capitol Hill is abuzz with supporters and critics of the No Child Left Behind law as Congress gears up to start the law's reauthorization process. In testimony today to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, NSBA urged lawmakers to heed the lessons learned during implementation of the current law and carefully consider how proposed changes will actually play out in schools across the country.

Reacting to the discussion draft of changes proposed by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), “We are pleased with the movement away from the rigid punitive aspects and the one-size-fits-all approach and toward greater flexibility and more options for states and districts in the law’s implementation,” said NSBA Associate Executive Director Michael Resnick in his testimony before the Committee.

Resnick went on to say, “We are also pleased with the key concepts included in the draft such as growth models and indexing systems, multiple measures of academic achievement, and reforms regarding accountability measures for students with disabilities and English Language Learners.”

“However, one of our concerns with this draft is the addition of many new requirements, including significant process, data collection, and reporting requirements for schools and districts,” said Resnick. These proposed changes would overwhelm schools, and “substantially complicate general understanding of the revised law and its actual implementation.”

Resnick accompanied NSBA's Board of Directors to Kodiak, Alaska, last week where leaders held their annual retreat, and the topic of NCLB was on everyone's minds. NSBA's President Norm Wooten, a local school board member in Kodiak, commented in this article in the Kodiak Daily Mirror:

"The most important thing a school board can do is be the connection between the local community and the school system. We need to reflect the values and desires of the community,” Wooten said. “By reflecting, I mean that we do that by passing budgets and implement policies.”

NCLB is providing a useful measuring stick but there is plenty it cannot do, Wooten said.

“The NSBA supports local control, we think that is where education issues are best decided,” he said.

NSBA is urging support for H.R. 648, which was sponsored in the House by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska).

Wooten and NSBA Executive Director Anne Bryant also shared their views on NCLB on Alaska Public Radio KMXT.

The Washington Post carried a variety of editorial opinions on the fate of NCLB in today's edition, including U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings; Fairfax County (Virginia) Schools Superintendent Jack Dale; and Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association.

Read NSBA's press release on the testimony here and the full testimony here.

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August 28, 2007

Just as sales and Labor Day are signs of getting back to school, so is the 39th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. And just as in the past 39 years, the poll found once again that the public—especially parents of school age children—give their local schools high marks. But they’re not so generous with schools outside their communities. They give them lower marks. This year’s lesson? Americans are happy with their own schools but see room for improvement for others.

How Americans rate their schools is usually the highlight of this annual report but this year BoardBuzz thinks the headliner is how the public feels about the controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) since it is up for reauthorization this year. To add to the frenzy, several other recent polls by Public Agenda, the Education Testing Service (ETS), Education Next/Hoover Institute, and the Scripps Survey Research Center have spurred headlines both decrying the public’s dismay with NCLB and touting the public’s support for this controversial law. Umm, which is it?

To help BoardBuzz make sense of these polls and find out what the public really thinks about NCLB, we asked our friends at NSBA's Center for Public Education for their analysis. What they found across each of the polls were:

The public is not very knowledgeable about NCLB.

Only half claim to know at least a ‘fair amount ‘about NCLB.

According to the ETS poll, almost half (47 percent) of those who say they know at least a ‘fair amount’ about NCLB weren’t able to associate it with its basic components—standards and assessments.

The public would like to see changes to NCLB instead of scrapped all together.

Across the polls, between 10 and 20 percent of the public do not want NCLB reauthorized.

Although some would like NCLB reauthorized as is, the vast majority of the remaining 80 to 90 percent would like to see NCLB reauthorized with either minor or major changes.

What those changes would be and to what extent the public would like the law changed is unclear.

However, the public strongly supports (82 percent) having schools judged on how much students have learned from year to year (i.e., growth models) instead of whether they were able to jump the proficiency bar or not on a single test.

Our friends at the Center went on to say the polls are unclear on how the public believes NCLB is affecting their schools, some say it is hurting, others say it is helping, while many others are not sure. This goes to show that school board members are in the unique position to educate the public on NCLB and the effects it is having on our local schools. School board members can also get their representatives in Congress to co-sponsor NSBA’s Bill to Improve NCLB—HR 648.

To read more analysis on the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, visit the Center for Public Education. To read the press statement from NSBA Executive Director Anne Bryant, click here.

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August 6, 2007

Check out some of the interesting takes out there lately on No Child Left Behind, education, and presidential politics, which come to us just as House education committee chair George Miller (D-CA) has called in a speech for "serious changes" to NCLB when Congress returns next month from its recess.

First, the Palm Beach Post has this article by Don Jordon about why education so far is a non-issue in the presidential race. Jordon was picking up on this commentary in Ed Week by Arthur Levine, president emeritus of Teachers College, Columbia University. These guys may have their work cut out for them.

"Education scares politicians," St. Lucie County School District Superintendent Michael Lannon tells the Post. "We're viewed, I believe, as a simplistic, emotional issue that national politicians and state politicians can just kind of jump on with this issue of accountability, not realizing that schools are probably the most regulated, accountable things in the country to start with." All too true. But Ed Sector's Andrew Rotherham says the silence is a function of primary politics, where candidates are too worried about where the hard-core base of each their respective parties is on issues like this to risk saying too much too early.

Then again, there's this take from Joe Rothstein, editor of U.S. Politics Today, who argues that the political world should take note of the response New Mexico's governor, Bill Richardson, got during a recent presidential candidates' forum when he called for the outright repeal of NCLB. That position sets him apart from the rest of the Dem pack, but that's part of what Rothstein says is noteworthy: "What moves the needle in politics becomes an important issue." He says the NCLB reauthorization debate on the Hill nationalizes education politics and "may be the springboard that vaults education to the political center stage."

U.S. Department of Education official Eric Earling responds to this editorial in the Snohomish County (Washington) Herald, which said that NCLB "needs a reality check," by writing here that NCLB "is a needed reality check." In pointing to examples of schools that are succeeding despite challenges of poverty and language barriers, he writes, "The point is education reform succeeds when the focus is on the positive, not the negative. Highlighting examples of where problems may exist does nothing to improve student learning. Working to emulate success stories where education reform is succeeding does."

But that's exactly what's wrong with NCLB, writes former Providence, R.I., school board member Julia Steiny in this column in the Providence Journal: It needs to shift its "emphasis from the persistent pursuit of the negative to seeking out the positive." She predicts NCLB's legacy will be the powerful state data systems it is creating, but that these can only go so far if NCLB continues to be less about inspiration than about stigma. "The nation’s leaders badly need to get over thinking they can punish schools into excellence," she concludes. "It can’t be done."

Those who want to see NCLB revamped now—but not discarded—need to keep that pressure on Congress coming.

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August 1, 2007

Although accountability for math and reading achievement garner most of the attention when it comes to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), graduation rates are also included in determining whether high schools make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). This morning the folks over at The Education Trust shed a brighter light on this issue with the release of their latest report called Graduation Matters: Improving accountability for high school graduation. The report focuses on what they feel are two major shortcomings of NCLB’s current graduation rate accountability provisions. The Education Trust claims:

1. State goals for raising graduation rates are far too low to spur needed improvement.
2. Gaps between student groups are allowed to persist by an accountability system that looks only at average graduation rates.

The report calls for stronger accountability when it comes to high schools graduating their students. So to strengthen graduation-rate accountability they recommend states:

1. Calculate an accurate graduation rate based on the percent of first-time ninth graders who earn a standard diploma four years later. (aka the NGA Compact caclulation)
2. Use this information when holding schools accountable for making progress.
3. Set ambitious goals and aggressive improvement targets for meeting those goals.
4. Hold schools accountable for improving the graduation rates of all groups of students.

BoardBuzz applauds The Education Trust for highlighting the importance of graduating more of our students. But it will take more than just a new calculation to do so, although it is an important first step. BoardBuzz learned from our own Center for Public Education’s Keeping Kids in School: Lessons from research about preventing dropouts that the keys to keeping kids in school through graduation are to:

1. Identify students at-risk of dropping out before they reach high school.
2. Provide ongoing interventions.
3. Provide prevention programs once students enter high school.
4. Provide recovery programs for those students who slip through the cracks.

Although an accurate graduation rate is important in identifying which students are graduating and which students aren’t, no formula or accountability system will get more students to complete high school and walk across that stage to receive their diploma unless schools are given the tools they need to help those students at-risk of dropping out.

For more information about dropout prevention and graduation rates visit our friends at the Center for Public Education.

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July 27, 2007

These are no lazy days of summer for school boards that are aggressively making the case to Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) with the NSBA-supported provisions in H.R. 648. More than 400 local school boards, large and small, across the country have now passed a resolution in support of the legislation, including large numbers from Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Is your school board among them? Check out the running list of boards. Need a sample resolution? Here it is.

For more information on NSBA's recommendations on NCLB here's a simple two-pager.

When will Congress act on NCLB? Certainly not before its upcoming August recess, but both House and Senate education committees are hoping for activity when members return in September, making August a key month to make your case to your lawmakers. Tell them to take action in this Congress so our schools and students do not have to endure another 2 or 3 years under a flawed law. In the meantime, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) will discuss NCLB reauthorization on Monday at the National Press Club.

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July 23, 2007

With a report released last month by the Center on Education Policy, arguments over the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) are still percolating in the hallowed halls of Congress and beyond.

In its fifth annual assessment of NCLB, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) concluded that student achievement has improved since the law was enacted but that gains can't be definitively attributed to the law. BoardBuzz covered the report's release here.

In Answering the Question that Matters Most: Has student achievement increased since No Child Left Behind? CEP found that:

• Math and reading scores on state assessments were improving since 2002.
• Achievement gaps were narrowing in more states than not.
• Students were making greater gains after NCLB than before NCLB in 9 of the 13 states for which CEP had sufficient trend data.

Proponents of NCLB quickly pointed to the report as evidence that NCLB is indeed increasing student achievement. Critics of NCLB emphasize that CEP clearly stated that it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine whether the increases were because of NCLB.

So has student achievement improved since NCLB was put into law in 2002? Here's our take. According to NSBA's Center for Public Education, CEP makes a strong case for concluding that it has, but by how much is not clear. The Center adds that, as CEP itself observes, it's not possible to isolate the effects of the law from federal, state, and local school improvement efforts that have been underway before and since 2002. Read what else the Center has to say about the report here.

Instead of waiting for researchers to agree (scheduled to occur at approximately the same time that pigs fly), school board members should use their unique vantage point to evaluate how their own policy decisions have been influenced by NCLB and what impact those decisions have had on student achievement.

And with reauthorization of the law looming, BoardBuzz reminds you to encourage your representatives in Congress to support H.R. 648, NSBA’s bill to improve NCLB. Learn more by visiting NSBA's Advocacy & Legislation web pages.

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July 16, 2007

The list of local school boards passing a resolution in support of H.R. 648, the NSBA-backed bill to improve the No Child Left Behind Act, grows longer by the day and currently sits at 370. Check it out here. Get a sample resolution here if your board has yet to pass one.

Kudos to Virginia School Boards Association Executive Director Frank Barham, on his Sunday op-ed in The Roanoke Times outlining why so many of the Commonwealth's school boards have passed resolutions.

Local press is also picking up on the resolution campaign. Check out news coverage of the Crowley ISD (Tex.) school district passing a resolution here, and the Highland (Ind.) school district here.

Quick background on H.R. 648 can be found here. The House Education and Labor Committee could introduce its NCLB reauthorization bill as soon as this week, and school board members continue their push for the inclusion of H.R. 648's provisions in the committee bill.

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June 20, 2007

More than 250 local school boards have now passed a resolution urging their Representative to support and co-sponsor an NSBA-backed bill (H.R. 648) to improve the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Check out the list of boards here. Special thanks to Georgia, Kansas, and Virginia, three states whose school boards are leading the way in urging Congress to reauthorize and improve NCLB now.

If your board is not on this list, it needs to be. With widespread agreement that NCLB as currently constructed is not working for students, schools, or districts, Congress needs to hear from local school leaders now that the law must be re-worked, and sooner not later.

Get a sample resolution right here.

The greater the support for the more than 40-plus provisions to improve NCLB in H.R. 648, the greater the influence school boards will have with the education committees drafting the reauthorization bill.

After your board passes the resolution, send a copy to your member of Congress, to your local media and to NSBA's Kathleen Branch.

Get more information about NSBA's recommendations and H.R. 648 right here.

One of the areas within NCLB where NSBA has made recommendations is that of supplemental education services or tutoring, an issue getting national attention. For more on that see item below.

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For a program that can cost as much as $2.6 billion a year but lacks evidence of effectiveness, USA TODAY's Adrienne Lewis is right to question whether continued federal investment in supplemental educational services (SES) or free tutoring under NCLB is warranted, see this editorial. Her point is that the quality of tutoring programs determines whether SES works. As of now -- five years after NCLB was passed -- the evidence of effectiveness is not there.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings disagreed. In her op-ed opposing Lewis' view, she announced that a new report from the department found significant academic gains among students who received SES for more than a year. What's more, parents said the program is helping their students achieve.

The report Spellings mentioned has not been released; it's unclear what it will look like. One thing's for sure is that states are still struggling to evaluate SES providers' effectiveness. Small-scale, individual evaluations over the years are a mixed bag. An upcoming report from the Center on Education Policy that surveyed 349 school districts found that SES was not rated highly in helping students improve peformance.

For now, it seems there's still a long way before any conclusion can be drawn on the effectiveness of SES -- at least, not until all states have comprehensive and valid evaluations in place. Despite that, the adminstration is proposing to increase the per-pupil spending on SES for some students. Already school dstricts are paying more in per-pupil costs for private SES providers than for services provided by the districts themselves, see this.

NSBA supports making tutoring available to students who need help most. In fact, it recommends making SES available for these students sooner than the current law requires, see NCLB recommendations here. However, NSBA does not support spending more of the much needed Title I funds on SES until there is concrete evidence that the program is working.

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June 6, 2007

There's much buzz in Washington about a new report released yesterday by the Center on Education Policy that showed state test scores in reading and math have gone up since 2002 when NCLB was passed, and that the achievement gap between white and minority students appears to have narrowed. Read all about it here in the Washington Post.

The report looks at student achievement (aka test scores) since the passage of NCLB but does not attempt to attribute the rise in test scores to NCLB. Despite that, the U.S. Department of Education was quick to ride the report's coattail, issuing statements about NCLB's positive effect on student achievement. If Secretary Spellings had read the report, she would know that the authors of the CEP report specifically cautioned against drawing a cause-and-effect conclusion between test score trends and NCLB. It's good news that test scores are up, but to hastily attribute the cause in order to score political points is irresponsible.

Although NCLB was signed into law in 2002, its effect was not likely felt until much later. Consider when it was passed, states had to redesign their accountability and assessment systems to comply with the law. In fact, half of the states to date--after five years of implementation--are still not in compliance, according to ED's own review. Standard setting and realignment are not easy tasks that can be done in a few weeks.

Many states also completely overhauled their assessment systems; while others continue to make changes to theirs over the years, making comparison of test scores from year to year difficult if not impossible. The report also identifies other limitations such as sketchy data and changes in testing rules over the years. It suggests that increased student learning or teaching to the test can be reasons for the rise in test scores.

NSBA agrees that NCLB definitely has an effect on teaching and learning, but how much it impacts student achievement is too difficult to gauge now given the law is still relatively young. Perhaps the more appropriate question to ask now is whether NCLB is using the right accountability tools to measure school performance. For example, CEP's report found that the achievement gaps between white and black, white and Hispanic and low-income and more affluent students have narrowed in Florida over the study period. However, under NCLB's accountability system, the number of Florida schools not making adequate yearly progress continue to climb, with many going into the punitive restructuring phase.

NSBA does not believe NCLB is currently measuring school performance accurately, and has made 40 some recommendations to Congress to correct the flaws. We need to know how students are doing after NCLB, but reliable achievement data are hard to come by when the accountability framework used to measure schools are flawed.

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May 25, 2007

South Carolina Superintendent Jim Ray is taking the state's message about No Child Left Behind to the media this week. Ray, who is the superintendent of Spartanburg School District 3 was asked to fill in by State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, who was travelling.

Ray, who shares the same feelings as Rex about NCLB, will appear on CBS Evening News next week.

"I have a great deal of experience with accountability systems, and I am in a position to defend our high standards," Ray said as he prepared for the CBS interview at the entrance of Cowpens Elementary. "I guess (Rex) felt like I would not be afraid to say my peace."

Wallace's story will focus on the discrepancies in proficiency standards under No Child Left Behind, and how scores from state standardized tests are typically much higher for most states than their scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The NAEP is widely considered the only fair comparison to measure standardized student scores from state to state.

And because the standard of proficiency is so high in South Carolina, and that bar increases every year, it appears that schools aren't improving.

Ray said the high-punitive, but low-rewarding NCLB system causes teachers to quickly get burnt out and dispirited.

"South Carolina has chosen to implement rigorous standards, and we're catching both sides of a double-edged sword," he said.

"In South Carolina, we're not interested in lowering our standards. We're interested in the feds stopping and taking a look at this and realizing that we need to create a uniform standard of proficiency across the country."

Check your local listings for broadcast information.

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May 17, 2007

School board members, superintendents, principals and teachers may not always agree with each other on issues affecting schools and students, but when it comes to No Child Left Behind, reaching a consensus is not hard to come by.

Six of the nation's top education groups, including the National School Boards Association, jointly urged Congress to reauthorize NCLB to focus on five major areas of change:

• A redesign of the federal accountability framework to improve public schools rather than abandon them.
• Valid, reliable, unbiased assessment systems that are aligned with state standards.
• Maximum flexibility for states and school districts to address the assessment and learning needs of English language learners and students with disabilities.
• Helpful interventions tailored to the needs of schools and communities rather than the current system of punitive sanctions.
• Determination of the qualifications of principals, teachers, and other education professionals by states and local school districts.

These recommendations are results of educators' experience with the law over the last five years. They are not aimed at altering the goals of NCLB; in fact they are necessary to preserve those goals. These recommendations will lead to better implementation, adequate funding, targeted resources and interventions -- all of which are essential to driving sustainable reform and improving student achievement.

Read the complete statement here and NSBA's press release here.

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May 2, 2007

NSBA continues to push Congress to improve and reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act this year because students and schools cannot wait another two, three or four years for necessary changes to be made. Has your school board taken action yet? Why not? NSBA makes it easy for you to do.

Pass this school board resolution that supports H.R. 648, a bi-partisan bill sponsored by Rep. Don Young of Alaska, and which calls on your Representative to co-sponsor the bill. The greater the support for the 40-plus provisions to improve NCLB that are included in this bill, the greater influence school boards will have with the education committees that will be drafting the reauthorization bill. Pass the resolution this month and send a copy to your member of Congress and to NSBA's