A Mid-Atlantic urban administrator writes Eduwonk about No Child Left Behind, he/she’s a fan, here is why:
…the public has no idea just how powerful NCLB is….and that the [Bush] administration has actually failed to effectively convey what it’s truly all about and what it’s truly accomplishing…
…for the first time in years, in the poorest performing of this city’s schools, the discussion and focus is all about kids doing grade level work. Not about eking out gains, moving kids closer to grade level, but actually about moving them to grade level…
…for the first time, administrators and teachers are looking at the data constantly…and that in many of the lowest performing schools, it’s transforming the way in which educators talk about kids…schools are starting to understand that this is all about kids. That improving from having 5% of a middle school’s graduating 8th graders to 15%…which is what AYP’s [adequate yearly progress] “Safe Harbor” requirements is all about…actually comes down to committing to having thirty 8th-graders leave on grade level, versus just ten, in an average-sized urban middle school…
…I’m seeing that happen in many schools…the criticism that this can be easily manipulated or leads to ‘test prep city’ is totally misguided. We’ve done test prep every year for years….and our lowest performing schools haven’t moved. At all. [NCLB] is forcing us to look at grade level standards, and figure out what it’s going to take to move kids to them. And, in our schools that are now moving, the challenge is now tomove from 15% of the graduating 8th graders to 25%….and so, in a middle school that just two years ago had 10 students head off to high school being able to do grade level work….they are now aiming (and on track!) to send 50 students on to high school fully able to compete, graduate and go on to higher ed if they want.
This is a totally misunderstood law…[NCLB] is a wonderful tool and leverage point for district leaders…if they choose to buy in….those that don’t, are missing out on a great opportunity.