NCLB

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is scheduled to be rewritten this year. As educators what are some modifications that you would like to see in order for this law to be effective for schools, teachers, and most importantly students?

//I'm happy the law is being rewritten. I feel that as an educator we are being used as scapegoats for every failure, when in the long run it isn't always our fault. Yes there are educators and students that need to be held to higher standards. However, no matter how high the standards, some schools don't have the resources to support the teachers or the goals and therefore all fall behind. As a result the educators get blamed for the failures instead of all the other problems that contributed to the failure. There is never one direction to point the finger. There are always many reasons.// Renee Here are some websites that provide information about the current law.


 * http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
 * http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/resabout/nclb/
 * http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070211/ap_on_go_co/education_law_changes_3
 * http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/reports/no-child-left-behind.html

I agree that we as educators need to make sure we hold high expectations for each and every student we teach, and that we must encourage and assist them in reaching their maximum potential. However, I feel that the NCLB Act of 2001 creates a "one size fits all mold" for our students and is therefore lowering the standards rather than raising them. A perfect example is our NYS Regents exam- the Math A. This January students who took the exam needed to earn 35 of the 84 total points to receive a 65% passing score- that is equivalent to an actual score of 42%. To reach mastery of an 85%, they are required to earn 61 of the 84 points which is actually a 73%. The problem comes in when a student who isn't passing your class (usually due to lack of motivation) takes this exam and passes. Suddenly the parents want to know how they could pass the Regents exam but not the class and it becomes our fault. I'm sorry, but in my class if a student only knows 42% of the material on an exam, then they receive the 42% exam grade. Also, the state seems to understand the importance of assessing the students in a variety of ways, and yet thay don't practice what they preach. All students take the same exact paper and pencil test. I'd like to see this change.

Sidebar about the variety of assessments (not related to NCLB)... Our district recently eliminated math workbooks for the students at the primary levels. We are supposed to be heading toward a constructivist approach in the classroom. They are expecting us to create a completely hands-on and explorative program. I think this is a great idea, but I don't agree with how the students are being assessed. Our district also implemented quarterly math exams at all levels this year. These assessments are COMPLETELY paper and pencil and created by using questions found in a question bank. It is very frustrating to the teachers because we work so hard to motivate the students to make their own discoveries and work in a hands-on fashion like the district is asking us, but we also have bend the rules we are given so that our students have paper and pencil practice and the items they see on paper for the quarterly assessment are not foreign to them. Working out problems on paper is a different level of thinking than seeing concrete objects in front of you. I totally feel your frustrations about the higher ups not practicing what they preach about good practices. (lpolenski)

I'm sure most of you have seen this analogy before, but just in case here it is again:

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND---The Football Version
 * 1) All teams must make the state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they have not won the championship their footballs and equipment will be taken away UNTIL they do win the championship.
 * 2) All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. NO exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents. ALL KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL!
 * 3) Talented players will be asked to workout on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability or whose parents don't like football.
 * 4) Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th, 8th, and 11th game. It will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child gets left behind. If parents do not like this new law, they are encouraged to vote for vouchers and support private schools that can screen out the non-athletes and prevent their children from having to go to school with bad football players.