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WPLLC > NCLB Insights > Archived Issue
NCLB Insights - NEWS AND COMMENTARY ON THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
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First Complete NCLB Reauthorization Bill Introduced in the Senate
On July 12, two Republican Members on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), introduced S. 1775, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2007. This marked the first comprehensive reauthorization proposal of the No Child Left Behind Act introduced in the 110th Congress, and could be the minority’s first take on priorities and plans. The proposal maintains accountability provisions in the bill and strengthens a number of teacher and parent initiatives.
Related to the bill’s introduction, Gregg (one of the original four architects of NCLB) said, “The bill we are introducing today preserves the key tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act, while rightly responding to the legitimate concerns we’ve heard from parents, teachers and principals around the country. While the bill preserves the NCLB accountability system, it also provides additional flexibility to help schools target resources and interventions to students and schools most in need of assistance.”
To view the press release on the bill introduction, visit: http://burr.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=310&Month=7&Year=2007
MAJOR NCLB
DEVELOPMENTS
- House Education and Labor Chair Talks Timeline
On July 30, Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, delivered a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on the upcoming NCLB reauthorization timetable. Miller stressed throughout his remarks that NCLB has produced positive outcomes for students, teachers and families across the country. He reiterated the cornerstone goals of rigorous standards and accountability for academic achievement of all students and gave assurance these points will be retained in the revised legislation.
Miller also noted, however, that he and Members of the Committee have heard very loudly and clearly that changes are needed to fix the unintended consequences of the law, help more students reach proficiency in math and reading, and close the achievement gap. Miller highlighted six themes Committee will focus on during reauthorization: fairness and flexibility for schools; a rich and challenging curriculum; support for teachers and principals; school accountability; steps to turn around low-performing middle and high schools; and greater investments to achieve the law's goals.
Miller stressed his intention to pass a bill in September, both in Committee and on the House Floor. To read the speech in its entirety, visit: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/edlabor_dem/RelJul30NCLBSpeech.html.
To view House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Howard “Buck” McKeon’s (R-CA) response, visit: http://republicans.edlabor.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=222
CAPITOL HILL
- Off to the Races
The floodgates may have been opened with the introduction of the Burr/Gregg reauthorization bill (see related article above). Quick to follow suit a few days after the introduction, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) held an event to announce that they would soon be introducing the All Students Can Achieve Act. The bill reportedly includes many provisions supported by the Aspen Institute’s Commission on No Child Left Behind including longitudinal data systems that will allow the use of growth models in measuring student achievement and teacher effectiveness, the implementation of model national standards and measures to improve high school graduation rates, among others.
To view Lieberman’s press release on the All Students Can Achieve Act, visit: http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=279263&&
- House Education Funding Bill Passed
The full House passed their funding bill for education in July which contains a healthy increase in overall spending on education and other domestic priorities, topping the President’s budget request by approximately $12 billion. That is costly enough to have attracted a veto threat from the White House and hundreds of floor amendments to the legislation itself. Amendments from both Democrats and Republicans added funding to certain programs, attempted to cut funds from others, targeted earmarks that were included for specific Members and tried to cut overall spending in the measure in nearly every way imaginable. Of note within NCLB was the diminished funding level for Reading First. Going into the debate Reading First was to be cut by over $600 million and was further cut when an amendment offered by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) which transfers $46.5 million out of Reading First to the Safe Schools and Citizenship Education program passed on a voice vote.
- Miller Memo Outlines Key Reauthorization Areas
Given the sheer length and complexity of NCLB, it is of little surprise that House Education and Labor Committee staffers have indicated that they have been divided up the work by working in small groups assigned to specific key areas of NCLB. According to an article appearing in Education Daily, Chairman Miller circulated a memo to freshman lawmakers that outlined the nine focal points that the Committee is currently examining. They are: 1) Allowing states to use growth models; 2) Allowing states to use multiple sources of evidence, including graduation rates and classroom-based tests, in accountability; 3) Improving test quality; 4) Differentiating interventions for schools needing improvement; 5) Addressing the dropout crisis; 6) Improving ELL accountability and assessment practices; 7) Altering special education accountability and assessment practices; 8) Supporting higher teaching salaries, career ladders, mentoring and performance pay; and 9) Increasing program funding.
- Graduation Rate Defined?
While the dropout rate has been a hot button issue for policymakers and the press, up until this point, there has not been strong policy that defines how to measure graduation effectively. At least two House members are seeking to change that within the upcoming reauthorization. While the bills do differ, Rep. Mike Castle’s (R-DE) Reliable and Accurate Graduation Rate Act and Rep. Bobby Scott’s (D-VA) Every Student Counts Act both seek to the current way in which graduation rates are defined and reported. Committee staff have reported that Scott’s bill will be used as the definition for graduation rate within the base bill proposed by Chairman Miller.
To view the two bills, visit: http://thomas.loc.gov
DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION
- AK, AZ Bring Growth Model Pilots Total to Eight
On July 3, Secretary Spellings announced that Alaska and Arizona have been approved to use their growth-based accountability models for the 2006-07 school year. They join the following six states which had been previously approved: North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, and Ohio (conditionally). For the pilot program, the Department planned to approve no more than 10 growth models. For more information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/growthmodel/
- Department Awards $60+ Million in Grants for Longitudinal Data Systems
Implicit in any system of growth measurement is the ability to track individual students over time. To help states in this area, the Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recently awarded $62.2 million in grants to 13 state education agencies for the design and implementation of statewide longitudinal data systems. These systems are intended to enhance the ability of states to accurately and effectively manage, analyze, and use education data. Grants range from $3.2 million to $6 million and extend for three years. For more information, including a list of states awarded grants, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/07/07022007a.html.
- Spellings Revisits HQT Progress
In a July 23 letter to Chief State School Officers, Secretary Spellings reported on states' progress regarding NCLB's goal of having all core academic subjects taught by highly qualified teachers (HQT). All but one state has an approved HQT plan, and, nationwide, 92.2 percent of core academic classes were taught by HQTs during the 2005-2006 school year - a jump from 86.5 percent in 2003-2004. However, no state achieved the 100 percent goal. This fall, the Department will begin a new round of monitoring state implementation of HQT plans and the Secretary has pledged to maintain a policy of not withholding federal funds for failing to reach the 100 percent standard, as long as states continue to make a “good-faith effort” to achieve this goal. For more information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/070723.html.
- ED Releases Evaluation of Certain NCLB Efforts to Promote Flexibility
This month, the Department released Evaluation of Flexibility Under No Child Left Behind. This new report specifically examines transferability, REAP-Flex, and Local-Flex. The report examines each unique flexibility option provided to school districts and asserts that “overall, participants in flexibility programs had positive reports of their experiences.” The study did indicate that insufficient information and the application process for certain programs did limit the number of schools participating. While the report did not examine the impact of the programs on student achievement, it does provide an in-depth study of school districts’ application of the flexibility provisions. For more information, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/disadv/flexibility/index.html
- 14 Grantees Share $25 Million in Funds
The Department announced that 14 projects in 12 states will share $25 million in grants through NCLB’s Voluntary School Choice Program (VSCP). The grantees include state agencies, local school districts and partnerships and are located in Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Alaska, and South Carolina. The VSCP is a competitive grant process that supports projects for up to five years that seek to offer the widest variety of choices to students in participating schools. For more information, including a list of the grant award winners, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/07/07272007.html
IN THE
EDUCATION COMMUNITY
- Candidates Address NEA Meeting
Several presidential candidates gave remarks during the National Education Association Representative Assembly in July. The meeting featured remarks from the seven leading Democratic candidates as well as one Republican, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Perhaps realizing the grassroots capabilities of the country’s largest teacher’s union (over 3.2 million members), most candidates steered clear of comments that had even a remote chance of being considered controversial to NEA members, instead calling for additional funding, across the board teacher pay increases, and support for Pre-K education. However, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) did mention a plan for encouraging school districts to implement a merit based pay system for teachers based on peer-review, not “arbitrary test scores.”
- Study Examines Special Education Under NCLB
The National Center for Learning Disabilities has released a report entitled Rewards and Roadblocks: How Special Education Students Are Faring Under NCLB. The publication examines the gains special education students have made since NCLB was enacted and the areas where further progress is necessary. The report praises current AYP requirements for bringing attention to the achievement of students with disabilities and recommends that these standards be strengthened. The group also supports states in developing alternative assessments aligned to grade-level content and achievement standards. To view the report, visit http://www.ncld.org/images/stories/downloads/advocacy/ncldrewardsandroadblocks.pdf
- New Coalition Formed In Support of NCLB
A number of organizations have banded together to advocate for the reauthorization and strengthening of NCLB. The coalition- NCLB Works! – believes the legislation has succeeded in improving academic achievement and urges Congress to maintain the fundamental principles of NCLB during reauthorization. Campaign members include the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, the Citizens’ Commission on Civil Rights, the Education Trust, the LINKS Inc, the National Center for Educational Accountability, and the National Council of La Raza. The group supports eight fundamental principals and goals behind NCLB, including the 2014 100 percent proficiency deadline, state standards and assessments, the closing of achievement gaps, assisting and restructuring struggling schools, high quality teachers in every classroom, and increased school choice options for parents. For more information, please visit http://www.nclbworks.org.
- AEI Asks “Is NCLB Leaving Children Behind?”
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) hosted an event in Washington D.C. on July 16 to discuss the findings from a recent study entitled Left by Design: Proficiency Counts and Test-Based Accountability. Author Derek Neal, an economist at the University of Chicago, examined Chicago public school data to compare test-scores before and after NCLB was enacted. His results suggest that students in the median range of academic performance benefit most significantly from the legislation. According to Neal, teachers in Chicago tended to focus on the students with the highest possibility for improvement, thereby ignoring the lowest- and highest-performing children. For more information, please visit: http://www.aei.org/events/eventID.1544,filter.all/event_detail.asp.
- CEP: Focus on Reading and Math Detracts From Other Subjects
On July 24, the Center for Education Policy (CEP) released a report examining the amount of time dedicated to core academic subjects in an average school week. The report, entitled Choices, Changes, and Challenges: Curriculum and Instruction in the NCLB Era, found that in an effort to meet federal accountability in reading and math, many school districts have sacrificed other subjects. Of nearly 350 school districts surveyed, 44 percent reported cutting time from science, social studies, art and music, physical education, and activities such as lunch and recess. CEP president and CEO Jack Jennings commented that “what gets tested gets taught” and that students are often not “receiving a broad curriculum.” The report recommends that Congress include reauthorization provisions to stagger testing requirements, include tests in other subjects, encourage states to emphasis art and music, and provide federal funding for research to determine the best ways to incorporate reading and math skills into other subject areas. To view the report, please visit http://www.cep-dc.org/document/docWindow.cfm?fuseaction=document.viewDocument&documentid=212&documentFormatId=3557.
IN THE NEWS
RECENT
PUBLICATIONS
CALENDAR
- August 8, 2007:NMSA “Middle Level Promise and Practice Conference,” Fargo, North Dakota
- September 4, 2007: House and Senate begin return from August Recess
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