Community Schools

Research and experience confirm what common sense suggests: What happens outside the classroom is every bit as important as what happens inside.

By Ira Harkavy and Martin Blank

Listening to the recent political debate culminating in the passage of the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001, it would be easy to assume that the only things that matter in education are annual testing in grades 3-8, having a qualified teacher in the first four years of schooling, and allowing parents to move their children out of persistently failing schools. Nonsense.

Much more significant, and largely ignored by federal lawmakers as well as other leaders and the public at large, are several provisions of the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act that take a more comprehensive—and, in our opinion, a more realistic—view of what it will take to educate all children to succeed as workers, family members, neighbors, and citizens. We especially welcome provisions that:

High academic standards, aligned tests, clear incentives, and strong professional development are important, but they're not sufficient to meet the lofty goal of educating all children to their full potential. Extensive research and experience confirm what common sense suggests: What happens outside the classroom is every bit as important...