Weigh Proficiency, Assess Content

Students who are still working to master the English language are being held to the same reading and math proficiency targets as native English-speakers.

By Scott J. Cech

Susan B. Martin, who directs the English-Language Learning Program for Lewiston, Maine’s school district, thinks the federal No Child Left Behind Act is a good idea. Its application, however—especially when it comes to the testing requirements for English-learners—is another matter, she says.

“The original idea behind NCLB is that we should treat all kids the same—all kids are entitled to the same set of standards,” says Martin, whose district of 5,000 students includes hundreds of African refugees. “Where it’s gone astray is assuming that all kids, including ELL kids, can meet those standards in the same amount of time.”

The challenge for Lewiston, and for thousands of districts nationwide, is to satisfy two very different mandates of the federal law: assessing how well non-English-speakers are learning the language, while holding them to the same reading and math proficiency targets...