In a recent article, teacher Denise Pattiz Bogart describes why her “failing” school, according to NCLB standards, is actually a success. Test scores at Lift for Life Academy have increased exponentially, yet student performance lags behind NCLB’s Adequate Yearly Progress standards. Many of the academy’s students come from the now unaccredited St. Louis Public School District. Ninety-five percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch, and many come to the academy reading well below grade level. “It takes time to overcome such glaring deficits,” Bogart says. “Unfortunately, the timeline for meeting NCLB standards does not take these challenges into account.”
Does NCLB take student progress into account fairly? Do you think NCLB’s AYP provision accurately assesses schools as successes or failures? NCLB’s “safe harbor” provision allows for 10 percent annual improvement—is this adequate?
