NCLB: Act II
NCLB: Act II covered federal developments affecting education. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: federal.
Reading & Literacy
'Reading First' is Dead; Long Live 'Reading First'
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings wrote appropriators yesterday in a last-ditch effort to save Reading First. She cites the department's data on reading comprehension and urges legislators to talk with educators on the ground about the program.
Federal
Riley Adds His Voice to NCLB Debate
Yesterday's Washington Post included a special advertising section on education issues sponsored by the National Education Association.
Education
Poll Finds That Blacks, Hispanics Like NCLB
The possibility that Congress would suspend NCLB's accountability rules brought supporters of the law out of the woodwork. Over at Swift & Changable, Charlie Barone says that civil rights' community's nearly unanimous opposition to the suspension was unprecedented in the history of NCLB.
Reading & Literacy
Senate Takes Aim at 'Reading First'
Reading First wouldn't get any money from the Senate, Alyson Klein reports in from the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee markup.
Education
NCLB's Role in Rising Test Scores Unclear
"Has student achievement increased since 2002," the Center on Education Policy asks in its latest report.
Reading & Literacy
Spellings Comes to Defense of 'Reading First'
Has Reading First helped elementary students improve their reading comprehension?
Reading & Literacy
Accountability Suspension On Hold; Reading First on the Brink
Alyson Klein just called in from this morning's subcommittee markup of the fiscal 2009 appropriations bill for the education, labor, and health and human service departments. Here's what she reports:
Federal
No Child Left Inside
So, if you needed any more proof that reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act is absolutely, definitely not happening this year, take a look at the version of an environmental education bill that the House Education and Labor Committee approved today, with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Education
Judges Dismisses Lawsuit; House Panel Advances Bill
A couple of small news items from today ....
1.) A federal judge in San Francisco yesterday ruled that NCLB gives the U.S. secretary of education latitude to declare teachers who are in training for an alternative certification as highly qualified. The decision rejects a group's lawsuit trying to nullify California's definition of a highly qualified teacher.
1.) A federal judge in San Francisco yesterday ruled that NCLB gives the U.S. secretary of education latitude to declare teachers who are in training for an alternative certification as highly qualified. The decision rejects a group's lawsuit trying to nullify California's definition of a highly qualified teacher.
Education
Report Says High Achievers' Scores Inch Up Under NCLB
A new study documents the steady improvement of low-achieving students (who are disproportionately African-American, Hispanic, or other minorities) in the NCLB era and the small gains made by high achievers (who are disproportionately white or Asian-American). The achievement gap between them is narrowing.
Education
Obama Endorses 'Broader' and 'Equality' Statements
On Friday, David Brooks asked which one of last week's statements on education policy Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., would endorse. Would it be the one that called for a "broader, bolder approach" or the Education Equality Project's call to ramp up school accountability?
Education
Some, But Not All, Civil Rights Groups Want to Halt AYP
Commenting on my post from Friday, Monty Neil of FairTest notes that not all civil rights groups will oppose the bill to suspend sanctions under NCLB. He's right. I should have written that "some" civil rights groups are going to fight the bill. To see which ones, read Charlie Barone's post. At the FairTest site, you can see the civil rights groups that are likely to support H.R. 6239.
Education
Republican Starts Attempt to Suspend NCLB Accountability
Back when President Bush and top Democrats were declaring NCLB reauthorization to be a top priority, who would have thought that the most important NCLB bill introduced in this Congress would be by a low-profile House member who doesn't sit on an education committee? Things may be shaping up that way.
Education
NGA Says Federal Rules on Grad Rates Need Clarification
Governors say the Department of Education's proposal to require states to use the same method of calculating graduation rates isn't ready to be implemented.