Federal

No Amendment Left Behind

By Lynn Olson & David J. Hoff — February 26, 2007 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Congress is scheduled to revisit the No Child Left Behind Act by October 1. And while many observers don’t expect Congress to reauthorize the law until after the 2008 election, national education organizations and other groups have already suggested ways to change it.

In addition to the question of funding, the debate will likely touch on at least a half-dozen big ideas for reforming the law. Here’s an overview:

National Standards

See Also

See a related story,

What NCLB Means

Because NCLB lets each state use its own tests and standards, analysts say, the definition of student “proficiency” varies widely across the country. Some policy and advocacy groups believe voluntary national education standards are the solution.

Measuring Growth

Current accountability measures focus on whether schools get minimum percentages of their students over the proficiency bar. That may create incentives to ignore students achieving far above or below the target, and it doesn’t reflect the fact that how children perform in any year is the product of all their previous experiences.

Most education groups want the law to incorporate “growth models” that would hold schools accountable for how much students learn during a school year. The U.S. Department of Education has already permitted a handful of states to pilot the use of growth models.

Special Populations

Under NCLB, schools and districts must meet achievement targets for specific subgroups, including students with disabilities and those learning English.

Some organizations want to increase the number of special education students who can take alternate or modified assessments. Others, including the National Down Syndrome Society, want to lower the percentages, based on concerns that such a move would diminish accountability.

A number of groups have proposed exempting English-language learners’ scores for their first three years in U.S. schools, or until they pass an English proficiency test. Others want to expand the use of alternate assessments.

Sanctions for Schools

Any student in a school identified as “in need of improvement” can immediately transfer to another public school, and low-income students can opt for free tutoring the next year. Few students have used either option, however.

The Education Department is piloting a program to offer tutoring in the first year, but a number of national groups hope to limit both options to students in the subgroupsthat miss achievement targets. Meanwhile, President Bush and others want to use government funds to allow students to transfer to private schools.

High Schools

The Bush administration would like to strengthen NCLB’s role in high schools. That might mean beefing up the provisions that hold high schools accountable for their graduation rates and adding new measures of student performance beyond testing in reading and math.

It also could mean devoting more federal aid to professional development initiatives aimed at adolescent literacy, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate programs, and the preparation of middle school students for high school work.

Teacher Quality

Policy experts say teachers should expect to see more incentives that encourage states to institute pay-for-performance programs. More proposals to recruit high-quality people into teaching—and keep them there—may also emerge, particularly those aimed at undergraduate math and science majors.

A version of this article appeared in the March 01, 2007 edition of Teacher Magazine as No Amendment Left Behind

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Trump’s 4th Week: Musk’s Team Pushes Ed. Dept. Cuts as McMahon Faces Senators
Linda McMahon appeared before U.S. senators, answering for an already turbulent time at the Education Department before she's taken charge.
6 min read
A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, on Feb. 13, 2025. A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 13, 2025. (Graeme Sloan for Education Week)
A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2025.
Graeme Sloan for Education Week
Federal Trump Picks Long-Serving State Chief With Bipartisan Fans for Top Ed. Dept. Role
Trump nominated North Dakota State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler to a key post overseeing K-12 policy at the U.S. Department of Education.
5 min read
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D.
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D. President Donald Trump has tapped Baesler to serve as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education.
Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP
Federal Opinion Education Research Is in the Trump Administration's Cross Hairs
DOGE took a "chainsaw" to the Ed. Dept's grant programs. Morgan Polikoff has four suggestions for his research colleagues.
5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Federal Vaccine Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Sworn in as Trump’s Health Chief
Kennedy, who has called for public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases, was sworn in after a close Senate vote.
3 min read
Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch swears in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary as Kennedy's wife Cheryl Hines holds the Bible in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch swears in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary as Kennedy's wife Cheryl Hines holds the Bible in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP