Bipartisan Commission Releases Report on No Child Left Behind
Feature Story by Tyler Lewis - 2/21/2007
The new No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Commission report, released on February 13, calls for a mix of refinements to the current law, its implementation and enforcement, and new approaches that would extend its scope in ambitious but controversial new ways.
"It is our hope that the administration and Congress will build on what we have learned about NCLB in its first five years," said Commission Co-Chair and former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes. "We believe our recommendations will help improve academic achievement for our Nation's students and, most importantly, quicken the closing of the achievement gap."
Entitled "Beyond NCLB: Fulfilling the Promise to Our Nation's Children," the report contains 75 recommendations; most notably, the recommendation for the inclusion of growth models into the calculation of "adequate yearly progress" (AYP), which would give schools credit for the gains students make over time by tracking individual student progress.
"[The Commission's report] should be read with care by members of Congress and everyone else who cares about improving education for all our children," said William L. Taylor, chairman of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights.
The report is the result of hearings the Commission held around the country (including Anchorage, Alaska, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.) in order to "analyze the strengths and weaknesses of NCLB."
The Commission also profiled several school districts in order to see more clearly how the law has been working. "We have been more successful [with NCLB] at identifying struggling schools than we were at turning them around," said Commission Co-Chair and former and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson.
The law has been the subject of much debate since it was passed overwhelmingly in 2002. It is due to be reauthorized by Congress later this year.
However, recommendations calling for a new definition of "highly effective principal" and new requirements that teachers' effectiveness be measured in addition to current requirements that they be qualified have angered some.
Groups like the National Education Association (NEA) are concerned that the recommendations place an undue burden on teachers without giving them proper support.
"Test scores are no crystal ball," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "They give snapshots of student performance. They don't reveal the complete picture of what goes on in a classroom: the resources, student preparation and parental involvement that play a key role in determining if a teacher will be 'effective.' Congress should reject this negative proposal and instead focus on positive efforts to ensure that all teachers have the skills and support they need to close gaps in student achievement."
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, D. Mass., who sponsored the bill, called for a "broad, open and inclusive discussion" of NCLB before reauthorization.
"Our goal is to develop a strong bipartisan bill that builds on the positive aspects of the law," said Sen. Kennedy. "Some of the Commission's recommendations, such as those related to teacher effectiveness and changes to the accountability provisions, tackle the most difficult issues raised by this law and will require close scrutiny."
