Foundations and Current Issues of Early Childhood Education/Chapter 6/6.3

Overview

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is federal legislation passed in 2001 aimed at having all public school children performing at grade level in reading and mathematics by 2014. This sweeping federal legislation requires states to demonstrate progress from year to year in raising the percentage of students who are proficient in reading and mathematics and in narrowing the achievement gap (nclb.com, 2007). NCLB requires states to align test with state academic standards and begin testing students on an annual basis in reading and mathematics in grade 3-8 and at least once during grades 10-12 by the 2005-2006 school year. It requires the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics tests to be administered to a sample of 4th and 8th graders in each state every other year in order to make cross state comparisons. Schools were at least 35% of the children in the school attendance area are low-income families or at least 35% of the enrolled students are from low-income families are eligible to receive federal Title 1 funds. The proportion of low-income families is most frequently measured by the percent of students eligible to receive free and reduced price lunch. Title 1 funds are to be used for programs designed to improve the academic achievement of children from low-income homes. Over half of all public schools receive funding under Title 1.

Parental Choice

President George W. Bush stated the “Parents must be given real options in the face of failure in order to make sure reform is meaningful.”

Under NCLB, students in low performing schools are to be able to seek other educational opportunities. Public schools that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) over time must offer students the option to transfer to a better public school or choose an after-school tutoring program.

School Safety

All children need a safe environment in which to learn and achieve. Too many schools in America remain unsafe, too many teachers are threatened by violence, and too many children fear for their safety. NCLB encourages laws on the books to be aggressively enforced. America has learned a lesson since September 11. We must prepare for the worst, which is working with communities, so every level of government is looking our for child safety. NCLB requires states to report on school safety to the public. NCLB also protects teachers so they can teach and maintain order. It protects them from frivolous litigation when they take reasonable actions to maintain order and discipline in the classroom. NCLB provides a mechanism for students to leave chronically dangerous schools. It requires schools to implement a statewide policy giving students the choice to attend a safe public school within the district if he or she attends a dangerous public school elementary or secondary school, become a victim of a violent crime while in or on the grounds of a public school the students attends.

Teacher Quality

The US Department of Education has reviewed state efforts to meet the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) requirement and has notified each state of the results of the assessment of the states HQT progress. To become a HQT in Core Academics Subjects, you must satisfy three requirements: a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited or approved institution, have a valid full state certificate and a subject matter competency for each core academic subject assigned.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measures yearly progress towards achieving state academic standards for each student group in a school in reading and math. Student group categories are: the school as a whole, white, black, Hispanic, native American, Asian/pacific islander, multicultural, economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient students, and students with disabilities. Schools must test at least 95% of students in each subgroup. Forty students or more within a category in a school comprise a subgroup. All students’ scores are counted in the school wide average, whether or not the student is counted in a subgroup. If one student group in one subject at a school that does not perform at a target goal percentage, the school is considered to have not made AYP for that year. Title 1 schools that have not made AYP for two consecutive years enter School Improvement Status and must offer public school choice beginning no later than the first day of school in the next year, and throughout the entire time they are in School Improvement Status. Title 1 school improvement schools exit that status only after they have made AYP for two consecutive years. Schools considered persistently dangerous must offer public school choice. Each state defines what constitutes a “persistently dangerous” school. State receiving funds under NCLB must allow students who attend such schools, or who are the victim of a violent crime while on the grounds of the school they attend, to transfer to a safe public elementary or secondary school, including a public charter school in the same district.

Essay Question

Which schools must offer public school choice? How long are students allowed to attend the school of their choice?

Essay Question Answer

Title 1 schools that have not made Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years enter School Improvement status and must offer public school choice beginning no later than the first day of school in the next year, and throughout the entire time they are in School Improvement status. Title 1 School Improvement schools exit that status only after they make AYP for two consecutive years. Schools considered persistently dangerous must offer public school choice. If a student exercises the option to transfer to another public school, the school district must permit the student to remain in that school until he or she has completed the highest grade in the school. The school district is no longer obligated to provide transportation for the student after the end of the school year in which the students’ original school is no longer identified for School Improvement. If the new school is placed in improvement status, the student would have the option to move again to another school in a subsequent year.

Multiple Choice

1. Adequate yearly progress measures yearly progress toward achieving state academic standards, which is NOT a student group category?

a. Black

b. White

c. Entire school

d. All 3rd graders

2. Which students are eligible for the choice option?

a. Students with Disabilities

b. Elementary school students

c. Title 1 School Improvement school students

d. None of the above

3. Why was No Child Left Behind invented?

a. to make schools safer

b. ensure students of transportation

c. to have all children performing at grade level

d. all of the above

4. What are some other benefits of NCLB?

a. grants for teacher training

b. grants for reading instruction

c. flexibility in spending federal funds

d. all of the above

5. What does a teacher need to be a Highly Qualified Teacher?

a. Bachelor/Master’s degree

b. Competency for each core area

c. State certification

d. All of the above

Answers to Multiple Choice Questions: 1-d, 2-c, 3-c, 4-d, 5-d

References

www.ed.gov/nclb.html

www.whitehouse.gov/news/reports.no-child-left-behind.html

www.nochildleftbehind.com

www.EducationNewYork.com

www.publiceducation.com