Today, the Center for Education Policy released a report, "Answering the Question That Matters Most: Has Student Achievement Increased Since No Child Left Behind?" The report is about 98 pages, but  here are its five main conclusions (No Child Left Behind is federal legislation that requires all schools to have 100 percent of students reading and doing math on grade level by 2014. Schools are expected to make a certain amount of progress each year toward the goal and some schools face sanctions for failing to do so):

1. In most states with three or more years of comparable test data, student achievement in reading and math has gone up since 2002, the year NCLB was enacted.

2. There is more evidence of achievement gaps between groups of students narrowing since 2002 than of gaps widening. Still, the magnitude of the gaps is often substantial.

3. In 9 of the 13 states with sufficient data to determine pre- and post-NCLB trends, average yearly gains in test scores were greater after NCLB took effect than before.

4. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to determine the extent to which these trends in test results have occurred because of NCLB. Since 2002, states, school districts, and schools have simultaneously implemented many different but interconnected policies to raise achievement.

5. Although NCLB emphasizes public reporting of state test data, the data  necessary to reach definitive conclusions about achievement were sometimes hard to find or unavailable, or had holes or discrepancies. More attention should be given to issues of the quality and transparency of state data.

Go here to see the full report: http://www.cep-dc.org/

Go  here to see California's profile: http://www.cep-dc.org/index...

Here is State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's response:

"California has had rigorous content standards and accountability in place since well before the implementation of No Child Left Behind, and the hard work done to align instruction, materials, professional development, and testing to our standards is clearly paying off," O'Connell said. "Public education in California is on the right track.
I strongly agree with the goals of No Child Left Behind, but as the Center's report points out, the federal system's single measure of achievement gives no credit for even significant gains in achievement by students who have not yet reached the high bar of proficiency. Also, because state standards vary widely, states such as California that expect more of their students are more likely to fall short of the federal accountability goal, while states that hold lower expectations may appear to be doing better. That is both misleading and unfair. I firmly believe that California's Academic Performance Index - a model based on achievement growth from year to year - offers the public a more accurate and more comprehensive picture of school performance."

Furthermore, O'Connell is recommending the federal government do the following to "fix" NCLB, among other things:

— Fully fund the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka NCLB) and make the investment commensurate to ESEA's expectations a priority throughout the federal appropriations cycle;
— Extend and expand common-sense flexibility for meeting highly qualified teacher requirements;
— Allow states and school districts more flexibility and provide more efficient funding for the provision of supplemental educational services and school choice; and
— Recognize parental rights to exempt their children from state testing, and not penalize schools where more than 5 percent of parents exercise that right.

See the letter he sent members of Congress here:
file:///Users/lschencker/Desktop/CDE%20Reauthoriz ation%20of%20the%20ESEA%5B1%5D.pdf


It's true that student achievement in math and English has basically gone up since No Child Left Behind was enacted, including locally in Kern County. Most educators I talk to say they like the idea behind NCLB (making sure all students get the best education possible and are given high expectations) but believe the goal of having 100 percent of kids on grade level by 2014 is unrealistic and feel NCLB doesn't recognize many instances of progress and instead only punishes for falling short. In fact, over the past year and a half, I don't think I've ever talked to a teacher who was happy with the 100 percent goal.

What do you think?