| VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 | September 2003 | |||||
| IN THIS ISSUE...NCLB Review and Updates | ||||
| ESEA: What the Law Says|
Issues & Updates|
Best Practices| How We Can Help| Resources & Recommended Reading| | |||
| SUBSCRIBE/ UNSUBSCRIBE It's FREE! | CTL Privacy Policy | |||
Summary Review
ESEA Reauthorization: No Child Left Behind
National media coverage of No Child Left Behind has raised a number of issues and changed the tenor of conversation about the law. Four much debated issues are summarized below.
1. Testing
Duplication of state and federal testing requirements remains a concern. In Kentucky, this has prompted the State Board of Education to consider a dual system of testing, CATS in selected grade levels and in all subject areas, and the annual standardized testing in reading and math as required by NCLB. Concerns include the costs associated with supporting two testing systems, instructional time devoted to preparation and testing, and whether the two systems are compatible.
A number of educators and policy makers have questioned the effectiveness of testing as an improvement strategy. Test data can provide valuable information for teachers, principals and central office leaders in instructional decision-making; however, to achieve higher levels of learning, teachers and principals need to change classroom and school practices so that all students are engaged and progressing. This implies planning, professional learning and reflection on practice.2. Funding
Critics of NCLB say that it is under-funded. In a time of economic downturn and state budget deficits, having an inadequately funded mandate puts additional strain on schools and districts. Costs associated with testing, transportation for students moving from low performing schools, new programs and initiatives to promote learning are just a few of the categories that cause educators to worry. Changes in Title I regulations that no longer allow districts to pay for benefits for employees whose salaries derive from Title I, pose another source of economic strain.3. Teacher Quality
Large urban districts are not the only ones affected by the requirement that all teachers in Title I schools be fully certified. Small rural districts also have trouble attracting and retaining teachers. In both instances, poor working conditions, insufficient resources and materials, and large gaps in achievement make it difficult for both urban and rural districts to attract qualified teachers. Moreover, teachers in rural districts often experience social, geographic, cultural and professional isolation, in addition to low salaries, making teacher retention an issue school districts are hard pressed to resolve. (Gene Carter, ASCD, May 2003)4. Adequate Yearly Progress/Student Transfers
Schools that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) must offer students the option of transferring to a more successful school. First year performance scores show that finding alternative placements may be difficult. In California, three out of four schools did not make AYP even though their standards closely align with No Child Left Behind. In Texas, where the blueprint for NCLB was forged when President Bush was governor, one out of eight schools (12.5%) are designated as failing. In New York, that number jumps to nearly 40%. Options for students to transfer are limited due to few open slots at higher performing schools, distance between schools, and unwillingness of parents to uproot their children if they are not sure the new school is substantively better.
Teaching Students of Poverty
Introduction
One of the most salient features of No Child Left Behind is the annual improvement target it sets for subgroups of students, including those of poverty. A challenge for many teachers is helping students of poverty achieve at high levels. Reasons for this include cultural differences between teachers, who generally do not come from backgrounds of extreme generational poverty, and students who do. Researchers such as Ruby Payne and Shirley Brice Heath suggest a variety of strategies for helping students of poverty achieve.
| Challenges | Strategies |
| Students of poverty may not possess the organizational and study skills necessary to function as independent learners. | Teachers need to explicitly teach, model and reinforce for students how to organize and prioritize tasks and set timelines for completion. Since a number of students lack organizational skills, not just students of poverty, this is time well spent in ensuring success. |
| Task completion may be an issue for students of poverty, as well as both short and long -term goal setting. | “Procedural self-talk,” a strategy developed by Ruby Payne, helps students break down a project or task into steps and write down their responses, until they reach a point where they can internalize task completion. |
| Students of poverty may come to school with a different set of background experiences, making it difficult for them to connect to classroom work. | Scaffolding the learning can help level the playing field. This may mean providing background knowledge, via a conceptual framework like a graphic organizer, to build on students’ prior experience so they can make connections. Rubrics are also useful in communicating expectations and giving students an image of what they are working toward. |
| In terms of literacy skills, students of poverty may use an episodic or circular narrative very different from the sequential, formal register they encounter in school. Their language may be informal or contain idioms not familiar to the teacher. And they may be unfamiliar with the read-question-discuss pattern used with stories in most classrooms. | In terms of literacy skills, students may need to be taught both formal writing and speaking, and how to translate their casual register to more formal means of communication. In addition, the read-question-discuss pattern of understanding stories and literature needs to be explicitly taught, as well as allowing them to make meaning using strategies they bring with them. Also, their vocabulary and speech patterns can be incorporated into their personal writing, such as narrative and memoir, to create richer, more authentic pieces. |
| Students of poverty may demonstrate behaviors necessary to their survival that are not appropriate at school. | School-appropriate behaviors need to be explained, modeled and role-played for students to replace learned behaviors with new ones. Telling students to be good is not sufficient; they need examples of what is acceptable behavior and practice in using these behaviors. This is actually a more efficient use of classroom time than continually correcting and disciplining students. |
A number of the challenges and strategies described above also apply to other groups identified under NCLB and when addressed can help schools meet targets for Adequate Yearly Progress. The Collaborative offers training for schools and districts on closing achievement gaps.
The Collaborative has developed professional development tools to help educators meet ESEA/NCLB requirements as well as build on whole school quality and performance. All courses of study can be further customized based on individual school or district need. For additional information, please contact Dr. Deborah Walker.
| Products and Services | |
| Transforming Practice: The Middle Grades | Available NOW! Multimedia CD-ROM demonstrating new teaching strategies and instructional approaches. |
| Learning Xpress™ | Software training to design lessons, units |
| Different Ways of Knowing | Arts-infused practices to insure success for all learners |
| Standards Based Teaching & Learning | Solid framework for continuous improvement |
| Developing a Balanced Literacy Approach in the Elementary Classroom | Engaging in comprehensive student-centered literacy: 1 year school-level course of study, including formal training, on-site coaching, and classroom modeling |
| Leading in a Standards-Based Environment | Developing skills and strategies for instructional leaders: 1 year district-level course of study, including formal training, coaching, and school visits |
| Reading and Writing to Learn in the Middle School | Developing a comprehensive cross-disciplinary literacy program: 2 year school- or district-level course of study, including formal training and coaching |
| Gathering Evidence of Student Learning | Assessing student performance to assure student progress |
| Closing the Achievement Gap | Strategies for closing the achievement gap, collecting and analyzing data, and expanding instructional practices |
For additional information on the Collaborative's programs, please visit our website or contact Christie Maloney.
RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDED READING
The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2002
NAEP: Literacy Strategies Tested
NCLB: What to Expect This Year
FEEDBACK
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The Collaborative for Teaching and Learning is a non-profit, tax exempt corporation founded in 1994 to assist schools in the implementation of comprehensive school reform. Please feel free to contact any of the Collaborative's officers for additional information on the organization and its work.
Dr. Linda F. Hargan/President and CEODr. Deborah Walker/Senior Vice President
Mr. Dennis Horn/Vice President, Resource Development and Communications
Ms. Christie Maloney/Vice President, Programs
Collaborative for Teaching and Learning
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