An estimated 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as "failing" under the nation's No Child Left Behind Act this year, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday.
The Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the law. The schools will face sanctions ranging from offering tutoring to closing their doors.
President Barack Obama has highlighted reforming the act as a priority for his administration, and both Democrats and Republicans have agreed that it needs to be changed — though disagreements remain on how.
The current law sets annual student achievement targets designed with the goal of having all students proficient in math and reading by 2014, a standard now viewed as wildly unrealistic.
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The Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the law. The schools will face sanctions ranging from offering tutoring to closing their doors.
President Barack Obama has highlighted reforming the act as a priority for his administration, and both Democrats and Republicans have agreed that it needs to be changed — though disagreements remain on how.
The current law sets annual student achievement targets designed with the goal of having all students proficient in math and reading by 2014, a standard now viewed as wildly unrealistic.
More
12 comments:
80%+ schools could be labeled as failing?? Let's see....take a class of average-smart kids and put some autistic kids in there, who need 2 aides to keep them in their seat and do their work so their parents can feel good about their kid getting "mainstreamed". Add in 5-10 kids who can't read and write in the 10th grade with no interest in learning, but with LOTS of interest in being a bully to the rest of the class (or the irritating class clown). Add in a few more kids who shouldn't be at that class level but have been promoted every year so the school won't be sued for discrimination of some kind. Then, take away the teachers and administrators ability to discipline in any meaningful way (sending Johnny to the principals office for a stern "talking to" is NOT disicpline). Don't even suspend the bad kids--- thats ANOTHER lawsuit for discrimination (Johnny didn't get suspended because he beat up three girls and hit a teacher---he was suspended because he was black (or hispanic, or a dwarf, ...whatever). Then quit actually GRADING real performance, because THATS another discrimination lawsuit when large groups of minorities fail every test. Also, don't teach any "thinking and reasoning" courses, like science and math, because so many who can't read and write would fail those too (ANOTHER discrimination lawsuit). Then, having bleeding heart liberals and uninformed parents blame the TEACHERS because Johnny can't sit in his seat, listen to and follow instructions, or read and write at even a third grade level and has no interst in passing ANY test. Teachers can't even YELL at a student without risking their career. Can't touch a student, even to stop Johnny from beating up a kid in his class. THAT would be a assault arrest and the END of a career, too. I can already hear the moans and cries from the aforementioned parents. Just ask a teacher. THIS is the truth and the reality. ASK. A teacher with a 50 minute class often spends 15-20 of those minutes trying to control behavior. ASK! Then come back and critique what I just said. ASK.
Just think, 100% of those kids are expected to pass the state test. Don't forget kids who don't speak English, are Special Ed, and ADHD with no meds (parents refuse to put them on meds)are expected to pass as well. Science and Social Studies are put on the back burner as well, as all the focus is on math and reading. The whole thing is screwed up on so many levels from students and parents, to ineffective teachers.
What you say is sad but very true. I'm also a strong believer in that u learn the most important skills for life at home and most children today aren't getting it. Students are crazy now and most the blame lies at home. We are starting to see what the generation of entitlements are producing and raising. No manners, no ambition, no future, etc.
7:24
"…..Hallelujah! Holy sh*t! Where’s the Tylenol?"
This is single handed the best description of this mess we call NCLB!
Thank you.
What does this say about NCLB. If 82% will fail, the legislation sucks.
for the past 30-40 years our schools have been run by the "union bosses". of course God is no longer allowed in school (unless there is a tragedy of some sort), then we can call upon Him for help. there have been no "common sense" ideas coming from the government education system for too many years to remember. because of their sub-standard way of teaching, teacher tenure, lack of discipline, and focus on "social issues" instead of a solid classical education with high standards they will never succeed. the only way to go today is home school, private school or charter schools that are not run by the government. stop wasting our tax dollars on this failing system. at the federal level we should abolish the dept. of education. they are useless and wasting our money with no accountability. get rid of this department NOW. do the same at the state level. bring it back to the local level where it belongs.
NCLB sucks. So do the higher ups in Washington and Baltimore. Until parents start putting emphasis on school work instead of getting their kid in every travel soccer league, then maybe education will be taken seriously again.
Most analyses of American schools place them somewhere in the high 20's when they are compared to schools of all other developed countries. We used to pride ourselves on being #1 or very close to it, but no more. Most studies place the Scandinavian countries at the top. So what has happened? While many reading these posts will call the comments of 7:24 supremely politically incorrect, unfortunately he speaks the truth.
As a retired teacher with many friends still teaching, I can attest that he is "right on." Obviously, he knows the "scoop" on American schools. You may think that he must have heard only comments from disgruntled teachers--and there are many--but I can assure you that this is what almost any teacher can verify. It is what it is. I'm sure that someone reading this will be thinking that, if I feel this way, it was time for me to go--and you are right. I cannot imagine being in the classroom now.
I'm not sure that I would agree with 8:57 that NCLB "sucks," inasmuch as the US had to do something to stem the decline of our schools. NCLB does need a major overhaul, though. The concept is certainly valid: to make our schools the envy of the world and our students competitive with anyone. Read this week's cover story of Time Magazine to see where the US now places in education, technology, research, and the like. By the way, Time has a companion article saying that the US is not in decline and, in fact, is still #1. I'll let you decide.
For those of you not too familiar with today's schools, 7:24 has done a good job of educating you. He is not a teacher, I gather, so he has no axe to grind.
No child left behind has actually become "EVERY child left behind."
7:24, you are right on! Add to that - teaching to the test. Administrators are so worried about test scores that students are missing science and social studies quite often. Also, in Delaware, the emphasis is on the "sub-groups" (non white children). Focus on sub-groups and let the others fend for themselves.
The public needs to realize that the thugs you see in the news arrested for various crimes are probably parents raising their children to be just like them. Behavior and non-supportive parents, a society that believes they should get everything without working for it, and politicians without a clue are the real problems in education. As in every profession there are bad teachers, but most are working hard to make a difference and are probably the only good role models many children have.
Is there anyone who really thinks NCLB is a good idea? Seriously who?
To answer 7:42 and as I posted yesterday (10:02), the idea behind NCLB was certainly a valid one. As conceived by Pres. "W" Bush, along with Senator Kennedy, NCLB was based on the deep concern that US schools were lagging behind those of many other countries with the divide growing deeper every year. The concern was also that so many of our students were dropping out of school or graduating barely able to read their diplomas.
Somehow over time NCLB has become a nightmare. To avoid the penalties that come with an underfunctioning school, teachers are. as the saying goes, teaching to the test. Teachers' creativity is being stifled so that the school can earn "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP) status. If AYP is not met, then the school can, after a time, be taken over by the state and re-organized. Now many state legislatures want to go one step further and link test scores to individual teachers, rewarding those whose students do well and punishing those whose students do poorly. That kind of pressure, unfortunately, can tempt a teacher to cheat a little. In summary, it's becoming all about the test. As has been pointed out, subjects like science and social studies are being relegated to the back burner so that more and more instruction can focus on reading, writing, and math, the major test components. Some systems are even dropping such valuable courses as art and music, considering them "fluff."
Yes, NCLB had good intentions--after all, who wants to leave any child behind?--but has become mired in bureaucracy. So how do we get America's schools back to their once proud standing? That's the question, and I'm not sure anyone has the answer, though surely many volumes and articles have been written offering the answer.
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