|
|
|
A federal education law, which essentially doomed even the country’s best public school districts to failure, could be changing in the near future.
On Friday, President Barack Obama said states will be allowed to eliminate a No Child Left Behind law requirement that all students show they are proficient in math and reading by 2014. States would still need to meet conditions such as setting standards to prepare students for college and careers.
Eric Churchwell, superintendent of the Palmyra R-I School District, is not yet endorsing that Missouri seek the No Child Left Behind exemption from the U.S. Department of Education.
“I’m a little concerned with the fact states would apply for a waiver under No Child Left Behind not knowing what the new requirements would be,” he said. “What are the new requirements going to be? Are they going to be more unrealistic than the current requirements we have?”
Maria Mundle, director of curriculum with the Hannibal public school district, notes that federal standards are climbing ever higher.
“Looking at the requirements of No Child Left Behind, 100 percent of students reaching proficiency by 2014 is probably a bar that is not attainable for most schools and districts in our state and across the nation,” she said. “I’m not certain what the president’s message means to the Hannibal school district. I’m just as interested as everybody else to see what that waiver might look like, and I don’t know yet.”
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said last week the revisions under consideration would place emphasis more on growth than test scores.
Deanette Jarman, superintendent of the Ralls County R-II School District, is hopeful school districts wind up with just one education standard to follow.
“I think it would be beneficial to us if we could have one accountability system that met both state and national requirements, because right now the requirements differ between the two,” she said. “Sometimes it is confusing to the public when they see you meet a state standard, but not a federal standard, or visa versa. I think it would just be better to have one system. I feel Missouri has a strong accountability system now.”
Making progress
Based on standardized test scores, students in Palmyra and Hannibal are learning.
“As you look at the AYP (annual yearly progress) targets, we’re making gains still ... we’re making progress,” said Churchwell. “This year in communication arts, 75.5 percent of your students have to be in the top third. That to me is pretty unrealistic. Next year 84 percent of our kids are going to have to be in the top third.”
“For the second year in a row our scores across the district were at an all-time high level for proficiency,” said Mundle.
The way no Child Left Behind is set up, a handful students not performing well on a standardized test can keep a district from being in compliance.
“The more sub-groups you have, the more difficult I think it is for you to make No Child Left Behind. If one of those sub-groups fails, then that school they’re in fails, and then so does the district. It’s nearly impossible if you have any amount of diversity in your district to meet that No Child Left Behind overall goal,” said Mundle.
The No Child Left Behind law passed in 2001.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
A federal education law, which essentially doomed even the country’s best public school districts to failure, could be changing in the near future.
On Friday, President Barack Obama said states will be allowed to eliminate a No Child Left Behind law requirement that all students show they are proficient in math and reading by 2014. States would still need to meet conditions such as setting standards to prepare students for college and careers.
Eric Churchwell, superintendent of the Palmyra R-I School District, is not yet endorsing that Missouri seek the No Child Left Behind exemption from the U.S. Department of Education.
“I’m a little concerned with the fact states would apply for a waiver under No Child Left Behind not knowing what the new requirements would be,” he said. “What are the new requirements going to be? Are they going to be more unrealistic than the current requirements we have?”
Maria Mundle, director of curriculum with the Hannibal public school district, notes that federal standards are climbing ever higher.
“Looking at the requirements of No Child Left Behind, 100 percent of students reaching proficiency by 2014 is probably a bar that is not attainable for most schools and districts in our state and across the nation,” she said. “I’m not certain what the president’s message means to the Hannibal school district. I’m just as interested as everybody else to see what that waiver might look like, and I don’t know yet.”
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said last week the revisions under consideration would place emphasis more on growth than test scores.
Deanette Jarman, superintendent of the Ralls County R-II School District, is hopeful school districts wind up with just one education standard to follow.
“I think it would be beneficial to us if we could have one accountability system that met both state and national requirements, because right now the requirements differ between the two,” she said. “Sometimes it is confusing to the public when they see you meet a state standard, but not a federal standard, or visa versa. I think it would just be better to have one system. I feel Missouri has a strong accountability system now.”
Making progress
Based on standardized test scores, students in Palmyra and Hannibal are learning.
“As you look at the AYP (annual yearly progress) targets, we’re making gains still ... we’re making progress,” said Churchwell. “This year in communication arts, 75.5 percent of your students have to be in the top third. That to me is pretty unrealistic. Next year 84 percent of our kids are going to have to be in the top third.”
“For the second year in a row our scores across the district were at an all-time high level for proficiency,” said Mundle.
The way no Child Left Behind is set up, a handful students not performing well on a standardized test can keep a district from being in compliance.
“The more sub-groups you have, the more difficult I think it is for you to make No Child Left Behind. If one of those sub-groups fails, then that school they’re in fails, and then so does the district. It’s nearly impossible if you have any amount of diversity in your district to meet that No Child Left Behind overall goal,” said Mundle.
The No Child Left Behind law passed in 2001.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
