Statement by Antonia Cortese, Executive Vice President, American Federation of Teachers, On a Proposed Pilot Program for Differentiated School Accountability

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings today announced a pilot program she
said would help states differentiate between underperforming schools in need of
dramatic interventions and schools closer to meeting No Child Left Behind goals.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This pilot program would not even begin to address the major problems with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

 The proposal does nothing to fix NCLB’s adequate yearly progress formula, a poor measure of school quality. Nor does it change NCLB’s wrong-headed approach—providing punishment instead of help—to schools and students that are struggling.

 NCLB is in need of a dramatic overhaul and cannot be patched up with Band-Aids and pilot programs.

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