Democrats press NCLB improvements

AFT lauds proposals to fix major flaws in law’s implementation

Senate Democrats, frustrated by ongoing implementation problems with the No Child Left Behind Act under the current administration, are rallying behind a bill introduced in September by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts to address several of these shortfalls.

The No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004, introduced by Kennedy and co-sponsored by seven other Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, deals with many key NCLB implementation problems ranging from “highly qualified teacher” requirements to adequate yearly progress (AYP) calculations. Among the changes it calls for:

• A requirement that all states make available to teachers the high, objective uniform state standard of evaluation (HOUSSE), which will allow teachers to better bring the professional experience to bear when demonstrating they meet NCLB’s “highly qualified teacher” mandate (currently, HOUSSE is optional);
• New flexibility for teachers who demonstrate their qualifications through exams or certification; under the Kennedy bill, NCLB’s “highly qualified” requirement could be met by passing a middle school generalist exam or obtaining a state social studies or science certificate that qualifies teachers to teach multiple related subjects in middle or high school; this could ease the burden of sitting for multiple tests in several disciplines;
• Allowing states and districts to consider school capacity, and health and safety code requirements, when implementing the school choice provision under NCLB; and
• For schools that did not make AYP in 2002-03, an option for states and districts to request a review of that determination, based on the most recent regulations and guidance on testing of children with disabilities, limited English proficiency and minimum participation rates for assessments.

Using the most recent regulations means “numerous schools and districts unfairly penalized [under AYP] will have a chance to recalculate their progress,” says AFT president Edward J. McElroy, who calls the bill “an important first step toward correcting some of the key problems” tied to NCLB.

“While the U.S. Department of Education has turned a deaf ear to those closest to the classroom, Sen. Edward Kennedy and other sponsors of this legislation have not,” McElroy points out. “They have listened to the concerns expressed by our members and worked to remedy a number of the problems the Department of Education has failed to correct.”

Teachers cite resource concerns tied to NCLB

Teachers agree with the goals behind the No Child Left Behind Act but worry that its implementation may be hurting curriculum, instruction and the ability of many schools to attract and retain teachers. That’s the clear frontline message behind “Listening to Teachers: Classroom Realities and No Child Left Behind,” a recent report from the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University.

The study examines the views of almost 1,500 urban-district teachers on several key aspects of the law, including sanctions for public school choice and supplemental service providers at schools deemed to be low performing. The teachers in these urban school districts faced increased pressure and difficult working conditions, notes study co-author Christopher Tracey. But they were “willing to accept fair levels of accountability for student achievement if given appropriate resources and support,” she adds.

“Since the law is all about how to change what happens in the classroom, it is about time we seriously examined what teachers have actually experienced and how they are responding to the reforms,” says CRP director and report co-author Gary Orfield.

“What the teachers say fits with what we have been finding in our ongoing study of six states and 11 districts, and we think that the teachers’ thoughtful ideas deserve to be taken seriously.”

Among the NCLB implementation recommendations made by teachers in the survey:

• More funding for curricular and instructional materials aligned with state standards;
• Additional time to collaborate with other teachers (viewed in the survey as more important than additional resources for professional development);
• Smaller classes; and
• Public recognition and rewards for improving student performance.

The full report is available online at www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/articles/NCLB_Survey_Report.pdf.