Has No Child Left Behind Improved Public Education?

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NCLB assumes that the achievement gap is the fault of “failing schools” and that more accountability will somehow solve societal problems, such as poverty, adequate housing, lack of access to quality and affordable health care, and class. As we know the responsibility for improving student academic success does not begin and end at the schoolhouse door.

“The adequate yearly progress (AYP) formula is a highly inaccurate and arbitrary yardstick for measuring progress. The law sets predetermined benchmarks for students' proficiency without taking into account schools' starting points. Furthermore, its testing of students with disabilities and English language learners is neither valid nor reliable.” (Ibid) Special education students and English language learners have not been protected or supported by this law.

“The ‘highly qualified’ teacher requirements, as currently implemented, are unworkable for some teachers and do not apply to all individuals, such as supplemental service providers and charter school teachers, who teach public school students.  Paraprofessionals are not being provided with the range of options necessary to demonstrate that they are qualified, nor the financial support necessary to meet the requirements.” (Ibid.) The law has not addressed factors that will improve learning and teaching conditions, but so-called “remedies” that push qualified teachers out of the teaching profession.

“While the AFT (and CFT) supports targeting resources to disadvantaged students who are struggling to reach state standards, the narrow set of school improvement interventions are not research based and may be punitive rather than helpful to the schools and children they serve. Furthermore, requiring schools to divert scarce Title I resources to support public school choice and supplemental services diverts already limited classroom resources to these unproven interventions.” (Ibid.) These unproven programs such as supplemental educational services (SES) that use unqualified tutors, are not articulated with the school’s curriculum, and have never been held accountable for student achievement.