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June 1, 2003
No Child Left Behind
By Carol S. Holzberg, PhD
Approved on January 8, 2002, the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act of 2001 dramatically increases the federal government's role in four areas of K-12 education:
- accountability for what every child should learn in reading, math, and science (as reflected in test results);
- local control over Federal education dollars;
- funding for teaching programs and methods that work;
- and parental options.
Teachers, educational administrators, and parents looking for help in interpreting this legislation, critiquing reform assumptions, or assisting with compliance should visit the Web sites listed below.
No Child Left Behind
The official NCLB Web site is a good place to begin your search for information about this far-reaching federal education reform legislation. In addition to providing HTML and PDF links to the full text of the NCLB Act, it offers links to legislation basics, details and policy; an overview of the proposed reform; and, a PowerPoint presentation of legislative highlights. You'll also find answers to frequently asked questions, plus options to read or subscribe to an electronic newsletter offering up-to-date information, events and announcements about the law. A section designed just "For Parents" provides homework tips and downloadable brochures that can help children learn to read.
NEIR*TEC Technology Briefs for No Child Left Behind Planners
Recognizing the importance placed by NCLB on the role of technology in improving student academic achievement, NEIR-TEC (Northeast and Islands Regional Technology Consortium), a collaboration of Education Development Center, Inc., TERC, Brown University's Education Alliance, and Learning Innovations at WestEd created a series of 14 Technology Briefs to assist NCLB planners. Topics include: Steps to Increase Accessibility, Professional Development, Integration of Technology Curricula and Instruction, and Accountability Measures. Download each technology brief individually or all of them together in a single Adobe PDF file. All NEIR-TEC briefs address key issues to consider when developing new technology applications for teaching and learning. They also list effective integration strategies to help students (and teachers) become technologically literate.
The Profiler Online Collaboration Tool
NCLB legislation enables schools to purchase technology hardware and software in support of research-based initiatives proven to help children learn. Profiler is a free online collaboration tool offered by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) to assess the level of technology competence within a school or district. It's available as an online Survey Wizard. Other tools at the site allow administrators to customize online surveys to suit their own school or district needs if they set up an account and register their group. Another Learning With Technology Profile Tool to help measure Indicators of High-Performance Technology is available free for access from NCRTEC (North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium and NCREL (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory).
The Art of Teaching: No Child Left Behind Act
Teachers and parents interested in learning more about the four areas of NCLB educational reform should visit this helpful, jargon-free Web site courtesy of teachervision.com. Specific topics explored in detail include: Accountability for Results; Reduce Bureaucracy and Increase Flexibility; Focusing Resources on Proven Educational Methods, and Expanded Choice for Parents. There are also links to NCLB educational resources and opinion articles.
No Child Left Behind: What Will It Take
At this site you'll find a collection of seven papers (in PDF or Word format) exploring key questions left unresolved by NCLB legislation. Accountability and testing are of primary interest. How do states, districts and schools measure student progress toward proficiency? Prepared by a panel of educational experts and commissioned for a conference sponsored by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, the papers offer a variety of creative (and often conflicting) solutions to meet NCLB legislative demands.
Best Practice in Mathematics: Using Test Results to Inform Instruction and Improve Student Achievement
Accountability, accountability, accountability! The tests you give your students must address state, district and school academic achievement standards in order to comply with NCLB legislation. Effective curriculum planning and classroom instruction require that you know how to interpret those results. In this article, assessment consultant, Donna J. Long, explores how teachers can ensure that class test results influence the way they teach and evaluate their students. Long provides a sample class report for reference. The page is part of "enc!", sponsored by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse.
No Educator Left Behind
At this site you'll find answers to questions about the NCLB Act and its effect on educators. You'll also find information about teacher certification requirements, local school district costs to implement NCLB, paraprofessional certification requirements, impact of the law (if any) on students attending private schools, the definition of a "research-based instructional program," and more. If you have a question you'd like answered, the sponsoring site Education World will act as intermediary, sending it to the U.S. Department of Education and posting it when the DoE replies.
Legislative Handbook: No Child Left Behind Resources
Hosted by the National Science Teachers Association, this site provides science educators, department heads, supervisors, and others interested in K-12 science education with resources that can help them understand the law and the changes it effects. For example, you can click the link to the "flow chart" to determine if you're a "highly qualified" science teacher. To learn more about the law as it relates to science educators, click the link to the PowerPoint presentation. Summaries of legislative highlights and a Teacher Quality Q&A are also available.
Federal Influence Over Curriculum Exhibits Growth
This article by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo and David J. Hoff in the February 5, 2003 issue of Education Week on the Web raises serious concerns about the classroom role of the Federal government. How does this role affect "instructional content, academic achievement standards and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction?" For example, with the NCLB emphasis on student achievement, test-driven curricula, and accountability, federal encroachment over reading curriculum has dramatically increased. Analysts predict similar intrusions into math, science, and language arts. Learn more about issues surrounding federal influence over educational content and pedagogy by visiting this site. You'll need to register at the Education Week site to view article contents, but registration is currently free.
Illinois State Board of Education: No Child Left Behind
Parents, educators, and community members interested in NCLB legislation as it relates to "new requirements, new incentives, and new resources" can visit this no-nonsense site offering links to NCLB highlights and timeline for goals that must be met (2001-2014). The section on Qualifications for Teachers and Professionals" summarizes certification requirements for teachers in the state of Illinois.
NGA Center for Best Practices: No Child Left Behind
Sponsored by the Education Policy Studies Division of the NGA (National Governors Association), this site has summaries of NCLB legislation, latest regulations, advice, policy letters and interviews with education experts. You'll find helpful timeline summaries, final Title 1 regulations, concerns about assessment requirements, and more. The site addresses issues primarily of interest to governors, but teachers, parents, and educational administrators will also find its numerous links and resources very valuable. Of particular interest are options to download an NCLB Desktop Reference and a document specifying how NCLB compliance affects state compliance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
No Child Unrecruited
MotherJones.com is a freethinking counter-culture site that dares to question, prod, and even provoke. This time it is taking a closer look at the NCLB's Section 9528, "Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Students and Student Recruiting Information." That section states: "each local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide, on a request made by military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to secondary school students names, addresses, and telephone listings." Those concerned with erosions of personal freedom might want to visit this unconventional site to learn about a potential flaw in NCLB.
Email: Carol S. Holzberg
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