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The federal "No Child Left Behind" law must be overhauled if it is ever going to benefit Wisconsin’s children and our state’s future, WEAC President Stan Johnson said Tuesday (June 12, 2007) in response to the new list of schools that don't meet the law's "unrealistic" standards.
“This list of schools not meeting so-called 'adequate yearly progress' does not help our great teachers and education support professionals do what really helps children learn in the classroom," Johnson said. "Accountability should include multiple measures to evaluate learning – not just the results from reading and mathematics tests. Within five to six years nearly every school in Wisconsin and in the nation will be identified as 'in need of improvement' under the ESEA’s unrealistic expectations.”
This year, the list includes 95 schools and two school districts - Kenosha and Milwaukee - that failed to make what the law terms "adequate yearly progress (AYP)." It also includes 45 schools and one district - Milwaukee - that have been identified as "in need of improvement" for missing the same AYP objective for two or more consecutive years.
Adequate yearly progress is one provision in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The ESEA is the federal law that governs education, and the current version of it is called the "No Child Left Behind" act. This act is up for reauthorization in 2007.
“This AYP list does not address the societal gaps that make learning more difficult for disadvantaged students, especially our youngest learners," Johnson said. "The 'No Child' law requires school districts to give tests developed for regular education students to many students with disabilities and non-English speaking students.”
The law has been roundly criticized for setting unreasonable goals and a lack of promised funding that make it virtually impossible for schools and districts to comply in the long run. The law requires that every child - 100% - meet English and math proficiency levels by 2014.
Johnson said the 'No Child' law does not help schools improve education. “We know what works in Wisconsin: Great teachers and staff, small class sizes, one-on-one attention, ongoing teacher training and mentoring, up-to-date books and learning materials, parental involvement and community support. Not mandates and punishments handed down from Washington, D.C.," he said.
“We hope that legislators listen to what WEAC’s great teachers have been saying all along. We need to shift away from punishing schools with one-size-fits-all programs and give educators the flexibility they need to meet the individual needs of each student that enters a classroom. The federal government undermines local control of education with the 'No Child' law even as it under funds the law by tens of billions of dollars,” Johnson said.
The NEA has recommended five priorities for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind:
The Department of Public Instruction has developed the following documents:
OnWEAC Resource Page on the No Child Left Behind law
Posted June 13, 2007