NEA President Applauds Changes to 'No Child Left Behind' Law
NEA President Reg Weaver said Thursday (April 7, 2005)
he is pleased that the U.S. Department of Education is amending its
regulations affecting the so-called "No Child Left Behind"
law.
"We applaud the department's efforts to make common-sense improvements
in the law that will make it somewhat more flexible," Weaver said.
"NEA, its state affiliates and educators across the country have
been tirelessly advocating for major changes to the law. We are glad
to see many of the changes that we recommended (are being implemented)
and believe that much more needs to be done to turn the promise of 'No
Child Left Behind' into a reality for all children."
The actual name of the "No Child Left Behind" law is the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Under changes announced Thursday by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings, states will have additional alternatives and flexibility
if they can show they are raising student achievement and closing the
achievement gap.
Under one of the changes announced by Spellings, states will be allowed
to use modified assessments for students with persistent academic disabilities
who need more time and instruction to make substantial progress toward
grade-level achievement. These scores will be limited to 2% of all students
for accountability purposes; this is a separate policy from the current
regulation that allows up to 1% of all students being tested (those
with the most significant cognitive disabilities) to take an alternate
assessment.
Spellings also announced that she was directing an additional $14 million
in immediate support for these students and said the department would
provide states with a comprehensive tool kit to help them identify and
assess students with disabilities.
"We welcome the department's new focus on what works to raise
student achievement and close the achievement gap, and expect that these
changes will be applied to states and school districts in an objective
and evenhanded manner," Weaver said.
Weaver said the NEA urges Spellings to make these and other recent
rule changes retroactive "to ensure that schools are not inaccurately
and unfairly labeled as 'in need of improvement.' "
"We also urge the secretary and the U.S. Congress to examine further
changes to the law, such as incorporating broader measures of student
and school progress than just standardized test scores," he said.
"The department's actions are a step in the right direction, but
educators know that we must continue moving forward if we are to ensure
that every child can attend a great public school."
Resource page on the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
U.S.
Department of Education news release
Posted April 8, 2005