NCLB: Reflections on New Directions after Five Years of Mixed Outcomes

At Public Education Network (PEN), we believe that an active, vocal constituency demanding educational improvement is the key to ensuring that every child, in every community, benefits from a quality public education. The fifth anniversary of the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) reminds us of how important it is for the country to continue to focus on education reform. In public hearings convened by PEN nationwide, Americans reported significant concern over NCLB's implementation. The public supports accountability, but believes the current NCLB accountability system is too narrow. It rejects the idea that a single test can create an accurate portrayal of how well a school is performing and believes that such a determination is often at odds with evaluations based on state assessments and inconsistent with how members of the public personally evaluate their schools. Labeling schools "in need of improvement," typically interpreted as "failing," creates conditions whereby schools are abandoned. This destructive impact goes well beyond the school; it tears at the fabric of community. The public's belief in the community as a true partner in school success has intensified. The public is certain that schools cannot go it alone, that communities must be key partners, and that responsibility and accountability for student success must be shared. As part of a larger strategy to inform the upcoming reauthorization of NCLB, PEN will convene another set of hearings this year on this extremely important and often controversial matter that affects the 50 million children who attend public school in the United States.

Filed under Parents and tagged with NCLB on October 17, 2008 #