NCLB Extension to High School Proposed (Again)

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

HIGH SCHOOLS EYED IN NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND RENEWAL
Washington Times -- January 27, 2007
by Amy Fagan

    Educators, lawmakers and the White House are indicating that high 
school reform should be included in this year's renewal of the No Child 
Left Behind law, and the discussion about what it will include is 
already under way.
   "If we're going to do significant high school reform, this is the 
vehicle, this is the year," Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for 
Excellent Education (AEE), told educators gathered on Capitol Hill 
yesterday.
   The administration -- to the chagrin of some conservatives worried 
about ballooning the law -- included several new high school 
requirements in its NCLB proposal, such as mandatory dropout-data 
collection, additional testing standards and more funding for low-income 
schools.
   "I think something can and will happen this year on high school 
reform," Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said recently.
   Yesterday's conference, hosted by AEE, brought together research 
analysts to discuss how the government can best help improve the 
nation's high schools and better prepare students for college and the 
work force.
   James Kemple, director of K-12 education policy at MDRC, a 
nonpartisan social policy research group, said there are common themes 
in successful high school reform models, including small classes or 
schools, double doses of basic literacy and math classes, well-designed 
curriculums and teacher coaching, and a focus on career mentorships and 
"real-world" interaction.
   "Most high schools have limited connection to the adult world," he 
said, arguing that work-based learning and employers in the classroom 
improve student learning.
   The administration's proposal would require states to develop 
college-prep English and math standards for high schools and administer 
tests based on those standards by 2012-2013. Its goal is to coordinate 
between high school and college courses to build common expectations for 
students and better prepare them for college and the workplace.
   Democrats who control the education committees already have 
indicated an openness to tackling high school reform. Whether they will 
remains to be seen, and details will emerge as lawmakers from both sides 
of the aisle -- including Senate education panel Chairman Edward M. 
Kennedy of Massachusetts -- outline their suggestions for renewing the 
NCLB law at the National School Boards Association's annual conference 
Monday.
   The five-year-old law requires states to test third- to 
eighth-graders annually and once in grades 10 to 12, with the goal of 
ensuring that all students can read and do math at grade level by 2014. 
States had to set paths to meet that goal and track the progress of 
their schools. Consistently failing schools must offer students public 
school choice and tutoring services.
   Education experts say more data is needed to quantify the needs of 
high school students, especially dropout numbers. Mrs. Spellings said 
authorities have "virtually no information" about America's high schools.
   According to numbers compiled by AEE, about 1.2 million students 
each year don't graduate from high school with their peers, and those 
from low-income families are six times as likely to fall into that 
category. If the 2006 dropouts had graduated, America would benefit from 
an additional $309 billion in income and purchasing power over their 
lifetimes, according to AEE.
   "We realize that if we can't change the trend of dropouts in this 
country, we'll have a serious, serious problem," Sen. Richard M. Burr, 
North Carolina Republican, told yesterday's gathering.
   Sen. Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Democrat, agreed that there is a 
growing appetite for acting on high school reform this year -- a topic 
that "hasn't received the attention" it deserves.
   Mr. Kemple said the following innovative high school models studied 
by the MDRC provide a starting point for reform discussions:
   -First Things First greatly improved the academic outcomes of middle 
and high school students in Kansas City, Kan., by setting up small 
learning communities, pairing students with a staff member and forcing 
rigorous course work.
   -A study of Career Academies -- small high schools set up around a 
common career theme -- found that over a four-year followup, young male 
Academy graduates, especially those who were at risk, earned over 
$10,000 more than counterparts who didn't attend the academies.
   -The Talent Development High School model -- often used in 
low-performing city schools as a way to focus on college entrance and 
employment -- produced substantial gains in attendance, academic course 
credits earned and promotion to the next grade, according to a MDRC 
study of 20 groups of ninth-graders.
   The administration's proposal for renewing NCLB also calls for 
extending to the high school level the federal funding stream known as 
Title 1, which now primarily goes to low-income elementary schools.

     http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070126-113915-1003r.htm