USA Today vs. Rod Paige

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

Interesting exchange in the nation's largest circulation newspaper.

"Coach" Paige's response particularly illuminates his lack of 
understanding about the rules of the NCLB "game" (or, less charitably, 
his cynicaly willingness to try to obscure them). Using Paige's 
Shaqullle O'Neill analogy, that multi-year All Star would be deemed "In 
Need of Improvement" (= failing) because his free throw percentage has 
failed to improve at the proscribed rate . . . even though Shak is 
arguably the most dominating player in the sport!


WASHINGTON'S INFLEXIBILITY HURTS SCHOOL REFORM EFFORTS
USA Today Editorial -- March 12, 2004

In 2002, Marshall High School, which serves a poor section of Portland, 
Ore., landed on a federal "needs improvement" list for a second year in 
a row. It triggered a provision under a new federal school-reform law 
that lets students transfer to better schools in Portland. And 40 
students did just that.

School officials would have preferred a less-disruptive option to help 
the students: tutoring. But the federal law won't pay for tutors until a 
school is listed as underperforming for three straight years. That 
doesn't make sense to educators, who say transfers should be considered 
only after other efforts to improve student performance.

In fact, to more and more states across the country, many of the 
provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act defy logic. This month, 
Indiana's state board of education gave the law a vote of no confidence. 
Oklahoma's legislature did the same last month, joining a dozen other 
states that have protested portions of the law. Even one of its 
architects, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., has cited flaws that need fixing.

Two years into this sweeping effort to improve education for all 
students, states are encountering bumps in the road. Yet, instead of 
responding to these predictable bumps, the government is reluctant to 
make sensible mid-course corrections. In some areas, such as transfers, 
the Department of Education clings to overly rigid rules. In others, it 
provides inadequate guidance for meeting tougher standards set by the law.

The government's recalcitrance fuels obstructionist efforts by groups 
that never backed the reforms. And it alienates schools that can embrace 
this law as a pathway to a high-quality education for poor and minority 
students shortchanged in the classroom.

A common complaint is that schools are tripped up by rules that result 
in the schools being branded as "failing." For example, if a school 
tests 94% of special education students, it can run afoul of the law, 
which requires 95% to take tests to track their progress. That's one 
reason nearly 30% of the nation's 90,000 public schools failed last fall 
to make the gains required by the law, more than double the number of 
schools that education experts rate as truly troubled.

Fine-tuning provisions to increase federal support and remove 
unreasonable demands could prompt more schools to strive to reach the 
law's goals. Some changes include:

"Making tutoring available earlier. Allowing students to transfer from a 
failing school makes sense. But offering transfers before tutoring 
deprives schools of a valuable tool for improving students' performance 
and the schools' overall rating. At Marshall, 200 students who would 
have attended the school this year opted to go elsewhere, largely 
because of publicity about the 40 transfers the year before.

"Revisiting special education rules. The law sets an admirable goal of 
making sure that 90% of special education students learn at the same 
level as other students. But many educators say the rule is unrealistic 
because the percentage of children with learning disabilities who are 
able to keep up with other students is much lower. They want more 
flexibility in deciding how many special education students can handle 
schoolwork at a normal pace.

Education Secretary Rod Paige says his department has made 
accommodations. And in some cases, he's right. For example, last month 
it dropped a requirement that states give reading tests to 
non-English-speaking students who just entered schools.

Still, Washington has failed to adopt other needed fixes that are 
costing the law support. Smoothing out more bumps along the way could 
help ensure the nation reaches the goal of a better education for everyone.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-03-11-our-view_x.htm


DON'T FAULT THE LAW
USA Today Editorial Response -- March 12, 2004
by Rod Paige

Lately, our nation has been having a healthy discussion about education. 
This discourse comes as a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)  a law 
that is sparking positive changes in how we educate our nation's 
children. It couldn't come at a better time.

Educating nearly 50 million children in a big, diverse nation such as 
ours is a complicated process that costs $500 billion a year. It is 
undeniable that NCLB is challenging the status quo of educational 
mediocrity. For the first time in U.S. history, every state has a plan 
to ensure academic success for every child. Achievement gaps are 
closing. Every child counts  children who need help no longer are 
hidden in averages.

Every school has room to improve, and NCLB ensures weak areas are 
identified and fixed. Think of it this way: Even Shaquille O'Neal needs 
improvement. He is an excellent basketball player, but his free-throw 
percentage could be better.

Like many schools, O'Neal needs to spend some time on part of his game. 
But nobody would call him a failure.

NCLB also respects the importance of local control. That's why the 
states, not the federal government, set achievement levels and define 
which schools make the grade.

Thus, if one-third of a state's schools did not meet the expectation 
levels set by their state education department, it is unfair to blame 
the federal government. Instead, that state should be applauded for 
setting such high standards and identifying the problem. Under NCLB, 
those schools will get increased resources. Parents have choices, and 
the "system" is being forced to respond to them and their children: the 
customers.

This law is just two years old. We are listening to feedback from 
educators, parents and administrators and fine-tuning the law's 
implementation in ways that are good for students. Some organizations 
are suggesting "fixes" that already were rejected during the bipartisan 
legislative process, because they gut the law and don't help children.

We will continue to enhance the law and give states flexibility. But 
this is a good and necessary law. It will prepare U.S. students for the 
bright future they deserve, one they can achieve only if they get a 
high-quality education. NCLB gives them just that.

Rod Paige is secretary of Education.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-03-11-oppose_x.htm