Kennedy: No retreat on NCLB

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

Edward M. Kennedy: No retreat on school reform
By Edward M. Kennedy -
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/144295.html
Published Tuesday, March 27, 2007


Five years ago, Congress and President Bush made a bold and historic promise. We
pledged in the No Child Left Behind Act that the federal government would do all
in its power to guarantee every child in America, regardless of race, economic
background, language or disability, the opportunity to get a world-class
education.

We have made progress toward fulfilling that commitment. Before the act was
passed, most states lacked ways to track student progress and teacher
effectiveness. Many state accountability requirements had no commitment to
improving education for every child. Only four states had approved assessments
that tracked and reported the achievement of every group of students in their
schools.

Today, all 50 states have standards, assessments and accountability procedures
that enable us to track the achievement of every group of students. Every school
measures performance, based not on overall student population but on progress in
closing achievement gaps and getting all students to meet high standards. Schools
across the country are using assessments under the No Child law to identify
weaknesses in instruction and areas of need for their students.

These are significant reforms, and we can't simply ignore them.

But to fulfill our promise, much more remains to be done.

The No Child Left Behind Act is up for reauthorization. Some in Congress feel the
challenge is too great and want to turn back the clock on reform. One Republican
proposal would even let states avoid accountability requirements and still
receive federal funds.

Most of us in Congress know that a retreat to mediocrity is wrong.

To meet the demands of the 21st century, we have to expand opportunity for all
and keep our commitment to leaving no child behind.

We know the law has flaws, but we also know that with common-sense changes and
adequate resources, we can improve it by building on what we've learned. We owe
it to America's children, parents and teachers to reinforce our commitment, not
abandon it.

We need to strengthen our academic standards and assessment methods to ensure
that students have the knowledge and skills necessary for today's knowledge-based
global economy. We can improve accountability by helping states modernize their
curriculums from prekindergarten through high school so that all students
graduate with the education they need to pursue a college or technical degree,
participate in the workforce or serve in the armed forces. We should also help
states develop better assessments to track the progress and growth of all
students, including students for whom English is a second language and students
with special needs.

We must expand and fortify the teacher workforce. Researchers agree that teacher
quality is the most important factor affecting student achievement. Good teachers
can make all the difference in closing achievement gaps for low-income and
minority students. The same research also shows, however, that our most at-risk
students are often taught by the least prepared, least experienced and least
qualified teachers. The No Child Left Behind Act made a commitment that every
child would be taught by a highly qualified teacher. To reach that goal, a
greater federal investment is needed.

Finally, we can't just label schools inadequate. We must help them improve.
States and localities need to initiate and support school improvement. Part of
the act's promise was that greater accountability would be accompanied by greater
support. We knew that federal resources would be critical to achieving the goals.
When the law was adopted in 2002, Congress delivered $22 billion to support
public education -- an increase of 20 percent over the previous year. This was an
unprecedented federal investment. The law promised increased funding levels over
the life of its provisions, in step with the increase in targets for student
performance. Yet year after year, the federal government has failed to provide
the resources that states and school districts need to improve struggling
schools. Assessment and accountability without the funding needed to implement
change is a recipe for failure.

In the weeks ahead, those opposed to doing what it takes to leave no child behind
will do everything in their power to impede our progress. Don't let their
rhetoric fool you. Local control means nothing without the resources for
improvement. Increasing flexibility without preserving accountability is fiscally
irresponsible and educationally unwise.

No Child Left Behind is not just a slogan. It's a national commitment, inspired
by our fundamental values and aspirations. It's a promise to do all we can so
that every American child receives the high-quality education he or she needs and
deserves. We may never achieve that lofty goal, but if we hope to keep America
strong and just, prosperous and free, we can never stop trying.

About the writer: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., was a lead author of the Leave
No Child Behind Act. This article was written for the Washington Post.

George Sheridan