New Book: From NCLB Hype to Meaningful Educational Opportunity

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

NCLB SHOULD EASE UNIVERSAL PROFICIENCY TARGETS, NEW BOOK ARGUES.

FOCUS INSTEAD ON GREATER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
Campaign for Educational Equity News Release -- February 28, 2008

With just six years left for all students nationwide to achieve 
proficiency in math and reading as required by federal law, two leading 
experts on educational equity say the target should be scrapped before 
its rhetorical intent "is undermined by the frustration of mounting 
failures."

The experts -- Michael Rebell and Jessica Wolff, respectively executive 
director and policy director of The Campaign for Educational Equity, 
based at Teachers College, Columbia University -- argue that the federal 
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) should be restructured to provide all 
students with a range of opportunities and resources, both in and out of 
the classroom, which they believe are essential to learning.

"In place of the impossible goal of 100 percent proficiency, Congress 
should establish as its mandatory goal for 2014 the more achievable aim 
of providing meaningful educational opportunity for all children by that 
time," write Rebell and Wolff in their new book, Moving Every Child 
Ahead: From NCLB Hype to Meaningful Educational Opportunity (Teachers 
College Press, 2008). "The term 'proficiency' should be redefined to 
emphasize consistent progress toward high levels of achievement, rather 
than absolute attainment of a concrete level of performance at a 
definite point in time. Each state's adequate yearly progress should 
also be judged in terms of the extent to which the achievement gaps 
between advantaged and disadvantaged students are reduced."

On Wednesday, March 5th, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., Rebell - the former lead 
attorney for the plaintiff in New York State's educational adequacy 
lawsuit - will present the book's main points at Teachers College, 525 
West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, in 179 Grace 
Dodge Hall.  His presentation is part of The Campaign for Educational 
Equity's "Equity and Education Forum Series."  

TC professor Arlene Ackerman, recently named Superintendent of the 
Philadelphia public school system, will moderate a discussion between 
Jack Jennings, President of the Center on Education Policy, and Thomas 
L. Rogers, Executive Director, New York State Council of State 
Superintendents, in response to Rebell's presentation.

Moving Every Child Ahead draws on a symposium Rebell chaired in 2006 for 
The Campaign for Educational Equity. Among the findings presented at 
that event:

- No state is on track to reach NCLB's full proficiency goal by 2014. 
The number of schools failing to make average yearly progress targets is 
accelerating;

- Many have lowered their proficiency criteria in response to NCLB 
pressures;

- Despite NCLB's "teacher quality" goals, poor and minority students 
with the greatest educational needs are still assigned the least 
qualified teachers;

- Many schools "in need of improvement" under NCLB lack the resources 
and instructional capacity to make that improvement.

-Many state tests used to measure AYP are not valid in accordance with 
established psychometric standards, or even fully aligned with states' 
own academic standards.  

Rebell and Wolff argue that - given the recent retreat of the U.S. 
Supreme Court from school integration - policymakers and educators must 
remedy "the scandalous deficiencies in human and material resource in 
many of our inner-city and rural schools.

"At the root of 's achievement gaps are the significant opportunity gaps 
endured by millions of low-income and minority students," the authors 
assert. "NCLB is falling far short of achieving its ambitious goals 
because it mainly concentrates on accountability for results but 
neglects the resources and supports students need to achieve these results."

In the numerous educational adequacy lawsuits waged in states across the 
country, experts have arrived at a consensus definition of those 
resources and supports, Rebell and Wolff argue, and performed 
sophisticated studies of the costs. The definition includes: 

- Sufficient ability to read, write and speak English, and knowledge of 
fundamental math and physical science to function in a complex, changing 
society;

-Sufficient knowledge of social studies (geography, history, and basic 
economic and political systems) to make informed choices about issues of 
the day;

- Sufficient intellectual tools to evaluate complex issues, and the 
social communication skills to work well with others and communicate 
ideas to a group-

- Sufficient academic and vocational skills to compete on an equal basis 
with others in further formal education or gainful employment.

<>Education must emphasize not only traditional academics and problem 
solving skills, Rebell and Wolff argue, but also social skills and work 
ethic; citizenship and community responsibility; physical and emotional 
health; the arts and literature; and preparation for skilled work. It 
must employ effective teachers, principals and other personnel; offer 
appropriately sized classes, adequate school facilities and rich and 
rigorous curricula; and provide guidance services, after-school, weekend 
and summer programming, tutoring and additional time on task for 
students from high-poverty backgrounds. It must have appropriate 
programs for English Language Learners and students with disabilities. 
It must provide up-to-date textbooks, libraries, laboratories and 
computers. And it must maintain a safe, orderly environment for learning. 

Finally the authors argue that, just as federal law requires schools to 
support disabled students beyond the classroom, a revamped NCLB must 
support high-poverty children "with specific out-of-school educational 
essentials, including:

- High-quality early childhood education
- Necessary levels of nutrition and physical activity
- Physical and mental health care
- Home, family and community support for student academic achievement
- Access to arts, cultural employment, community service, civic and 
other critical non-academic experiences." 

The Equity and Education Forum Series addresses the state of knowledge 
in 12 fields related to closing the nation's school achievement gap and 
identify areas for future inquiry. The topics of the Equity and 
Education range from multilingualism and pre-schooling to schools within 
schools and public health.

For more information, please visit the college's Web site at 
www.tc.columbia.edu. <http://www.tc.columbia.edu.>