Fw: f y i - No Child Left Behind in California

["Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>]

This forwarded report on NCLB shows the disbelief and the outrage following
in the wake of the implementation of NCLB, in this case in California. Note
the person who said voc ed is disappearing - and soon will only be available
in prison; and that the law promotes bad educational practices, paves the
way to privatization and ignores deeper issues of the economy and racism.

We need many more such forums. I know one was held in Chicago by some state
reps and a US rep - lots of powerful denunciations from superintendents,
representatives of bilingual educators, parent and community groups (some
allied with the ARN), etc.

If you learn of or participate in any, let us all know.

Monty

> >Subject:
> >                  Nov.15 hearing on NCLB and achievement gap
> >
> >
> >No Child Left Behind?  How the Federal NCLB Act impacts local schools
> and
> >children.
> >
> >A Hearing by the Select Committee on Bridging the Achievement Gap
> >Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, Chair
> >Saturday, Nov. 15, 2003, Stanley Middle School, Lafayette
> >
> >Camille Maben of the Calif. Dept. of Ed.  gave a brief overview of NCLB
> as
> >it affects California, where, as she put it, "we're still working on
> >revising and improving our testing system."  She
> >explained API (California's academic performance index), AYP (annual
> >yearly progress required under NCLB), and AMO (annual measurable
> >objectives used to determine AYP).  In
> >addition to test scores, graduation rates are theoretically required to
>
> >rise, but at present there is no reliable way to measure this.  Schools
>
> >that don't meet AYP two years in a row enter PI (program improvement, a
>
> >status that can eventually lead to re-opening a school as a charter,
> replacing
> >staff, contracting school operation with an external entity, or
> takeover
> >by the state if test scores don't improve enough).
> >
> >The ultimate requirement of NCLB is for 100% of students throughout the
>
> >state to score "proficient" on standardized tests in language arts and
> >math by the year 2014.  Ms. Maben touched briefly on the HQT (high
> quality
> >teacher) requirement of NCLB, under which schools have a couple of
> years
> >to ensure that all teachers have a 4-year college degree, are fully
> >certified or licensed, and can demonstrate competence in the subject
> >matter they teach.  She concluded that one of the
> >most important challenges of NCLB is communication, i.e., communicating
> to
> >teachers, parents, students and the general public what this act is all
>
> >about and how important it is.
> >
> >There followed a wide array of expert panelists who are all attempting
> to
> >comply with the law, yet every one of them expressed serious
> reservations
> >and concerns.
> >
> >Richard Whitmore, Board member of the Acalanes Union High School
> District,
> >emphasized that the US Dept. of Ed. will not waive any part of the NCLB
>
> >law. This is frustrating for California policy-makers, since our state
> >already has an accountability system that is similar to but not
> identical
> >with the
> >federal one.
> >Terri Jackson, President of the United Teachers of Richmond, affirmed
> >teachers' openness to reform and accountability but took exception to
> the
> >top-down, heavy-handed way it is being imposed by
> >NCLB.  It is causing many teachers to lose the joy of their
> >profession.  The HQT provisions create
> >unnecessary hoops for experienced teachers.  The testing provisions
> >restrict the teaching and learning environment with excessive emphasis
> on
> >scripted curriculum and little or no time for the arts, PE,
> >science and social science.  She quoted Wynton Marsalis' appeal for the
>
> >expansion of arts
> >education:  "We don't need smarter students, we need more informed,
> humane
> >students."
> >
> >Michele Lawrence, Superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School
> District,
> >pointed out that a major addition of resources would be needed to make
> the
> >dream of high academic performance for all
> >students a reality.  The HQT provisions of NCLB overemphasize teachers'
>
> >content knowledge while
> >neglecting the importance of pedagogical skills.  She said we should
> >insist on multiple measures of student performance, a component of
> >California's accountability law that is being violated.
> >
> >Janice Thompson, Principal of Verde Elementary School in North
> Richmond,
> >said that the blessing of this law is that "it forces us to teach to
> all
> >children", but the curse is that the state and
> >federal government is not supporting us and following up with the
> >necessary funds.  Her school serves low-income, predominantly African
> >American students with a history of poor achievement.  Even though in
> >recent years attendance improved, parents became more involved, and a
> core
> >group of dedicated teachers helped turn the school around, she had to
> send
> >out lay-off notices last spring and drastically reduce the number of
> >teacher interns they could hire.
> >
> >Beverly Sadler, Curriculum Director of Acalanes Union High School
> >District, said NCLB can be used as leverage for success for all
> students
> >or it can be allowed to divert energy for the avoidance of
> >consequences.  A big problem in high schools is participation rates.
> If
> >fewer than 95% of students
> >overall or in any subgroup take the standardized test (regardless of
> >whether parents requested they be exempted), then the school or
> district
> >does not meet AYP.  High school students often don't come
> >to school on test days because they don't take this one seriously.
> >
> >Several students testified that the excessive standardized testing has
> a
> >negative effect on kids, puts students under too much pressure and
> doesn't
> >really reflect their knowledge and skills.
> >
> >Kathy Rollins, a classified staff member in WCCUSD Local 1, said
> low-paid
> >paraprofessionals are being asked to do more and more without enough
> money
> >for adequate training.
> >
> >John Chocholak, a San Leandro teacher in the CA Industrial Technical
> >Education Association, said that because of NCLB and the intense
> pressure
> >to focus on language arts and math, vocational
> >education is slowly being eliminated in California.  Businesses are
> upset
> >that students can't take
> >shop in high school, and before long, the only place where young people
>
> >will be able to get publicly funded vocational education will be within
>
> >California's largest growth industry:  prison.
> >
> >Joan Alber, a Special Education teacher, said NCLB is wasteful and
> unfair
> >to special ed students, who already have Individualized Education Plans
>
> >and a variety of unique skills that can't be assessed on a
> >one-size-fits-all standardized test.
> >
> >Stephen Rhodes, of the High School District Association, noted that 75%
> of
> >high schools in California failed to meet AYP due to low participation,
>
> >and said the participation rate threshold should be lowered.
> >
> >Following the invited expert testimony, about thirty audience members
> got
> >up to speak during the public comment period.  Without exception,
> outrage
> >and opposition to this legislation was expressed by parents, teachers,
> >teacher educators, community members, students, and a member of the AC
> >Transit Board.  Speakers noted that NCLB is designed to set public
> schools
> >up to fail and pave the way for vouchers and privitization to the
> >detriment of low-income students of color, who persistently have less
> >access to high quality learning experiences.  NCLB does not address the
>
> >root causes of the
> >so-called "achievement gap", which are unjust economic policies and
> >on-going institutional racism.   The lack of funding and rigidity of
> the
> >new law were criticized.  The question was raised whether we want
> >education to be designed by politicians and corporations, or by the
> >parents and educators
> >and students who have to live with it.  And one speaker noted, "if we
> >applied this law to medicine, by 2014, no patients would die."
> >
> >---
> >In the written program, the resources below were
> >listed for further
> >information:
> >
> >http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/brokenpromises.pdf
> >
> >http://www.arc.org/erase/handbooknclb.html
> >
> >http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bushplan/nclb181.shtml
> >
> >www.nochildleftbehind.gov
> >
> >www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/
> >
> >http://www.dce.ca.gov/pr/nclb/
> >
> >http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a14
>
>
>
>
>