Who to Believe on NCLB Success

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

EVERYONE CLAIMS VICTORY ON EDUCATION: WHO TO BELIEVE

Huffington Post -- October 1, 2007
by Dan Brown

America's "report card," the National Assessment of Education Progress 
(NAEP), tabulated by the U.S. Department of Education, came out recently 
and everyone -- on every side of the No Child Left Behind debate -- 
declared victory.

Overall. the NAEP claimed math test scores are up, reading scores are 
stagnant, and eighth grade reading has slightly declined.

George W. Bush said the numbers -- test scores from a sample of over 
700,000 students nationwide -- looked outstanding, and declared (with 
suspect grammar), "Childrens do learn when standards are high are 
results are measured."

Democrat Edward Kennedy, who aggressively pushed for No Child Left 
Behind's original passage, said in a press release, "These national test 
scores show that the hard work of teachers, parents and students in 
Massachusetts is paying off... We'll do all we can at the national level 
to improve the No Child Left Behind law so that it works better for our 
teachers, school children and schools... These scores are reason to 
celebrate, but they're also cause for resolve in finishing the job."

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing was not so excited. 
Organization leader Monty Neill argued, "NAEP shows educational 
improvement across the nation slowed significantly since NCLB went into 
effect. This happened despite the fact that curriculum narrowed in many 
schools to little more than test preparation in reading and math. Gains 
from 2000 to 2003, before NCLB went into effect, were significantly 
greater than they were from 2003 to 2007, when NCLB was the law. That 
deflates the administration's claims that federal law is driving school 
improvement."

Monty Neill's point about the NCLB-inspired narrowing school curriculum 
for test preparation, supported by a major recent report by the Center 
on Education Policy, is critical. No Child Left Behind has drastically 
changed the way students spend their school days. Has the elevation of 
focus on testing been worth it?

Who should we believe as the No Child Left Behind reauthorization debate 
rages? Do the Bush Administration or Senator Kennedy still have 
credibility on this issue? The "Miller-McKeon NCLB Discussion Draft," 
currently circulating in Congress actually expands the culture of 
high-stakes testing. Now is a pivotal moment for citizens' voices to be 
heard on this policy.

Dan Brown is a teacher and the author of the new memoir "The Great 
Expectations School" A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle"

   for original column with links to sources: 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-brown/everyone-claims-victory-o_b_66552.html