Fwd: [ndsgroup] summary of FEA legislative proposal on NLCB

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

Begin forwarded message:

  From: "Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>

  Date: Wed Apr 4, 2007 11:37:30 AM US/Pacific

  To: <ndsgroup@yahoogroups.com>, <care@yahoogroups.com>, "RScriticalteach"
  <RScriticalteach@lists.execpc.com>, <ARN-state@yahoogroups.com>, "ARN-L"
  <arn-l@interversity.org>, "arn2-strategy" <arn2-strategy@yahoogroups.com>

  Subject: [ndsgroup] summary of FEA legislative proposal on NLCB

  Reply-To: "Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>

  Below is a summary FairTest has written about the Forum on Educational
  Accountability's legislative language and specifications for overhauling
  NLCB. The actual language we propose is on the web at
  http://www.fairtest.org/FEAlegrecs0307.pdf - in pdf format. (See also
  www.edaccountability.org.)

  When you call or write your Senators and Representatives about NCLB, you
  should mention the FEA legislative proposal and tell them where to find it
  (www.edaccountability.org is easy to remember and it is easy to find things
  on that site. (The Action Alert we sent Monday is on the FairTest website at
  http://www.fairtest.org/nattest/ActTodayNCLB0407.html.

  Forum on Educational Accountability

  Summary of Proposed Legislative Changes to ESEA/NCLB

                                                                         March
  2007

  The current Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind
  (ESEA/NCLB) law needs fundamental change. The Forum on Educational
  Accountability (FEA) has submitted legislative language to the U.S. House and
  Senate Education Committees based on the Joint Organizational Statement on
  NCLB that would remake the law into an effective tool for school improvement.

  These proposals address major structural flaws of NCLB – "adequate yearly
  progress," intense standardized testing, and sanctions – and promote support
  for essential systemwide   improvements, reasonable growth expectations, and
  the use of multiple sources of evidence.

  Educationally Helpful Assessments:

             -  Require fewer but higher quality assessments. Current law
  requires annual reading and math tests in grades 3-8 plus once in high
  school, as well as science tests in three grades. Instead, require
  state-level reading, math and science assessments once each in elementary,
  middle and high school.

             - Provide support to states and districts to help develop
  high-quality local assessments for use in all grades. These can include
  classroom, school and district tests; extended writing; tasks, projects,
  performances, and exhibitions; and collected samples of student classroom
  work, portfolios or learning records. ESEA would initially fund 10 pilot
  programs in states, with more states to follow.

  Rational Expectations for Improvement:

             - Hold schools accountable for implementing systemic changes,
  including professional development and family support, that can produce
  significant improvements in education.

             - Use growth measures that incorporate multiple sources of
  evidence (various forms of assessment, including local assessments;
  graduation and grade promotion rates). Continue to disaggregate outcome data
  by groups.

             -Establish expected rates of improvement in student learning that
  are based on rates that significant numbers of Title I schools have actually
  attained.

  Support Instead of Punishment:

             - Eliminate NCLB's sanctions, including mandated supplemental
  services, transfer options, "restructuring," governance changes, and
  privatizing control of schools.

             - Use federal and state funds equal to 40% of Title I allocations
  to strengthen locally-controlled professional development, parental
  involvement and family support.

             - Require monitoring and interventions to provide more intensive
  and specifically tailored assistance to schools that have difficulty
  implementing systemic changes or are unable to meet the required rates of
  improvement after five years.

  FEA is a working group of some of the signers of the Joint Statement. The
  legislative language, Joint Statement, and the report Rethinking
  Accountability are available at www.edaccountability.org. This summary was
  prepared by FairTest, www.fairtest.org.

  Monty Neill, Ed.D.

  Co-Executive Director

  FairTest

  342 Broadway

  Cambridge, MA 02139

  617-864-4810    fax 617-497-2224

  monty@fairtest.org

  http://www.fairtest.org

  Donate: https://secure.entango.com/servlet/donate/MnrXjT8MQqk

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