Fwd: NCTE Calls on Congress to Revamp NCLB

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

We passed this last November. Talk about irrelevant...

Susan

Begin forwarded message:

  From: James Crawford <jwcrawford@COMPUSERVE.COM>

  Date: Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:34:42 AM US/Pacific

  To: ELLADVOC@asu.edu

  Subject: NCTE Calls on Congress to Revamp NCLB

  Reply-To: James Crawford <jwcrawford@COMPUSERVE.COM>

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  March 13, 2007

  Contact:  Mark Schultz

  Phone:  800-369-6283, ext. 3630

  0000,0000,0000The National Council of Teachers of English Calls on Congress
  to Revamp

  0000,0000,0000the No Child Left Behind Act

  The 50,000 members of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
  affirm the principles of educational equity that shape No Child Left Behind
  (NCLB). NCTE members are dedicated to closing the achievement gap through
  accountability, flexibility, and high quality instruction. Although the
  implementation of NCLB legislation has not always led to the desired ends, we
  believe that full funding and changes in the law could yield more positive
  results. Therefore, NCTE recommends that the following changes be made in
  NCLB through the 2007 reauthorization process.

  1.Arial  Multiple assessments are needed for an accurate portrait of the
  academic achievement of all students. No single test can provide an accurate
  portrait of students and schools. Smarter, more nuanced assessments can
  provide better information on achievement without increasing the testing
  burden and wasting valuable instructional time. Accordingly, NCTE recommends
  that multiple assessments be used to determine student and school progress
  and that assessment data be made available to teachers in a timely fashion so
  they can use it to shape instruction.

  2.Arial  Teacher quality is an important factor in enhancing learning. NCTE
  recommends increasing federal funding for capacity building in schools and
  districts. Title II funds need to be set aside for the on-going professional
  development of educators, not merely for class size reduction (the focus of
  most current spending).

  3.Arial  High-need students should have the best prepared and most
  experienced teachers. Unfortunately, the least prepared and least experienced
  teachers are disproportionately assigned to schools with the greatest need
  for expert literacy instruction. NCTE, therefore, recommends that federal
  programs be designed to support highly prepared, experienced teachers in
  schools with the greatest number of high-need students. In addition,
  providers of supplementary services should also be highly prepared teachers.

  4.Arial  Reading First, as the report of the Office of Inspector General in
  the U.S. Department of Education shows, has been riddled with ethical and
  legal violations which excluded many researchers from the grants evaluation
  process.  To improve the reliability of grant review, NCTE urges that an
  objective peer review system be adopted that empowers independent panels of
  scholars representing multiple perspectives to make recommendations on the
  basis of observable data.

  Re-examining the definition of “scientifically based reading research” under
  NCLB will improve the coherence and impact of the bill.  NCTE recommends a
  definition that aligns with that of the National Research Council,
  emphasizing peer review and multiple methodologies.   Finally, as required by
  law, rigorous research on the impacts of Reading First should be conducted.

  5.Arial  NCTE supports the adoption of growth models to track increased
  achievement and provide longitudinal data based on the performance of
  individual students and subgroups. Instead of the existing Adequate Yearly
  Progress measure that compares different groups of students to chart
  achievement, growth models (currently in use in several states) track growth
  of the same students over time, a more accurate indicator of academic
  success. In particular, growth models provide a more valid means of measuring
  success for English Language Learners (ELLs) and at-risk students, who need
  extended time to achieve and maintain proficiency in literacy.

  See NCTE’s entire NCLB Recommendations document at
  1999,1999,FFFFhttp://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/gov/126451.htmArial0000,0000,0000.
  0000,0000,0000

  ###

  The National Council of Teachers of English, with 50,000 individual and
  institutional members worldwide, is dedicated to improving the teaching and
  learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education.  For
  more information, please visit 1999,1999,FFFFwww.ncte.orgArial0000,0000,0000.0000,0000,0000