No Retreat on School Reform
By Edward M. Kennedy
Monday, March 26, 2007; Page A15
Washington Post
Five years ago, Congress and President Bush made a
bold and historic promise. We pledged in the No Child
Left Behind Act that the federal government would do
all in its power to guarantee every child in America,
regardless of race, economic background, language or
disability, the opportunity to get a world-class
education.
We have made progress toward fulfilling that
commitment. Before the act was passed, most states
lacked ways to track student progress and teacher
effectiveness. Many state accountability requirements
had no commitment to improving education for every
child. Only four states had approved assessments that
tracked and reported the achievement of every group of
students in their schools.
Today, all 50 states have standards, assessments and
accountability procedures that enable us to track the
achievement of every group of students. Every school
measures performance, based not on overall student
population but on progress in closing achievement gaps
and getting all students to meet high standards.
Schools across the country are using assessments under
the No Child law to identify weaknesses in instruction
and areas of need for their students.
These are significant reforms, and we can't simply
ignore them.
But to fulfill our promise, much more remains to be
done.
The No Child Left Behind Act is up for
reauthorization. Some in Congress feel the challenge
is too great and want to turn back the clock on
reform. One Republican proposal would even let states
avoid accountability requirements and still receive
federal funds.
Most of us in Congress know that a retreat to
mediocrity is wrong. To meet the demands of the 21st
century, we have to expand opportunity for all and
keep our commitment to leaving no child behind.
We know the law has flaws, but we also know that with
common-sense changes and adequate resources, we can
improve it by building on what we've learned. We owe
it to America's children, parents and teachers to
reinforce our commitment, not abandon it.
We need to strengthen our academic standards and
assessment methods to ensure that students have the
knowledge and skills necessary for today's
knowledge-based global economy. We can improve
accountability by helping states modernize their
curriculums from prekindergarten through high school
so that all students graduate with the education they
need to pursue a college or technical degree,
participate in the workforce or serve in the armed
forces. We should also help states develop better
assessments to track the progress and growth of all
students, including students for whom English is a
second language and students with special needs.
We must expand and fortify the teacher workforce.
Researchers agree that teacher quality is the most
important factor affecting student achievement. Good
teachers can make all the difference in closing
achievement gaps for low-income and minority students.
The same research also shows, however, that our most
at-risk students are often taught by the least
prepared, least experienced and least qualified
teachers. The No Child Left Behind Act made a
commitment that every child would be taught by a
highly qualified teacher. To reach that goal, a
greater federal investment is needed.
Finally, we can't just label schools inadequate. We
must help them improve. States and localities need to
initiate and support school improvement. Part of the
act's promise was that greater accountability would be
accompanied by greater support. We knew that federal
resources would be critical to achieving the goals.
When the law was adopted in 2002, Congress delivered
$22 billion to support public education -- an increase
of 20 percent over the previous year. This was an
unprecedented federal investment. The law promised
increased funding levels over the life of its
provisions, in step with the increase in targets for
student performance. Yet year after year, the federal
government has failed to provide the resources that
states and school districts need to improve struggling
schools. Assessment and accountability without the
funding needed to implement change is a recipe for
failure.
In the weeks ahead, those opposed to doing what it
takes to leave no child behind will do everything in
their power to impede our progress. Don't let their
rhetoric fool you. Local control means nothing without
the resources for improvement. Increasing flexibility
without preserving accountability is fiscally
irresponsible and educationally unwise.
No Child Left Behind is not just a slogan. It's a
national commitment, inspired by our fundamental
values and aspirations. It's a promise to do all we
can so that every American child receives the
high-quality education he or she needs and deserves.
We may never achieve that lofty goal, but if we hope
to keep America strong and just, prosperous and free,
we can never stop trying.
The writer, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts,
was a lead author of the Leave No Child Behind Act.
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