School administrators say they are happy that students will be graded by their overall performance in school. Many opposed to the standards have spoken out against a federal overreach in education, propelling the issue to the national stage.
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“We feel very prepared, Lachenmyer said”.
This new law gives power to the states. And what was passed overwhelmingly in both the Senate and the House and signed into law on Thursday by the president was, in significant ways, the best that was possible.
Wanda Cook-Robinson, superintendent of the Oakland intermediate school district, said she was “elated” that Congress acted to replace No Child Left Behind. But one key feature remains: Students will still take federally required statewide reading and math exams. Still, the new law encourages states to limit the time students spend on testing and diminishes the high stakes for underperforming schools.
In a media release, KNEA President Mark Farr said, “The dedicated professionals working in Kansas public schools continue to push for what’s best for all students”.
South Dakota’s secretary of education says “We will be investigating every opportunity in the bill to pursue state and local decision-making”. You know, how do we hold schools accountable, how do we hold teachers accountable, and then what kind of assessments really give us the information that we use?
Many education advocates, teachers, and administrators saw No Child Left Behind’s top-down approach, which stressed test scores above all else, as leaving failing schools – and students – in the lurch.
Dr. Bruce Scott, Abilene Christian University’s Associate Dean of the College of Education, said he’s cautiously optimistic about the new law. The new act “Every Student Succeeds” doesn’t go in to effect until the 2017- 18 school year.
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“It’s a lot easier to think, ‘OK I have several measures for my kids to be assessed on, ‘ it’s not all just based on one test”, said Garrison.
