On Wednesday, the Senate sent to President Barack Obama a massive education bill that would return to the states significant control over school accountability and testing.
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But states, not the federal government, will decide what to do about the most troubled schools, those where test scores are in the lowest five percent, achievement gaps between groups of students are greatest or where fewer than two-thirds of students fail to graduate on time.
Changing the trajectory of a school-and in turn the trajectory of its students’ lives-requires a comprehensive approach that typically includes recruiting a new school leader with a bold vision; directing significantly more resources to the school, using data to drive decision-making; expanding learning time, providing time for teachers to collaborate and focusing on improving school culture and climate. No Child Left Behind actually expired in 2007, and it has stayed in effect only because Congress has been unable to agree on its replacement until now.
The Post reported it seeks to find a middle ground between “conservatives who want to shrink the federal government’s footprint in education and civil rights advocates who worry that some states, left to their own devices, will obfuscate or ignore the poor performance of schools serving low-income and minority students”.
“I am proud to have successfully included measures to protect students both in and out of the classroom by streamlining Head Start programs, protecting student athletes from concussions, and providing students with academic and extracurricular support beyond the normal school day”.
The more sophisticated accountability system has contributed to a healthy “pressure to hone the subtleties of the craft of teaching”, says the charter school’s executive director Dan McKeon.
“This is a victory for every child in Georgia”, said Sid Chapman, president of the Georgia Association of Educators.
ESSA’s cross-party appeal stems from broad-based anger at No Child Left Behind.
The new bill will dismantle the federal test-and-punish accountability system that was built on the premise that standardized test scores were the best performance yardstick for schools and teachers. Murray also praised the bill for including a key priority for her – a focus on early childhood education. Area school district administrators have often complained special education students can not be expected to perform on tests at the same level as other students.
The bill also would bar the Education Department from mandating or encouraging any particular set of academic standards such as Common Core.
State educators who have struggled with testing requirements for over a decade say a step forward is good enough for now.
“I am very encouraged with the language in the Every Student Succeeds Act as it reflects the current policy our State Board of Education has ensured was reflected in our NCLB Waiver”. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said in an interview.
Some of the toughest components of the No Child Left Behind era are coming to an end, much to the joy of education leaders across Oklahoma.
“We’ve seen (that) too much Washington involvement has actually created a backlash against higher standards… and a backlash against teacher evaluations”, Alexander said in an interview after the vote. The results of how different groups of students fare on those tests will continue to be publicly reported.
The districts can spend the grants on initiatives such as mental health supports, drug and violence prevention, STEM education and accelerated learning programs like Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, Casey said. Most provisions of the new law take effect in the 2016-17 school year, meaning that the changes will stretch into the next administration.
The new measure would eliminate the need for Washington state to regain its waiver over the regulation of No Child Left Behind.
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The new bills from the Senate and House aim to reduce the role of the education secretary and to roll back federal involvement.
