No Child law still thorny for schools

Final reauthorization of the controversial No Child Left Behind law is not expected until after a new president takes office next year and could take another two to three years, education policy experts say.
But school officials say federal accountability is likely here to stay and changes are likely in the law that quickly became the centerpiece of the Bush administration’s domestic agenda and a lightning rod among educators who called it unrealistic and inadequately funded.
Criticism of the law focuses on such things as the 29 separate benchmarks every school district is required to meet annually to reach adequate yearly progress and the escalating pass marks.
“There is no wiggle room if you miss one,” Augusta Schools Superintendent Gary McQuain said of the benchmarks. “You are a failure, and perfection is not easily attainable.”
The biggest target among educators: the law’s requirement that school graduation rates hit 100 percent by 2013-14.
“One-hundred percent is ridiculous,” Staunton Schools Superintendent Steven Nichols said. “If you analyze it, we have kids who will never graduate.”
No Child’s immediate effects, Nichols said, have been to drive up the number of standardized tests students must take despite Virginia already having a system of accountability, the Standards of Learning.
“We are testing kids to death. In April and May there is constant testing,” Nichols said.
Nichols and McQuain echo a nationwide refrain, lamenting that No Child has forced educators to teach to tests rather than subject matter.
As a result of the Standards of Learning and No Child, McQuain said, the district has “done all the blueprinting of curriculum and the pacing.”
The issue now is how to deal with the approximately 20 percent of students who struggle, McQuain said.
But there are positives.
The law does require districts to look at how well various subgroups perform, ranging from minority students to limited English proficiency and disabled students, Waynesboro Schools Superintendent Robin Crowder said.
“We would be remiss if we don’t make accommodations for those children,” he said. No Child Left Behind has “forced organizations to think about every child and not some children.”
Boosting the performance of minorities and special needs students was part of No Child’s original reasoning, said Jamie Fasteau, policy director for the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based education advocacy group.
But Fasteau said that focus has gotten lost in part “because of the focus on testing and the fear of sanctions.”
Crowder said the best course is to look at the way the subgroup students are being taught and make adjustments so they can learn better.
Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, a frequent critic of No Child, does not expect substantive changes in the law, at least not in the short run.
Landes has visited the U.S. Department of Education to discuss changes and submitted state legislation calling for Virginia’s withdrawal.
But Landes said the most he expects to happen are waivers from portions of the law for Virginia.
“Nothing will change until a new president comes in,” Landes said. “I was hoping Congress would grant us some relief, but Congress is not moving very fast at all.”
And No Child has slipped from view in the presidential race, Fasteau said.
“Education is not at the top of everybody’s platform,” she said. “Presidential candidates are not talking about it a lot. It might take another two to three years to get reauthorization, given the economy, health care and the war in Iraq.”
Fasteau said an improved No Child will require strong leadership in the White House and a consensus of minds from business and education working with Congress.
She argues that graduation rates should remain a focus of No Child, but efforts should center more on why individual school districts are failing to meet the adequate yearly progress targets.
Lowering dropout rates should be considered imperative based on the impact on health care, welfare and other social programs, Fasteau said.
“We have to pay attention,” she said. “We are seeing dramatic demographic changes, and we are only graduating half of our black and Hispanic populations.”