by Jim Brown
A Bush Administration official says contrary to recent media reports, many states are effectively implementing the No Child Left Behind Act.
Dr. Susan Neuman is Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. She says although some states are still in a transition period, many are in compliance with the No Child Left Behind law which gives children in failing schools the option of transferring to a better public school this year.
“Over 35 states have supplemental services in public school choice right now,” she explains. “Some of the states are beginning to look at their achievement results, and they don't have data management systems that have accurately tracked these children over time. That is changing with 'No Child Left Behind'.”
Some critics of the No Child Left Behind Act claim the administration is taking away from the local control found in the new law. But Newman says the new law is all about educating poor children — noting that many public schools have educated some children, not all children.
“What 'No Child Left Behind' is requiring is a dis-aggregation of data — which is looking at children's test scores for minority children, poor children, so that we can see if the schools are really helping children achieve for all groups,” she says.
Neuman says in schools where such accountability has never been required, some teachers will realize for the first time that they have not helped all their children.
According to Neuman, states failing to follow the new law could potentially lose their share of the over $10 billion Federal Title I allotment.
(This article courtesy of Agape Press.)
