The purpose of the No Child Left Behind legislation is noble, and certainly educators should champion this cause. After all, closing the achievement gap that exists among this nation’s students is critical to our young people and to the nation!
No, the problems with this mandate aren’t found in its aim to have all students be proficient in math and reading at their respective grade levels. The trouble stems from the manner of implementation, a view of the learning process that ignores developmental theory, and in the knee jerk reactions that schools will be forced to execute in order to survive the negative political atmosphere that this legislation creates.
First of all, individual states are called to administer their own tests, which are assumed by the public to be comparable. In fact, the rigor of tests varies from state to state. States holding high standards are therefore penalized by false impressions of failure. In Michigan, we have very high standards compared to virtually any other state. Holding high expectations ought to be seen as beneficial. Under Michigan’s Education Yes legislation, rigorous standards will signal failure! Our state’s measurement plan will result in some quality school systems being labeled as “failing,” while others achieving considerably less will be classified as being successful. I can’t emphasize enough ? relying on any one measure of achievement is not educationally sound. Students possess many different learning modalities and there are a wide variety of assessments that can and should be used to measure academic achievement.
Keep in mind:
· Students do not all learn at the same rate at the same time.
· Students do not all come to school with the same experiences, the same level of readiness or the same support mechanisms.
· Parental support, participation, and even willingness to accept professional judgment relative to the educational plan vary greatly from community to community and school to school.
There are no excuses, and educators should be held accountable; but measuring performance mainly on the basis of one test (MEAP) is a simpleminded and an inaccurate way to view the multiple intelligences of children. Furthermore, ignoring the differences that exist among students/families will not lead to effective learning.
Teachers and schools should be responsible for their work, but students and parents share in this responsibility. Believe it or not, some parents choose not to follow the professional recommendations of educators; and some students either have less capacity, focus, or desire to learn than others.
Think of it this way, medical doctors cannot treat a patient successfully if the patient will not follow his/her advice. Lawyers aren’t responsible when their clients refuse to listen to his/her guidance. Teachers, despite their deep commitment and child focus, cannot make guarantees for 100% of the children they teach. From a child development focus, not all kids learn to walk or talk “on cue” (at a specific age). That doesn’t mean they won’t learn or that they are failures!
Finally, some of the punitive aspects of the legislation make little sense. Permitting students from a “failing school” to transfer to another district school may sound like a good idea. People may rethink this, however, when school districts find themselves adding portables, increasing class sizes, or building new spaces to accommodate transfers, as required by law.
Clarkston Community Schools will continue to provide a quality education for the youngsters of our community. No Child Left Behind has always been our philosophy, and we will not sway from this commitment. Nonetheless, we urge readers to become familiar with the impact of Michigan’s implementation of this law. Otherwise, reasonable people might think the present process is truly meaningful.
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