Nebraska Thumbs Nose at NCLB
Nebraska Educators Said They Could Do Better And They Did
Nebraska said, "No, thanks" to No Child Left Behind assessments and developed their own plan. How is it working?
Every Child Shall Learn
It started out as a great idea. Every child should be proficient in school. Teaching can improve. Let's raise the bar higher! Who could possibly be against that? Reading the NCLB fine print is where it gets less impressive.
Devil in the Details
The accountability portion of No Child Left Behind is where the plan disintegrates. NCLB wants students to be proficient. The dictionary states "proficiency" as advancement in knowledge or skill, progress, to go forward, accomplish, adept. Sounds like a model for all in education to hold as an ultimate goal.
However, how do we measure this advancement in knowledge or skill? How do we measure progress? How can we accurately measure the progress for the child that has been in four schools this year and it is only January? How can we assess the child who's parents go to warmer climates December through March and enroll them in a Spanish-speaking school all winter? How can we accurately hold the child accountable that is severely delayed in intelligence, homeless, or emotionally disturbed? Just who is held accountable for all children's learning even if they come to school hungry, cold, abused, don't do homework, or miss school regularly? The parents? No. The teachers and administrators are solely responsible for the child's learning even if the child does not attend school regularly.
The Assessment
"The Test" is how students are measured. Each state selects a standardized test that is made up of multiple choice timed tests. A level of proficiency is selected. All students that fall below that are not proficient. Iowa uses the Iowa Test of Basic Skills to measure proficiency along with many other states. A student scoring a 41st percentile is considered proficient. A student scoring a 40th percentile is not. That could mean that if the child got just one more question correct, he or she would be considered proficient.
Nebraska
Nebraska thought this was a poor way to assess students. Students learn differently and should be assessed differently. Nebraska developed a STARS model: School-based Teacher-led Assessment Reporting System. Each school district may design their own tests to measure how students are meeting the grade-level norms. The testing may be
- multiple choice tests
- oral presentations
- demonstrations
- projects
How does Congress view the Nebraska assessment model? Edward Kennedy, the Senate watchdog over NCLB, is praising the Nebraska plan. High stakes testing is not the only way. Nebraska proved there was another way.
[Sonja Steptoe, time.com, May 31, 2007]
Results
After eight years, the system seems to be assessing students very accurately and Nebraska students are 87% proficient in reading and 85% proficient in math. Only special education students and English language learners fell below the mark.
Doug Christensen, state commissioner of education says, "Ours is a bottom-up model. It begins in the classroom with instruction that's aligned to our standards and extends to assessments developed locally that are tied to how well students apply concepts and problem solve, rather than simply memorize facts and figures and dates that they can't remember 10 minutes later." [Sonja Steptoe, time.com, May 31, 2007]
Unpopular
How many Americans have a positive opinion of No Child Left Behind? A survey of 1,010 Americans shows that almost two-thirds of Americans want Congress to rewrite the act or toss it. Within the survey population, the polled stated
- 14% want it abolished
- 23% want it renewed the way it stands
- 49% want it changed
- 14% were undecided
[Detroit News, detnews.com, May 31, 2007]
Adding those that want it abolished with those that want it changed, we have a 63% "nay" vote. Not exactly something to write home about.
[Detroit News, detnews.com, May 31, 2007]
Related articles: Science And No Child Left Behind, Test Scores and Technology
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
