No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Behind There are three key hallmarks of the new bill: 1. Testing 2. Accountability 3. Flexibility/Choice

No Child Left Behind Thinking behind NCLB: “With timely, concise, understandable information about gaps in student achievement, the public will hold educators, policymakers, elected officials, parents and itself accountable for raising the level of education.

No Child Left Behind Trojan Horse – NCLB designed to bring public education down and bring in vouchers Force Five Hurricane– for teacher education schools “In God We Trust: All Others Bring Data” – NCLB requires programs based on scientifically based research

NCLB: Testing Beginning in 2005-06, every student will be tested annually in grades 3-8 in reading and math, once in grades 10-12. By 2007-08 students must be assessed in science in at least one grade of grades 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12.

NCLB: Testing and Accountability States must set adequate yearly progress (AYP) targets toward having all children meet proficiency levels in the core subjects by the 2013-14 school year.

NCLB: Testing and Accountability Schools and districts must meet identified AYP targets using the results of the tests. Test results must be disaggregated.

NCLB: Testing and Accountability LEAS and states must inform parents if a school is identified as needing improvement, corrective action, or if the school does not meet AYP.

When Schools Fail To Meet AYP For 2 years: Parents can transfer kids to another public school or charter. For 3 Years: Parents can transfer students or select supplemental services.

When Schools Fail To Meet AYP For 4 years: Parents can transfer kids, or select supplemental service. School restructuring begins. For 5 years: Transfers, supplemental services and restructuring continue. State takeovers possible.

NCLB: Highly Qualified Teachers By the end of 2005-06 school year, all states must ensure that every classroom teacher is “highly qualified.” Per the law, a highly qualified teacher must be certified or licensed; hold at least a bachelor’s degree; and have demonstrated competencies in his or her teaching area.

Highly Qualified Teachers Each state will set the specific requirements for “highly qualified” teachers in their state.New teachers must be tested. Middle school teachers must demonstrate competence in all the academic areas they teach. Alternative certified teachers considered highly qualified before state certification.

Highly Qualified Teachers For example: In PA, new guidelines for highly qualified say teachers with elementary certifications who teach seventh and eighth grades must now pass content-area tests in their subject matter in order to be deemed highly qualified.

NCLB: Highly Qualified Teachers STATES ARE REQUIRED TO develop a measurable plan to increase the number of all core subject teachers who are highly qualified. This plan must include an increase in the number of teachers who are participating in high quality professional development.

NCLB: Title II Part A Teacher Quality Grants To help districts and states ensure that every teacher is “highly qualified,” and meet the State plan, NCLB Title II Part A “Improving Teacher Quality Grants” was developed.

NCLB Teacher Quality Grants Over $2.85 billion has been made available to states and school districts nationwide for Title II Part A grants during the 2002-2003 school year.

NCLB: Title II Part A Title II Part A combines funding from the Eisenhower state grants program and the Class Size Reduction program. Money goes to the states by formula.

NCLB: For LEAs To Receive Title II , Part A Funds 95 percent of the Title II Part A grants the state receives will go to the districts. But, districts must FIRST apply to the state education agency for the funds.

NCLB: For LEAs To Receive Title II, Part A Funds Before the district can apply for these grants, it must conduct a NEEDS ASSESSMENT of the teaching force, and a LOCAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN outlining what the district will do to ensure all teachers are highly qualifed. *Teachers must be involved in the needs assessment and the Local Improvement Plan

Local Improvement Plan Must Include: The results of the needs assessment Activities the district will carry out with funds, including professional development How the activities are based on scientifically based research and why they are expected to increase student achievement

Title II Local Improvement Plan Must Include: How district will ensure the professional development needs of teachers will be met How the district will use the funds to increase the percentage of highly qualified teachers and increase the number of teachers receiving professional development How teachers, parents, etc. have collaborated to develop the local plan

LEA Uses of Title II Funds Recruitment and hiring Professional development Certification, Licensure, mentoring Teacher testing Merit pay, differential pay, performance bonuses Accountability efforts

LEA Uses of Title II Funds Funds are not required to be used just on math and science education. Districts have expanded flexibility in the use of these funds. Funds must be used to address needs assessment issues, and pay for activities outlined in the Local Improvement Plan. However . .

LEA Uses of Title II Funds Congress fully intended that Title II funds CONTINUE to be used for science education!

LEA Uses of Title II Funds When determining how Title II funds are to be used, based on the needs assessment, keep in mind that ALL teachers, including science teachers, need to be fully qualified by 2005-06. Also, state science assessments begin in 2007.

NCLB - Flexibility Districts have flexible use of Title II funds. They can opt to move 50 percent of funds from one or all of four major federal programs (Teacher Quality State Grants, Education Technology, Safe and Drug Free Schools, and Innovative Education Programs) into Title I programs, or into any one of these programs.

NCLB Resources Available to Science Teachers In addition to Title II Part A, science educators should be familiar with these programs in NCLB: Title II, Part B: Math/Science Partnerships Title II Part D: Education Technology Title V, Part A: Innovative Education Programs

Title II, Part B: Math and Science Partnerships M/S Partnerships will receive $101 million in FY 2003 (this July) The money will go to the states; states will award competitive grants to partnerships of higher ed, K-12 districts, and others to improve student achievement in math and science.

How Can Teachers Get Involved? How can science teachers get involved? Become proactive about your staff development. Find out how these federal programs work. Find out who in your district is responsible for staff training and federal funds.

How Can Science Teachers Get Involved 3. Get involved with your district’s needs assessment and local improvement plan. (Who did old Eisenhower plans? Who is doing compliance with NCLB in your district? Who is in charge of instruction in your district/state?) 4. Create an individual professional development plan that can be used in the local plan.

How Can Science Teachers Get Involved Plan Early. Planning for FY03 underway soon. Stay in contact with colleagues in the district, in your state, and at the national level.

NCLB: For More Information NSTA Website: www.nsta.org Legislative Updates now part of NSTA Express. Sign up for NSTA Express on the NSTA Website. Title II Guidance: www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SIP/TitleIIguidance2002.doc

The media is reporting States are reporting that anywhere from 25 to 80 percent of their schools will be labeled as “failing” under NCLB.

The media is reporting Many believe NCLB is an unfunded mandate. One estimate: the law adds $77 per student in federal aid, creates $575 per student in obligations.

And finally “The NCLB Act declares that education should be scientific. It mentions ‘scientifically based research’ 110 times. Yet it has zero scientific basis for what it prescribes. Nothing that it forces on the states has been tried. It does turn our kids into lab rats. That makes it both incredibly hypocritical and irresponsible.”