Education Reform Katherine Pang Ava Tompkins Ali Searle “An act to close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice so that no child is left behind.” (NCLB)

Introduction & History Elementary and Secondary Education Act “A nation at Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform” America Bush Sr. wanted a national standard in education to test 4 th, 8 th, and 12 th graders for progress Congress never passed it President Bill Clinton proposed federal funding for individual state reform programs

"No Child Left Behind - Report Cards, Education Statistics, Graphs - Wrightslaw." Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy. 12 Oct Web. 30 Oct

Introduction & History No Child Left Behind Act Goal: Every Student must be proficient in math and reading by 2014 Purpose: to verify that schools are sufficiently teaching students Established Conditions in Aid

Introduction & History No Child Left Behind Act (cont’d) 2 nd year- “In need of Improvement” 3rd year- school has free tutoring 4th year- “Corrective Action” new teachers, new curriculum 5 th year- reorganizing the school with different people running it

NCLB: Supporting Viewpoints Forces teachers to focus more on the poor/minority students More disciplined teachers Reading and math are very important Students are more willing to learn when they are being prepared for tests

Supporting Statistics 32% of fourth-graders can read proficiently More children are attending college 40% of white fourth-graders read at or above the proficient level

Opposing Viewpoints Reading and writing, teachers don’t teach as much of other subjects Emphasis on testing doesn’t help real world experiences It doesn’t address the needs of all students Funds from government could be better used for something else

Opposing Viewpoints (cont’d) The “Achievement Gap” Underfunded Penalties are too harsh Only 1/3 of students are proficient in math and reading Test scores alone do not reflect students’ progress

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Changes in Progress Relaxing the requirements on students with disabilities The government wants to add a part that involves students in failing schools to attend private schools Less penalties for failing schools Devising tests on other subjects (besides math and reading)

Barriers to Reform Agreements with teacher unions All schools are at different levels Merit versus Need

Political Parties Republicans want either no federal aid or very little No interference with states control of schools Conservatives want no federal aid Bush wanted a devolution in education Support school vouchers, want to give parents freedom to choose what schools their children attend Contract with America Act: reduce funding in education Democrats want more federal aid National framework for schools

President Obama’s Goals Improve Kindergarten to 12 th schooling Easier access to higher education Prepare kids for kindergarten

Opposing Interest Groups The National Education Association: wants to reform NCLB National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: disabled kids can’t reach goals imposed by the government to receive funding No child Left: wants to abolish the law completely

Supporting Interest Groups The American Association of University Women: supports the NCLB in closing the achievement gap and ensuring strong academic principles

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Recent Developments Obama’s education reform(Race to The Top) 4.35 billion dollars available Requirements: National standards Basing teacher pay on student performance Hiring and firing teachers regardless of tenure No limits on number of charter schools Best performing schools win the money Arne Duncan (supreme power in education)

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Works Cited "No Child Left Behind." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 7 Dec Web. 2 Oct The No Child Left Behind Act Protects the Right of All Students to Receive a Quality Education. Rod Paige.Opposing Viewpoints: Students' Rights. Ed. Jamuna Carroll. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, "| Education." Organizing for America | BarackObama.com. Web. 30 Oct "No Child Left Behind - Report Cards, Education Statistics, Graphs - Wrightslaw." Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy. 12 Oct Web. 30 Oct "AAUW - Position on No Child Left Behind." AAUW - Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. Web. 30 Oct

Works Cited No Child Left - Committed to Repeal of NCLB/Helter-Skelter. Web. 30 Oct "NEA - No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) / ESEA." NEA - NEA Home. Web. 30 Oct "NCLB and Children with Disabilities." National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Web. 30 Oct