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Oregon No Child Left Behind
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No Child Left Behind Act of
2001
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The No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 (NCLB), signed into law on January 8, 2002, is the reauthorization
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). ESEA was born
in the context of the Great Society legislation of the 1960s. It was originally
intended to address the plight of disadvantaged youth in the nation.
The purpose of the act is to
improve learning for all students in the USA. The law has "meat in it" because
states, districts, and schools are held to a high degree of accountability.
Plus the consequences of failing to meet the standards are quite severe.
Specifically, NCLB requires
testing for 95% of all students using each states individual standards and
that the results be divided to show different performance for sub-groups
of students such as students with disabilities or groups reflecting ethnic
and cultural identities. The result of that testing must be made public.
When groups of these students,
who traditionally don’t achieve well in school don’t meet Oregon’s standards,
their schools are subject to an escalating schedule of consequences - starting
with offering students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and
leading up to the state imposing changes in how those schools are managed.
The key phrase is what is called the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Two Web sites for information
about NCLB:
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The US Department of Education's Web site at
No Child
Left Behind. The site includes a "Parents Guide", newsletter
subscription, etc.
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Learning First,
an non-profit education organization, has published a
document that explains the law. This document is fairly easy
to read and understand.
No Child Left Behind Ratings
vs. Oregon State Report Cards
The annual Oregon school report
cards differ from the No Child Left Behind ratings. The state judges
schools on average student performances, while the federal rating scrutinize
individual groups such as limited English, minority, low-income, and special
education students. If one of those groups fails to make adequate
progress, the entire school is downgraded. For example in 2006, two students
(limited English skills) at the Twality Middle School in Tigard didn't pass
the reading and writing test, preventing the school from meeting the federal
standard.
The Oregon report card is strictly
informational. It measures schools on averages in reading, math, science,
and writing. Both the Oregon report card and the No Child Left Behind
federal ratings factor in attendance and the number of students taking the
test.
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2007 AYP Report under NCLB
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State Schools Superintendent Susan
Castillo, at the end of August, 2007, released the preliminary
federal ratings under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for
Oregon’s public elementary, middle, and high schools.
The 2006-07 preliminary report lists Oregon public schools
that are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) and those
that have been identified for improvement under state
and federal requirements. Schools may appeal their preliminary
rating, and final AYP designations will be released
in October on the school’s report card.
More Schools Make the Grade Because
of Easier Rating System
Oregon schools did better in 2007 than
ever at hitting federal achievement targets this year,
with more middle and high schools making the grade.
The improved ratings aren't a sign that academic achievement
is soaring, however. The gains were driven mainly by
changes in the rating system that made it easier for
middle and high schools to measure up, an analysis by
The Oregonian found.
Nearly 80 percent of Oregon schools
reached federal achievement targets this year, compared
with the previous high of 72 percent.
Criticisms of NCLB Standards
Chester E. Finn Jr., a senior
fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution
and the author of "Troublemaker: A Personal
History of School Reform Since Sputnik," made these
comments in a April 2008 article in the
Washington Post:
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The problem is that NCLB asks
state governments to set standards in reading,
math, and science - to identify basic skills
that students should have mastered by a given
grade level - and to test them accordingly.
For this to work, good standards have to be in
place. NCLB doesn't address the problem of
mediocre standards.
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The act lets states enacted any
standards they desire but is fussy about what
states and districts should do when those
standards aren't met.
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Finn states that only a few
states (Massachusetts, California, and South
Carolina) have created strong standards.
Finn also said that lawmakers
blundered when they confused "qualified" with
"certified" teachers. He states that there's
no solid evidence that state certification ensures
classroom effectiveness. He cited the success
of programs such as Teach for America, which sends
recent college graduates into troubled schools.
Oregon's NCLB Plan
Under Oregon’s NCLB plan, schools must
get 50% to standard in English/language arts and 49%
to standard in math for all student groups this year.
The academic target is ten points higher than in 2004
and will be raised 10 points higher in 2008. Other points
of the plan:
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Schools must also meet an attendance
or graduation requirement in order to make the AYP
list.
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In addition, school districts
must inform parents and communities about school
progress.
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Schools that receive certain types
of federal funds and do not make adequate yearly
progress are required to provide supplemental services,
such as free tutoring or after-school assistance,
take corrective actions and, if still not making
adequate yearly progress after five years, must
make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.
In the fall of 2007, 33 Oregon schools will be hit
with federal sanctions.
Oregon’s 2007 Preliminary AYP Report:
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74% (923 of 1236 Oregon schools)
met AYP standards compared to 70% in 2005-06.
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21% (258 of 1236 Oregon schools) did not meet
compared to 30% in 2005-06. (Of the 258 schools
not meeting preliminary AYP: 176 did not meet in
English/Language Art; 217 did not meet in Mathematics;
40 did not meet in the other academic indicator
of graduation or attendance).
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85% (793 of 936) of elementary and middle schools
met AYP compared to 82% in 2005-06.
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43% (130 of 300) of high schools
met AYP compared to 31% in 2005-06.
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258 Oregon schools fell short.
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In the fall of 2007, 33 Oregon
schools will be hit with federal sanctions because
they receive Title I funds.
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The Oregon Standards
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The federal law has power over
schools with a large percentage of low-income students because those schools
receive Title I federal money (Oregon receives about $150 million) aimed
at helping the disadvantaged. Under Oregon's application of the law,
schools that don't receive Title I aid face no sanctions or get extra help.
How does a School get on the Troubled
List?
Under Oregon's definition of
AYP, schools have to reach as many as 40 performance targets. Besides getting
40 percent of their students to pass reading and writing tests and 39 percent
to pass in math; schools must test 95 percent of their students; get 92
percent of students to come to school each day; and, for high schools, get
68 percent of students to graduate in four years.
Schools must achieve those
targets for all students, including disabled, low-income and minority students
and students who speak English as a second language.
Consequence of Failing
School districts that receive
Title I federal aid have to submit a plan to the Oregon Department of Education
by October, saying how it will address the performance problems that put
it on the list.
Missing Targets for Two
Years If a school missed achievement targets for two straight
years, they must offer transfers or tutor.
Missing Targets for 4-5
Years The district must take corrective action if the school remains
on the troubled list for four years. After five years on the list, a Title
I school must be restructured. They have to either replace the entire
staff, become a charter school, or divide in separate schools.
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How to Interpret the Results
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Schools failed for two reasons:
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Either student scores
were too low
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The school didn't test
enough students in specific groups - including minorities, those with
disabilities, and those who have limited English skills.
One Student Short And You Make the List
The majority of Oregon schools
that got their names on the needs-improvement list had acceptable overall
achievement and made the list because performance lagged among one or more
groups: Hispanics, low-income students or, most commonly, special education
students. In other words, it only takes one student not tested in a category
(e.g., low income students, minority students, etc.) to make the list.
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Where to Find Oregon's NCLB Results
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The State of Oregon Department
of Education has posted the AYP reports at their Web site. You can
select a school or district AYP Report at:
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The Oregonian List - 2006
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The Oregonian, the state's largest newspaper, has
created tables (PDF format) for schools that failed to meet at least
one performance target mandated under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Schools that miss the target two years in a row are put on a federal troubled
schools list. Of those on the list, only schools that receive federal Title
I funds to help disadvantaged students must offer free transfers or tutoring.
Metro Schools Failing to Meet
Performance Standards
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Portland Schools This includes the following school districts:
Centennial, David Douglas, Parkrose, Portland, Reynolds, and Riverdale.
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Metro East Schools
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Metro South Schools
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Metro Southwest Schools
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Washington County This includes Banks, Beaverton, Forest Grove,
Gaston, Glencoe, Hillsboro, Sherwood, and Tigard-Tualatin.
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