NSTA - Education News

Subcategory: Education Policy

Effect of Chicago's Tougher Science Policy Mixed
Mar 15 2010 - Education Week
A policy change that made college-preparatory courses the default high school curriculum in the Chicago public schools increased the number of science courses that students took and passed. But it also kept some students from taking higher-level science courses and did not increase the college-going rate, according to a study by the Consortium on Chicago School Research.

Obama Urges States to Raise Academic Standards
Feb 23 2010 - eSchool News
Saying America’s “primacy in the world” is at stake, President Barack Obama on Feb. 22 prodded states to raise their academic standards by using the best leverage he has: money.

Federal Initiatives Target Child Nutrition
Feb 17 2010 - Education Week
A push for improved access to school meals and a White House-led anti-obesity campaign are among the Obama administration's efforts.

Berkeley High May Cut Lab Classes to Fund Programs for Struggling Students
Jan 25 2010 - The Los Angeles Times
Trying to address a major ethnic and racial achievement gap, the school could divert funds from before- and after-school science labs filled mostly with white students. The plan has sparked debate.

Texas Teaching Program Spearheads Obama Education Effort
Jan 14 2010 - The Dallas Morning News
A Texas teaching initiative is at the forefront of President Barack Obama's plans to vastly increase the number of science and math teachers in the U.S. over the next several years.

Obama Announces Teacher Training Initiative
Jan 7 2010 - The Boston Globe
President Barack Obama announced a $250 million initiative Wednesday to train math and science teachers and help meet his goal of pushing America's students from the middle to the top of the pack in those subjects in the next decade.

Obama to Honor Teachers from Across the Country
Jan 6 2010 - USA Today
President Obama is recognizing teachers from across the country for excellence in math and science. The White House says more than 80 teachers are expected to attend Wednesday's event, where the president will announce new partnerships to help achieve his goal of moving U.S. students to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.

Area Sudents Get Hands-On Experience in Math, Engineering
Dec 23 2009 - The Ventura County Star
The fields at the Environmental Academy for Research Technology of Earth Sciences in Newbury Park are filled with bio-labs where students learn about ecosystems, science, and math as they care for hundreds of plants. And at numerous local schools, engineers and scientists visit and mentor students.

D.C. Bill Aims to Improve Nutrition, Exercise Among Students
Dec 16 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
The District's schools would be required to serve students fresh produce from local growers and to dramatically expand physical education programs under a bill introduced recently.

New Head of U.S. Research Agency Aims for Relevance
Dec 1 2009 - Education Week
Reflecting his on-the-ground experience, the new director of the Institute of Education Sciences wants studies that are useful to the field.

New Website Highlights Research Supported by Stimulus Legislation
Nov 18 2009 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
Top public and private universities teamed up with members of Congress to launch a new website and related efforts to highlight the role of the multibillion-dollar economic-stimulus legislation in fostering research both on and off campus.

Stakeholders Advise on National Ed-Tech Plan
Nov 17 2009 - eSchool News
Train every pre-service teacher to teach online in teacher-education programs at colleges and universities; invest in the development of open courseware with federal and state funding; encourage the use of technology to create new forms of assessment that better measure student learning gains; provide national standards for school IT support: These are some of the many recommendations the U.S. Department of Education has received so far as officials prepare a new National Education Technology Plan.

How to Fix the STEM Education 'Crisis'
Nov 13 2009 - eSchool News
According to experts ranging from White House advisors to leading education organizations, the state of math and science instruction in the United States is in crisis—and only a major overhaul of the U.S. education system will get the nation back on track.

States Lag on School Innovation
Nov 10 2009 - eSchool News
To reform the American education system, states and districts need more flexibility, better accountability, more capacity, and a stronger reform environment, according to a report card released by a coalition of concerned organizations.

Seven Cities Launch Collaborative Efforts to Improve
Nov 6 2009 - EducationNews.org
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $4 million in grants to the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, and seven cities to boost college graduation rates by better coordinating the services that colleges, schools, and communities provide to students.

Former Apple Executive to Lead U.S. Ed-Tech Office
Nov 4 2009 - Education Week (requires registration)
After months of anticipation about who would head educational technology initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education , ed-tech advocates praised the appointment of Karen Cator, saying the former educator and Apple executive brings to the job a passion for the potential of technology to improve teaching and learning.

PCAST Tackles Science Education
Oct 27 2009 - ScienceInsider
Does the United States need another high-powered panel recommending ways to improve how students learn science and math? The President's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST) thinks the answer is yes.

Minority Students Needed in Math and Science to Combat 'Brain Drain,' Professors Say
Sep 23 2009 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
Mathematics-education experts on Tuesday urged the federal government to get more involved in recruiting underrepresented minority students to science, math, and engineering majors, saying such efforts are key to increasing the number of Americans working in those fields.

New Rules for Schools
Sep 9 2009 - The Baltimore Sun
Maryland and eight other states have set up new accountability systems under No Child Left Behind that have given more flexibility and focus to the efforts to resolve problems at schools that don't meet standards, according to a recent report from the Center on Education Policy.

ACLU Sues Over Cell-Phone Search
Sep 2 2009 - eSchool News
The ACLU has filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit on behalf of a middle-school boy who was expelled from school after a search and seizure of his cell phone.

On The Road To Core Standards
Aug 26 2009 - Chemical & Engineering News
A push is under way to draft a set of voluntary common national standards for states to adopt. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association have teamed up with the education reform organization Achieve and the educational testing and assessment organizations ACT and the College Board to develop a set of common core standards for grades K–12 in mathematics and English-language education. Scientific and education organizations believe that the work being done on common English and math standards should be extended to science.

Teacher Quality Under the Microscope
Aug 21 2009 - e-School News
The key challenge in implementing pay-for-performance systems, experts agree, is how to define teacher excellence. The most obvious way would be to look at student achievement, as US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants to do. But that's controversial, as many people believe test scores alone paint an unfair or incomplete picture of a teacher's contribution.

Charter Schools Lag in Serving the Neediest
Aug 12 2009 - The Boston Globe
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has touted his proposed expansion of charter schools as a way to help students who face the greatest academic challenges, such as language barriers and disabilities. But a Boston Globe analysis shows that charter schools in cities targeted by the proposal tend to enroll few special education students or English language learners.

Success of Chicago’s Novel Sciences Curricula Could be Replicated Elsewhere in U.S.
Aug 3 2009 - Genome Web Daily News
Programs crafted by Chicago's public school system to expose more students to the life science and other sciences, as well as technology, engineering, and mathematics, have enabled students to outperform their peers across the rest of Illinois. These "STEM" programs could also be replicated at least partially nationwide, witnesses agreed at a Congressional hearing Thursday.

New Maps Infuse 21st Century Skills
Jul 30 2009 - District Administration
The 21st Century Skills Maps for Science and Geography, which were released in late June, reveal how integrating the skills of problem solving, communicating, and critical thinking into science and geography classes supports teaching and prepares students to become effective and productive citizens.

Guidance Issued on Ed-Tech Stimulus Funds
Jul 28 2009 - Education Week
Federal officials have issued guidance for using more than $650 million in the economic-stimulus package to boost educational technology programs in the nation's schools.

Duncan's Call for School Turnarounds Sparks Debate
Jul 21 2009 - Education Week
The U.S. secretary of education's call to turn around the nation's 5,000 worst-performing schools has found a warm welcome among educators and policymakers. But it has also sparked debate about how such an enormous challenge can be accomplished.

Obama Names Picks for High-Ranking Education Posts
Jul 10 2009 - Education Week
President Barack Obama plans to nominate a state schools chief from the Midwest and the leader of a New England nonprofit group to fill two high-ranking positions at the U.S. Department of Education, with oversight over special education programs and over vocational and adult education.

Simulated vs. Hands-On Lab Experiments
Jun 26 2009 - Education Week
In recent years, the College Board, which authorizes AP classes and offers college-level material to high school students, has been trying to determine whether simulated labs in some science courses can take the place of real-world experiments.

What Do U.S. Research Universities Need?
Jun 23 2009 - ScienceInsider
Four members of Congress have asked the U.S. National Academies to tell it what the government needs to do to keep U.S. academic research strong. A similar 2005 letter spawned the influential Rising Above the Gathering Storm report on how to strengthen the U.S. economy by investing more in research and training of the scientific workforce.

Education Chief to Warn Advocates That Inferior Charter Schools Harm the Effort
Jun 23 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
The Obama administration has made opening more charter schools a big part of its plans for improving the nation's education system, but Education Secretary Arne Duncan will warn advocates of the schools on Monday that low-quality institutions are giving their movement a black eye.

Do Schools Need More PE Time to Fight Obesity?
Jun 22 2009 - USA Today
In the fight against childhood obesity, getting kids moving is one of the most effective ways to combat the problem. But only Illinois and Massachusetts require P.E. classes for all kids in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Increasing Class Time Fraught with Controversy
Jun 11 2009 - eSchool News
In the months since Education Secretary Arne Duncan was confirmed by the Senate he has said repeatedly he believes American schoolchildren need to be in class longer if they are to compete with students abroad—an idea that provokes strong opinions on both sides of the issue.

Creationist Loses Chairmanship of Texas Education Board
Jun 1 2009 - ScienceInsider
The creationist chair of the Texas Board of Education, which recently adopted science standards questioning evolution, has been booted from his post by the Texas senate.

Sotomayor’s Record on Education Scrutinized
May 27 2009 - Education Week
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s choice for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, has ruled on a variety of issues with implications for education during her 17 years on the federal bench.

School Chief: Mayors Need Control of Urban Schools
Apr 1 2009 - Associated Press
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday that mayors should take control of big-city school districts where academic performance is suffering. Duncan said mayoral control provides the strong leadership and stability needed to overhaul urban schools.

Education Chief Eyes "New Era" in Science Teaching
Mar 20 2009 - The Dallas Morning News
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Friday he wants to launch a "new era" of science education in the United States, one that encourages students to ask tough, challenging questions and brings more specially trained science and math teachers into the classroom. Duncan told the National Science Teachers Association during a visit to New Orleans that President Barack Obama sees a need for inventors and engineers along with poets and scholars and "will not allow scientific research to be held hostage to a political agenda."

Study: No Child Standards Vary Widely from State to State
Feb 19 2009 - The Tampa Tribune
Some schools deemed to be failing in one state would get passing grades in another under the No Child Left Behind law, a national study found.

Education Nominee Is Warmly Received in Senate
Jan 15 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan, President-elect Barack Obama's pick for education secretary, promised yesterday to work to expand preschool, build the ranks of quality teachers, and support such initiatives as charter schools and performance pay, setting out an agenda that won him broad bipartisan support at a Senate confirmation hearing.

In Detroit, a Lesson in Same-Sex Schools
Jan 2 2009 - The Boston Globe
Detroit has been at the forefront of a growing but controversial movement that aims to boost student achievement by splitting the sexes into different schools. Now, Boston officials are fighting to open the state's first single-gender public schools in more than a generation.

Chicago School Reform Could Be a U.S. Model
Dec 30 2008 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
As city schools chief Arne Duncan heads to Washington, the lessons of Chicago could provide a model for fixing America's schools.

The Latest Face of Creationism in the Classroom
Dec 17 2008 - Scientific American
Creationists continue to agitate against the teaching of evolution in public schools, adapting their tactics to match the roadblocks they encounter. Past strategies have included portraying creationism as a credible alternative to evolution and disguising it under the name "intelligent design."

Should Twins Learn Together?
Nov 14 2008 - USA Today
Parents are increasingly getting the backing of state laws to overrule principals' long-standing practice of separating twins in school. Advocates of the laws say blanket policies requiring separation of twins are outdated.

Good Showing for Higher Ed Ballot Measures
Nov 5 2008 - Inside Higher Education
With the economy in a downward spiral, voters in states across the country still showed some tolerance Tuesday for funding higher education projects.

Incentives Can Make Or Break Students
Nov 5 2008 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Desperate for ways to ratchet up test scores and close the achievement gap separating white and minority students, school officials from Tucson to Boston are paying kids who put up good numbers. The efforts vary widely in scope and objective. But nearly all trigger passionate arguments about the wisdom of monetizing academic achievement.

Teacher Licenses Could Go Public Soon
Sep 23 2008 - Hattiesburg American
Parents may soon be able to check the quality of their children's teachers online, if the Mississippi Department of Education approves putting copies of teachers' licenses on a website. Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas already use similar online programs to register and track teachers' licenses.

In Rush to White House, 'No Child' Is Left Behind: Obama, McCain Reveal Little on Updates
Sep 17 2008 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Education experts say the candidates have offered, at best, a fuzzy vision for the future of the No Child Left Behind law. Obama pledges to "fix the failures" of the law, while McCain seeks to avoid mention of it.

McCain, Obama Reps Discuss Education
Jun 10 2008 - eSchool News
Education advisors for presumptive presidential nominees John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D) outlined the candidates' stances on key issues June 6, with both emphasizing a larger role for technology in schools. The advisors spoke at the Association of Educational Publishers' Great American Education Forum in Washington, D.C.

Education Secretary Offers Changes to "No Child" Law
Apr 23 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings used her executive powers on Tuesday to propose a series of ninth-inning regulatory fixes to President Bush's signature education law, No Child Left Behind, including requiring states to use a single federal formula to calculate and report high school graduation rates.

Senate Backs Bill to Keep Students in School until 17
Mar 24 2008 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
Maryland high school students would have to stay in school until they turn 17, a year later than current law requires, under a bill that won preliminary approval yesterday in the state Senate.

States Struggle with Assessing Tech Literacy
Mar 13 2008 - eSchoolNews
The No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that all students should be technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade. But how to assess technological literacy has proven to be a complex challenge for school leaders.

Virginia Considers Leaving Federal Education Act Behind
Feb 28 2008 - The Virginian-Pilot
The Virginia General Assembly is flirting with abandoning a landmark federal law that governs schools in the United States. The decision could make Virginia the first state to set a deadline (summer 2009) for planning a pullout from the No Child Left Behind Act, which ties billions of dollars to federally mandated testing standards in public schools.

AFT's McElroy Announces Plans to Retire
Feb 15 2008 - Education Week (requires free registration)
Edward J. McElroy announced he plans to retire as president of the American Federation of Teachers. McElroy, the head of the 1.4-member union since 2004, intends to step down at the AFT's convention in July. McElroy's presidency has been marked by the union's sharp opposition to important provisions in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which the AFT greeted with reserved optimism after the law passed Congress with broad bipartisan support in 2001.

Science Community Goes Online to Influence the White House Race
Jan 28 2008 - Medill Reports
Scientific research and education are too important to be ignored in the presidential campaigns, according to two science advocacy groups that have launched websites to promote key issues. The groups, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Scientists and Engineers for America, launched sites in January that give visitors a focused picture of each candidates' record on science and technology issues. As science agencies have watched their federal budgets shrink in recent years, the advocacy groups are pushing their issues early in the election as a tactic to ward off budget cuts from the next administration.

Spellings Pushes on Her Own to Keep No Child Law Alive
Jan 10 2008 - USA Today
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plans to use her executive authority to revive stalled efforts to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act. Spellings said changes to the law cannot wait for congressional action or a new administration. Changes Spellings plans to propose include expanding a program that gives schools credit for individual students’ annual academic improvements, allowing different consequences for chronically underperforming schools and those in which a few students don’t improve, and requiring states to use a uniform definition of high school graduation rates.

Congress is Urged to Enhance 'No Child' Law
Jan 8 2008 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
President Bush has urged Congress to revive a stalled effort to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act. “I know No Child Left Behind has worked,” the president said. “If Congress passes a bill that weakens the accountability system in the No Child Left Behind Act, I will strongly oppose it and veto it.” Bush’s comments were made on the eve of the anniversary of his signing the bill.

Court Revives Lawsuit Against No Child Left Behind Law
Jan 8 2008 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
In a 2-to-1 ruling, a federal appeals court on Monday revived a legal challenge to the No Child Left Behind Act. The court said that school districts have been justified in complaining that the law required them to pay for testing and other programs without providing sufficient federal funds. School districts in Michigan, Texas, and Vermont joined with the National Education Association in the 2005 lawsuit. In the lawsuit, they argued that Education Secretary Margaret Spellings had violated the U.S. Constitution in enacting the law by requiring states and school districts to spend local funds to administer standardizes tests and to meet other federal mandates. The lawsuit was partially built around a paragraph in the law that says “no state or district can be forced to spend its money on expenses the federal government has not covered.

Bush Pushes Congress on 'No Child' Law
Oct 10 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
President Bush says he is willing to consider changes to the No Child Left Behind Act, but will not accept “watered down standards or rollbacks in accountability.” Both Bush and lawmakers want to see changes in the law. Nearly everyone agrees the law should be changed to encourage schools to measure individual student progress over time instead of using “snapshot” comparisons of certain grade levels. However, proposed changes regarding merit pay for teachers and whether schools should be evaluated on test scores in subjects other than reading and math have generated mixed reactions.

No Child Enabling Single-Sex Schools
Oct 5 2007 - Honolulu Advertiser (Hawaii)
The No Child Left Behind Act has made it easier for school districts to implement single-gender schools. However, experts are voicing mixed reaction to separating the sexes in public schools. Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, believes states should not advocate for educational experiments. David Chadwell, the country’s first and only statewide coordinator of single-gender education, is helping South Carolina become a leader among schools that offer single-gender programs.

Few Students Switching Schools Under 'No Child' Law
Sep 27 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Only 1.2% of the 5.4 million eligible students nationwide are taking advantage of the No Child Left Behind Act’s provision to transfer from a struggling school to a better-performing one. As Congress considers revising the law, the low transfer rate is accelerating the debate over school choice. Proponents of the transfer option want to increase choices for students and improve efforts to inform parents about it. Opponents say “the attention and funding should be used to help ensure that all schools are up to par.”

Teachers Wrestle With No Child Left Behind Act
Sep 10 2007 - The Arizona Republic
The U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor is holding a public hearing today on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Educators, business leaders, and political groups are encouraging Congress to change the federal law. While many teachers support the law, others feel NCLB forces them to tailor their curriculum to accommodate tests and requires unrealistic mandates.

Secretary of Education Criticizes Proposal
Sep 6 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is criticizing a Congressional proposal to weaken the No Child Left Behind Act. Spellings noted that a series of proposals in draft legislation circulated by lawmakers on the House education committee--taken together-- “would allow states to remove children from testing regimes and tutoring services, and would make it too difficult for parents to know whether students and schools are making progress.” The education committee will hold hearings on the draft bill in the coming weeks and hopes to have a vote by the House by month’s end. The Senate is planning to release a bill revising the education law later this month.

Congressman Offers Revisions to 'No Child'
Aug 29 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Calling it “a work in progress,” the leading House Democrat on education issues has proposed revisions to the No Child Left Behind Act that would ease penalties for public schools that barely miss testing benchmarks. U.S. Rep. George Miller’s (D-California) proposal would allow states to use more than annual tests in reading and math to rate schools; give credit to states for students who are projected to reach proficiency within three years; and require states to test certain students with limited English skills in their native language. Miller also proposed tightening a rule that requires test scores to be reported separately for groups of students identified by ethnicity, race, family income, and other factors.

House Passes Bill to Make Americans More Competitive in Math and Science
Aug 3 2007 - Union-Tribune (San Diego, California)
With a vote of 367 to 57, the House passed legislation on August 2 that will promote math and science education, and develop the technology needed to compete in a global economy. “It’s going to help us regain and maintain leadership in research, innovation, and technology,” said House Science Committee chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tennessee), noting that with half the people in the world earning less than $2 a day, Americans can compete only by performing at a higher level. The Senate is expected to endorse the America Competes Act before Congress leaves for its August recess.

Lawmaker: No Child Law Should Be Changed
Aug 1 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Rep. George Miller (D-California), chairman of the House education committee, says the No Child Left Behind Act should consist of merit pay for teachers and new ways of evaluating schools. Miller noted that the law should also pay teachers extra money for increasing student achievement. Senator Edward Kennedy, who chairs the Senate education committee, hopes the bill will pass through his committee in September. Meanwhile, a new poll released July 30 by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Education Next, shows a majority of Americans want the law renewed as is or with minor changes.

Lawmakers Work on Revising 'No Child' Law
Jul 16 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Lawmakers are in the process of rewriting the No Child Left Behind Act. Lawmakers say they will not abandon the basic components of the legislation, which requires testing of students, and holds schools and districts accountable for poor test scores. But after hearing complaints in recent years, Congress and the Bush administration want to change the way schools and students are evaluated. They explain the changes will help states and school districts identify more clearly which students need additional help, while avoiding labeling entire schools as failing because they have students who are harder to teach.

Teachers, Administrators to Study Accountability, School Reform
Jul 9 2007 - NSTA News
Teams of teachers and administrators from four school districts across the country will gather at Brown University beginning July 9 to learn how to effectively use classroom data and test scores to guide instructional policy and student performance. Brown University’s Urban Education Policy Program will host the weeklong inaugural Institute on Data-Driven Decision Making in Urban School Systems.

Candidates Speak Out on 'No Child' Law
Jul 3 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Democratic presidential candidates discussed the No Child Left Behind Act July 2 at the annual convention of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union. Passed with broad support by Democrats in 2001, discussion of the law generated opposition from thousands of teachers at the event. The law requires public school students to be tested annually in reading and math in third through eighth grades, and once in high school. Many teachers at the convention wore buttons or stickers that said “a child is more than a test score.”

Schools Weigh Impact of Court's Ruling
Jun 29 2007 - Herald-Leader (Lexington, Kentucky)
School district officials are trying to figure out the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling on school diversity plans. The high court ruled June 27 against public school assignments that largely take race into account. The decision directly affects integration plans in Kentucky’s Jefferson County and a school district in Seattle. But it’s not so clear how other districts will be affected.

Education Secretary Proposes Change in Evaluating Schools
Jun 28 2007 - USA Today
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has proposed “a more nuanced” way of evaluating schools under the No Child Left Behind Act. The proposal would differentiate between schools that are close to meeting state math, reading, and science standards, and those that are “chronic, chronic underperformers.” Under the proposed change, public schools with just a few struggling students could help students without being labeled underperforming. They would avoid sanctions that could include firing staff, privatizing, or even closing their doors. The law does not currently differentiate between the two.

Court Rejects School Diversity Plans
Jun 28 2007 - Yahoo! News
The Supreme Court has rejected school diversity plans that consider students’ race in two major public school districts. The court, however, has left the door open for using race in limited circumstances. The decision in cases affecting schools in Louisville, Kentucky and Seattle, Washington could imperil similar plans in hundreds of districts nationwide, and it further restricts how many public school systems may attain racial diversity.

Teachers, Parents Discuss NCLB at Forum
Jun 27 2007 - Union-Tribune (San Diego, California)
Teachers, principals, and parents who attended a forum in the San Diego area recently have agreed that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) should be modified before it is renewed, and some say the law should be eliminated. Signed into law in 2002, NCLB holds schools accountable according to how schools as a whole and how groups of students, such as English Language learners, perform on standardized tests.

Support Changes for No Child Left Behind Law
Jun 26 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
President Bush urged lawmakers June 25 to renew the No Child Left Behind Act, but one of his biggest political liabilities in achieving that goal comes from an unlikely source, his former aides. Senior administration officials from Bush’s first term are speaking out against the law with increasing boldness. The shift, combined with mounting criticism from both the political right and left in Congress, is causing supporters of the law to worry that it might not win renewal this year.

Schools Need Overhaul
Jun 21 2007 - TIME
Nationwide, about 2,300 schools are either in restructuring or are a year away and planning for such drastic action as firing the principal and moving many of the teachers, according to a database provided to the Associated Press by the Education Department. Those schools are being warily eyed by educators elsewhere as the law’s consequences begin to hit home.

States Fall Short of Special Ed Requirements
Jun 21 2007 - Union-Tribune (San Diego, California)
The Education Department reports that fourth-fifths of states are falling short of federal requirements for educating students with disabilities. The states were evaluated on how well they are implementing the nation’s main special education law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Nine states were found to be fully meeting the requirements of the law. The rest of the states were labeled as “needs assistance” or “needs intervention.”

Study: No Child Left Behind Seems to Be Working
Jun 6 2007 - USA Today
As Congress prepares to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act this year, a provocative new study shows that students seem to be improving in both math and reading, two key goals of the law. But while students have improved basic skills virtually across the board, only 13 states have enough data to compare rates of improvement before and after the law was passed. Of those, nine can claim post 2002 gains greater than those before the law took effect. Four show that the rate of improvement has slowed since 2002. Released by the Center on Education Policy in Washington, D.C., the study also revealed that achievement gaps between white and minority students have partially closed since 2002.

"No Child Left Behind": State Tests Vary
May 31 2007 - CBS News
"As much as I’ve learned and read about “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB), the landmark education bill President Bush signed into law five years ago, I had no idea that every state uses a different test and standard to determine whether its schools are making the required progress under the law," reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace. Wallace notes it is an issue that is debated sharply in education circles, with some states accusing others of lowering the bar by using easier tests, and lower standards to make their schools look more successful.

The Next No Child Left Behind Act
May 24 2007 - New America Foundation
Experts say the federal government should regard the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as an opportunity to expand access to high-quality, early education programs. Stakeholders also said they would like to see higher standards in teacher quality, salaries for early childhood educators that align with what their K-12 colleagues receive, and more consistency across the country in the curricula of early education programs.

Legal Victory for Families of Disabled Students
May 22 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
A Supreme Court decision on May 21 gave parents of children with disabilities the right to go to court without a lawyer to challenge their public school district’s individualized plan for their child’s education. The 7-to-2 decision involved an interpretation of the federal law that gives all children the right to a “free appropriate public education,” regardless of disability. Millions of children receive benefits under the law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Most federal appeals courts have ruled that when a dispute brings families and school districts into court, the parents cannot proceed without a lawyer.

'No Child' Law Gets Mixed Marks From Educators
May 13 2007 - Des Moines Register (Iowa)
Test scores have improved. Teachers are better trained and work together as a team. More attention is paid to each student, regardless of family income, disability, race, or the ability to speak English. Five years after the federal accountability law known as No Child Left Behind changed the way schools operate nationwide, several Iowa educators said good things eventually happened at schools that were labeled because students fell short of goals laid out in the law. “It was a curse that turned into a blessing,” observed one principal.

How to Gauge a School's Progress
Apr 26 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
What’s the right balance between pushing schools to reach a goal and giving them credit for making progress, even if they fall short? That is a key question lawmakers are considering as they prepare to reauthorize the federal No Child Left Behind Act, established five years ago with the hope of closing achievement gaps in public schools.

Bush: 'No Child' Law Should Be Renewed
Apr 25 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
President Bush, focusing on an overshadowed domestic agenda, urged Congress on April 24 to renew and broaden the farthest-reaching education law in a generation. At a Harlem charter school, Bush lauded the same elements of the No Child Left Behind Act that have made it a tough sell in many places, yearly testing and consequences for failure. Bush’s trip was part of a concerted White House effort to show the president is actively pursuing his goals at home.

Will the No Child Act be Left Behind?
Apr 17 2007 - Dallas Morning News (Requires free registration)
Is the No Child Left Behind Act about to get left behind? While no one is predicting its immediate demise, discontent with the law’s mandates is growing on Capitol Hill, and change appears to be in the offing. So far, 66 Republicans—59 in the House and seven in the Senate—have signed onto the A-Plus Act. This legislation would allow states to sidestep federal, yearly testing mandates. Many Democrats want to alter the testing requirements, giving states more leeway in how they measure progress, especially for disabled students.

Bush Defends No Child Left Behind Act
Apr 13 2007 - Associated Press
President Bush, acknowledging public frustration over his No Child Left Behind Act, says the point of the law is not to punish schools that fall short, but to help them. Bush suggested that the White House and its allies must do a better job of explaining the goal of holding schools accountable. Congress is working on renewing the law, which remains unpopular in many districts across the country.

Battle Grows Over Renewing Landmark Education Law
Apr 7 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
When President Bush and Democratic leaders put together the bipartisan coalition behind the No Child Left Behind Act, they managed to sidestep, override, or flat out ignore decades of sentiment that education is fundamentally a prerogative of state and local government. Now, as the president and the same Democrats push to renew the landmark law, which has reshaped the face of American education with its mandates for annual testing, discontent with it in many states is threatening to undermine the effort in both parties.

Governors Call for More Control Over NCLB
Apr 6 2007 - Stateline.org
The nation’s governors support renewal of the often criticized No Child Left Behind Act, but they want far more authority to carry out its mandates. That’s the basic message behind a list of recommendations that the National Governors Association sent to Congress on April 5. The recommendations were jointly released with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Association of State Boards of Education.

Answering Some of Parents' Most Asked Questions About No Child Left Behind
Apr 3 2007 - Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic interviews Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to get answers to parents’ most asked questions about the No Child Left Behind Act.

Failing Schools See a Solution in Longer Day
Mar 26 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
States and school districts nationwide are moving to lengthen the day at struggling schools, spurred by grim test results suggesting that more than 10,000 schools are likely to be declared failing under federal law next year. But the movement has many critics; among administrators, who worry about the cost; among teachers, whose unions say they work hard enough as it is, and have sought more pay and renegotiation of contracts; and among parents, who say their children already spend enough time in school.

An Out for 'No Child' Law
Mar 22 2007 - Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
A pending House bill would allow Utah or any other state to opt out of the requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. Instead, states could use federal money to satisfy education needs, according to the bill’s sponsors. The National Education Association says the bill does nothing to help solve the real problems of the law and might actually end up hurting students, namely minorities or those in special education, that the law was designed to protect.

'No Child Left Behind' Losing Steam
Mar 21 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
Support for the No Child Left Behind Act is fraying as it heads into reauthorization this year. The heaviest criticism is coming from within President Bush’s own party. Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate introduced bills the week of March 12 that allow states to opt out of most of the law’s requirements, while keeping federal funding. Supporters of the law say that move would gut the law.

Dozens in GOP Turn Against Bush's Prized 'No Child' Act
Mar 15 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
More than 50 GOP members of the House and Senate, including the House’s second-ranking Republican, will introduce legislation March 15 that could severely undercut President Bush’s signature domestic achievement, the No Child Left Behind Act. The effort would allow states to opt out of the law’s testing mandates.

'No Child' Target is Called Out of Reach
Mar 14 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
No Child Left Behind, the landmark federal education law, sets a lofty standard: that all students tested in reading and math will reach grade level by 2014. Even when the law was enacted five years ago, almost no one believed that standard was realistic. But as Congress begins to debate renewing the law, lawmakers and education officials are confronting the reality of the approaching deadline and the difficult political choice between sticking with the vision of universal proficiency or backing away from it.

Senate Links Science to Energy
Mar 13 2007 - Herald-Leader (Lexington, Kentucky)
In a dramatic move, the Kentucky Senate approved an amended bill on March 12 that ties together advanced mathematics and science in the schools, incentive pay for math and science teachers, and a massive economic development plan to produce alternative fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. For more information on Energy, NSTA members can refer to the March 2007 issue of Science & Children.

Bill Gates Pushes for Better Schools
Mar 8 2007 - Associated Press
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has told Congress that a major overhaul is needed for the nation’s schools and immigration laws to prevent jobs from going overseas. Gates also challenged lawmakers to push for higher educational standards and to make more challenging coursework available to students. He also noted that more resources and attention is needed to improve the teaching of math and science.

Preserve 'Core' of No Child Left Behind Act, Bush Urges
Mar 3 2007 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
President Bush urged Congress to avoid broad changes to the education law that represented one of his key domestic policy accomplishments, saying March 2, that “watering down” the No Child Left Behind Act “would be doing thousands of children a disservice.” “It’s working,” Bush said. “We change parts of it for the better, but don’t change the core of a piece of legislation that is making a significant difference in the lives of a lot of children.”

Hard Recovery for Failed U.S. Schools
Mar 1 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
Under the mandates of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, low-performing schools undergo a series of interventions. The last phase is known as restructuring. After five years of not meeting targets for adequate yearly progress on test scores, schools must plan for significant reform and implement it the following year. However, a few states, such as California and Michigan, have put accountability measures into place prior to NCLB.

Governors: Changes Needed for Globalization
Feb 27 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
After meeting for four days, the nation’s governors have realized that students are not ready for the 21st century, workers are not trained for newly created jobs, and businesses are not competing as strongly as they need to. The governors have agreed on a framework for change. One component of this framework is a refocus on science, technology, engineering, math, and foreign language proficiency. The governors are seeking programs to encourage students and teachers in those subject areas.

Senate Approves Bill to Boost Math, Science
Feb 21 2007 - Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky)
The Kentucky Senate has passed two bills that would give cash incentives to teachers, students, and schools for high achievement in math and science.

Educators Ponder Who Gets Left Behind
Feb 19 2007 - San Francisco Chronicle (California)
Like a strict teacher demanding precision from her students, No Child Left Behind has inspired reactions ranging from anger to admiration during the five years it has reshaped public education in every city in America. Now that Congress is preparing to reauthorize the federal law, groups representing a range of interests--educators, employers, testing advocates, testing foes, and politicians of every stripe, including the president, want the rules rewritten to reflect each of their points of view.

Tougher Standards Urged for Federal Education Law
Feb 14 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
No Child Left Behind, the federal education law, should be toughened to judge teachers and principals by their students’ test scores, and to block chronically ineffective educators from working in high-poverty schools, according to a private, bipartisan commission. The commission is also recommending that states revamp their testing systems to track individual student progress from year to year, and to give schools credit if students are within sight of achievement goals, rather than only if they reach them.

Did Help Get Left Behind?
Feb 13 2007 - U.S. News & World Report
Five years after it was implemented, educators and lawmakers are asking whether the challenges caused by the No Child Left Behind Act have been worth it. During the next several weeks, congressional committees will hold hearings on the law as they try to decide before it expires whether to reauthorize the act as is, change it, or reject it.

Critics Question Education Department's Screening
Feb 11 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Academic researchers are voicing concerns about background checks conducted by the Education Department. For about a year, researchers have undergone a level of security screening usually reserved for those working with very sensitive information. A department spokesperson says the scrutiny is warranted because the agency has access to databases with financial data and other information, including names and social security numbers of students or of applicants to colleges and other programs. However, the policy is prompting critics to question when a prudent background investigation becomes an invasion of privacy.

Changes to No Child Left Behind Expected
Feb 10 2007 - Yahoo! News
With the No Child Left Behind Act to be rewritten this year, teachers, policy makers, and other groups are among those pushing for more flexibility in the testing of special education students and immigrants. Advocates for the groups caution against loosening the rules too much.

Qualified Teacher Plan Wins Fed OK
Feb 8 2007 - Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Federal education officials have finally approved Utah’s plan for putting a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, making the state one of the last to win federal approval. The No Child Left Behind Act required school districts to have highly qualified teachers teaching all core subjects by the end of the 2005–2006 school year. However, no states met that goal.

States Pull Out Stops to Curb Truancy
Jan 31 2007 - Stateline.org
Concerned that too many children are playing hooky, school officials nationwide are using various tactics to get students back in the classroom. Education experts note that student attendance has a direct impact on education funding for most school districts. States also need to focus on getting missing students back in school because absenteeism is a precursor to juvenile delinquency and dropping out, experts say.

Students, Teachers Weigh In, as 'Left Behind' Up for Renewal
Jan 29 2007 - The Tennessean (Nashville)
Teachers and students are voicing strong emotions over the No Child Left Behind Act. The federal education reform law, considered by some to be one of America’s most sweeping public education reforms, is up for reauthorization this year.

Education Secretary Lobbies for Bush Plan
Jan 26 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings recently spent the day in Chicago, lobbying students, teachers, school officials, and business leaders to support proposed changes to the No Child Left Behind Act.

Feds Try to Build Up on No Child Left Behind
Jan 25 2007 - Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Five years after signing the No Child Left Behind Act, which raised the stakes for standardized testing, the Bush administration has released its plans for the next chapter. The administration’s wish list includes keeping the hallmarks of the law and making changes to increase its reach, flexibility, and ability to improve the lives of students in chronically low–performing schools. Click on the link above to read a list of these proposed changes.

Bush Pushes Voucher Proposal Over Democrat's Objection
Jan 24 2007 - CNN.com
The Bush administration is calling on Congress to make changes to the No Child Left Behind Act, including placing more emphasis on science and giving poor students private school vouchers.

Bush, Lawmakers Meet to Plan Next Phase of No Child Left Behind
Jan 9 2007 - CNN.com
President Bush pushed for renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act on January 8 in a meeting with congressional leaders, but was noncommittal on their request for more money to help schools meet the law's requirements. "In our discussions today, we've all agreed to work together to address some of the major concerns that some people have on this piece of legislation, without weakening the essence of the bill," Bush said following the White House meeting with Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Spellings Gets L.A. Opinion
Dec 12 2006 - Daily News (Los Angeles, California)
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings says the federal government’s controversial program to make schools accountable for student achievement is working, but could be improved. Criticized by local and state education officials as an unrealistic benchmark, the No Child Left Behind Act requires the nation’s schools to have all students reading and performing math at their grade level by 2014. Schools who fail to meet those mandates will face sanctions.

Court Reviews Race as Factor in School Plans
Dec 5 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
By the time the Supreme Court finished hearing arguments on December 4 on the student assignment plans that two urban school systems use to maintain racial integration, the only question was how far the court would go in ruling such plans unconstitutional.

School Integration Back Before Supreme Court
Dec 4 2006 - San Francisco Chronicle
More than 50 years after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in public schools, the justices are about to consider whether a school district can voluntarily integrate by considering race in campus assignments. In cases from Seattle and Louisville, Kentucky, the justices will address the question left unanswered by the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling in 1954: What can the government do when the last vestiges of state-sponsored segregation are erased and schools nevertheless remain racially isolated because of housing patterns, parental choice, and perhaps, societal discrimination?

Schools, Teachers Ask Appeals Court to Revive Lawsuit Challenging No Child Education Mandates
Nov 29 2006 - San Diego Union-Tribune
School districts in three states and the nation's largest teachers union have asked a federal appeals court to revive a lawsuit challenging the way government-mandated programs are funded. The three-judge appeals court panel took the case under advisement and did not say when it will rule. The outcome would apply directly to the districts in the case, but could affect how the law is enforced in schools across the country.

Single-Sex Classes on a Forward Course
Nov 20 2006 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
Both public and private single–sex classes and schools are gaining favor across the nation as educators search for ways to boost test scores and students' self-esteem. In 1995, only three public schools in the nation offered a single–-sex option, compared with more than 253 today, according to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. Five percent of private schools are single–sex.

Justices to Weigh School Diversity
Nov 14 2006 - USA Today
Two school districts in Louisville and Seattle are at the heart of a pair of legal disputes, now before the U.S. Supreme Court, that test whether public schools can use race as a factor in determining where students go to school. The cases, to be heard by the court on December 4, have drawn national attention because they could affect policies in districts across the country.

Student Achievement Strategies' Effect in Question
Nov 10 2006 - Arizona Daily Star/Bloomberg News
School reform models often are not fully implemented, which is why many have little to no impact, Rand researchers report. Schools are most likely to adopt the suggested curriculum of a model, less likely to implement its teaching practices, and least likely to follow recommendations that boost parental involvement, the study found.

Does K-12 Make Sense?
Nov 1 2006 - District Administration Magazine
Some leaders are suggesting that educators shift the traditional educational system from a K–12 to a preK–11 system.

Federal Rules Back Single-Sex Public Education
Oct 25 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The Bush administration is giving public school districts broad new latitude to expand the number of single–sex classes and schools. Two years in the making, the new rules will allow districts to create single–sex schools and classes as long as enrollment is voluntary. School districts that go that route must also make coeducational schools and classes of “substantially equal” quality available for members of the excluded sex.

Bush Touts Education Program
Oct 19 2006 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
President Bush on Wednesday renewed his efforts to win reauthorization of his signature education program when the new Congress begins work next year, and said he would not yield on one of its most controversial components: the requirement that standardized tests periodically measure students' progress.

Judge Dismisses Most of No Child Lawsuit
Sep 28 2006 - Hartford Courant (Connecticut)
A federal judge has dismissed most of the claims in Connecticut’s challenge to the No Child Left Behind Act on jurisdictional grounds. Judge Mark Kravitz dismissed three counts, saying state officials cannot challenge the law until they have violated it. Kravitz is allowing the state to proceed with a fourth claim that the federal Department of Education unfairly denied Connecticut’s proposed amendments to testing rules.

Bulk of No Child 'Here to Stay,' But Changes Sought
Sep 26 2006 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
The bipartisan commission charged with recommending changes to the No Child Left Behind Act in 2007 took testimony Sept. 25 from leading educators, policy makers, and academics in the final day of hearings. Commission Chair Roy Barnes acknowledges that changes are needed to the law, but notes certain fundamental tenets, such as using testing to assess academic performance and holding schools accountable for the performance of various subgroups of students, will remain intact.

Schools Taking Longer at Extended Classroom Time
Sep 20 2006 - The Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Demands for more tests and more academic rigor are spurring schools to consider something that makes most students shudder: more time in class. Schools in Iowa, North Carolina, and California have already increased the time some students spend in class. Other states like Minnesota are considering whether to add more time to the school year.

Single Gender Schools on the Rise
Sep 19 2006 - Stateline.org
Even as experts debate whether boys and girls require different teaching styles, at least 33 states so far have created single–sex public schools or classrooms. The U.S. Education Department is expected to issue final guidelines in the near future that will resolve a conflict between the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and Title IX. The NCLB Act supports single–gender education, while Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded programs.

Tweaking of 'No Child' Seen
Aug 31 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
As schools nationwide open for business, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is commenting on the status of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Spellings says the federal law is need of “tweaking” and should be taken to the next level of development. Commenting that the federal government has “done about as much” as it can, Spellings said that states need to do much of the remaining work on NCLB in order to meet the goal of reading proficiency by 2014.

Single-Sex Classes Go Public
Aug 17 2006 - USA Today
Single–sex classrooms might be coming to a public school near you. The Education Department is planning to release final regulations in about a month on how public schools can establish single–sex classes or single–sex schools without being vulnerable to discrimination lawsuits. Some advocacy groups are already prepared to oppose the idea. Parents may wonder if their son or daughter would fare better in a single-sex class. A growing body of research shows that boys and girls learn differently. Observers note proposals for the idea should be encouraged, but with careful limitations.

Proposal Adds Options for Students to Specify Race
Aug 9 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
For years, some mixed–heritage students have rebelled against schools’ and colleges’ efforts to get them to identify themselves as one race or the other. A new proposal from the Education Department may enable students to indicate as many categories as they want. But observers note the move raises questions on how educational progress among different racial groups will be monitored, and how the new categories may skew long-term studies of the racial achievement gap. If the new rules are adopted after a 45–day comment period, they would go into effect in 2009.

U.S. Issues New Rules on Schools and Disability
Aug 4 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
For more than 25 years, federal law has required that schools nationwide identify students as learning disabled by comparing their scores on intelligence tests with their academic performance. However, new regulations issued by the Education Department will no longer allow schools to rely on that method. The change will enable school districts to find other methods to determine which students are eligible for extra help. The move represents the final step in the federal government’s repudiation of the old method, which had been criticized by advocates for students with disabilities, testing experts, and eventually federal officials themselves.

Education Department Expands Tutoring Experiments
Jul 28 2006 - CNN.com
The Bush administration says it will bend the rules of the No Child Left Behind Act in an effort to get more students into tutoring programs. Only 10% to 20% of the more than one million students eligible for tutoring have registered. The new policy will enable students in 23 school districts to enroll in tutoring programs. The districts are located in Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Most States Fail Demands in Education Law
Jul 25 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has toughened her stance on enforcing the No Child Left Behind Act. “I want states to know that Congress and the president mean business on the law,” Spellings said. Spellings has emphasized that message, in part, because the law’s deadlines for states to meet requirements that all teachers be “highly qualified” in core teaching fields and that state programs for testing students be up to standards by the end of the school year were not met earlier this month.

NEA to Challenge 'No Child Left Behind'
Jul 3 2006 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The National Education Association has approved a plan to lobby Congress for reform of the No Child Left Behind Act. The plan includes increases in the $23.5 billion budget currently authorized by Congress and a decrease in the number of students in classrooms, as well as a national minimum wage of $40,000 a year for teachers. The organization also wants government officials to move away from testing as the sole benchmark for student success or failure. Instead, teachers favor a series of benchmarks that reflect students’ various demographics and abilities.

Schools' Efforts on Race Await Justices' Ruling
Jun 26 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Courts have ended desegregation orders in several school districts in the past 15 years. Many districts across the country, however, seek to maintain diversity with voluntary programs with magnet schools and magnet programs, clustering plans that group schools in black neighborhoods with those in white, and weighted admissions lotteries that assign classroom seats by race. But all of this is now a gray area of the law until there is guidance from the Supreme Court on how far school systems may go in the quest for racial diversity.

Why Race and Education are Still Up in the Air
Jun 19 2006 - U.S. News & World Report
After years of fierce legal battles, college leaders nationwide let out a sigh of relief in 2003 when the Supreme Court upheld the use of racial preferences in college admissions. But for conservatives, the narrow 5-4 decision that summer in favor of the University of Michigan Law School was far from the end in their decades-long fight against affirmative action. The conservatives immediately decided to fight again, and now the high court will again be taking up the issue of racial preferences, this time in elementary and high school placements. (See this related article.)

Agency to Examine 'No Child' Loophole
Jun 14 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Under pressure from lawmakers, the Bush administration plans to conduct a review this fall on why some states are excluding large numbers of students when reporting test scores under the No Child Left Behind Act. The review comes after the Associated Press reported in April that nearly two million students were not being counted when schools reported yearly progress by racial groups. “The better we can get at making the structure work correctly, then the more likely the children that need the services are going to get them,” said Deputy Education Secretary Ray Simon.

State's No Child Changes Blocked
Jun 6 2006 - Dallas Morning News (Requires free registration)
Federal authorities have blocked an attempt by Texas officials to “artificially” boost student test scores. The state tried to eliminate 10% of its students from the accountability requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. Observers note it’s the latest move between the U.S. Department of Education and states seeking to make life easier for their schools.

High Court to Examine Race Balancing Schools
Jun 6 2006 - Christian Science Monitor
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider to what extent race may be used to balance white and nonwhite enrollment in public schools. The court will examine two school districts attempting to maintain racially integrated schools. One case involves a plan in Seattle that seeks to achieve a rough balance of 40% white and 60% nonwhite enrollment at each of the city’s 10 public high schools. The second case is a school district in Louisville, Kentucky, that has set broad guidelines that the black student population of any particular school should range from 15% to 50%. At issue in both cases is how the Supreme Court’s 2003 University of Michigan Law School decision should be applied in public school districts seeking to achieve diversity.

Mandate Aside, Private Tutors are Not Always an Option
Jun 6 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, many rural schools whose students are making minimal progress are required to hire outside education companies to provide extra help. But educators say these schools are having trouble complying with the law. Private tutoring firms are reluctant to work in remote places where there are few students and the opportunity to make money is slim. With limited options, some schools have turned to grass-roots or online tutoring companies or are doing nothing at all.

No Child Left Behind: Giving the States a Break
May 22 2006 - TIME
Amid debate over whether the Education Department has gone too far or not far enough in granting states flexibility in complying with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, lawmakers of both parties agree the law has been a positive force in school reform. Although national scores have not moved since NCLB was implemented, testing will expand to include science exams by 2008.

Speaker: U.S. Must Commit to Education
May 19 2006 - The Wichita Eagle (Kansas)
The key to securing America’s “superpower” status in coming years is to invest in students who can compete with those from other countries, according to the president and chief executive of the National Urban League. Marc Morial recently told 180 business executives and community leaders that an “economic tsunami” will hit the United States if the country does not start to invest in education.

Lawmakers Willing to Work on No Child Law
May 18 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Lawmakers say they are willing to make the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act more flexible, but warn there won’t be a lot of extra federal money to pay for it. They also note the law will not disappear. The comments come as lawmakers start a series of hearings in preparation for renewing the federal law. Since its passage in 2001, teachers, parents, and state education officials have complained about various aspects of NCLB, which requires schools to meet goals for student performance or face a variety of penalties.

Two States to Experiment with 'No Child' Changes
May 18 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
North Carolina and Tennessee will be the first two states to change the way they measure student progress under a new pilot program associated with the No Child Left Behind Act. The “growth model” assessment will allow schools in those states to be in compliance by assessing the progress of individual students annually, instead of an entire grade of different students. Spellings said North Carolina and Tennessee were selected for the program because they have existing sophisticated data collection systems for assessing students.

Tax Bill Includes Surprise for Teens
May 18 2006 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
A new proposal tucked inside the Texas Legislature’s property tax relief bill would require most students to take four years of math and science to graduate from high school. Only a handful of states mandate four years of science and math for students, according to the nonprofit group Achieve Inc. NSTA President-Elect Linda Froschauer lauded the legislation noting, “if we are going to be really serious about science, then this is the kind of stand we need to make.” Froschauer added that schools must make certain the classes are properly funded and taught by qualified teachers.

No States Meet Teacher Quality Goal Set in Federal Law
May 13 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
The Education Department has ordered every state to develop a new action plan for how they will have 100% of their core teachers highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind Act. The order comes after department officials learned that not a single state would have a highly qualified teacher in every core class for the 2006–2007 school year. Nine states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico face the loss of federal aid because they did not make enough effort to meet the deadline. Department officials would not say how much aid could be withheld from states to force compliance.

Rising Number of Schools Face Education Law's Most Serious Penalties
May 10 2006 - San Diego Union-Tribune
Nearly 1,800 schools have been ordered into “radical restructuring” after failing to meet requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania account for almost 70% of all schools ordered to restructure. Schools make the list by falling short in reading and math for at least five straight years. Officials with the Education Department say the numbers are still being verified.

States Have More Schools Falling Behind
Mar 29 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
More than a quarter of the nation’s schools are failing under the terms of the No Child Left Behind Act, according to preliminary data reported to the federal Education Department. At least 24,470 public schools or 27% failed to meet the requirement for adequate yearly progress in 2004–2005. The percentage of failing schools rose by one point from the previous school year. Under the law, schools that do not make sufficient academic progress face penalties, including the eventual replacement of their administrators and teachers. The results also raise doubts about whether the law is working.

Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math
Mar 26 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Schools across the country are responding to the reading and math requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act by reducing or eliminating class time spent on other subjects like science. The changes appear to principally affect schools and students who test below grade level. Education experts have voiced mixed reaction to the issue. A nationwide survey scheduled for release on March 28 indicates the practice, known as “narrowing the curriculum,” has become standard procedure in many communities.

States Look to Reduce Dropout Rates
Mar 20 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Pressured to boost graduation rates under the No Child Left Behind Act, school districts nationwide are searching for ways to keep students in the classroom. An estimated one million students fail to graduate each year, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington. Many school districts are turning to lawmakers for answers. But laws on school attendance can be difficult to enforce, says Jay Smink, executive director of the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University. Some observers suggest that a better approach is to address the reasons on why students drop out.

States Seek Flexibility in No Child Left Behind
Feb 16 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
More than a dozen states are vying to be a part of an effort that will allow schools some flexibility in measuring student progress under the No Child Left Behind Act. The law requires schools to show annual improvement in test scores. But under the new pilot program, schools will be allowed to chart how individual students are performing on standardized tests. Applications are coming from Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, and Oregon. Other states planning to apply are Indiana, Colorado, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The deadline for applications is Feb. 17. Ten states will be chosen for the program.

Tutor Program Offered by Law is Going Unused
Feb 12 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Four years after President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, thousands of students are not receiving the tutoring the law offers as one of its hallmarks. Approximately two million public school students were eligible for free tutoring in the school year that ended in 2004, but only 226,000 students received help, according to the most recent data from the Department of Education. City and state education officials and tutoring company executives disagree on the reasons for the low participation and cast blame on each other. But they agree the numbers show that states and school districts have not smoothed out the difficulties that have plagued the tutoring effort.

Bush Pushes Voucher Proposal Over Democrat's Objection
Jan 24 2006 - CNN.com
The Bush administration is calling on Congress to make changes to the No Child Left Behind Act, including placing more emphasis on science and giving poor students private school vouchers.

The 'No Child' Law's Flexible Enforcer
Jan 24 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
As a White House aide who helped craft the No Child Left Behind Act, Margaret Spellings backed strict enforcement of the law in the first three years after its enactment in 2002. As education secretary in President Bush’s second term, Spellings’ mantra is flexibility. Her wheeling and dealing has mollified some—but not all—critics who call the law unworkable. Some supporters of the law, however, worry that Spellings might be ceding too much ground.

Bush School Reform Called "Clueless"
Jan 13 2006 - San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
Just three days after President Bush touted the fourth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act, more than 200 concerned teachers, students, and parents across Texas gathered to discuss an overhaul of the accountability effort, which is up for reauthorization in 2007. The testimony, both oral and written, and the results of an online survey, will be documented in a report that will be delivered to members of Congress and the president.

Bush Visits School to Speak on Education Law
Jan 10 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
President Bush says he will resist any attempts by teachers and Congress to change the No Child Left Behind Act. Bush’s comments came during a recent visit to a Maryland school to mark the fourth anniversary of the federal law, which he says is working. But a spokesman for the Center on Education Policy, a nonprofit group that conducts an annual survey of the law, says that Bush is “claiming more credit than he can for the act.”

Without Help, Education Reform Will Be Left Behind
Nov 28 2005 - USA Today
Year after year, a number of Michigan’s Brownell Elementary students fail state exams. Last year, 14% passed the math test and 31% passed the reading tests. That forced the school into a mandatory makeover. Brownell Elementary might strike some as a sad but irrelevant symbol of the Rust Belt past. Not so. In an odd way, the school offers a window into the future of the president's signature reform, No Child Left Behind. Because of a quirk in Michigan's law, its schools are among the first to face forced restructuring. By next year, hundreds of schools nationwide will endure similar fates.

No Child Left Behind Lawsuit Thrown Out
Nov 24 2005 - CNN.com/Associated Press
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit that sought to block the No Child Left Behind Act. The National Education Association and school districts in three states had argued that schools should not have to comply with requirements not paid for by the federal government. Chief U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman noted “Congress has appropriated significant funding and has the power to require states to set educational standards in exchange for federal money.” Education Secretary Margaret Spellings called the action “a victory for children and parents all across the country.” The NEA said it plans to appeal.

Kansas Education Board First to Back "Intelligent Design"
Nov 9 2005 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
The Kansas Board of Education voted Tuesday that students will be expected to study doubts about modern Darwinian theory, a move that defied the nation's scientific establishment even as it gave voice to religious conservatives and others who question the theory of evolution. The bitterly fought effort pushes Kansas to the forefront of a war over evolution being waged in courts in Pennsylvania and Georgia and statehouses nationwide. Click here for a statement from the National Science Teachers Association on the Kansas decision. Meanwhile, in Dover, Pennsylvania, eight school board members who supported the introduction of "intelligent design" in science classrooms were voted out of office on Tuesday. Click here for details on the Dover election from the New York Times; click here for extensive coverage of the evolution debate in the US.

Tutoring, a Key In No Child Left Behind, is Raising Questions
Oct 25 2005 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
It sounded simple: Help low-income students perform better in public schools deemed in need of improvement by giving them tutors. And let the federal government pick up the tab. But what seemed to be an easy way to address a component of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act has become anything but. The federal government, state education departments, local school systems, and many of the 1,700 or so private education companies offering tutoring are battling over complex rules. Just who can tutor what, to whom, and where?

Bush Education Law Shows Mixed Results in First Test
Oct 20 2005 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The first nationwide test to permit an appraisal of President Bush's signature education law (No Child Left Behind) rendered mixed results on Wednesday, with even some supporters of the law expressing disappointment. Math scores were up slightly but eighth-grade reading showed a decline, and there was only modest progress toward closing the achievement gap between white and minority students, which is one of the Bush administration's primary goals. In many categories, the results indicated, the gap remains as wide as it was in the early 1990s. By some measures, students were making greater gains before the law was put into effect.

Bush's Schools Plan Draws Fire
Sep 22 2005 - Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
Education groups and lawmakers are voicing mixed reaction to a Bush administration plan that would treat parochial and private schools the same as public schools when paying the education costs of students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Sen. Edward Kennedy says he is “extremely disappointed” the administration “has proposed providing this relief using such a politically charged approach.” The National Education Association says “vouchers do nothing to solve the problems created by Hurricane Katrina.” But Sen. Lamar Alexandar says it is not the start of a voucher program. The Bush administration argues the plan is fair because nearly half the students in New Orleans attended Catholic schools.

Lawmaker Introduces Resolution to Sue Over No Child Left Behind
Sep 13 2005 - The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio)
Ohio may be the second state to challenge the federal government over the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Sen. Marc Dann, a Liberty Township Democrat, has introduced a resolution asking Attorney General Jim Petro to join Connecticut in suing Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. Connecticut officials claim the law is illegal because it requires states to administer tests and programs without giving them money to pay for those mandates. But Ohio may not march into court anytime soon. For the most part, state officials have embraced the law. President Bush recently honored Ohio’s superintendent for the state’s implementation of NCLB.

Bush Faces Growing Revolt Over Education Policy
Sep 3 2005 - CNN.com
As the new school year begins, 47 states are in some stage of rejecting President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, according to a study by the Civil Society Institute, a nonpartisan advocacy group. Connecticut has taken the strongest stand, filing a lawsuit claiming the federal government has failed to pay for testing and programs. The National Education Association has also filed suit against the law. New Jersey and Maine are likely to launch their own lawsuits. “The big question is will the Bush administration be able to defuse this political opposition,” observed Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy.

Lawmaker Wants Pa. to Join Education Lawsuit
Sep 1 2005 - Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants his state to join a lawsuit against the No Child Left Behind Act. Rep. Peter Daley (D-California) argues the law is “unconstitutional and an abysmal failure” for students and teachers. A U.S. Department of Education spokeswoman noted studies have indicated adequate funding exists for states to implement requirements of the federal law and called Daley’s comments “regrettable.” Connecticut officials sued the federal government in August, claiming they had not provided the state with needed funding to implement programs required by the law.

States Spar Over School Funds, Reforms
Aug 30 2005 - Stateline.org
State legislatures across the country have passed laws making high school harder, students’ diets healthier, and school funding plans fairer. Dozens of bills impacting state education policy were enacted in 2005, but no single education issue dominated legislative sessions, according to Julie Bell, education analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. “This year it is very spread out because (President Bush’s) No Child Left Behind law has put so many pieces of education reform on the table,” Bell observed.

'No Child Left Behind' Funding is Defended
Aug 25 2005 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
Claims that the No Child Left Behind Act is not fully funded are “a red herring,” says Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. Spellings suggests states complaining about the law fear the results of its accountability measures. Connecticut officials recently filed suit claiming the federal government had not provided sufficient funding to pay for the testing and programs associated with the law. “Under the law, the federal government must pay for any additional testing. They have not done so,” noted Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

National School Plan Suggested
Aug 23 2005 - The Arizona Republic
In an effort to prepare students for the future job market, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will unveil a national plan for education reform today. The estimated $325 billion proposal includes universal preschool for children, a standardized curriculum for all 50 states, full-day kindergarten, and year-round schools. Funding for the plan would come from the federal government, but a specific source has not been identified, according to the proposal. A task force associated with the plan says money could be generated by avoiding tax cuts proposed by Republican leaders.

Connecticut Fights No Child Left Behind
Aug 23 2005 - The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio)
With the claim that the centerpiece of President Bush’s education law amounts to an unfunded mandate, Connecticut is the first state to sue the federal government over the No Child Left Behind Act. The suit argues the law is illegal because it requires expensive standardized tests and other school programs that the government does not pay for. It asks a federal judge to declare that state and local money cannot be used to meet the law’s goals. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has denied repeated requests from Connecticut officials for more flexibility. Experts observe that states could vote to join the lawsuit or file their own.

Utah Rebuked Over NCLB
Aug 8 2005 - Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Former Education Secretary Rod Paige says Utah’s rebellion against the No Child Left Behind Act is based on a misunderstanding of the law. Paige explained Utah has every right to decide how best to educate its children. “I am disappointed Utah would forgo the resources of the federal government to help with their education, especially with a growing minority population,” he added. Margaret Dayton, a Utah lawmaker who sponsored the measure that enables the state to replace federal accountability standards with state standards noted, Utah is not rejecting the law, but rather “asserting its rights under the Constitution.”

Education Chief Defends No Child Law
Aug 4 2005 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
Calling it “good policy and good politics,” Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is defending the No Child Left Behind Act. States have complained the law is encroaching on their right to educate students as they see fit. Spellings says the law is a “partnership” and not a “mandate.” Regarding states’ complaints over a lack of funding to implement the law’s requirements, Spellings cited a 2004 study that found the law is not an unfunded mandate and another report that concluded Congress is providing more than enough funding for states to design and use statewide achievement tests. Spellings also noted she is willing to listen to the states’ complaints and discuss modifying the law.

Bush Evolution Remarks Generate Wide Media Coverage
Aug 3 2005 - NSTA - Cindy Workosky
Remarks made by President Bush on August 1 that "intelligent design" should be taught along side evolution in the nation's public schools generated a ground swell of media coverage across the country. The news articles below detail Bush's remarks and explore the sharp criticism from the scientific and education communities.

Education Dept. Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuit
Jul 1 2005 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
The Education Department has requested a federal court dismiss a lawsuit over the No Child Left Behind Act. The lawsuit amounts to “no more than the use of a federal forum to proclaim an advocacy group’s belief that states and school districts should be receiving more federal funds,” Department officials said. The National Education Association, several of its chapters, and school districts in three states filed suit against the Education Department in April. The plaintiffs say schools face billions of dollars in expenses to satisfy the law. Their suit aims to free schools from complying with any part of the law not paid for by the federal government.

Standards for No Child Law Eased
Jun 29 2005 - Chicago Sun-Times (Requires free registration)
Schools and districts in Illinois will have an easier time meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, thanks to changes approved by federal education officials. Illinois officials requested a change in how students’ test scores count so it could avoid unjustly labeling schools as failing to meet federal standards. The new change will enable state officials to count fewer students’ test scores. Critics argue that states are “trying to game the system—to make it look as if more schools are at level when little has changed.” Illinois officials say that is not the case.

Senate State Lawsuit Challenging U.S. Department of Education
Jun 29 2005 - Hartford Courant-Connecticut (Requires free registration)
Connecticut lawmakers have voted to allow Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to file a lawsuit against the federal government challenging the No Child Left Behind Act. The Connecticut Board of Education has not backed Blumenthal’s plans. Some towns and education organizations, however, have endorsed the potential lawsuit. Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell will consider the legislation, but it is unclear whether she will sign it into law. A spokesman for the governor noted that Rell believes the best way to resolve the issue is to keep negotiating and working with federal officials.

Va., Md. Get Slack on 'No Child' Rules
Jun 16 2005 - The Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Federal officials have granted Maryland and Virginia new flexibility in enforcing the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Virginia’s new flexibility comes in the complex formula for deciding whether schools and school districts are making yearly progress. One of the changes gives credit to students who fail a state Standards of Learning exam, but then pass a test in the same subject. Maryland’s changes deal with testing special education students. The changes will enable educators to exclude test scores of disabled students in certain cases, when evaluating whether schools are making adequate yearly progress.

Bush Chooses Mississippi Chief for K-12 Assistant Secretary
Jun 1 2005 - Education Week
President Bush plans to nominate Mississippi state schools chief Henry L. Johnson to become the Department of Education’s assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education. Johnson says if the Senate confirms his nomination, he would work with officials from all states to help them carry out the president’s No Child Left Behind Act. Johnson also wants to help states find enough flexibility within the law to ensure its full implementation. Johnson would replace Raymond J. Simon, who is serving as both the assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education and acting deputy secretary.

Local Support Lacking for NCLB
Jun 1 2005 - The Washington Times
Federal enforcers of the No Child Left Behind Act need to win local support to close the school achievement gap between white and minority students, according to Nina Rees, assistant deputy education secretary. “We’re not convinced the message is seeping in fast enough at the local level to make the difference,” Rees told attendees at a recent panel discussion held at the Cato Institute. Rees added that enforcement of the NCLB Act has become the Department of Education’s greatest challenge since the law’s inception in 2002.

Educators Ask U.S. for Break on No Child
May 16 2005 - Chicago Tribune
Education officials in three-dozen states are proposing changes to requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act. States can ask to revamp their accountability plans every year by law. The recent rash of amendment requests, however, have been prompted, in part, by the federal government’s decision to give states far more leeway in meeting the law’s mandates. Federal and state officials say alterations are needed. Critics claim that educators have spent too much time devising ways to help schools appear more successful.

Education Chief: No Revolt on No Child
May 7 2005 - St. Petersburg Times
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has offered “a feisty defense” to those states rebelling against the No Child Left Behind Act. In a speech last week, Spellings framed the law as a “civil rights issue.” She called the law’s main goal, narrowing the achievement gap between white and minority students, “the moral imperative of the 21st century.” Several states, however, disagree. The nation’s largest teachers union has filed suit against Spellings claiming the law lacks adequate funding for states to meet NCLB requirements.

U.S. Won't Yield On Test Waiver
May 5 2005 - Hartford Courant (Requires free registration)
The nation’s education secretary has denied a request by Connecticut’s education commissioner for a waiver to add three additional grades to the state’s testing schedule beginning in 2006. Margaret Spellings has also rejected the state’s request for more money to pay for additional Connecticut Mastery Tests, asserting that Connecticut’s test goes beyond the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Education Secretary Disses 'No Child' Challenge
May 4 2005 - New York Post
“This money concern is a red herring.” That’s how Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is describing a legal challenge to the No Child Left Behind Act. The National Education Association and eight school districts recently filed suit against the government claiming states do not receive enough federal money to meet the law’s requirements. The law requires schools that receive federal aid increase student performance on standardized tests or face closure.

Utah Gov. Defies No Child Left Behind Act
May 2 2005 - Boston Globe
Although it could cost the state $76 million in federal funding, Utah’s governor has signed a measure defying the No Child Left Behind Act. The legislation will enable state education officials to ignore provisions of the federal law that conflict with state standards. The state, however, plans to obey the law’s benchmark requirements. The governor’s education deputy said he doubted that Utah’s stance would cost it any money, adding that only schools serving low-income populations will have to wrestle over state and federal standards.

NEA's Memo Contradicts its Lawsuit
May 1 2005 - The Washington Times
A memo written two years ago by the National Education Association contradicts claims in a lawsuit the organization has filed against Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. The NEA’s chief lawyer wrote in May 2003 that the No Child Left Behind Act is a mandate only if states accepted federal education funds. The NEA argues in its lawsuit against Spellings that insufficient federal money has been appropriated to implement requirements that students in public schools be able to read and do mathematics at grade-level on an annual basis. NEA officials have declined comment on the memo.

'Soccer Mom' Education Chief Plays Hardball
Apr 28 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Although she greets visitors to her office with “Come on in, y’all” and often displays wit and charm, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings can play “hardball” when it comes to the No Child Left Behind Act. Several states are challenging the federal law. Spellings, however, sees the law “as the nation’s best bet for closing the achievement gap between minority and white students.” Spellings’ mission is to help states that are raising student scores and following the law’s principles, which include an expansion of standardized testing, to carry it out. Some experts contend Spellings faces a “tough road.”

Utah Vote Rejects Parts of Education Law
Apr 20 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The Utah legislature has passed a bill that orders state officials to ignore provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act that conflict with Utah’s education goals or require state financing. In debates before the votes, several lawmakers praised Bush for crafting the law, but described it as an “unconstitutional expansion of the federal role in education.” Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. intends to sign the bill. Federal officials fear Utah’s action could encourage other states to resist what many states consider intrusive or unfunded provisions of the law.

Fight Over 'No Child Left Behind' Heads to U.S. Court in Detroit
Apr 20 2005 - Detroit News
The nation’s largest teachers union and school districts in three states have launched a legal fight over the No Child Left Behind Act, aiming to free schools from complying with any part of the education law not paid for by the federal government. The National Education Association is leading the fight. The other plaintiffs are nine school districts in Michigan, Texas, and Vermont, plus 10 NEA chapters in those three states and Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is the only defendant. The outcome of the lawsuit would only apply to the districts involved, but could have implications for schools nationwide.

U.S. Education Secretary Continues Campaign for 'No Child' Changes
Apr 19 2005 - Baltimore Sun
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is continuing her campaign to gain support for the No Child Left Behind Act. Spellings told a group of educators gathered for a national conference in Baltimore that she remains open to more ways of relaxing the law’s standards. Spellings also discussed the Department of Education’s decision to loosen rules that govern how states measure academic progress among students with disabilities. Spellings promised $14 million to help states figure out the changed policies. Educators attending the conference noted Spellings’ speech lacked substance.

States Hit Back on School Reform Law
Apr 19 2005 - Christian Science Monitor
Several states are challenging President Bush’s controversial education reform law known as No Child Left Behind. Connecticut has announced it is suing the U.S. Department of Education, claiming the law mandates changes without giving the funds to carry them out. The education commissioner in Texas unilaterally decided Washington’s requirements were flawed and has disregarded a part of them. In Utah, the state Senate is expected to overwhelmingly pass a bill to ensure that in a conflict between state and federal education regulations, Utah’s rules will trump Washington’s dictates.

'No Child' Case Draws Nationwide Interest
Apr 15 2005 - Hartford Courant (Connecticut)
Educators nationwide are keeping their eyes on Connecticut as the state challenges the No Child Left Behind Act in a proposed lawsuit and an upcoming meeting with Bush administration officials. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Connecticut’s Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg are in disagreement over the interpretation of the law, including a request by Sternberg for a waiver to expand statewide student testing. Observers say Connecticut’s challenge to the federal law could have “wide-ranging implications.” Whether other states join Connecticut’s proposed legal case is uncertain, but the National Education Association may file a lawsuit challenging the law within the next month.

'No Child' Standards Eased for Some States
Apr 8 2005 - San Francisco Chronicle
In an effort to quiet a rebellion over the No Child Left Behind Act, the nation’s education secretary plans to give states with strong existing accountability systems greater flexibility in implementing the federal law. Margaret Spellings noted, however, there will be no changes in what she calls the “the bright lines” of the law—annual testing in grades 3-8, test results by subgroups for greater tutoring, improved quality of teachers, and more feedback to parents about the quality of their schools, teachers, and alternatives. But schools seeking additional flexibility, or waivers, on reaching those benchmarks goals would “get credit for the work they have done to reform their education system as a whole,” Spellings said.

U.S. to Change No Child Left Behind Law
Apr 6 2005 - Newsday/Associated Press
Officials with the U.S. Department of Education plan to change their approach on how they enforce the No Child Left Behind Act. The department plans to give certain states more freedom in how they test students with mild disabilities. Only states that can prove progress or a strong commitment to improve will be considered for that flexibility, Bush administration officials said. The department also plans to have a closer review of states’ progress in graduating students, showing gains in early reading and providing report cards to the public. A spokeswoman for the Center on Education Policy observed the department’s plans to give states different treatment based on good behavior raises political and legal questions. Administration officials said lawyers have cleared the idea.

Deal Possible on 'No Child' Law
Feb 16 2005 - The Salt Lake Tribune
Federal and Utah education officials could be close in reaching a deal that would give Utah teachers more freedom to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act. Long distance negotiations between both parties have resulted in so much progress that federal officials have postponed plans to visit Utah this week. The talks, however, have not stopped the Utah House from passing a bill that says “state priorities trump NCLB,” even if it means violating the federal law. Utah officials want freedom to use state definitions for highly-qualified teachers and school quality, instead of using the federal law’s definitions. Whether federal officials accept Utah’s position remains to be seen.

New U.S. Secretary Showing Flexibility on 'No Child' Act
Feb 14 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The nation’s new education secretary is showing a willingness to work with state and local officials who are challenging the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Margaret Spellings has ended disputes with two states on issues dealing with teacher qualifications and allowing students in low-performing schools to transfer to better ones if it caused overcrowding. Spellings noted, however, that she is not always going to grant requests from states, especially when they want waivers from the law’s central provision—that students take standardized tests in grades 3–8 and once in high school.

Education Chief Talks of Changes Ahead, Early Flaps
Feb 2 2005 - Minneapolis Star Tribune (Requires free registration)
Although she’s been on the job for only two weeks, the nation’s new education secretary is promising change. Margaret Spellings says she might consider changing enforcement of the No Child Left Behind Act if legitimate concerns emerge. Examples of possible enforcement changes would include teacher quality issues in rural areas and testing of disabled children. But Spellings noted that some topics such as regular testing would not be considered. Spellings has also pledged to aggressively oversee her department, after recent controversies over a hired media pundit, and gay characters on an episode of a children’s show.

Spellings Promises to Push Bush Agenda
Jan 31 2005 - Yahoo-Associated Press
A loyal adviser to President Bush has been sworn into office as the eighth education secretary. Margaret Spellings helped the president write the No Child Left Behind Act. “When you signed No Child Left Behind into law three years ago, it was more than an act—it was an attitude,” Spellings told the president after she took the oath of office. Spellings replaces Rod Paige and is the first education secretary with school-age children.

Spellings Confirmed as Education Secretary
Jan 20 2005 - Education Week
The Senate has confirmed by voice vote to have White House adviser Margaret Spellings be the new education secretary. Spellings’ nomination was so uncontroversial that several senators used the floor consideration to raise issues about what course the administration should take on education or to address controversies. Spellings will succeed Rod Paige who announced earlier this year he would leave the post.

Spellings Vows to Listen to Reformers
Jan 6 2005 - Boston Globe
Margaret Spellings, who helped shape the No Child Left Behind Act, has pledged to listen to those demanding changes in the federal law if she becomes the nation’s education secretary. President Bush nominated Spellings after receiving notice that Rod Paige resigned from the post. If selected to replace Paige, Spellings would be the first female education secretary in more than 20 years and the first schools chief in recent history to have children in school.

Bush's Latest Brainchild Could Be Left Behind
Jan 4 2005 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
Observers predict President Bush's goal to expand the No Child Left Behind Act’s testing requirements to high schools could face sharp resistance in Congress, even though Republicans now enjoy a larger majority in Congress. Margaret Spellings, the president's nominee for education secretary, will likely face questioning about this initiative. Spellings will be questioned about the effort during her confirmation hearing this week with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Advanced Courses in High School May Not Mean Success at College
Dec 23 2004 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
College-level courses offered in high school, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, do not appear to improve academic performance in college unless students take the tests at the end of each course, according to a major study by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley. But, the report emphasized, performing well on the difficult exams is a better predictor of success in college than nearly anything else in a student's high school record.

Fresh Challenges in the Old Debate Over Evolution
Dec 7 2004 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
In order to teach evolution in the schools in the current cultural and political environment, educators and scientists are realizing they must educate (or re-educate) the population at large - including future science teachers. About half the students University of Georgia professor David Jackson teaches to become middle school science instructors believe that God created the Earth 6,000 years ago, he says. Some colleagues tell him he shouldn't even bother teaching these students - that future teachers with such beliefs "shouldn't teach." But Jackson says his job to make sure that his students understand evolution, not believe it. Wes McCoy, a science department chair in Georgia, says opinion polls prove that evolution is widely misunderstood. "The parents and school board members I have spoken to who oppose the teaching of evolution seem to have little understanding of what evolution means," McCoy says. "I believe it is my duty ... to discuss with them what we mean by evolution and why it is so vital to teach."

Congress Trims Money for Science Agency
Nov 30 2004 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Congress has cut the budget for the National Science Foundation, an engine for research in science and technology, just two years after endorsing a plan to double the amount given to the agency. Representative Vernon J. Ehlers, Republican of Michigan, said the cut was "extremely short-sighted" and showed "dangerous disregard for our nation's future." Representative David R. Obey of Wisconsin, the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said the cut was "the most Luddite provision" in the entire $388 billion omnibus spending bill.

Education Secretary Paige Plans to Step Down
Nov 13 2004 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
Education Secretary Rod Paige plans to resign, according to senior administration officials. A leading candidate to replace Paige is Margaret Spellings, President Bush’s chief domestic policy advisor. Paige has spent recent months touting the No Child Left Behind Act, Bush’s education reform law. But he has also attracted criticism from local education leaders and school district superintendents who have struggled to implement the law they call “deeply flawed and overly complex.” Paige's resignation was confirmed Nov. 15.

Bush, Kerry on Issue of Education
Oct 26 2004 - Las Vegas Sun
Should the standards for testing students or assessing school performance under the No Child Left Behind law be changed? The Associated Press recently asked that question to President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Click on the link above to read the two candidates responses.

U.S. Education Secretary Quizzed
Oct 21 2004 - Seattle Times
Teachers and others recently gathered for a town-hall forum in Seattle to quiz Education Secretary Rod Paige on several topics ranging from the adequacy of funding for the No Child Left Behind Act to the impact of high-stakes tests on students. Paige told the audience the No Child Left Behind Act provides more federal help to schools than ever before. He suggested those who believe the law lacks adequate funding find a copy of the federal budget. Paige also emphasized his support for charter schools. Paige plans to hold more town-hall meetings across the nation.

'No Child Left Behind' Top Education Issue
Oct 17 2004 - The Tallahassee Democrat (Florida)
Although issues such as terrorism, security, and the economy are important to candidates and voters in this year’s presidential election, the No Child Left Behind Act also remains a top concern. President Bush has promoted his increased spending record on the No Child Left Behind Act. He says it is time to expand the law by requiring two more years of state math and reading tests for high school students. Bush’s rival, Sen. John Kerry, argues schools needs more money to meet the law’s requirements. Kerry has also mentioned expanding the way student progress is measured.

Congress Passes Bill to Tighten Lending Rules
Oct 12 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Congress has agreed to help pay off the loans of math, science, and special education teachers who commit to working in schools with low-income students for at least five years. The move comes after lawmakers passed a measure that closes loopholes that have enabled student loan companies to bill the federal government more than $1 billion. President Bush has yet to sign the legislation.

Education Reforms Test the Candidates
Oct 4 2004 - Chicago Tribune (Requires free registration)
Where do the presidential candidates stand on education reform issues? President George Bush and his rival Democratic Sen. John Kerry have different ideas on how education should be changed in America. Click on the link above to read a detailed list that describes each of the candidates’ positions on various education issues that range from standardized testing to school vouchers.

Paige: 'No Child Left Behind' Debate Over
Sep 24 2004 - CNN.com
Education Secretary Rod Paige has declared an end to the debate over the No Child Left Behind Act. Teachers, policymakers, and others have argued in recent months about whether the law is working for America's public schools. “If we remain resolute and steadfast, year by year, more powerful and positive changes will follow,” Paige said. The Campaign for America’s Future, a liberal advocacy group, has criticized Paige for his remarks. Robert Borosage, the group’s co-director, said Paige’s view of the law is “a wide divorce from reality” and that it “rigidly relies on standardized tests and lacks billions of dollars in aid.”

Scholars Prepare for 'No Child Left Behind' Discussions
Sep 15 2004 - Education Week
Three national education groups plan to conduct a series of public forums this fall as a way to offer academic context and counterpoint to discussions about the No Child Left Behind Act. A national poll released earlier this month revealed 68 percent of Americans were not aware or had minimal knowledge of the federal education reform law, which is the centerpiece of President Bush’s education agenda. Each of the forums will be free and open to the public.

Can Competition Really Improve Schools?
Sep 7 2004 - The Christian Science Monitor
School choice has become the driving force behind most education reform in the United States. Charter schools, school vouchers, and the ability to remove students from failing schools are efforts to let public education benefit from giving families more choice. But the theory of choice has faced some recent and difficult reality checks. Studies don’t necessarily support the claims that students will perform better in charter or private schools made accessible by vouchers. At the same time, the idea that students should be free to leave failing public schools is bumping against the simple reality that there are not enough seats in good schools to go around.

Bush Vows to Make High Schools a Priority
Sep 3 2004 - Boston Globe
President Bush has pledged to make secondary schools a top priority if re-elected for a second term. Bush recently told delegates at the Republican National Convention, “in our high schools, we will fund early intervention programs to help students at risk. We will place a new focus on math and science. As we make progress, we will require a rigorous exam before graduation." Democratic Sen. John Kerry, Bush’s challenger, has criticized Bush for failing to enforce his own law’s monitoring of graduation rates. Education experts note that secondary education needs improvement.

Paige Cites the Gains of No Child Left Behind
Sep 1 2004 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
The nation’s top education official touted the benefits of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act Aug. 31 before thousands of attendees at the Republican National Convention. Education Secretary Rod Paige said the law is “working, setting high standards for students, providing teachers with more resources, and arming parents with alternatives if their children fall behind.” Paige’s remarks came on the same day that a new Gallup Poll was released, showing 47 percent of Americans approve of the way Bush is handling education.

Paige Likely to Laud Bush for 'No Child Left Behind'
Aug 31 2004 - The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS)
Education Secretary Rod Paige is expected to praise President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act tonight when he addresses attendees at the Republican National Convention in New York. A Mississippi native, education leaders in that state and elsewhere, say they don’t share Paige’s enthusiasm for the law. Critics argue the law lacks adequate funding and “expects every school to meet the same standards” without considering the unique challenges of individual schools. Mississippi GOP leaders say Paige deserves high marks for his performance as a leading spokesman for America’s public schools.

Bush Touts His Education Agenda on the Radio
Aug 21 2004 - USA Today
Although several schools are failing to make the grade, President Bush says he should receive high marks from voters for his No Child Left Behind Act. The president noted in a recent radio address that the education reform law requires regular testing of students and has provided extra money to schools that need the most help. Bush’s challenger, Sen. John Kerry, says Bush and Republicans in Congress have shortchanged the states by a combined $27 billion for the law. Kerry claims he would “fully fund” the law by rolling back tax cuts for wealthier citizens.

Education Secretary Defends Charter Schools
Aug 18 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Education Secretary Rod Paige says he supports charter schools and is challenging the conclusion that recent test data shows their performance trails that of regular public schools. Paige noted a recent newspaper article that discussed the test results “made no distinction between students falling behind and students climbing out of the hole in which they found themselves.” Darvin Winnick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, said he would interpret the test scores with caution, but did not see a need to question the results.

Effort by Bush on Education Faces Obstacles in the States
Aug 18 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Although the No Child Left Behind Act is designed to reform America’s education system, all is not going as planned with the federal law in several states. Faced with the challenge of raising all students to academic proficiency by 2014, some states have created their own formulas to boost student achievement instead of following the law’s requirements to help students.

Education Study Finds Weakened Charter Results
Aug 17 2004 - San Francisco Chronicle
A national comparison of test scores among children in charter schools and regular public schools shows fourth graders attending charter schools performing about half a year behind students in other public schools in both reading and math. "The scores are low, dismayingly low," said Chester E. Finn Jr., a supporter of charters and president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, who was among those who asked the Bush administration to do the comparison. (Click here for the full story from the New York Times [requires free registration].)

School's In, But 'No Child' Report Isn't
Aug 13 2004 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
Although the new school year has started, several states have yet to report their “Adequate Yearly Progress” results. The missing reports have left parents in the dark on whether their children are attending poor performing schools or are eligible to transfer to better schools. The No Child Left Behind Act enables students to receive free bus transportation out of schools that fail in consecutive years to make progress toward having their students meet minimum standards by 2014. Experts note states have been late in turning in the results because they have been arguing with federal officials about how to calculate their progress.

Election Issue of Education is Promoted
Aug 12 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
A coalition of organizations has launched a campaign in an effort to mobilize opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act, request additional funding for public schools, and raise the profile of education as an election issue. Members of the coalition include the National Education Association, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, the Forum on Education and Democracy, and MoveOn.org, an Internet-based political movement. The various groups will outline their priorities for education at several “house parties” on Sept. 22.

Ore. Education Professors Influence Bush
Jul 19 2004 - Boston Globe
A group of professors from the University of Oregon along with their counterparts at schools such as the University of Texas and the University of Illinois have become the “driving forces” for allowing scientifically based research to inform classroom practices. The professors say the teaching strategies they promote have been tested extensively in classrooms and have produced positive results on standardized exams. The practices have also been added to the No Child Left Behind Act. Critics argue the Oregon professors have ushered in an “age of rigidity in education.”

'What Works' Research Site Unveiled
Jul 14 2004 - Education Week
A new research service that can help teachers has been unveiled. The What Works Clearinghouse contains research-backed educational information in an electronic format. Organizers have posted 10 “study reviews” of specific experiments on middle level math programs and peer-assisted learning strategies to the Web site, but hope to add another 90 reports in the future. Researchers and practitioners who have visited the Web site say the studies are well written, but worry so few reports were chosen from the 18,000 citations considered for the project.

Federal Officials Tutor Teachers about No Child Left Behind Law
Jul 9 2004 - Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA)
Federal officials are traveling the country this summer educating teachers about the No Child Left Behind Act. U.S Deputy Education Secretary Gene Hickok recently told teachers from 30 states at a Pittsburgh workshop that the law is not intended as a criticism toward anyone, but a way to improve education for all students. Hickok added the law would be around for a while. “This isn’t going away, this sense of accountability, every child counts, high expectations. This is part of the culture of American public education.”

Teachers Say Education Mandate Leaves Science Behind
Jul 5 2004 - The Tennessean
Elementary educators are complaining that science is receiving less emphasis in the classroom, thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act’s focus on reading and math assessments. Although language arts and math are the building blocks for learning, educators note that science teaches students how to think and solve problems. Several Tennessee school districts are hoping to inject more science into elementary classrooms by using science kits. These kits provide teachers with 16 lessons, including hands-on activities. For more information on Managing Hands-On Materials, NSTA members can refer to the July 2004 issue of Science & Children.

Education Secretary Touts 'No Child' Law in Portland
Jun 30 2004 - The Statesman Journal (Salem, OR)
Teachers from 37 states offered an enthusiastic and skeptical response Tuesday to a speech delivered by Education Secretary Rod Paige. The nation’s top education official praised Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act during a conference held in Portland, Oregon, despite the fact the law has received numerous complaints. Educators attending the workshop noted the law forces some programs to be cut because of its focus on assessment. Paige noted that even though the law has received criticism, it has produced positive results.

President Launches Commercials with Focus on Education
May 13 2004 - San Diego Union-Tribune
President Bush has launched several Spanish-speaking commercials accusing rival John Kerry of playing politics with education. The ads claim Kerry has reversed his position on the No Child Left Behind Act and will be aired in states with large populations of Hispanics. A Kerry spokesman described Bush’s effort as “another one of George Bush’s false and misleading attack ads aimed at obscuring the fact that the president has broken his promise to improve our schools.”

Bush Begins Three-Day Education Tour
May 11 2004 - Boston Globe
President Bush will put education in the spotlight as he travels across the country during a three-day campaign tour this week. The president plans to discuss the No Child Left Behind Act in Arkansas. Bush will focus on the importance of reading in the early grades during a visit to suburban Washington. He will conclude his tour with a visit to a West Virginia high school. Bush’s education tour follows a similar effort made last week by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

U.S. Education Chief Assails Critics of No Child Left Behind
May 9 2004 - Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA)
Education Secretary Rod Paige says claims made by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry against the No Child Left Behind Act are “bogus and unreal.” Paige noted at a recent press briefing that the federal government has supplied sufficient funding for the education reform law. Kerry voted for the law, but now says the Bush administration has not provided adequate funding for its various reforms. Since the law was enacted in 2001, the Bush administration says the total federal spending on K–12 education has increased by $9.7 billion or 35 percent.

Kerry Rips Bush on Education Policies
May 5 2004 - Boston Globe
Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry is blaming President Bush for the No Child Left Behind Act. "Education reform was supposed to be the single biggest effort of this administration," said Kerry. "And all over our nation I'm meeting teachers who are burdened, teachers reaching into their own pockets, paying money out of their own salaries in order to put materials in front of their kids in school.” Republicans claim the education reform law will be one of the signature accomplishments for Bush’s re-election.

Grades Go Up and Up: Improvement or Inflation?
Apr 29 2004 - NSTA
Nationwide, the grades of high school graduates keep climbing, reaching a B average in the latest count. A similar tendency has been observed at colleges as well. But are those marks are inflated, as pressures grow on schools and students to turn out impressive grades?

Napolitano Pushing for National School Improvement
Apr 22 2004 - The Arizona Republic
A new national task force hopes to improve America’s schools. Organized by the Institute for America’s Future and the Center for American Progress, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will co-chair the panel with the help of an investment banker and a prominent history professor. Napolitano said schools need to better prepare students for the workforce by giving them additional instructional time. She added that teachers deserve higher salaries. The group will hold a series of public hearings to create a new vision for public education and could issue a report as early as 2005.

U.S. Schools Boss Criticizes Success Gap
Apr 16 2004 - The Detroit News
Education Secretary Rod Paige says the achievement gap between white and minority students is “a defacto apartheid system.” Speaking at a town hall meeting in Detroit, Paige told a crowd of 400, “this is unacceptable.” PATCH, a national coalition of churches that organized Paige’s visit to Detroit, has criticized the city’s public schools for not being clear with parents on their rights to tutoring and transferring children to better performing schools. Parents who are eligible can take advantage of both options under the No Child Left Behind Act. Detroit officials claim they have made every effort to offer tutorial services.

Bush Links More Rigorous Schooling to Getting Jobs
Apr 7 2004 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
In an effort for Americans to gain the needed job skills for a fast-changing economy, President Bush has announced new requirements for math and science education and vocational training. Bush has proposed revamping the federal vocational education program, directing $1 billion of its annual funding into a new project that would require three years of math and science, in addition to other requirements. Another component of Bush’s plan would involve the creation of a $100 million private-public partnership to provide $5,000 grants to 20,000 low-income students to study math and science. The partnership would require approval by Congress.

Bush Administration Eases Testing Restrictions
Mar 29 2004 - USA Today
Schools will now get a break, thanks to a decision by the Bush administration. Education officials have decided to ease testing requirements mandated in the No Child Left Behind Act. The law currently requires schools to get participation from at least 95 percent of students in math and reading testing, as well as the same percentage from all major subgroups of students. The new policy, however, would enable schools to average a 95 participation rate over a two to three year period. For more information on Assessment, NSTA members can refer to the March 2004 issue of The Science Teacher.

NEA Chief Criticizes Bush on Education
Mar 9 2004 - The Washington Times
The chief of the National Education Association is criticizing President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law. Reg Weaver blamed Bush for problems in the nation’s public schools at a March 8 rally in Washington, D.C. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) organized the event, in addition to holding a rally at the Department of Education to request more funding for schools. A spokesman for ACORN said the organization has no problem with the law, but noted it needs additional funding.

President's Initiative to Shake Up Education is Facing Protests
Mar 8 2004 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Twelve states have now joined in the fight against President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. Oklahoma has passed a resolution ordering Congress to completely repeal the law. The Idaho legislature approved a resolution last week praising the law’s requirement to improve student performance, but urged major changes to the measure. The Connecticut Senate approved a resolution March 3 asking Congress to grant waivers from the law’s provisions to states with high education standards. Bush is portraying the law as one of his major domestic achievements. Experts observe there is “little chance” that Congress will amend the law during an election year.

State Joins Protest of Education Law
Mar 5 2004 - Indianapolis Star
Indiana has added its name to the list of state governors and other lawmakers who want to change President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. “While the intent of the law is good, No Child Left Behind needs revision,” observed Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Duncan Pat Pritchett, who heads the state’s largest school district. Education leaders in Indiana argue that the law is “too rigid” and imposes “impractical goals.” Other states joining in the fight against the law include Arizona, Hawaii, Minnesota, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

5 States Want Out of Education Law
Feb 29 2004 - The Detroit News
Five states are hoping to opt out of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. No state, however, has actually done so. Leaders in Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont, and Virginia have either passed resolutions or are considering measures to reject the education reform law. Critics say the law lacks adequate funding and describe it as “intrusive.” Sandy Kress, a Texas attorney who help craft the measure as an education advisor to President Bush, observed that most states are committed to the law. Kress noted, however, the federal government could improve its methods in making the law more flexible for schools.

Bush School Reform Tests Candidates
Feb 27 2004 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
The two leading Democratic presidential candidates are on the road criticizing President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina both say the education reform law needs changing to provide states more money and freedom. Officials with the Bush administration argue the president has provided “unprecedented levels” of funding for schools to implement the law and “significant freedoms” for states to create accountability provisions for special situations.

Kennedy Hints at Amending 'No Child' Law
Feb 25 2004 - Education Week
A key lawmaker who helped craft the No Child Left Behind Act is suggesting the law may need “corrective legislation.” Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) believes the new legislation might be needed if the Bush administration fails to correctly implement the law, according to a spokesman for the senator. Kennedy has requested a meeting with Education Secretary Rod Paige to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, a Nevada lawmaker has already introduced a bill to amend the NCLB Act. Rep. Jim Gibbons bill would enable rural school districts to obtain limited waivers for the employment of highly qualified teachers.

Critics Say the 'No Child' Program is a Set Up for Public School Failure
Feb 23 2004 - The Salt Lake Tribune
The chorus of critics complaining about the No Child Left Behind Act continues to grow. Opponents argue the law is intrusive, misguided, unworkable, and lacks adequate funding. Education Department officials, however, are determined to make the reform law work. This article examines both sides of the issue through various categories such as “Smoke and Mirrors,” “Minority support,” “Incompetence vs. Conspiracy,” and “Respect and Reason.” Read on to learn more.

More States Are Fighting 'No Child Left Behind' Law
Feb 19 2004 - The Washington Post
The list of state lawmakers and school administrators looking for ways to bail out of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act continues to grow. Legislators in Arizona and Minnesota have introduced bills in recent days that would enable their states to reject parts of the law or completely opt out of its requirements. Legislatures in at least 10 other states have already adopted measures opposing the law or requested waivers from the Education Department. The education reform law requires annual testing of students in grades 3-8, certification of teachers, and other mandates.

Georgia Science Teachers to Keep Evolution
Feb 13 2004 - Yahoo News/AP
A group of Georgia science teachers, convened by the state schools superintendent to help resolve an imbroglio regarding the treatment of evolution in state's science curriculum, has decided in favor of retaining the term and its related concepts. "We're empowering the teachers of Georgia to teach science as it should be taught," said Stephen Pruitt, the state's science curriculum specialist. "No teacher will have to stand in front of the Board of Education or anybody else and have to defend why they are teaching evolution."

Science Theory Backed; Evolution Part of Standards
Feb 12 2004 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Without using the word "evolution," the state Board of Education made it clear it thinks the scientific theory should be taught to Georgia's students in its entirety. During an hourlong discussion, the state board put together a public statement that calls for all areas of the state's new curriculum to be "world-class, beginning with the full inclusion of the recognized national standards in each curriculum area...." That includes national science standards, which call for teaching evolution and using the word in the classroom.

Georgia Chief Backs Down On "Evolution" Stance
Feb 11 2004 - Education Week (requires free registration)
Georgia's schools chief ended her attempt to remove the word "evolution" from the state's proposed academic standards after receiving complaints from parents, educators, and politicians. Putting the word "evolution" back into the standards is "a step in the right direction," said Cynthia S. Workosky, a spokeswoman for the National Science Teachers Association. But, she added, the superintendent's office has also attempted to weaken the state's science standards by omitting concepts related to natural selection, the age of the Earth, and genetic science. "We feel they need to be put back in," Ms. Workosky said.

Math, Science Grants In Federal Cross Hairs
Feb 11 2004 - Education Week (requires free registration)
The White House recommended last week stripping $140 million for math and science education research away from the National Science Foundation and giving it to the US Department of Education. Critics charge this allows the Bush administration to set the research agenda for how those subjects are taught in the nation's classrooms. "They would be the ones making decisions on grants," said Jodi Peterson, the director of legislative affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). In addition, with its emphasis on math, the proposal will leave science out of the loop, according to Gerald Wheeler, NSTA's executive director. The change "will almost guarantee that science cannot be adequately addressed by the math- and science-partnership programs."

"No Child" Called Impractical
Feb 10 2004 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
A study by Harvard University's Civil Rights Project concludes that, while the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has the noble goal of having all children succeed in school, it seeks to get there in impractical ways. The study's four reports examine how the law has played out at the federal, state and local levels. "The reality for too many public educators is confusion and frustration as No Child Left Behind is leaving too many children - and teachers - behind," said Gary Orfield, the project's co-director, in a statement accompanying the study. [Click here for links to the full text of the reports.]

'No Child' Rebellion Picking Up Momentum
Feb 5 2004 - The Salt Lake Tribune
Republican lawmakers in six states have joined their Democratic counterparts in an effort to oppose requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act. Rep. Margaret Dayton (R-Orem) is sponsoring a bill that would involve Utah opting out of the law. Other states joining in the fight include Arizona, Indiana, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Several Democrats, including presidential candidates, have complained the law lacks adequate funding. Observers note the bipartisan backlash could pose a problem for President Bush in November. The president claims the law’s mandates are “a matter of common sense.”

More School Districts Feeling the Effects of 'No Child' Law
Feb 4 2004 - Education Week
A new report shows that states and school districts support the No Child Left Behind Act, but are having trouble with its requirements that are “too stringent” or “not workable.” The study from the Center on Education Policy found some states and school districts are having difficulty meeting the law’s mandates because of limited funds or staff shortages. The report, part of multi-year project, surveyed 47 states, the District of Columbia, and 274 school districts. The study also contains case studies from three-dozen school districts and interviews with federal officials.

Va. Seeks To Leave Bush Law Behind
Jan 26 2004 - Washington Post
The Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates has called the No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate that threatens to undermine the state's own efforts to improve students' performance. By a vote of 98 to 1, the House passed a resolution on January 23 calling on Congress to exempt states like Virginia from the program's requirements. The law "represents the most sweeping intrusions into state and local control of education in the history of the United States," the resolution says, and will cost "literally millions of dollars that Virginia does not have."

Education Act Won't Be Open to Change
Jan 14 2004 - The Washington Times
Education Secretary Rod Paige says the Bush administration refuses to succumb to liberal or conservative pressure to reopen the No Child Left Behind Act for congressional changes, but will use the regulatory process to improve the law’s implementation. Critics argue the law is underfunded and want to change its accountability provisions. Some experts claim the unfunded mandate argument is an excuse to mask other reasons for implementing the law. Proponents say the law and the standards movement it’s built on “are paying important dividends” for urban schools.

Education Chief Defends No Child Left Behind Law
Jan 8 2004 - The Boston Globe
Education Secretary Rod Paige claims opponents of the No Child Left Behind Act “will fall on the wrong side of history along with those who fought desegregation of schools 50 years ago.” Paige said the education reform law is a “logical extension" of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 school desegregation court case. He identified his critics as some “unions, teachers, civil libertarians, liberal politicians, and education advocates.” Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, called Paige’s remarks a “sad commentary” noting unions, members of Congress, and superintendents have raised legitimate criticisms about the law.

Bipartisan Education Law Now Splits Bush, Democrats
Jan 6 2004 - Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN)
Legislation once hailed as a bipartisan achievement has now become the subject of a bitter partisan dispute between Democrats and President Bush in this year’s presidential election campaign. Democrats contend Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act requires too much testing and fails to provide resources struggling schools need to meet new standards. They also say the education reform law lacks adequate funding. Bush claims the law is working.

Federal Reform Has Failed, Rivals Agree
Jan 5 2004 - Des Moines Register
Candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination are criticizing President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. In a recent debate held in Iowa, candidates called the federal education reform bill an “intrusive mandate” saying the federal government has failed to fully fund the special education requirements and accountability provisions in the measure. Republicans said the criticism is “off base” and noted the federal government has increased spending on education.

President Takes to the Road to Promote Education Initiative
Jan 5 2004 - USA Today
President Bush is defending his No Child Left Behind Act against Democrats who say the education reform law has been shortchanged by the administration and is too rigid. Bush and other Republicans have praised the law, noting the measure expands testing and improves standards for teachers, students, and schools. Democrats argue the law has not received adequate funding. Bush, however, noted in a recent radio address that the “time for excuses has passed.”

NSTA WebNews Analysis: No Child Left Behind Act
Dec 31 2003 - NSTA - Kristin Collins
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has generated plenty of discussion and several myths in recent months. Signed into law by President Bush in 2002, the federal education reform bill aims to improve student achievement in public schools through assessment and accountability provisions, teacher quality requirements, and other mandates. Many lawmakers, educators, and political candidates have voiced opposition to the law, claiming it's so flawed that Congress needs to change it. Others have urged lawmakers to resist pressure to scale back the laws accountability provisions.

State Fails in Testing Quality of Teachers, Report Says
Dec 22 2003 - The Seattle Times
Several states including Washington are failing to meet teacher quality requirements mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, according to a new study by the Education Trust. The study by the national nonprofit organization also casts doubts on many states’ reports that detail numbers of highly qualified teachers. Wisconsin reported having the highest number of highly qualified educators at 98.6 percent while Alaska ranked at the bottom of the list with 16 percent.

States Voice Doubts about Federal Education Law
Dec 11 2003 - CNN.com
With penalties looming for poorly performing schools, state legislators on Wednesday discussed how to cope with the financial burdens and testing requirements created by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). A Republican state senator from Kansas questioned the law's goals of ensuring that all students meet new standards by 2014, particularly when it comes to students with developmental disabilities or poor English skills. Lest some think NCLB merely intended to raise goals, not mandate 100% success, an Education Department spokesperson noted: "We're very serious when we say all kids."

In ESEA Wake, School Data Flowing Forth
Dec 10 2003 - Education Week
The No Child Left Behind Act has produced one unambiguous result: an overload of data regarding the performance of the nation’s public schools, this article reports. A survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia by Education Week, however, has found less work in other areas such as the number of states testing in the required grades.

Gains in Houston Schools: How Real Are They?
Dec 3 2003 - New York Times (requires registration)
The so-called "Houston Miracle" may have been less miraculous than originally thought. In fact, performance there may have been about the same as in other areas of the country. Texas has trumpeted the academic gains of millions of students largely on the basis of a state test, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. The education law signed by President Bush in January 2002, No Child Left Behind, gives public schools 12 years to match Houston's success and bring virtually all children to academic proficiency. But an examination of the performance of students in Houston by the New York Times raises doubts about the magnitude of those gains.

US Flunks Top Metro [Detroit] Schools
Nov 30 2003 - Detroit News
More grumbling about No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has become audible in the Detroit area, where a school praised by President Bush in May has found itself listed in the "failing" category, according to NCLB calculations. That school is not alone, and many school districts are diving back into their data, hoping to prune the thicket of numbers into a more positive result. "We will see some of the best schools in Michigan on the list," said David Plank, co-director of Michigan State University's Education Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of education issues. "It's a guarantee." [See also this story]

Utah is Behind on New Ed Rules
Nov 21 2003 - Salt Lake Tribune
Like many states around the country, Utah is suffering from the "Nickleby Blues" (Nickleby = NCLB = No Child Left Behind). Utah education officials acknowledged they will not be able to meet all the requirements of the sweeping federal law that holds schools accountable for improving student achievement. The deficiency could land the state in hot water with the US Department of Education.

Battles Ahead Over No Child Left Behind
Nov 18 2003 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
Battle lines are being drawn as schools nationwide attempt to follow the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Proponents see the law as forcing districts to better educate historically neglected students such as low-income and minority groups. Critics claim the law is a “sham” because the Bush administration has failed to fully fund the act. Paul Vallas, chief executive officer of the Philadelphia School District, noted “accountability is a good thing. But we'll never really know how effective the program can be until the program is fully funded."

On Trail, It's Dean vs. No Child Left Behind Act
Nov 12 2003 - Education Week
Democratic presidential aspirant Howard Dean isn't shy about voicing his opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act. "Anybody here from a school board?" Dean asked a group gathered at a technical college in October. "School boards call it 'No School Board Left Standing.' ... Teachers call it 'No Behind Left.'" If elected, Dean promises to "dismantle" the bulk of the No Child Left Behind Act, one of President Bush's most prized domestic-policy accomplishments.

No Child Left Behind Act: Facts and Fiction
Nov 11 2003 - Washington Post
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has generated plenty of discussion and, this writer asserts, quite a few myths. Is the federal government spending more on education and giving local schools resources they never had? Is the law's goal of 100 percent student proficiency in reading and math by 2014 even possible? Answers are provided to these and eight other questions - or, given the controversial (and complex) nature of NCLB, is it just more ammo for one side or the other?

Education Reform Highlights Scoring Gap
Oct 20 2003 - The Washington Times
A new study has revealed that the No Child Left Behind Act is forcing some schools to examine why there is a large achievement gap between white and minority students. The new law requires schools to establish benchmarks for adequate yearly progress and report student results by ethnicity, sex, and income among other factors. “It is the beginning of a truth-telling process,” observed Ross Wiener, policy director of the Education Trust, the sponsor of the national study.

Education Group Calls for Revised Law
Oct 16 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
A group of teachers and civic leaders from across the country is asking Congress to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act. The group, Citizens for Effective Schools, says lawmakers should eliminate the penalties in the law that punish schools who fail to measure up and focus more on strategies that could help them improve. A spokesman for the Education Department said there were “no plans to amend the law.”

States Facing Staffing Cuts, Heavier Load
Oct 15 2003 - Education Week
Several state education departments are worried about how they will satisfy the requirements mandated in the No Child Left Behind Act with cuts in their administrative budgets. Many states have reduced spending on data collection and assistance to struggling schools—two tasks that lie at the heart of the federal law. Advocates of the law argue that states should be able to satisfy the new requirements with the increased administrative funding given to them when Congress raised Title I spending from $9.9 billion to $12.3 billion in fiscal 2001 after it passed the law.

Federal Law Bolsters Case for Aid Suits
Oct 1 2003 - Education Week
Experts report that a requirement in the No Child Left Behind Act could give finance reform proponents new ammunition in legal battles over whether states spend enough to guarantee students an adequate education. The federal law requires schools to report how many students fail to meet state standards. Michael A. Rebell, executive director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, explains lawyers could use those figures as evidence that a state is shortchanging its schools.

NSTA WebNews Analysis: Teaching Evolution
Sep 26 2003 - NSTA - Kristin Collins
The subject of how to teach evolution and whether alternative views should be presented to the theory have been controversial topics debated for many years. The month of September proved to be no different. Teachers, scientists, and religious leaders in Texas, for example, voiced mixed reactions Sept. 10 over how students should learn evolution through biology textbooks. Michigan lawmakers and religious leaders are also debating creationism and the theory of evolution. School board members in California's Roseville Joint Union High School District agreed Sept. 2 to let each school decide how to teach evolution instead of forming a districtwide policy.

Education Chief Says Schools Failing Minorities
Sep 25 2003 - The Boston Globe
Education Secretary Rod Paige says many minority students are so badly served by public schools that their circumstances are similar to apartheid. Paige warned of an unrecognized educational crisis of disadvantaged students who are written off at school and unprepared for the real world. “Those who are unprepared will sit on the sidelines, confronting poverty, dead-end jobs, and hopelessness,” Paige said in a Sept. 24 speech at the National Press Club.

Critics Claim Failure to Lift Poor Schools
Sep 4 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
The Education Department is “in need of improvement,” according to an education advocacy group that helped write the No Child Left Behind Act. The Education Trust claims the department failed to carry out the requirements of the law to raise the quality of classroom teachers. The law provides $3 billion for states to improve the quality of teachers. A spokesman for the group said the department failed to use the law to bring higher-qualified teachers into classrooms with the most seriously disadvantaged students.

Education Law Tries Thin State Budgets
Jul 31 2003 - CNN
States struggling with shrinking revenues and an increase in healthcare spending fear the hidden costs of the No Child Left Behind Act will put further strain on their budgets. The federal education reform law requires annual student testing, training, hiring qualified teachers, and school accountability. Democrats claim President Bush's administration and Congress' Republican leadership has undermined the act by providing $24 billion of the $29 billion authorized in 2003 to help states meet the law's new requirements.

Study: School Leaders Feel Left Behind
Jul 28 2003 - The Seattle Times
Ninety percent of the nation’s urban school superintendents say they feel “powerless” to make the needed changes mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, according to a University of Washington study. The superintendents said their efforts for school reform are hindered by “micromanaging school boards and teacher unions that aren’t flexible.” Several states, including Washington, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Tennessee, have passed resolutions urging officials to fully fund such federal mandates.

New Requirements Forcing Teachers, States to Scramble
Jul 14 2003 - The Baltimore Sun
Teachers across the nation are grappling with the requirements that say educators be "highly qualified" by the 2005-2006 school year. The rules are part of the No Child Left Behind Act. Educators and others support the requirement, but note the "lack of clarity and official means to prove one's qualifications has frightened many."

Union Asks Teachers to Work with Reforms
Jul 11 2003 - The Washington Times
Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, is encouraging union members to support efforts to boost student achievement under the No Child Left Behind Act. Feldman says members of her group should implement “high standards and sound practices” in the classroom that are envisioned by the law. Feldman also wants teachers and schools to encourage parents to pay more attention to their children.

NEA Rejects Outline by Bush for Schools
Jul 3 2003 - The Washington Times
Officials and teacher members of the National Education Association (NEA) are complaining about the No Child Left Behind Act signed into law by President Bush. The federal law requires adequate yearly progress of students, highly qualified teachers in every classroom by the 2005-2006 school year, among other requirements. NEA members say with the various requirements imposed by the law "teachers are being forced to narrow the curriculum and pay less attention to critical thinking skills."

Bush Hails Education Reform, but Some Balk
Jul 2 2003 - The Baltimore Sun
President Bush is trumpeting the No Child Left Behind Act as one of his shining achievements as he begins his campaign for re-election. Officials from about a dozen states, however, could complicate Bush’s effort to turn the law into a campaign pitch. State officials argue the new law undercuts existing state reforms, threatens recruitment of teachers, and stiffens rules for teachers to become certified.

Can Johnny Read Yet?
Jun 24 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
Education experts are voicing mixed reaction to the latest reading test scores from the federal government's National Assessment of Educational Progress. While some experts have identified the test scores as “proof of failure,” others insist they “demonstrate limited progress.”

New Law May Leave Many Rural Teachers Behind
Jun 23 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
The No Child Left Behind Act is challenging the credentials of America’s rural teachers. The new law requires all teachers to have a separate college degree in the field of each course they teach. Some rural teachers, however, only have one degree and teach multiple subjects. “To tell teachers who barely make $20,000 a year that they have to go back to college—frankly it would be easier for them to retire or move to a state where they could just teach one subject,” observed Linda McCulloch, Montana’s superintendent of public instruction.

Bush Touts Education Reforms by States
Jun 11 2003 - The Washington Times
The Bush administration has approved school accountability plans for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The accountability plans, mandated by federal officials through the No Child Left Behind Act, will show how states plan to chart “adequate yearly progress” not just for a school’s overall population, but for subgroups, such as minorities.

NSTA WebNews Analysis: School Vouchers
May 30 2003 - Kristin Collins - NSTA
The issue of vouchers, or school choice, has been a controversial topic for educators and lawmakers for many years and that continued to be the case across the country during the month of May. Giving parents the option of sending their children to private or parochial schools at taxpayer expense generated newspaper headlines in Colorado, Louisiana, and the District of Columbia.

Critics Say Officials Ignore Teacher Quality
May 29 2003 - The Detroit News
Education activists and lawmakers say the Bush administration is ignoring a key component of the No Child Left Behind Act. The federal education reform law requires all students to have highly qualified teachers by the year 2006. Education Department officials say they plan to work with states on teacher quality in the coming weeks. States are also required to submit teacher quality goals to federal officials by September.

Are Schools More Afraid of Lawsuits Than They Should Be?
May 27 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
Perry Zirkel, an education law expert and professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, says the general public is misinformed about the role courts play in education litigation. Zirkel says most of the public, including teachers and school administrators, have the impression that schools are constantly under siege from the courts. Courts in the United States, however, are more likely to favor schools than students or teachers—two major plaintiffs against schools, according to studies by Zirkel.

Scholars See Little Education Reform
Apr 28 2003 - The Washington Times
Scholars around the country have concluded that national education reform efforts such as merit pay for teachers and school choice have yet to be effectively implemented. “Too many vested interests are satisfied with the status quo,” observed Paul Peterson, professor and director of the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s program on education policy and governance at Harvard University.

Bush Administration Drops Probe of Darwinist Teacher
Apr 23 2003 - Yahoo News
The Justice Department has dropped its investigation into a Texas Tech University biology professor who required his students to believe Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution if they wanted a letter of recommendation for medical school. The department said it decided to forego its probe after NSTA member Michael Dini agreed to change his requirements. Federal officials were alerted to Dini’s requirements after a student complained he could not obtain a letter of recommendation because of his belief that God created humans.

Twenty Years After 'A Nation at Risk'
Apr 22 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
Why do politicians make education a top priority anytime they deliver a speech? This article attempts to answer that question by offering a look back into the world of education 20 years after the report A Nation at Risk was released. Click on the above link to learn more.

Owens Signs School Voucher Bill
Apr 17 2003 - Denver Post
Colorado Governor Bill Owens has signed America’s first school voucher bill. School choice supporters say the governor’s decision will help 20,000 of Colorado’s neediest pubic school students get the academic help they need in private schools. Opponents argue the voucher law will help kill financially struggling public schools by taking away needed funds. The new measure takes effect in 2004.

No School Choice but to Improve
Apr 15 2003 - The Washington Post
Undersecretary of Education Eugene Hickok wants to take his vision for pubic education in Pennsylvania on a national level. Hickok, a former education secretary for Pennsylvania who assumed his new role in 2001, believes that support for charter schools, private school vouchers, magnet schools, and online schools is not a matter of his conservative political ideology, but also a matter of logic. “I feel American pubic education needs to go through a transformation and school choice should be a part of it,” Hickok observed.

Education Secretary Rejects Calls to Quit
Apr 10 2003 - San Francisco Chronicle
Education Secretary Rod Paige says he refuses to quit his job after making remarks praising Christian values over public schooling. Paige told the Baptist Press in an April 7 interview that Christian schools and universities have a “strong value system.” He noted, however, “that is not the case in a public school where there are so many different kids with different kinds of values.” Several church and state groups, Muslim organizations, and political leaders have called for Paige’s resignation, saying his remarks have “demeaned religious minorities.”

Teachers Union Leader Criticizes Education Law
Mar 18 2003 - Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, says the No Child Left Behind Act lacks funding and has encouraged teachers to rally against it. Speaking to various schools in California recently, Weaver told educators that several components in the law are “unjust” and must be amended. Supporters of the law claim the measure advocates student and parent rights and offers a system of accountability lacking in public schools. Weaver and other opponents argue the law will hurt schools.

Most States Lag Far Behind 'No Child Left Behind' Law
Jan 29 2003 - USA TODAY
A new report scheduled for release by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) reveals 38 states are behind in submitting plans to federal officials that will describe how they will comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. All states face a deadline of Jan. 31. Dan Langan, an Education Department spokesman, disagrees with the results of the ECS study, noting “states are indeed making progress” and “are probably further along than the ECS findings suggest.”

Congress Faces Lengthy Education Agenda
Jan 15 2003 - Education Week
Members of Congress have arrived in Washington and lawmakers are facing an agenda filled with education issues. Topics lawmakers will debate in the coming months include the federal budget, higher education legislation, reauthorization of special education and early-childhood programs, and possible school-related tax breaks. Political observers note bipartisan support “will be essential to complete work on major education bills.”

President Signs the National Science Foundation Reauthorization Act
Dec 27 2002 - National Science Foundation
Last week President Bush signed into law a five-year reauthorization bill for the National Science Foundation (NSF) granting NSF funding increases from its current $4.79 billion in fiscal 2002 to $9.84 billion in fiscal 2007. The act contains portions of legislation previously passed by the House, including the Math and Science Partnerships Act. The reauthorization also provides authority for NSF to establish Centers for Research on Mathematics and Science Learning and Education Improvement. Each center will focus on a different challenge faced by elementary and secondary math and science teachers.

Letter Released from U.S. Education Secretary Paige to State School Chiefs on Implementing No Child Left Behind Act
Oct 24 2002 - US Department of Education
In his letter Secretary of Education Rod Paige notes that "some states have lowered the bar of expectations to hide the low performance of their schools. And a few others are discussing how they can ratchet down their standards in order to remove schools from their lists of low performers. Sadly, a small number of persons have suggested reducing standards for defining 'proficiency' in order to artificially present the facts. This is not worthy of a great country. I hope these individuals will rethink their approach for the benefit of the students in your states." (See previous story noted in the NSTA News Digest.)

Ohio OKs Creation in Science Class
Oct 15 2002 - Associated Press
The Ohio Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday to accept a science curriculum that will enable school districts to teach evolution along with competing ideas on how life originated. "In no way does this advocate for creation or intelligent design," commented Michael Cochran, a board member who advocated the concept be included in the standards. "I do look upon this as a compromise." The school board is scheduled to formally adopt the standards in December.

States Revise the Meaning of "Proficient"
Oct 9 2002 - Education Week
A number of states appear to be easing their standards for what it means to be "proficient" in reading and math because of pressures to comply with No Child Left Behind, the new federal law requiring states to ensure that all students are proficient on state tests in those subjects within 12 years. Some observers say the changes in these states show that it is likely other states will also take advantage of the latitude the law has given them to define for themselves what constitutes proficiency. Congress didn't define the term and didn't give the U.S. Department of Education any enforcement powers over states that might be perceived as watering down their standards to meet the new requirements.

Entrepreneurs Grab the Chance To Build Careers, Help Schools
Oct 8 2002 - Washington Post
Many careers are being spawned, others redirected by the federal No Child Left Behind law. This article profiles several innovators who are developing standards-management systems in support of the testing and accountability requirements of the new law.

Grant to Boost Math, Science Programs
Oct 7 2002 - Cleveland Plain Dealer
The National Science Foundation has given the Cleveland School District one of 24 awards totaling $240 million as part of a new Math and Science Partnership program, borne out of President Bush's No Child Left Behind law. A spokesperson said it will be a key to strengthening the knowledge base of the district's math and science teachers. The Cleveland Mathematics and Science Partnership will create connections with three local universities, offering courses and workshops primarily to teachers in grades six through eight. Former NSTA board member Bill Badders will be director of the partnership.

Students Shunning Animal Dissection Ritual
Oct 2 2002 - CNN.com
More and more high school students are trying to opt out of dissection. The pressure to cut back on dissections is even being felt in college and graduate programs. "There were few suitable alternatives when I taught, but now there are some extremely sophisticated virtual technologies," said Wendell Mohling, a former biology teacher in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, who is associate executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. (You can read NSTA's position statement "Guidelines for Responsible Use of Animals in the Classroom" online.)

Cobb Teachers Ponder New Rule
Sep 30 2002 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Teachers in Cobb County, Georgia, are dealing with the mixed messages coming from their school board. In a ruling last week, the board opened the door to discussion of "disputed views" on the origin of the human race in the science classroom. But the policy fails to identify which disputed views of evolution can be taught. To add to the confusion, the board's chairman said that the board expected teachers to continue to teach evolution and did not expect them to teach creationism.

Ga. Board OKs Evolution Options
Sep 27 2002 - Yahoo! News / AP
School board members in Cobb County, Georgia, voted unanimously Thursday night to give its teachers permission to introduce students to different theories on the origin of life, including creationism. Opponents said the decision opened a backdoor to letting religion into classrooms. They said Thursday's vote would not end the debate. (See also this story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.)

Student Allowed Back into Anatomy Class
Sep 27 2002 - Baltimore Sun
Three days after a high school junior left an anatomy class because she refused to dissect a cat, the Baltimore County school system let her return to the honors course yesterday and perform simulated dissections on a computer. (See previous story.)

New Ohio Draft Ignores Alternatives to Evolution
Sep 20 2002 - Education Week
The latest draft of science standards under consideration in Ohio makes no mention of "intelligent design" or any other alternative theories about how life evolved on Earth. An expert on how evolution is taught in schools called the Ohio standards "quite comprehensive. They're really solid standards." Others object that the draft standards do not address the purported need to "teach the controversy" (see previous story).

A Plea to Trust Schools – Not Just Tests
Sep 17 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
In this interview, a leading education reformer and author swims against the surging current of "high-stakes testing." According to Deborah Meier, whose firsthand experience includes a successful stint in an East Harlem school in New York City, testing only lowers standards by emphasizing breadth over depth, and makes schools accountable for the wrong things. Ultimately, Meier wants schools that parents can trust. But this trust, as she notes in her most recent book, "is not based on blind faith. It is a hard-won, democratic trust in each other, tempered by healthy, active skepticism and a demand that trust be continually earned." (See also this subsequent story in the Washington Post.)

Federal Law Ignites Evolution Debate
Sep 16 2002 - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio has become the first state to try to take advantage of the "Santorum amendment," which suggested that when teaching biological science, the curriculum "should help students understand why the subject generates so much continuing controversy." Although Darwinian evolution is not considered "controversial" by the 100 scientific societies that weighed in on it, the amendment was intended to allow teachers to bring "intelligent design" and other concepts into the science classroom. It was removed by the conference committee that reconciled the versions of the No Child Left Behind Act passed by the House and Senate. The "amendment" then evolved into an "explanatory statement" in the conference report. Two Ohio representatives have claimed "the Santorum language is now part of the law" and warn that controversies surrounding Darwin's theory of evolution should not be "censored." A law professor disagrees: "The Santorum language is not law - it is legislative history." Law or not, it is being used as ammunition.

Student Laptops are a Luxury
Sep 13 2002 - USA Today
This week the state of Maine handed out laptop computers to all seventh- and eighth-grade students at a cost of $37 million. In the opinion of this author, laptops are a luxury most school systems can't afford; the money could be put to better use hiring teachers who studied the subjects they're assigned to instruct. "Currently, 33% of the state's math teachers in grades nine to 12 lack either a major or minor in the subject," the author says. (See also this article for extensive background on Maine's laptop decision.)

Top Teachers Rare in Poor Schools
Sep 10 2002 - Washington Post
It would be hard to find a less shocking headline. Poorer schools may manage to hire good teachers, but, as one teacher put it, "Once teachers gain a few years of seniority, they bolt from these urban schools faster than the speed of sound." And yet two bright threads run through this story: a profile of a great teacher in a tough place, and the requirements of recent legislation that "no child be left behind." The questions raised: Why did this teacher stay? Can administrators build on her experience, or are other models needed?

Exit-Exam Trend Prompts Scrutiny of Consequences
Sep 5 2002 - Education Week
So far, 18 states have instituted high school exit exams as a graduation requirement, with another six phasing them in. Proponents applaud the trend, arguing that the tests help hold schools, teachers, and students accountable for results. But could the growing use of such tests also be contributing to higher student dropout rates? And perhaps even worse, do the tests create an incentive for schools to push low-performers out the door? That's what some test detractors fear -- and they’ve gone public with their concerns. Click above to read more about this ongoing debate...

Study: Charter Schools Score Below Public
Sep 4 2002 - CNN.com
Students in charter schools are scoring significantly below public school pupils in basic reading and math skills, says a new Brookings Institution study, which reviewed the achievement test scores of 376 charter schools in 10 states. The findings will likely play a role in the ongoing debate over whether to accelerate or slow down the charter school movement. Last year, about 2,400 charter schools enrolled more than half a million children nationwide. Another 400 or so charter schools are slated to open this fall.

Failing Schools Find Hole in Federal Education Law
Aug 29 2002 - Washington Post
The No Child Left Behind law was designed to mandate serious consequences for failing schools, including giving students at such schools the right to transfer to higher-performing ones. But as the above article reports, because the law allows each state to set its own academic standards, failing-school designations often "say less about the quality of the schools than they do about the rigor of the educational standards set by each state." For instance, the law has already produced a strange circumstance this year whereby Michigan has listed 1,513 failing schools compared to Arkansas’s zero. The bottom line: Experts fear that as long as states retain the power to define success and failure, the new law's impact will be severely limited.

Federal School Reform Stumbles
Aug 28 2002 - Chicago Tribune (requires free registration)
States' efforts to implement the No Child Left Behind law are running into major roadblocks, the above article reports, with two provisions in particular causing widespread difficulties. The first, which goes into effect this fall, gives students attending low-performing schools the right to transfer to better ones; the second requires that all teachers in high-poverty schools be "highly qualified" by 2005. Many state and local officials say such requirements are virtually impossible to meet, given school realities. What’s more, they claim that the feds have been slow to provide useful guidance. Critics, in turn, charge that school officials are dragging their feet, more concerned with maintaining the status quo than implementing the law. Who’s right? Click above, and see what both sides have to say.

Report: Exit Tests Hurt At-Risk Students
Aug 15 2002 - Washington Post
Eighteen states now require students to pass exams before graduating from high school, with that number projected to grow in the next six years. Is this a good or bad development? Supporters say that high-stakes exit exams offer a strong incentive for students to improve their academic performance. But a report released yesterday by the Center on Education Policy warns that the trend toward mandatory tests could put an increasing number of poor and minority students at risk of being denied diplomas, particularly because schools are not doing enough to prepare them for the exams. Click above for the news article, or visit www.ctredpol.org to access the full report.

Study: School Districts "Resegregating"
Aug 12 2002 - CNN -- AP
Public schools are becoming increasingly divided by race, says a new report by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. The report found, for example, that integration between whites and blacks remained steady or decreased in all but a handful of the nation's largest districts between 1986 and 2000. To curb the trend, the report suggests combining city and suburban school districts into single entities. Click above for the news article, or click here for the full report.

Report: Neediest Schools Receive Less Money
Aug 12 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
In most states, school districts that educate the greatest number of low-income students receive far less state and local money per student than districts with the fewest poor students, a new report concludes. The greatest disparities can be found in New York ($2,152 per student) and Illinois ($2,060), notes the report, which was prepared by the nonpartisan Education Trust. The report strongly urges states to take responsibility for closing the gaps. Click above for the news article, or visit www.edtrust.org to access the full report.

Few Choosing Public School Choice for This Fall
Aug 8 2002 - Education Week
Under the "No Child Left Behind" Act, districts must offer students an alternative placement if the students' schools fail to make adequate yearly progress -- as defined by each state -- for two consecutive years. That provision kicks in this school year, with the U.S. Department of Education estimating that some 8,600 schools must offer school choice to their students. But as the above article reports, it appears that of the thousands of students who are eligible for a transfer this fall, only a small number will be making a switch. Why so few takers? Click above to find out more...

California, U.S. Feud Over "Highly Qualified" Teachers
Aug 7 2002 - San Francisco Chronicle
The "No Child Left Behind" law requires teachers in every state to be "highly qualified" -- meaning, at a minimum, fully credentialed -- by 2006. And starting this fall, new hires at schools receiving federal money for low-income children must already be "highly qualified." But according to the above article, the California Board of Education has given Washington a definition of "highly qualified" that falls short of these requirements, setting up a showdown between the state and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). California officials say the federal standard is unrealistic (if not impossible), given severe teacher shortages and the state's ongoing push to reduce class size. ED, meanwhile, is calling on California to revise its definition or face the possibility of losing some Title I funds. Click above for the San Francisco Chronicle article, or click here for a related article in the Los Angeles Times (requires free registration).

Florida Judge Srikes Down School Voucher Program
Aug 6 2002 - Washington Post
A state circuit court judge struck down Florida's school voucher program yesterday, ruling that the state constitution prohibits public money from flowing to religious schools. The decision is said to mark a new chapter in the voucher fight, with the legal battle now shifting to individual states after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that an Ohio voucher program did not violate the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Florida Governor Jeb Bush said the state would appeal yesterday's decision, allowing the program to continue while the case makes it way through the courts.

School "Excellence" Thrown a Grading Curve
Aug 6 2002 - USA Today
Under the new federal education law, more than 8,000 schools nationwide are considered "failing." But according to an analysis by USA Today, at least 19 of these "failing" schools have also been named "Blue Ribbon" schools of excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. How can the same school end up on both lists? As the above article reports, that's what many educators and parents are trying to figure out.

Dueling Editorials Take Up Class Size Debate
Aug 2 2002 - USA Today
Do smaller classes bolster student learning? Two editorials in today's USA Today examine that question. The lead editorial, by the newspaper, casts doubt on the link between smaller classes and achievement, arguing that scarce resources should instead be spent on improving teacher quality. In the opposing view, Princeton Professor Alan Krueger concedes that raising teacher quality is a crucial component of education reform. Still, he says, smaller classes can and should be a part of the solution too, particularly if reductions are targeted at disadvantaged students.

Former Prosecutor Tapped to Run New York City's Schools
Jul 30 2002 - USA Today
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has selected Joel Klein, a former Justice Department antitrust lawyer, to head the city's school system, the above USA Today article reports. The appointment, it has been noted, continues a national trend of hiring people with non-educational backgrounds to lead big city school systems. Read an article in the New York Times (requires free registration) to see what's driving this trend and how the approach has worked out in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, and San Diego.

Texas Wrangles Over Bias in School Textbooks
Jul 22 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
Can a science textbook be "un-American"? That was the charge levied against an environmental science book in Texas last year, leading the state school board to reject the text. This year, equally heated debates are centering on proposed social studies texts. All of which, the above article suggests, raises an important question: Do special interest groups wield too much influence over the textbook-selection process?

AFT Calls for a Moratorium on Charter Schools
Jul 18 2002 - American Federation of Teachers
At its national convention this week, the American Federation of Teachers released a report suggesting that charter schools are not living up to their expectations. "While some are successful and should be used as models, most charter schools don’t improve student achievement, aren’t innovative and are less accountable than the public schools," AFT president Sandra Feldman said. Based on the report's findings, the AFT urges policymakers to halt charter school expansion until more convincing evidence of their effectiveness or viability is presented. Click above for AFT's press release and full report.

Block Scheduling Draws Mixed Reviews
Jul 16 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
Supporters say block scheduling is a great way to allow students to engage deeply in material, creating more time for group work, labs, discussions, and student-teacher interaction. But the approach has also come under fire, in part because it sometimes leaves lengthy time gaps in the academic sequence. Now, a new study is further stoking the flames, suggesting that a block system may lead to lower student scores on the ACT assessment. So is block scheduling good or bad? The above article examines the pros and cons.

Frustration Grows as States Await "Adequate Yearly Progress" Advice
Jul 11 2002 - Education Week
Frustration is growing over the lack of federal guidance on how to implement the new ESEA law, particularly provisions relating to “annual yearly progress” (AYP) targets, the above article reports. The new law is much more prescriptive about how states set their AYP targets – which schools must meet to avoid penalties -- creating fears among states that 60 percent to 90 percent of all schools could be identified as “needing improvement” within a few years. The Department of Education has said that final guidelines would not be ready until late August, at best.

Supreme Court Votes 5-4 to Uphold School Vouchers
Jun 27 2002 - Washington Post -- AP
In one of the most important education cases in years, the Supreme Court voted today to uphold the Cleveland voucher program, a six-year-old pilot effort that allows public money to underwrite tuition at religious and private schools. The decision could have sweeping national consequences for education policy, perhaps clearing the way for other cities and states to adopt similar programs. Click above for the news article, here to read a statement by the National Education Association, or here to read a statement by the American Federation of Teachers.

College Board Approves SAT Overhaul
Jun 27 2002 - CNN -- AP
As anticipated, College Board trustees voted today to overhaul the SAT college admissions test. Approved changes include: adding a 25-minute handwritten essay that will be made available to colleges; dropping the analogy section (while beefing up reading comprehension); and adding higher-level math questions, particularly those reflecting coursework in algebra II. The changes will take effect in March 2005.

Report Ranks State Testing Programs
Jun 19 2002 - USA Today
North Carolina has the best testing program in the nation for K-12 students, says a new report by The Princeton Review. Rounding out the top five were: Texas, New York, Massachusetts, and Arizona. In determining the rankings, the report considered four criteria: how well the tests are aligned with state curriculum standards; test quality; openness of the testing program to public scrutiny; and whether the program spurs changes that lead to improved learning. Click above for the news article, or click here to go to the full report.

Teachers Take Bids for Power to Legislatures
Jun 13 2002 - Education Week
Reflecting a growing sense that educators are being left out of critical decisions (such as those relating to textbooks, curriculum standards, and professional development), teachers in several states turned to their legislatures this year in efforts to broaden collective bargaining rights beyond traditional bread-and-butter issues, the above article reports. And despite a mixed record of success– efforts in California and Connecticut failed while those in Maryland and Tennessee fared better – experts predict that teachers nationwide will continue to push for a greater voice in vital policy and academic matters. “They’re attempting to get control over their professional lives,” a spokeswoman for the NEA said. “It is a natural extension of the accountability laws. If you’re going to make them accountable, educators would like to have some say in classroom policies.”

GOP, Democrats Vie for Education Bragging Rights
Jun 7 2002 - Education Week
Polls show that education is a foremost concern among American voters, right up there with the economy and jobs. Now, with the midterm congressional elections approaching, both Democrats and Republicans believe they can make the issue work for them. Which party currently has the edge on the issue, and what are candidates doing to prove their bona fides on education? The above article takes a look...

Three New Reports Examine Status of Schools, Teaching Profession
Jun 4 2002 - NSTA
The National Center for Education Statistics, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Education, released three reports last week that examine key trends in education and the teaching profession. Of particular interest is a report that highlights trends in “out-of-field” teaching over a 13-year period, as well as across subjects (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics) and grade levels. Click above for more information…

Column: Trying to Bridge the Exam-Diploma Divide
May 28 2002 - Washington Post
An increasing number of states are moving to make a high school diploma contingent upon students passing one or more state achievement tests. But as these rules go into effect, they are raising difficult questions. For example, should exceptions be made for students with learning disabilities -- or more generally, for students who fail the state exams but otherwise work hard and pass all their courses? And how can the rules be bent without sacrificing academic integrity? The above column examines these sensitive issues...

Teacher Probed for Role in Anti-Testing Activity
May 16 2002 - Education Week
In California, a teacher has been placed on administrative leave for allegedly encouraging her students to opt out of the state's testing program. The incident, the above article suggests, represents a test case of sorts, pitting teachers' free-speech rights against state laws that govern state policies. "Parents and students may not be solicited. That's what's being investigated," the district's superintendent said. "If it crosses over into soliciting, then, as superintendent, I have to make sure the law is followed."

Spotlight on Single-Sex Schooling
May 15 2002 - Washington Post
Since the Bush administration announced last week that it would encourage single-sex education in public schools (see previous story), some educators are seeking models to guide them as they consider dividing up their classes. But that job could be complicated, the above article notes, with research on single-sex education showing mixed and inconsistent results.

Educators Prepare, Worry, Over Effect of Transfer Law
May 13 2002 - Washington Post
The new federal education act is clear: Schools districts must allow students to transfer out of "failing" schools, and they must pay for their transportation costs. But as education officials nationwide prepare to implement this provision, they face a growing list of questions, including: How many students will be eligible to transfer? How much space exists for students in better schools? Where will the money for transportation come from? And what will happen to the schools left behind? The above article takes a closer look...

Bush Plan To Encourage Single-Sex Education
May 9 2002 - Washington Post
Reversing three decades of federal policy, the Bush administration announced yesterday that the government will seek to encourage and help establish all-girls and all-boys public schools and classes. Education Department officials said the move is intended to expand public school choices. Detractors, however, voiced concern that the proposal will endorse a form of segregation. Read more...

Chicago Teachers May Get Chance to Fix Failing Schools
May 8 2002 - Chicago Sun-Times
Who knows more about how to fix failing schools: school board officials or teachers? We may soon find out. In what may be a first-of-its-kind arrangement, top Chicago Board of Education officials have reportedly agreed to let the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) serve as an expert partner to at least two failing schools this fall, setting up a unique contest to see who (the board or the union) can provide the more effective remedy for underperforming schools. "We want to prove that under the right conditions, struggling schools can be turned around, that school closings are not the answer," said CTU President Deborah Lynch. Read more...

Teachers Battle for Book Choice, Curriculum Control
May 2 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
While recent reforms (high-stakes tests, new curriculums) have dramatically reshaped the world of education, many teachers say these changes are being implemented with little or no input from those closest to the children, the above article reports. "The result," the article notes, "is the beginning of a teacher backlash, centered on the question of who should choose the materials and methods to educate America's children." Click above to learn more, including the latest on efforts underway in California and Maryland to expand teachers' authority over education reform issues.

Putting For-Profit Company to the Test
Apr 30 2002 - Washington Post
With an operation of 136 schools across 22 states, the for-profit Edison Schools company is emerging as a major player in the educational arena. But as the above article points out, "unlike ordinary schools districts, Edison has to respond to shareholders, and they are not very happy these days." (Yesterday, Edison's stock fell to a record low $5.13.) Will Edison ever be able to turn a profit? And perhaps even more important, does the Edison approach actually help students learn? Click above for a closer look...

Up to 5,000 Schools Expected to Face "Failing" Label
Apr 25 2002 - CNN -- AP
When the school year begins this fall, 3,000 to 5,000 schools nationwide probably will be declared "failing" by states, Undersecretary of Education Eugene Hickok told Congress this week. Moreover, under the new ESEA, students in failing schools will for the first time be eligible for federally paid tutoring or transportation to other public schools. In response to the briefing, some lawmakers expressed concerns over how schools will pay for the tutoring and transportation services, given their shrinking budgets and recent cuts to Bush's education budget. "I think we're going to have an ungodly disaster on our hands next fall," Sen. James Jeffords (I-Vermont) remarked.

Vermont May Reject Federal Education Aid
Apr 23 2002 - Rutland Herald -- AP
Vermont Gov. Howard Dean says he wants his state to consider rejecting $26 million in federal education money to escape the testing demands and other requirements attached to it. "It's going to be incredibly expensive and require us to do our work all over again," Dean said of the recently reauthorized ESEA law, which requires annual testing in grades 3-8. While critics have lodged similar complaints against the new ESEA, Vermont is the only state (to date) that has said it might refuse federal funds to opt out of the plan.

42 Schools to be Privatized in Philadelphia
Apr 18 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
In what is believed to be the largest experiment in privatization mounted by an American school district, a state panel voted last night to transfer 42 Philadelphia schools (one out of every six in the district) to seven outside managers, including 20 to the for-profit Edison Schools. Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker and other supporters applauded the takeover by private groups, who are expected to make sweeping changes in school curriculum, as well as seek to replace school administrators and teachers. Many parents, students, and community activists, however, vehemently protested yesterday's move, arguing that it was undemocratic for private companies to operate public schools.

High Court Ends Oldest School Busing Program
Apr 16 2002 - CNN -- AP
The Supreme Court yesterday turned away an appeal to continue a race-based busing program in Charlotte, NC, thus ending one of the nation's most prominent desegregation cases. The move clears the way for the district's substitute plan that sends most children to nearby schools but allows parents to pick other schools if there is room. The case, which has been closely followed, could have important implications for other districts that remain under court orders.

Education Forum Bemoans Gap Between Standards and Classroom
Apr 5 2002 - Education Week
Education experts who gathered at a two-day conference last month in New York had an important message for the nation: Unless states move quickly to fill the yawning gap between academic standards and their use in classrooms, current efforts to boost student achievement could suffer. "If you put demanding standards in place and then you provide absolutely no guidance in the way of curriculum,...then you really are on a downward slide," said Sandra Feldman, the president of the American Federation of Teachers. Professional development efforts also need to be more closely aligned with state standards, many participants advised. Read more...

Divided High Court Weighs Random Student Drug Tests
Mar 20 2002 - Washington Post
A sharply divided Supreme Court appeared yesterday to lean toward approving mandatory random drug testing for public school students who take part in extracurricular activities, the above article reports. So far, the Supreme Court (in a 1995 ruling) has approved of testing only in the context of athletics. The issue yesterday was whether a school's right to test students for drugs should extend to other extracurricular activities such as choir, band, and clubs -- or whether such authority conflicts with students' privacy rights. A decision in the case is likely by July.

Diversity's Future? Socioeconomic Criteria, Not Race, Used to Desegregate San Francisco Schools
Mar 18 2002 - Washington Post
San Francisco education officials have drawn up a novel school assignment plan that relies on socioeconomic factors, instead of race, to help determine which school a student should attend. At the heart of the plan is a complex ranking system called the "diversity index," which takes into account such parental background variables as income, education level, and primary language. In pursuing this plan, San Francisco joins a small but growing number of school systems that are turning to socioeconomics to achieve diversity -- and some believe that such a strategy could represent the future of American desegregation. Still, critics warn that the approach offers a weak alternative to racial integration.

Bush, Democrats Divided Over Education Budget
Mar 15 2002 - Boston Globe
President Bush's proposed 2003 budget plan has split the bipartisan team that crafted this year's sweeping ESEA law, the above article reports. Specifically, Democrats and some education groups charge that the budget freezes or cuts funding for dozens of key education programs, including the teacher-quality program, which requires districts to have a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom by the 2005-06 school year. "The Bush budget delivers a severe blow to education" that cuts "the heart of education reform," alleges Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). In response, the Bush administration contends that the budget is appropriate at a time when the war on terrorism is demanding a bigger chunk of federal dollars.

Education Department Looks for Balance Policing ESEA
Mar 14 2002 - Education Week
As the U.S. Department of Education (ED) seeks to translate the reauthorization of ESEA into reality, it faces a delicate balancing act: offering states and districts a proper measure of latitude without compromising core elements of the law, such as annual testing and demands for "highly qualified" teachers. "It's called tough love," said ED's assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education. "We really want to, where we can, be flexible...However, we are very clear about the importance of accountability for change and school improvement. We are here to enforce the law."

CA Teachers Union Seeks Role in Text, Policy Decisions
Mar 14 2002 - San Francisco Chronicle
In what is shaping up to be a fierce turf war, the 333,000-member California Teachers Association is lobbying for legislation to make curriculum, textbook, assessment, and other policy decisions part of the collective bargaining process. Local school officials say the push is a blatant power grab, but teachers insist they just want a chance to influence school quality issues. "Administrators have made these decisions unilaterally forever. Teachers now want a say in this," the president of the CTA said. Read more...

Schools Struggle to Keep Class Size Small
Mar 7 2002 - CNN -- AP
Over the past several years, politically popular class-size reduction programs have taken root in about 40 states. These efforts were fueled, in part, by studies showing what common sense suggests: Smaller classes help children learn. But this school year, record enrollments and ailing state economies are driving up class sizes nationwide, increasing the strain on teachers. "You've got more papers to grade," one principal of a Washington, DC, high school said. "It's hard to give the kids the one-on-one attention they need."

Bush Promises to Recruit, Train Teachers
Mar 4 2002 - Los Angeles Times
In his weekly radio address Saturday, President Bush pledged to work to enlist a new generation of well-trained teachers. Specifically, he has asked Congress to expand programs that recruit math, science, and special-education teachers by forgiving part of their college loans in exchange for a commitment to teach in poor neighborhoods. Bush also said that professional development must be a priority. "We'll focus on teacher training efforts where the need is greatest -- in early childhood education, special education, math, science, and reading instruction," he said. But Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) says Bush's budget doesn't provide enough money to support his proposals. Read more...

Secretaries' Day: Agency Heads Mull State of Education
Mar 1 2002 - Education Week
Most of the former U.S. secretaries of education, plus Rod Paige, who currently occupies the post, came together last week at Duke University to hash over the state of education. What ensued was a wide-ranging discussion on some of the hottest issues in education: the new education law, the standards movement, testing, school choice, character education, and the need for highly qualified teachers. And while the five guests did not always agree, neither did their views always break down neatly along party lines. Read more...

A School Choice for Supreme Court
Feb 27 2002 - Education Week
In what some are calling the biggest education case in a generation, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments from both sides last week on the constitutionality of religious school vouchers. Much is at stake in the case. A high court ruling against vouchers (publicly funded subsidies for private and religious school tuition) could end or curtail programs in Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Florida, and might squelch the push for vouchers altogether. In contrast, a favorable ruling would likely provide new momentum for vouchers and related private school aid proposals. A ruling is expected by early July. Click above to read more about last week's proceedings...

Smaller Classes Under Scrutiny in CA Schools
Feb 27 2002 - Education Week
In 1996, California launched a multi-billion dollar initiative to lower class sizes in the crucial elementary grades, helping spark a nationwide movement to curb crowded classrooms. But today, as budgets shrink and schools are forced to make hard choices (e.g., class size reductions vs. professional development), some California districts are taking a hard look at whether smaller classes are worth the hefty price tag.

Many Schools Rethinking Class Schedules
Feb 26 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Nationwide, thousands of public schools have moved to a "block schedule," in which students have four long periods a day, skipping some subjects, instead of eight short periods meeting each day in each subject. And small independent schools have shown even more creativity, with many operating on a 6- to 10-day rotating schedule. Are such complicated schedules worth it? Many teachers and education experts believe they are, arguing that rotating schedules and longer class periods open up new opportunities for innovative teaching approaches. Read more…

High Court Begins Hearings in School Voucher Case
Feb 20 2002 - Washington Post
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case that could decide the constitutionality of using public money to help pay tuitions at religious schools. The case centers on the six-year-old Cleveland voucher program, which pays about $10 million a year to send 4,300 students to 51 mostly religious schools. "Either way the court rules, it is clear the battle is far from over," one voucher opponent said. "But if the court says vouchers are constitutional under some circumstances, you will certainly see a major push by pro-vouchers forces to enact legislation across the country."

Student Grading by Peers Passes High Court Test
Feb 20 2002 - Washington Post
In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held yesterday that the widespread practice of "peer grading" (students swapping and correcting each other's papers) does not violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The ruling thus supports the view that FERPA contains an implicit distinction between permanent records (e.g., those locked up in the principal's office) and the more transitory contents of a teacher's grade book.

The Best Thing About Reform: It Won't Matter
Feb 19 2002 - The Washington Post
If history is any indicator, the greatest effect of the sweeping education law recently passed by Congress will be a new outburst of "creative noncompliance." That and the infusion of federal money into public education, which is good, this commentator says. "I have spent too much time watching effective teachers and principals struggle with clumsy federal and state rules to fret about lax enforcement. Schools are not going to succeed unless good people inside them do what works, and they will have to be as sly about rule-breaking as they have been in the past if the good intentions of No Child Left Behind are to be realized."

Bush Budget Revives Private-School Funding Fight
Feb 6 2002 - CNN--Reuters
A proposal in President Bush's budget Monday to give a tax credit for private school tuition has reignited a debate over using public funds for private or religious schooling. While supporters of the proposal argue that tax credits will help expand education choices for low-income families, opponents contend that the credits will siphon away scarce dollars from critical reform efforts in public schools. Find out more...

Bush Budget Proposes Education Tax Credit
Feb 4 2002 - Washington Post
As part of the White House budget being released today, President Bush will propose a tax credit to pay as much as $2,500 a year in private-school tuition for children whose public schools are considered to be failing under state standards. Read more...

States Gear Up for New Federal Law
Jan 16 2002 - Education Week
Interviews by Education Week with officials in 45 states suggest that state leaders generally applaud the thrust of the newly reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act--and they particularly welcome the billions of new dollars Congress has appropriated for education. But officials also have a number of questions and concerns, the interviews indicate, including worries over how much they will have to change their testing and accountability systems to comply with the law; whether the federal money set aside for the purpose of new tests is sufficient; and whether all teachers can be "highly qualified" in the subjects they teach by the 2005-2006 school year, as the law requires. To read more about states' reactions to the law, click the link above....

More Mandates Than Money in Education Bill?
Jan 11 2002 - CNN.com
While the education bill recently signed by President Bush authorizes $26.5 billion in federal money for K-12 education next year, an $8 billion increase from this year, some school officials are expressing concerns that the funding may still not be sufficient to meet the law's new demands. These demands include testing all students in reading and math in grades 3-8 (and, later, science tests in three grades), an undertaking that one group estimates could cost states $7 billion over the next seven years. "Our concern is that, until we see the money, this is another unfunded mandate from Washington," one official said.

No Child Left Behind: What Does the New Law Mean?
Jan 9 2002 - NSTA
As reported yesterday, President Bush just signed a sweeping new education reform plan into law. But what does the law mean for schools and educators? Click above for a link to two U.S. Department of Education documents outlining the law's major provisions (including the math and science partnerships), as well as for a link to an Education Week article that examines the challenges presented by the legislation's extensive new testing requirements.

President Bush Signs Education Reform Law
Jan 8 2002 - NSTA
It's official. President Bush signed the landmark "No Child Left Behind Act" into law today. Click above to learn more. Also, stay tuned in coming days for a full analysis of the law by NSTA's Legislative Affairs Department, including a look at the new Math and Science Partnerships program, which was authorized under the act.

Education Week Newspaper Releases Sixth Annual Report on States' Efforts to Improve Education; States Average a "C" Across Range of Categories
Jan 8 2002 - Education Week
Education Week (EW) released yesterday "Quality Counts 2002," the newspaper's sixth annual report on education progress in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to presenting the latest data on student achievement (including in science), the report grades the states in three areas: standards and accountability, efforts to improve teacher quality, and resources (adequacy and equity). This year, states averaged a C across those categories. Quality Counts 2002 also includes a special focus on states' efforts to provide high-quality pre-K and kindergarten experiences for young children. Past QC editions, which are still available at EW's website, have focused on such issues as standards, testing, and accountability; teacher quality; and urban education. Click the link above for this year's report, or click here for past reports.

Education Put to the Test
Dec 26 2001 - Christian Science Monitor
At a summit just over a decade ago, a group of governors moved to put education at the top of the national agenda. The result was the start of one of the most sustained drives to improve education in American history, with reforms such as new and clearer standards, state-mandated tests, smaller classes, and increased school choice topping the agenda. But has the sometimes-frenzied focus on schools actually made them any better? The above article takes a look back--and forward.

Some Schools Now Integrate by Income
Dec 20 2001 - Christian Science Monitor
Reflecting a new legal and cultural climate, a small but growing number of cities have decided to make income, rather than race, the primary factor for deciding which students go to which schools. Still, the push for economic-desegregation is not without controversy, the above article says, with some middle-class parents voicing concern that their children might suffer academically if forced to attend a school that has traditionally had a low rate of academic achievement.

Achievement Gap Narrows as Attitudes Change
Dec 18 2001 - Christian Science Monitor
In an effort to close the achievement gap between blacks and whites, many minority leaders are concentrating less on busing and more on ensuring high standards and sufficient resources in inner-city neighborhood schools. Such efforts are yielding notable academic gains in school districts across the nation, the article says, including Durham, NC, where African-American students have registered large test score increases in recent years. Having the right attitude is also an important instigator of reform, minority and school leaders stress. "We have a long way to go," says the deputy superintendent in Durham, "but the main thing, I think, is having a real change of attitude, and just getting together and saying, 'We have seen the light. We can do this. We can close this gap.'"

Thinking Small: A Look at the Movement Toward Smaller Schools
Nov 27 2001 - Christian Science Monitor
With research suggesting that large, impersonal schools may impede academic success, a growing number of districts are embracing the national movement toward smaller schools (schools with no more than 500 students). This is particularly true for urban districts, many of which have latched on to small schools' potential for making education more equitable. One urban district on the forefront of this movement is Oakland, CA, where six new small schools have already opened and others are in the works. Are these schools making a difference? A reporter takes a look inside...

Breaking Up: Gates Foundation Pushes For Smaller High Schools
Oct 15 2001 - Education Week
Under the leadership of former school superintendent Tom Vander Ark, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing millions to encourage the creation of small high schools—and the transformation of large schools into smaller learning communities. But is the nation ready to accept the foundation’s claim that bigger isn’t better? “I have no illusions that this is easy, and I have the scars to prove it,” says Vander Ark. Click the above link to read the full Education Week feature story, or click here to read an op-ed by a former teacher who strongly supports smaller schools.

Substandard Teachers Under the Microscope
Sep 25 2001 - Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago school officials are planning a massive "teacher quality crackdown" that, among other goals, will seek to curtail the use of temporarily certified teachers. The move follows findings from a Chicago Sun-Times investigative report that one of every 10 Chicago teachers tested since 1988, or 1,371 total teachers, had failed a Basic Skills test at least once. While many eventually passed the test (considered to be at an eighth-grade level), 635 never did but worked full-time last school year anyway, the report concluded.

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