NCLB

Summary: NCLB is all about accountability to increase math and reading proficiency scores.  Both the goals as well as outcomes of NCLB were clearly stated in this article. The results in math were much higher than the almost nonexistent consequences in reading.  Math scores jumped in 4th graders, as well as improved in 8th graders; the results were even greater for Hispanic students, students qualifying for substidized lunch, and black students going to with a large amount of other black students.  However, as previously stated, the results for reading proficiency improvements were slim to none.

Before reading this article I assumed I knew was NCLB was about. But if you were to ask me what the main goal was, I would have to admit I was fairly ignorant about the actual issues.  I knew that NCLB had a lot of impact on teachers and school accountability because my mom was a teacher and complained about it a lot, but I really had no idea what outcomes they were hoping for.  I was impressed by the extensive research done and all the possibilities explored that might have had an effect on the research.  Since I am a math teacher, I am thrilled to hear that almost with-out-fail, math scores were raised. However, if reading saw no significant impact at all, NCLB failed. One of my personal convictions that I will continuoulsy argue is that who is the legistlation to say what teachers need to do to increase scores. Why not bring in the professionals who have given part of their life to see student improvement. Aren't they the ones who should be deciding? Not government officials who have spent little to no time studying pedagogy in terms of reading and math.

As I was reading through the article I found myself thinking about how I get annoyed with statistics. Strange as that may sound, I have a hard time relying on information that could be biased, skewed, inaccurate, misinterpreted, etc. When the article states, "...it is difficult to draw strong conclusions about the policy's impact from simple comparisons of achievement trends before and after...For example, the nation was suffering from a recession around the time NCLB was implimented" (57).  When factors like this are not accounted for in stats, but could have hugely impacted the data, how do we ever know if what we are measuring is really accurate? I am not suggesting we ignore research or that all research is not valid by any means. However, I am suggesting that we assess in a variety of ways, and not make standardized tests and numbers our focus. Or instead of a one time assessment, like the RTI Model - have the assessments be tracked over a period of time so you can see the growth as well of a more realistic idea of what's going on.

Dee, T., & Jacob, B. (2010). Evaluating nclb. Education Next, (Summer 2010), 54-61.