The Challenge: For years the school system has measured success by how many dollars spent, how many computers and textbooks purchased and how many programs created. The measures of success have not focused on academic achievement.
The Solution: Measure school success by what really matters—whether or not children are learning well.
HOW NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ENSURES SCHOOLS GET RESULTS
It demands more value from the investment.
- Since 1966, American taxpayers have spent more than $321 billion on public education, yet the average reading scores for 17-year-olds have not improved since the 1970s.
- In 1998, 60 percent of twelfth graders were not reading at proficiency.
- One would expect that America would have finished the last century with all of her citizens, from business leaders to recent high school graduates, able to read. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
- No Child Left Behind puts information in the hands of every American, so they can take back ownership of the public's schools.
It holds schools accountable for academic achievement. All states must implement statewide accountability systems. These systems will:
- set academic standards in each content area for what students should know and be able to do;
- gather specific, objective data through tests aligned with those standards;
- use test data to identify strengths and weaknesses in the system;
- report school condition and progress to parents and communities;
- empower parents to take action based on school information;
- celebrate schools that make real progress; and
- direct changes in schools that need help.
It encourages confidence and parental and community involvement in education.
The more parents and taxpayers know about the academic achievement of their children and overall condition of schools, including safety and teacher quality, the more likely they will want to be involved in the schools and the public school system. Equipped with information on academic results, parents and community members can make better choices and decisions. No Child Left Behind requires states, school districts and schools to provide annual report cards on the following:
- student academic achievement disaggregated by subgroup;
- comparison of students at basic, proficient and advanced levels of academic achievement;
- graduation rates;
- professional qualifications of teachers;
- percentages of students not tested; and
- status if identified for school improvement.
It starts this year. Schools must show good performance now.
- Some low-performing schools will have to offer public school choice and supplemental services as early as Fall 2002.
- If a school fails to make yearly progress for two years and continues to fail after receiving special help and resources, then students are eligible to transfer to another public school with transportation provided. If a school continues to fail, disadvantaged students in these schools are also eligible for supplemental services such as tutoring, after-school help and summer school.
Download this fact sheet. (It is in PDF format.)
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Official U.S. Department of Education web site.