No Schools Are Spared as 'No Child’ Wreaks Its Havoc
Today, on its front page, the New York Times had a story about a school in Sacramento California that has, until now, not missed a testing target since the federal No Child Left Behind law took effect in 2002. The law requires every American school to bring all students to proficiency in reading and math by 2014.
The school contains a wide array of students — Hispanics, blacks, Asians, whites, American Indians, Filipinos, Pacific Islanders, English learners, the disabled. Over all, the number of its students passing tough statewide tests had increased by more than three percentage points annually, a solid record.
But this year, California schools were required to make what experts call a gigantic leap. They had to increase the students proficient in every group by 11 percentage points. For the first time, this school fell short. They are, by no means, alone. This year, about half the state’s 9,800 schools fell short. The failure results in probation and, unless reversed, federal sanctions within a year.They are, by no means, alone. This year, about half the state’s 9,800 schools fell short.
Across the nation, far more schools failed to meet the federal law’s testing targets than in any previous year. The problem is due in part to the fact that officials chose to require only minimal gains in the first years after the law passed and then very rapid annual gains later. One researcher likens it to the balloon payments that can sink homebuyers.
Part of the reason for the troubles was that the states gambled the law would have been softened when it came up for reauthorization in 2007. However, as with so much else in Washington, efforts to change it stalled. This year Congress made no organized attempt to reconsider the law. With the nation facing urgent challenges, including two wars and economic turmoil, it could be a year or more before the new president can work with Congress to rewrite the law.
A study by Richard Cardullo, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, which was published Sept. 26 in the journal Science, found that the proportion of students scoring at or above proficiency increased, on average, less than four percentage points annually from 2003 to 2007, far short of the 11 percentage points of annual growth required starting this year.
And California is not unique. A state-by-state analysis by The New York Times found that in the 40 states reporting on their compliance so far this year, on average, 4 in 10 schools fell short of the law’s testing targets. Ironically, states with higher standards have been punished since their children face more difficult testing. As a result, in states with easy exams, like Wisconsin and Mississippi, few schools missed the target. But in states with tough tests such as Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Mexico, 60 to 70 percent of schools missed testing goals.
Education has barely been discussed in the current election. Nevertheless, it is a critical issue and one more enormous challenge that the current administration has ensured will have to be dealt with by the new president.
