Monday, June 12, 2006

More folks looking at NCLB as a deeply flawed policy instrument

Utah is officially adopting state legislation that preferences state standards over NCLB. Many states are moving to lower proficiency standards because NCLB expectations for 100% proficiency for all groups is unachievable.

"In some ways it's creating a race to the bottom," [Michael Petrilli of the Fordham Foundation] said. States are obliging schools' and parents' requests to make the tests easy enough to achieve "socially acceptable" pass rates, he said.

How do we keep the best of NCLB - the notation that all kids deserve a good education and that we should be able to know that they are getting it - without the ugly incentive to dumb things down?

Chris

I'm off to chaperon a bunch of middle and high school choristers on a 10 day tour. Back on the 22nd of June.

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