Five Proposed Changes to No Child Left Behind

Information provided by EducationNews.org.

Beyond the likely name revision, here are five key changes that the Obama administration is proposing:

• The goal of student proficiency in reading and math by 2014 would change to a standard of “college and career readiness” for students by 2020. As 2014 has approached, it’s become clear that the proficiency goal won’t be reached in that time frame. With the new goal, administration officials are focusing less on grade-level attainment and more on the skills that students will need for school or work after high school.

• Although reading and math tests would remain in the administration’s proposal, schools could also include student performance in other subjects as part of overall measurements of progress. Critics say that the current education law has narrowed the curriculum for students: Many teachers zero in on math and reading at the expense of other subjects to help students prepare for the required tests.

• Evaluations of schools would shift, being less punitive and offering more rewards. A common complaint of No Child Left Behind is that it labels too many schools as simply failing. The new proposal sets forth a multi tiered system: One tier would identify the 5 percent of schools struggling the most in each state, while other tiers would apply to schools facing less-severe challenges. Different remedies are outlined for different tiers in the blueprint.

• More federal funding would be switched from formula-based allocations to competitive grants. The new system would build on the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program, which has offered stimulus money to states that both apply for the education funds in a competition and demonstrate a reform-oriented approach. That setup has encouraged states to adopt more reforms promoted by the US Education Department.

• Schools that miss certain targets would not be required by the federal government to provide students with tutoring or with the option to transfer. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has objected to such requirements in No Child Left Behind, according to Education Week.

One thing that would remain; annual tests in reading and math.