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Commission on NCLB: Recommendations Released in Washington, D.C.On Tuesday, February 13, the Commission on No Child Left Behind released, "Beyond NCLB, Fulfilling the Promise to our Nation's Children," a 220-page report of recommendations for the reauthorization of NCLB. The committee's co-chairs, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson and Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, held a press conference in the U.S. capitol with the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees, Rep. Miller and Sen. Kennedy, respectively. The report outlined seven major topics derived from 75 recommendations. 1. Effective Teachers for All Students, Effective Principals for All Communities 2. Accelerating Progress and Closing Achievement Gaps Through Improved Accountability 3. Moving Beyond the Status Quo to Effective School Improvement and Student Options 4. Fair and Accurate Assessments of Student Progress 5. High Standards for Every Student in Every State 6. Ensuring High Schools Prepare Students for College and the Workplace 7. Driving Progress Through Reliable, Accurate Data Specifics related to the Highly Qualified Effective Teachers (HQET) recommendation would require states to put in place systems for measuring the learning gains of students through a value added methodology that would be a combination of achievement test results, principal reviews, and teacher peer reviews. Improving teacher quality has become a sore spot with both teachers unions and conservatives. Chester E. Finn of Stanford's Hoover Institute and Michael Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation characterized the HQET recommendation as "Orwellian" and likely to keep talented individuals out of the classroom. The NEA responded with its own "Five Reasons to Oppose the Highly Qualified Effective Teacher Mandate." They object to the use of standardized test scores to determine efficacy while not taking into account the poor working conditions that many teachers in Title I schools face daily. Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
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