No Child Left Behind: D.C. Test Scores

More than half of the District's public schools -- and all but two of its high schools -- failed to meet test-score benchmarks in the federal 'No Child Left Behind' law for two years in a row, according to a list that D.C. officials were expected to release Monday.

The law requires that students at those schools be given the option of transferring to other public schools in the city. But with such a long list of failing schools, it is unclear how this provision can be implemented.

Dr. William Cartij, assistant superintendent for Educational Accountability and Assessment and Dr. Wilma Bonner, executive director of Academic Programs -- both of D.C. public schools -- were online Tuesday, Aug. 3., at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the findings and the options for students.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Thank you for this opportunity to share information regarding implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 in the District of Columbia Public Schools with our parents and community members. Please be reminded to log on to our Web site for additional information at District of Columbia Public Schools
We hope this dialogue will be helpful.

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Southeast, Washington, D.C.: This question is for Dr. Bonner:

Dr. Bonner, what do you think are some of the factors that are causing this trend of schools who were once praised for academia (Eastern, Wilson, Dunbar, Hardy, etc.) to be criticized for not having even satisfactory performance on a basic reading/math test?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: These schools continue to provide rigorous curricula for our students. However, NCLB mandates that all students perform at the same level. In some of these schools, while the overall performance is high, some students in subgroups did not meet all of the targets. For example, overall performance at Hardy Middle School continues to be very high. However, students did not meet targets for one subgroup.

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Cincinnati, Ohio: It is this country's best kept education secret: teachers for decades have largely ignored some populations of students in their teaching. A second item concerns the quality of teachers: traditionally, students in college not making it in other course work often wound up as education majors ... since education was considered to be slam dunk ... Now the cumulative effect of low expectations, not-always-talented teaching and a change in parent attitude toward their responsibility for the education of children have overwhelmed us. Shifting children around from one 'bad' school to another 'good' one obviously cannot work. The real answer is to make all schools 'good', staffed by 'good' teachers who teach 'good' students with 'good' academic achievement. Is this a realistic goal for national education?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: It is indeed a realistic and appropriate goal to expect all students to receive a quality education from highly qualified teachers. More focus is being placed on professional development to ensure that the academic needs of all students are being met. In addition, school systems across the country, including DCPS, are working more closely with universities in providing substantive and relevant experiences for students preparing to become teachers.

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Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.: Isn't the district out of compliance with NCLB by not offering the transfer option to all students in low performing schools? What discussions have you had with the education department about this? This seems to be breaking the federal law.

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: We have had discussions with the U.S. Department of Education regarding the dilemma of not having space for all students to take advantage of the Choice Transfer Option. Like many school districts around the country, we have had to examine other options in order to meet the mandates. One of the options that we have employed is to provide supplemental services for schools that are in their first year of "in need of improvement" status rather than waiting to provide the services in the mandatory second year. We have also provided parents with information about charter schools and the Washington Scholarship Fund regarding enrollment options outside of the District of Columbia Public School System.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi,

What exactly does the No Child Left Behind Act say? What do children have to achieve to be seen as living up to it? What happens if they don't? Is it only for public schools or do private schools have to do it too? Thanks.

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Please see our Web site at www.k12.dc.us for information regarding the requirements of NCLB. Also see the U.S. Department of Education (Department of Education's Web site).
However, in general the law mandates that all students, who attend public schools that receive federal funds under Title I, receive a high quality education as evidenced by their performance on standardized tests. The law also mandates that students are taught by teachers who are highly qualified as indicated by degrees from accredited institutions, successful completion of national teacher exams, and other certification criteria. Other mandates of the law include safe and drug free schools, regular student attendance, and high graduation rates from high schools.

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Washington, D.C.: Have you done any forecasting of realistic or optimistic projections of how many D.C. schools will be failing (or taken over) by 2014 if the current level of improvement continues or increases somewhat? My guess is that it would be nearly all the schools as the AYP targets continue to rise. What on earth will happen then?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: You are correct, the requirements of NCLB are a challenge. However, we will continue to focus on accelerating student achievement. In order to meet the requirements of NCLB, achievement must increase at a faster rate.

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Olney, Md.: This situation proves to me even more strongly that the Bush administration needs to go. They couldn't possibly expect that schools on the whole would pass their rigid guidelines and standards in just a few years. Yes, students should be able to read at their grade level, but it's not that easy. If the policy does not work in practice, it must be changed. Is there a plan to revamp, or all together do away with, NCLB?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: To our knowledge there is no plan to revamp or do away with NCLB. Now that we have two years of data, we're hopeful that the entire city will focus on the urgency of ensuring that all students receive a quality education that is funded for success. As we look at data from across the country, we have no doubt that policy makers will begin to reevaluate some of the tenets of the law.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm interested in your opinion of private sector assistance in the high schools. What are the pros and cons of companies such as Kaplan, Princeton Review, etc?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Both Kaplan and Princeton are on the DCPS list of approved providers of tutorial services (supplemental services). Both organizations and the twenty-five other service providers have demonstrated success in improving student achievement. We urge all parents of eligible students in schools "in need of improvement" to take advantage of these opportunities. Please call 202-442-5637 for more information.

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SE D.C.: There are special academies in many of the high schools -- do you track the different test results for the different academies (schools within a school)? How can the public and in particular a parent, get that information?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: For the most part, the data for academies are not reported separately. However, the data for the academies at Dunbar and Woodson senior high schools are reported separately. You may call the Senior High School Division at 442-5100 for more specific information.

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Santa Monica, Calif.: What resources do you think are required in order to improve academic achievement in the District of Columbia?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Sustained professional development that is linked to student performance is critical. As schools are evaluated on the performance of students in reading and math, it is critical that teachers have skills and knowledge of how to teach reading across the curriculum. Other strategies that DCPS is examining include: quarterly assessments, challenging, common and prescriptive curricula, and a robust parent and community involvement program.

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Brookland, Washington, D.C.: In order to be a supplemental service provider for D.C. students, do you have to provide remedial services?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: The purpose of supplemental services is to provide increased and targeted remedial instruction to improve student performance. Each provider that was selected by the State Educational Agency was required to demonstrate its effectiveness in improving student achievement.

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Washington, D.C.: How come parents that have their children in D.C. Public Schools were not notified about this problem? I had to read about it in the newspaper.

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: The purpose of the news release was to inform parents and the community of the upcoming notification. Letters to parents of students enrolled in schools "in need of improvement" are being mailed this week. The letters provide detailed information on transfer and supplemental service options. Parents can apply for available spaces from August 9-August 21. Please call 202-442-5200 for additional information on transfers; call 202-442-5637 for information on supplemental services.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Is there any inclination from DCPS to push for expanding the "standards" on which schools are judged to include items other than test scores (i.e., portfolios, apprenticeships, etc)?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: NCLB mandates that "high quality education" be determined by the performance of students on standardized test. However, there is a concern regarding giving one test to measure the success of all students.

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Northwest D.C.: This question is for Bill Caritj: What are the highest-rated schools in the District, based on this test?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: We are reluctant to try to provide a complete list for fear of leaving off a high performing school. However, if you refer to our Web site (District of Columbia Public Schoolss), all of the schools making adequate yearly progress (AYP) are listed. It is important to note that many high performing schools did not make AYP due to the performance of one or more subgroups. Therefore, it is critical that we find ways to meet the needs of all of our students.

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SW Washington, D.C.: When will parents be informed about the statistics for the low testing schools and options?

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Test scores of all schools are provided on our Web site (www.k12.dc.usDistrict of Columbia Public Schools). Parents of students enrolled in schools that have been designated as "in need of improvement" will receive a packet in the mail containing information about parental options by the close of this week.

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Lansing, Mich. (Wilson HS Alum):
I was surprised to see my alma mater (Woodrow Wilson HS) listed as failing. What, specifically, needs to happen to bring it up to standards. Is there a way for those of us who'd like to help to donate money or services directly to the school to help out? -- While I'm asking about Wilson, I'm sure alums of other schools have a similar interest]

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Wilson Senior High School Tigers continue to be high performing students, in general. However, under NCLB all students must meet the same rigorous standards. Test results demonstrate that it is critical that we find ways to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
The Wilson PTA and the Wilson Alumni Association can be contacted through the school at 202-282-0120.

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Washington, D.C.: Why don't you keep some of the teachers you are laying off and lay off some of the administrators? THIS would help the students more. Administrators are too far removed from the problem to even understand it, in my opinion.

Dr. William Cartij and Dr. Wilma Bonner: Thank you for your observation. However, budget restraints force us to make painful cuts.

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Dr. Wilma Bonner: Thank you for joining us. We hope the information was useful. Don't forget to visit our Web site at District of Columbia Public Schools for more information about NCLB and DCPS in general!

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