Schools Near Target Would Get a Break
By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Sanctions would be eased for some schools that narrowly miss academic targets in a pilot program the Education Department announced yesterday, marking a significant shift for enforcement of the No Child Left Behind law.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, using her administrative authority, said she will allow 10 states to move away from the 2002 law's "pass-fail" system, which makes no distinction between a school in which many students fail reading and math tests and one that misses targets because a few students fall short. She said the pilot will allow states to focus on schools with students that need the most help.
"It's appropriate to make sure that every kid, or darn near every kid, in those on-fire schools, those chronic under-performers, get that help," Spellings said yesterday as she met with officials in Minnesota. "Conversely, kids who are soaring . . . and meeting expectations at those schools that are within range, they probably don't need the resources invested there."
The new program addresses a frequent complaint about the federal law. Educators nationwide say that it is unfair to impose the same consequences -- and the same label -- on schools that almost meet goals as schools with serious problems.
The law requires entire schools and subsets of students, including ethnic minorities and students from poor families, to make gains in reading and math over time. Certain schools that fail to meet those benchmarks are required to provide tutoring or offer the chance to transfer to a higher-performing school; some that fall short repeatedly can face stronger interventions, including mandatory restructuring. The Spellings initiative would give states some flexibility in applying interventions.
A Maryland State Department of Education spokesman said the state would be "first in line to apply." D.C. and Virginia education officials said they are looking into the program.
Congress is debating reauthorization of the law. Jeff Simering, legislative director for the Washington-based Council of the Great City Schools, said he worries that urban schools will continue to face sanctions while suburban schools will get a break.
"We're fearful that central-city schools will be the ones that wind up with the consequences," Simering said.
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