Jack Jennings, Center on Education Policy
January 2003
Jack Jennings's Center on Education Policy is the source of this report, on the second year of NCLB, a useful service (underwritten by a quartet of foundations) that last month yielded this 240-page document. It does a respectable job of setting forth many relevant facts (as seen from the state education agency perspective) with the predictable amount of editorializing and rationalizing. Because most states responded to the project's survey, the report offers data not previously available. It has four main sections: general "perceptions" of NCLB; testing and accountability; public school choice and supplemental services; and teacher quality. A fifth chapter addresses lesser provisions (scientifically based research, Reading First, English language learners.) The headline version of all this is that states and districts are trying hard and want NCLB to succeed, but that it's painful and costly to implement correctly, mainly because of the huge number of schools being identified as "in need of improvement" (or "corrective action"). A particular grievance: the obligation to assess LEP and disabled youngsters on the same tests and hold them to the same standards is widely viewed as unrealistic. If this isn't dealt with in Washington, says Jennings, "There is a risk of losing the commitment of states and school districts to achieving the Act's goals." One bone to pick: in discussing why NCLB's public-school choice provisions are "rarely used," he fails to note the foot-dragging, resistance, and bureaucratic processes that are a major reason why few families are not yet exercising choice. Maybe that's because of where he got his information. In fact, this report might fairly be termed "NCLB as viewed by state education departments," because that's the perspective it takes and those are the agencies whose views the report's authors seem entirely uncritical of. Still, you'll find much timely information here. See for yourself at http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs/nclb_full_report_jan2003/nclb_full_report_jan2003.htm.
