The Education Trust
2003
This 8-pager, subtitled "answers to common questions about the new No Child Left Behind Act," attempts to build enthusiasm for NCLB and to encourage strenuous efforts to comply with it by dispelling eleven "myths" about it. Because these myths (e.g. "student achievement goals...are impossible," "ESEA requires teachers to 'teach to the test'," states could lose their federal funding) are the sort that might be used to excuse failure or cynicism vis-??-vis NCLB, it's good to lay them to rest. In one or two cases, however, the authors split hairs in order to remain reassuring. For instance, one "myth" is that "Many schools will be declared 'failing schools' under ESEA." The EdTrust response is that "There is no such thing as a 'failing school' under ESEA," though the law does "recognize that some schools are in need of improvement, some schools need corrective action, and that persistently under-performing schools need to be restructured." It's not absolutely clear that a meaningful distinction can be drawn between a "failing" school and a "persistently under-performing" one. But it's better to err in this direction than the other, and this pamphlet is worth sharing with any state or local education officials whom you catch muttering words of despair, exasperation or dismay about the changes sought by NCLB. You can download a copy at http://www.edtrust.org/main/documents/ESEAmyth&real.pdf.
