In June, Gadfly voiced some skepticism when the Department of Education announced with great fanfare that it had approved the NCLB accountability plans of all fifty states, as well as the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We noted that the "victory" was at best pyrrhic, since many states cut corners to comply and at least one (Iowa) was approved despite lacking state standards. [See http://www.edexcellence.net/gadfly/issue.cfm?issue=2#57.] Well, we now learn that the Education Department has sent follow-up letters to numerous states detailing what they must do for their accountability plans to be "fully approved." In fact, only five state plans were fully approved as of July 1. In addition, some states that thought they were in compliance have had Title I money withheld because of continued problems with their plans. Minnesota, for example, was denied $113,000 because the feds declined to honor a March 2002 waiver that would have allowed the state to use attendance and graduation rates for middle and high schools to determine whether they were making adequate yearly progress. The bottom line is that, before anyone can declare victory, more work awaits.
"'Approved' is relative term for ed. department," by Lynn Olson, Education Week, August 6, 2003
"Minnesota schools: Feds yank $113,000 from state coffers," by John Welbes, Pioneer Press, August 2, 2003