Spring 2010 101 Research: Education Policy

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American Education Policy Research

Primary Sources

Bush's No Child Left Behind Act

This is the primary document of former President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. The link takes you to an index where different aspects of the Act can be viewed.

United States of America. U.S. Department of Education. Web. 01 May 2010. <http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/beginning.html#sec2>.

-Anastasia Economou

Obama's New Education Reform Blueprint

This source comes from President Barack Obama's most current plan for the reform of American Public Education. The plan outlines expectations and goals to be met by 2020 including creating programs so that all high schoolers will be either "college- or career-ready" by the time they graduate as well as expectations for teachers and new state assessments. This plan was implemented March 16th, 2010.

"A Blueprint for Reform." The U.S. Department of Education. Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. <http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf>

-Anastasia Economou

NCLB Act POV

Downfalls of No Child Left Behind

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A Social Worker explains what is missing from No Child Left Behind

Lagana-Riordan, Christine, and Jemel P. Aguilar. "What's Missing from no Child Left Behind? A Policy Analysis from a Social Work Perspective." Children & Schools 31.3 (2009): 135-44. Web.http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=13&sid=629edb95-13cf-4396-8dfa-b97521b56535%40sessionmgr10

This is an Analysis by a social worker that examines what parts of No Child Left Behind were lacking. The program is not accomplishing its goals, and is not improving education for disadvantaged students. The policy disregarded social and emotional risks that are harming students in school. It continues to talk about ways that the No Child Left Behind Act could have been improved.

-Samantha

Exclusions of No Child Left Behind

Harper, Candace A., Ester J. De Jong, and Elizabeth J. Platt. "Marginalizing English as a Second Language Teacher Expertise: The Exclusionary Consequence of no Child Left Behind." Language Policy 7.3 (2008): 267-84. Web.http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.foley.gonzaga.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&hid=106&sid=e664c59d-870a-467c-be4a-81741e5d06f9%40sessionmgr110

No Child Left Behind ignores that English as a Second Language is a specialized discipline of learning and should be treated as such. Schools with exceptionally high immigrant rates, such as California and Florida are pinned with a particularly difficult task.

-Samantha

Who is No Child Left Behind Leaving Behind??

Smyth, Theoni Soublis. "Who is no Child Left Behind Leaving Behind?" Clearing House 81.3 (2008): 133-7. Web. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=4&sid=b573cc49-20dc-453a-9041-0441a3c1fd6c%40sessionmgr13

The article outlines several reasons that NCLB failed. For example, the pressure that is put on testing takes away from the value of learning. Also, this act disregarded that fact that schools are not in fact even, and it is illogical to hold them to the same standards, and punish them. Some students suffered severely from this act.

-Samantha

Individuals with Disabilities act

The Individuals with Disabilities act is something that has been in the making for years. However, now that No Child Left Behind has come into play, it is being overpowered and undermined. The No CHild Left Behind Act does not consider the need of Deaf CHildren at all. This makes it so that they are pushed aside and treated poorly.

Moores, Donald F. "The no Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Acts: The Uneven Impact of Partially Funded Federal Mandates on Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children." American Annals of the Deaf 150.2 (2005): 75-80. Web. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=103&sid=99965e0b-0036-4f58-b9dd-64e218de6b54%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ufh&AN=17686489

-Samantha

Why the NCLB Act is Unsalvageable

This article actually answers our initial question (Can the NCLB Act be salvaged?) through one viewpoint of an author from Education Week. This is a little dated as well, (2007), but it goes to show how early NCLB began failing to serve the educational needs of students in this country.

Schaps, Eric. "Why the No Child Left Behind Act Is Unsalvageable." Education Week. Editorial Projects in Education, 8 May 2007. Web. 1 May 2010. <http://www.keepartsinschools.org/News/Materials/Education%20Week_%20Why%20the%20No%20Child%20Left%20Behind%20Act%20Is%20Unsalvage...pdf>.

-Anastasia Economou

Defense of No Child Left Behind

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Helping English Language Learners

No Child Left Behind put a pressure on teachers to bring ELL students up to par with their peers. Before their was a standard many ELL children fell through the cracks, but now that is not an option. WHile no Child Left Behind was intended for K-5 students, it has pored over to Pre-k kids as well. This has made it so that they are up to par and have a national standard before reaching Kindergarten.

Clemencia Cosentino de Cohen and Beatriz Chu Clewell. "No Child Left Behind Has Helped English Language Learners." At Issue: Has No Child Left Behind Been Good for Education?. Ed. Christina Fisanick. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. INLAN - Gonzaga University Library. 10 Apr. 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C21%2529%2Bno%2Bchild%2Bleft%2Bbehind%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R2&currentPosition=15&userGroupName=gonzagaufoley&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C21%29+no+child+left+behind%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010488208&docType=GSRC

-Samantha

New Information: Obama's Education Reform Policy POV

Criticism of Obama's Blueprint

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Teacher' Unions Slam Obama K-12 Budget Proposals

This article discusses the viewpoints of some of the K-12 teachers in public schools. One of their main arguments is that they feel that Obama is putting a lot of pressure and responsibility on teachers, with not enough latitude to teach students.

Sawchuk, Stephen. "Teachers' Unions Slam Obama K-12 Budget Proposals." Education Week. 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/03/17/27appropriations.h29.html?tkn=TSRF4ILYP5sVoNj9dR%2BQuT%2BRH2wxtSThEDDa&cmp=clp-edweek>.

-Anastasia Economou

Support for Obama's Blueprint

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Other Aspects of New NCLB Policies, and Reactions

This is a cnn.com article that further explains new details of NCLB. It talks about how local and state governments are being given more power to make decisions about their schools and how money is spent. An example of this is more power to pay "high performing" teachers more. However, teacher unions have reacted badly to this change, arguing that once again NCLB will put too much pressure and responsibility on teachers without giving them more authority and power in decision-making regarding schools.

"Education Chief Pitches No Child Rewrite Plan." CNN. 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/17/duncan.no.child/index.html?iref=allsearch

-Jenna :)

Interest Turns to ESEA Plan's Chances of Passing

This article came out before Obama's blueprint was acted on, discussing one author's viewpoint about how the blueprint will do. Though it is slightly dated by now, it does provide insight about Obama's hopes for the new education reform.

Klein, Alyson. "Interest Turns to ESEA Plan's Chances of Passing." Education Week. Editorial Projects in Education, 15 Mar. 2010. Web. 1 May 2010. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/03/15/27eseareax.h29.html?tkn=STUFRFR6yR+v3Y5CpLGvX8KLO2RvbBS+aecq&cmp=clp-edweek>.

-Anastasia Economou

Promotional Videos Regarding Obama's Education Reform

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Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, explains new policies

This is a video from cnn.com where Arne Duncan, Education Secretary, gives a basic explanation of the new NCLB policies. He says that at its most basic level, NCLB has good intentions in the sense that it aims to implement accountability in schools and force them to provide measurable data that illustrates where students lie on a learning continuum. However, he says that while accountability is important, NCLB is too "cookie-cutter" and fails to recognize that you can't compare all schools on the same scale. Schools in different areas of the country have different needs. Therefore, the new NCLB policies will reflect this concept and ask schools that they show improvement, not that they necessarily fit a national-standard.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/17/sot.duncan.education.reform.cnn?iref=allsearch

-Jenna Grabarek :)

President Obama on Education Reform

This video is of Obama's weekly address from early March. In the address, Obama talks specifically about the education system in America and how we have fallen behind other countries. He uses his competitive tone to convey to his listeners that we need to reform the way we educate our the future generations of this country.

Obama, Barack. "Obama Focuses on Education Reform in Weekly Address." Video blog post. CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., 13 Mar. 2010. Web. 1 May 2010. <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/13/obama-focuses-on-education-reform-in-weekly-address/?iref=allsearch&fbid=GjAFjnwxrEp>.

-Anastasia Economou

NEA Education Reform

NEA Develops Plan to Reform NCLB

This article from Education Week describes the National Education Association's ideas for a new plan that differ from President Obama's new blueprint and from the NCLB Act. It presents a few new ways to look at our system, so definitely take a look!

Sawchuk, Stephen. "NEA Plan for Rewriting NCLB Departs From Obama's." Education Week. 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/04/13/29nea.h29.html?tkn=ZPMFssZ0Cog4FP%2BjaT8HhwagdJnAn41Bqm8d&cmp=clp-edweek>.

-Anastasia Economou

New Final Paper Research

NPR interview with Arne Duncan

This is an interview with the US Secretary of Education found by Ms. Pajer. Duncan answers questions from listeners and it is very thorough. "Duncan Prescribes Drastic Measures for Schools." Interview by Neal Conan. National Public Radio. 19 Apr. 2010. Radio. -Jenna

Accepting Moderation

This author makes the argument that moderation is necessary for reform, which fits in with Obama's current reform laws that are not drastically different from NCLB. This could be an interesting direction to go in, seeing that dramatic change isn't necessarily what's best. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=12&hid=107&sid=4a5fc503-bb29-499b-ba14-347ce6eb12cb%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=47582173 -Jenna

Our obsession with Accountability

This journal article talks about how the US is too focused on accountability measurement and not enough so on improving teachers and schools Derthick, Martha, and Joshua M. Dunn. "False Premises: The Accountability Fetish in Education." Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 32.3 (2009): 1015-034. EBSCOhost. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. -Jenna

Teacher Seniority?

This is a very recent NY Times article about a city in New York that proposed a bill to change how teachers are laid off. Currently we do so based on seniority, not teacher performance. Medina, Jennifer. "Last Teacher In, First Out? City Has Another Idea." The New York Times. 24 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2010. -Jenna

Comparing us to other countries

This article takes a look at other country's education systems and how we can utilize their successful tactics that don't overfocus on standardization. Hargreaves, Andy, and Dennis Shirley. "Beyond Standardization: Powerful New Principles for Improvement." Phi Delta Kappan 90.2 (2008): 135-43. EBSOhost. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. -Jenna

Accountability

This is the government's website about NCLB and accountability USA. US Department of Education. Ed.gov. Web. 10 Apr. 2010. <http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/states/index.html>. -Jenna