Spring 2010 101 Research: Education Policy

American Education Policy Research

NCLB Act

Critical Viewpoints

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

---

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"

New Information

Supportive Viewpoints

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.

<<http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf>> -Anastasia Economou

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 :)

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.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/17/duncan.no.child/index.html?iref=allsearch -Jenna :)