NCLB: The Trojan Horse of the 21st Century

Opinions and Thoughts of Robert C. McCracken

NCLB and Teaching

First here are some mandatory lessons about teaching!

NCLB Some Facts Some Opinion Some Reflective Activities

Pre-Assessment What do the letters NCLB stand for in

respect to a federal program? Is NCLB a new program? Who is in control of education, states

or the federal government? NCLB has the ability to declare a

school as a failed school? True or False

Pre- Assessment What is the term and measurement of

a school success under NCLB? What are penalties if a school does not

meet the expectations of NCLB? Can a teacher lose their job as a result

of NCLB expectations? Can the state take over a school that

does not meet the expectations of NCLB?

Some Facts History: Title I, Chapter I and ESEA Trojan Horse Example First Benchmark: Highly Qualified

Paraprofessionals Next Benchmark: First set of data

regarding schools failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress

Some Facts State Accountablility: AKA as

“Workbooks” Virginia’s “Workbook”; timeline issues First Set of Data release: Virginia’s

Issues Data Sets: Disaggregated Data

What does that mean?

Required Pass Rates (percent) Language Arts/Reading Passrates60.7 61.0 61.0 65.0 69.0 73.0 77.077.0

81.0 85.0 89.0 93.0 97.0 100% Mathematics58.4 59.0 59.0 63.0 67.0 71.0 75.0

79.0 83.0 87.0 91.0 95.0 100%

Some Facts In Virginia: SOL test results

Beginning in Grades 3, 5, 8 and End of Course (English and Math - Guess what else use to be included?)

At the end of 2005-06; 4 and 7 Addition of mathematics to middle school

grades Science in middle school and high school Attendance Graduation Rates

Some Facts the Nation: All the same subgroups In Implementation Goals of NCLB

100% All Subgroups by 2014 Virginia first goals: 58 Math and 61

English Failure of ANY subgroup at any time

MEANS “Failure to Make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)”

Some Facts Highly Qualified Professional

Personnel Who are they? Provisional Licensure Career Switchers Experienced Teachers

Staff Development: High Quality Staff Development

Some Facts School Improvement

AYP Issues Accreditation Issues

VaDOE Requirements and Funding

Some Facts Penalities: Failure to make AYP “Title I” and Non-Title I

Regardless; Public label is applied Supplemental Services School Choice Removal of Staff “responsible for the

failure” Reconstitution of the school

Some Facts Reopen as a Charter School Virginia’s Requirement for Charter

Schools Virginia’s Changing Issues and

Requirements Charter Schools in other states

Some Facts

More Facts from REAL People

Some Opinion Provisional Licenses no longer exist Local Licenses no longer exist Relationship to Special Education i.e.

“Highly Qualified”

Some Opinion Special education and NCLB will conflict in

court IF adjustments are not made, public schools

as currently defined and as we know them, will begin to disappear in 2014

What is the intent of the political agenda to implement Charter Schools and or Vouchers?

What is the outcome of implementation of Charter Schools and Vouchers?

NCLB and Testing

TESTING????

Some Reflection List five facts about NCLB that you were not

aware of prior to the presentation (if you knew it all, just list five facts)

List five facts that will affect your career by the year 2014

List five questions you would ask as a School Board Member when a Charter School application is presented to you.

Some Reflection List five arguments you would present to

defeat a Charter School application that will be competing for students in your school.

List five arguments you would present to support a Charter School application that will be competing for students in your current school.

Additional Discussion If you would like to have discussion

about NCLB, a blog has been established for you to share your thoughts.

http://runclb.blogspot.com/

Questions / Comments Questions Comments Thoughts Action Plans?