Under the sweeping powers of the No Child Left Behind act, tens of thousands of schools across the nation may risk losing funding because their students do not score high enough on standardized tests. If a school has two consecutive years of failure to improve on scores, the school becomes labeled "Needing improvement" and may face everything from replacement of teachers to giving parents the right to move their children to other schools to a complete school closing. This plan, however, does not address any of the problems it should be focusing on and will cause more harm in the long run.
If there is a real problem with scores dropping below average, the solution is not to decrease funding and remove teachers. The schools that need the most help should not be punished; removing teachers and allowing students to relocate will only exacerbate the problem. Struggling schools need more money to improve, and the teachers and students who are there should be encouraged to stay and help the school through its rough time.
Many times, schools cannot improve on test scores. Fluctuating grades exist because there is high turnover in schools, and each class is different from the last. Since only a two-year period is being judged, many things can go wrong. If scores are exceedingly high one year, there will obviously be a regression, and no one is to blame. Test scores that drop slightly are judged with the same weight as scores that are drastically below average and have never been any good.
Then, too, the necessity and validity of standardized testing is questionable. All too often, teachers craft their lessons with the aim of getting their students to pass the test, not getting them to learn the material, and extra time is spent only on issues that directly relate to these exams. Since the government wants to make sure that tests relate to how much funding a school gets, the teachers have no choice, and education suffers. Students who learn only to do well on a test are not as well suited for higher education as those who have learned through other methods.
When scores become more important than actual learning, everyone suffers. Some students test better than others, and to judge everyone on the same scale is counterproductive. What makes the act even more questionable is the distinction between racial and demographic groups. The act stipulates that each separate racial and demographic group must show improvement every year, so that if any group does not succeed, the government has an excuse to call the school a failure. The separations only hurt the school, increasing animosity and creating factions.
At the root of this issue is the inherent problem of federal governments imposing beaurocratic ideals. The Republican party, which has traditionally stood for smaller government and more power to states - especially over educational issues - has intruded too far. This solution will only create more problems, and it shows how out of touch with the issues of schools the government actually is. A failing school should not be punished, as it will only continue or even speed up the downward spiral.
The No Child Left Behind act has too many faults to adequately provide what it promises. The possible pitfalls are too numerous, and it fails to provide a way for schools to improve.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
