Last night, in his final State of the Union Address, President Bush briefly laid out his recommendations for education and the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). If you got up to get a beverage or let the dog out, you may have missed the time devoted to education. Luckily, more information was provided on the White House Web site.
The following is a summary of the President's proposals with ASCD's analysis:
President Bush has called for increasing flexibility for states and districts to help turn around their struggling schools by allowing them to tailor interventions to each school and to measure individual students' achievement growth over time.
ASCD welcomes the opportunity for flexibility and for local schools to choose the best intervention for improvement. We have long advocated for that flexibility and local decision making. As educators, we know the best approach in Sacramento may differ from that in Sarasota. No Child Left Behind did not include this flexibility or the recognition that student growth from year-to-year is a valid measure of learning. We hope the Congress and administration will adjust NCLB accordingly.
The President has proposed helping more students take advantage of NCLB's free tutoring by ensuring that districts notify parents when their children are eligible for services and by requiring school districts to use the full amount of federal funds set aside for tutoring and school choice. The President has also proposed increasing resources for School Improvement Grants that support implementation of improvement plans in troubled schools.
More resources for improving troubled schools is not a new concept; however, one of the biggest complaints by educators is the insufficient resources that have accompanied NCLB. Further requirements a school to remove money from one program to fund another program does not necessarily lead to a better result. By providing more money for tutoring and school choice, President Bush is taking a positive step, but it is a small step in a long race. Furthermore, we need to ensure that federal funds go to proven programs with highly qualified teachers, or to programs that are required to comply with the same requirements as public schools. This is not always the case.
The President has proposed increasing our investment in the Teacher Incentive Fund to reward teachers who successfully raise student achievement in low-income schools.
ASCD applauds the President for advocating more money to support the Teacher Incentive Fund. We continue to believe that teachers who serve hard to staff schools should be rewarded. Unfortunately, unions too often stand in the way of rewarding those teachers who take on the hardest tasks. Effective incentive programs have worked in South Carolina and other states. They work when they are locally developed and supported with federal resources. We encourage ASCD Educators Advocates to work hard to make sure this opportunity is available to help troubled schools attract the best educators.
To make sure our children graduate prepared for the jobs of the 21st century, the President has proposed increasing accountability in our high schools, expanding access to Advanced Placement courses, and strengthening math and science education. His Adjunct Teacher Corps would allow math and science professionals to bring real-life experience to the classroom as part-time teachers.
Although we agree with the President and believe more must be done to decrease the drop-out rate, we are concerned about increased accountability for high schools and need to see what that entails. Merely increasing testing or sanctions will not improve our high schools or better prepare our children for the 21st Century. We are losing kids in high school because they are not challenged or engaged and do not see the relevance to their work. Legislation like the GRADUATES Act-which includes flexibility for educators, opportunities for personalized learning for students, collaboration with businesses, and alternative learning schedules and times to ensure relevant learning experiences-would make a significant difference in high schools. More accountability or tests would not.
President Bush has called on Congress to fund $800 million of scholarships for 21st Century Learning Opportunities. These scholarships will give parents the opportunity to enroll their children in high-quality after school and summer school programs aimed at increasing student achievement, including programs run by faith-based and community organizations.
The proven 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program offers students alternative and extended learning options before and after school. At this point, it appears the President is proposing a duplicative program. Rather than create a new program that exclusively funds faith-based and community organizations, we believe the $800 million could be put into the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, accomplishing the same objective.
The President has proposed the Pell Grants for Kids Program to support state and local efforts to increase educational options for low-income K-12 students enrolled in the Nation's most troubled public schools. Under the program, students in chronically underperforming schools could use scholarships to pay tuition, fees, and other education-related expenses at higher-performing out-of-district public schools or nearby private or faith-based schools.
No matter what you call it, this is a voucher that sends public school dollars to unregulated private schools. As public policy, vouchers are a failure. The few limited experiments around the country, including those in Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the District of Columbia, have proven that student achievement does not increase but waste and abuse does. It is time to look beyond this tired approach.
In the coming year, it is likely that proposals to reauthorize No Child Left Behind will be introduced and may even see some action at the committee level. Given the contentious nature of this legislation and the compressed congressional time frame, though, it is unlikely that final action will happen in 2008. However, ASCD continues to work with the Congress as proposals move forward.
