When President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind law in early 2002, school officials knew the hammer would drop eventually.
Now, thousands of U.S. schools, including 16 in Colorado, are in various phases of “restructuring” because they’ve failed to meet the law’s requirements for reading and math for five consecutive years. (Some schools’ test scores were measured under a previous federal law, which is why they may be rated unsatisfactory for five or more years, even though NCLB was enacted four years ago.)
If a school continues to fail children year after year, something needs to be done to change what’s going on inside the classrooms – no matter how painful it may seem to teachers, parents or students.
Federal law requires that if a school doesn’t make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years in math or reading, it must create an improvement plan.
If an improvement plan doesn’t generate significant gains after two years, a school must approve a corrective action plan – a serious restructuring – to be implemented in the sixth year of subpar scores.
In Colorado, 13 schools are in the “restructuring plan” phase, while three in Denver – Ford and Remington elementary schools and Skinner Middle School – are being restructured this year.
Federal law gives states options for restructuring schools: firing principals and teachers; converting schools to charters, implementing new curriculum; turning the school over to the state or private companies; or closing. (Under Colorado’s “local control” education system, school districts take the lead role on school restructuring.)
The NCLB law and its requirement for adequate yearly progress have been criticized as blunt instruments that aren’t right for dealing with complex educational and social problems.
But they do have the beneficial effect of putting a spotlight on underperforming schools, which often were ignored in the past.
And educators should remember they do have options for upgrading such schools.
Districts also shouldn’t be afraid to make drastic decisions if a situation calls for it.
Fear about public reaction to changes like mass firings or closed schools may lead many schools to less-drastic measures, like revamping curriculum.
But troubled schools need to be improved, and both moderate and bold changes will only work if implemented with careful planning and full support from school boards, districts and the state.
