[Home and School] States Have More Schools Falling Behind

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:20:11 EST

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States Have More Schools  Falling Behind
By Paul Basken
Bloomberg News
Wednesday, March 29, 2006;  A17
More than a quarter of U.S. schools are failing under terms of  President=20
Bush's No Child Left Behind law, according to preliminary  state-by-state=20
statistics reported to the U.S. Department of  Education.=20
At least 24,470 U.S. public schools, or 27 percent of the  national total,=20
did not meet the federal requirement for "adequate yearly  progress" in=20
2004-2005. The percentage of failing schools rose by one point from  the pre=
vious=20
school year. Under the 2002 law, schools that do not make  sufficient academ=
ic=20
progress face penalties including the eventual replacement  of their=20
administrators and teachers.=20
The results raise doubts about whether the law is working and  its results=20
are fairly calculated, said Michael Petrilli, vice president for  policy at=20=
the=20
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a Washington-based research  group.=20
"Most people thought that at this point in the law, we'd be  seeing these=20
numbers go way, way up" as standards toughen, said Petrilli, a  former Educa=
tion=20
Department official who helped implement the law in  2002.=20
Bush achieved rare bipartisan support to get the No Child Left  Behind law=20
passed as part of his first-term agenda. Since then, the law has  become a=20
subject of dispute, with Democrats accusing Republicans of providing  insuff=
icient=20
money for it.=20
At the same time, there is evidence that states may be  manipulating the=20
numbers, Petrilli said. He cited Oklahoma, where the percentage  of failing=20
schools dropped to 3 percent from 25 percent a year  earlier.=20
Under the law's "adequate yearly progress" measurements, states  are require=
d=20
to show improvement in student test scores in reading and math. If  they do=20
not do so for two consecutive years, individual schools must let  students=20
transfer to another school. After a third year, schools must pay for  tutori=
ng for=20
students from low-income families. Some states have complained that  the=20
federal government has not provided enough funding to cover costs such as =20
tutoring.=20
The 2004-2005 rankings are just "one thing out of many things"  that need to=
=20
be considered when judging schools, said Chad Colby, a spokesman  for the=20
Education Department. A set of federal tests, the National Assessment of =20
Educational Progress, gives policymakers another indication of scholastic =20
achievement, Colby said.=20
The true test of the No Child Left Behind law will come in  2013-2014, when=20
schools are required to bring all students to proficiency in  math and readi=
ng,=20
he said.=20
The Bush administration has expressed satisfaction with the rate  of=20
improvement under No Child Left Behind. Secretary of Education Margaret  Spe=
llings, in=20
testimony last month before the Senate's education committee,  cited=20
statistics such as 9-year-olds making more progress in reading over the  pas=
t five=20
years than in the previous 28 years combined.=20
The law, however, allows states to adjust both their tests and  the formulas=
=20
by which they calculate "adequate yearly progress," leaving parents  and=20
policymakers unable to make definite conclusions about such numbers,  analys=
ts=20
including Petrilli said.=20
"These stats are meaningless in the absence of a common test and  common=20
standards," said Diane Ravitch, a New York University professor who was  an=20
assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush.=20
Among individual states, Florida placed last with 72 percent of  its schools=
=20
failing to show enough improvement, while Oklahoma led, according to  the=20
Education Department statistics provided to Bloomberg News. Rhode Island  ra=
nked=20
second behind Oklahoma with 5 percent failing, with Iowa at 6 percent,  Mont=
ana=20
at 7 percent and New Hampshire, Tennessee and Wisconsin at 8  percent.=20
At the other end, Hawaii ranked second-worst with 66 percent of  its schools=
=20
failing to improve. Washington, D.C., came in third-worst with 60  percent,=20
followed by Nevada at 56 percent and New Mexico at 53  percent.=20
Different states were required to submit the statistics to the  Education=20
Department by March 8. Federal officials plan to verify them and  incorporat=
e=20
them into an annual report to Congress later this year, Colby  said.=20
=A9 2006 The  Washington Post Company
=20

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<DIV style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 165px"></DIV>States Have More=
 Schools=20
Falling Behind 
By Paul Basken Bloomberg News Wednesday, March 29,=20=
2006;=20
A17 

More than a quarter of U.S. schools are failing under term=
s of=20
President Bush's No Child Left Behind law, according to preliminary=20
state-by-state statistics reported to the U.S. Department of=20
Education.
At least 24,470 U.S. public schools, or 27 percent of the=20
national total, did not meet the federal requirement for "adequate yearly=20
progress" in 2004-2005. The percentage of failing schools rose by one point=20=
from=20
the previous school year. Under the 2002 law, schools that do not make=20
sufficient academic progress face penalties including the eventual replaceme=
nt=20
of their administrators and teachers.
The results raise doubts about whether the law is working=20=
and=20
its results are fairly calculated, said Michael Petrilli, vice president for=
=20
policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a Washington-based research=20
group.
"Most people thought that at this point in the law, we'd b=
e=20
seeing these numbers go way, way up" as standards toughen, said Petrilli, a=20
former Education Department official who helped implement the law in=20
2002.
Bush achieved rare bipartisan support to get the No Child=20=
Left=20
Behind law passed as part of his first-term agenda. Since then, the law has=20
become a subject of dispute, with Democrats accusing Republicans of providin=
g=20
insufficient money for it.
At the same time, there is evidence that states may be=20
manipulating the numbers, Petrilli said. He cited Oklahoma, where the percen=
tage=20
of failing schools dropped to 3 percent from 25 percent a year=20
earlier.
Under the law's "adequate yearly progress" measurements, s=
tates=20
are required to show improvement in student test scores in reading and math.=
 If=20
they do not do so for two consecutive years, individual schools must let=20
students transfer to another school. After a third year, schools must pay fo=
r=20
tutoring for students from low-income families. Some states have complained=20=
that=20
the federal government has not provided enough funding to cover costs such a=
s=20
tutoring.
The 2004-2005 rankings are just "one thing out of many thi=
ngs"=20
that need to be considered when judging schools, said Chad Colby, a spokesma=
n=20
for the Education Department. A set of federal tests, the National Assessmen=
t of=20
Educational Progress, gives policymakers another indication of scholastic=20
achievement, Colby said.
The true test of the No Child Left Behind law will come in=
=20
2013-2014, when schools are required to bring all students to proficiency in=
=20
math and reading, he said.
The Bush administration has expressed satisfaction with th=
e rate=20
of improvement under No Child Left Behind. Secretary of Education Margaret=20
Spellings, in testimony last month before the Senate's education committee,=20
cited statistics such as 9-year-olds making more progress in reading over th=
e=20
past five years than in the previous 28 years combined.
The law, however, allows states to adjust both their tests=
 and=20
the formulas by which they calculate "adequate yearly progress," leaving par=
ents=20
and policymakers unable to make definite conclusions about such numbers,=20
analysts including Petrilli said.
"These stats are meaningless in the absence of a common te=
st and=20
common standards," said Diane Ravitch, a New York University professor who w=
as=20
an assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush.=

Among individual states, Florida placed last with 72 perce=
nt of=20
its schools failing to show enough improvement, while Oklahoma led, accordin=
g to=20
the Education Department statistics provided to Bloomberg News. Rhode Island=
=20
ranked second behind Oklahoma with 5 percent failing, with Iowa at 6 percent=
,=20
Montana at 7 percent and New Hampshire, Tennessee and Wisconsin at 8=20
percent.
At the other end, Hawaii ranked second-worst with 66 perce=
nt of=20
its schools failing to improve. Washington, D.C., came in third-worst with 6=
0=20
percent, followed by Nevada at 56 percent and New Mexico at 53=20
percent.
Different states were required to submit the statistics to=
 the=20
Education Department by March 8. Federal officials plan to verify them and=20
incorporate them into an annual report to Congress later this year, Colby=20
said.
<DIV id=3DarticleCopyright style=3D"CLEAR: both" align=3Dcenter>=A9&nbsp;200=
6&nbsp;The=20
Washington Post Company</DIV>
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