Voices of the Dropout Nation: Sandy Kress on the Future of No Child Left Behind – and the Need for Systemic Reform
Simply put, the No Child Left Behind Act, which has been implemented for the past 11 years,i s the single-biggest advance in education policy, both at the federal level and among states and local governments, since the Defense Education Act of 1958. For the first time in the history of American public education, set clear goals for improving student achievement in reading and mathematics; it finally focused attention on using data in measuring teacher quality; it made it clear to suburban districts that they could no longer continue to commit educational malpractice against poor and minority children; and it focused American public education on achieving measurable results instead of damning kids to low expectations. The results for children have been clear, with the percentage of all fourth-graders reading Below Basic proficiency declined from 39 percent to 33 percent in 2011, leading to 217,432 fewer fourth-graders being functionally illiterate — and likely to drop out — in 2011 than in 2003.
Yet efforts by both traditionalists and the otherwise reform-minded Obama administration to weaken No Child’s accountability provisions have resulted in a weakening of the very lever needed to push for the next round of systemic reforms. Even worse, this weakening may even endanger the thoughtful reforms President Barack Obama and others have pushed in this decade. Thoughtless policymaking equals bad results for our children at a time in which high-quality education is more-important than ever.
In this Voices of the Dropout Nation, Sandy Kress, the mastermind behind No Child, reflects on how No Child spurred a series of reforms that are helping children today, and reminds us that we must continue the movement to reform American public education in spite of traditionalist opposition. Read, consider, and take action.
I have mixed emotions this week on the eleventh anniversary of the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act. On the very positive side, I continue to marvel at the remarkable academic gains in student achievement that have occurred as a result of the standards-based school reform movement. This movement began in the states in the mid-1990s and reached its high point with No Child extending it across the entire nation in the last decade. At the same time, I am also worried about keeping up the momentum for reform.
For the good news, let’s spend a moment looking at Long Term Trend National Assessment of Educational Progress scale score data to appreciate this utterly felicitous turn in trend. Between 1990 and 1999, math scores for nine-year-old Latino students went down 1 point; for black students, it went up a bare 3 points in that same period. Contrast that with the gains from 1999 to 2008: Latino scores went up 21 points (over a 2 grade level improvement), and black scores went up 13 points (over a grade level). White scores went up, too, but the achievement gap narrowed for both blacks and Latinos. For 13-year-olds in math, black and Latino achievement was flat between 1990 and 1999. But between 1999 and 2008, both groups’ scores rose by one grade level.
Between 1990 and 1999, reading scores for black and Latino nine-year-olds rose only 4 points. But between 1999 and 2008, scores for black students rose 18 points (almost 2 grade levels), and Latino scores rose 14 points (about a grade level and a half). From 1990 to 1999, reading scores for 13-year-old black students slipped 3 points, while Latino performance also slipped. But between 1999 and 2008, scores for black 13-year-old rose 9 points from 1999 to 2008. While Latino performance slipped a bit on the long term trend, scores for Latino eighth-graders on the 2011 NAEP were at al-time highs. These gains, while not sufficient, are stunning – truly a major civil rights achievement.
Another positive anniversary reflection concerns all the work that has been done in the last few years to deepen and extend these gains by making content standards more focused, rigorous and directed to the goal of postsecondary readiness. The remarkable gains in basic achievement must evolve more into remarkable gains in proficiency, especially for our secondary students.
Also, worthy of celebration are several other commendable developments: the dramatic increase in the use of technology and data in school management and instruction, the growth of high quality charter schools, the expansion of promising teacher development models such as Teach for America, the creation of new ideas and tools to increase teacher effectiveness, and the onset of constructive and thoughtful media (such as Dropout Nation) and grassroots activity to drive better schools.
Looking back, I see a good, improving picture. But, looking forward, I feel compelled to close out this essay on a worried note. I fear we’re entering a very stormy period, one in which conflict and a loss of momentum may cause stagnation in student achievement progress.
There’s less interest in education these days. There’s less consensus on the need and ways to improve our schools. Elected officials and policy makers are more interested in other challenges and seem turned off by the battles and friction in the education space. For example, have we ever been six years overdue in re-authorization of No Child, with no imminent sign of action?
We used to see a regular competition to be the “education governor” or the “education mayor.” Without doubt, there are some exceptional leaders today, but we don’t see such competitions any more.
Educrats generally are tired of increased expectations and are ferociously fighting further change. Many want more money from the public, but they want no more pressure to produce for that money. One sees this reaction in recent elections. One sees it in recent moves in Florida and Texas to roll back reforms in standards and accountability. One sees it in the many pathetic plans that are being offered and accepted to gain waivers from No Child’s expectations. And one sees it in the gaming of Race to the Top commitments that will increasingly be the negative story that preoccupies the Obama administration throughout the second term.
There are exceptions, to be sure, but business and private sector education reform activity has lost much urgency and impact. There are volunteer efforts, contributions and advertising campaigns these days, but much of it has the feel of the adopt-a-school approach from years ago. Disconnected do-and-feel-good activity, less concerted and transformational action, separate agendas – the activity from the private sector recently and generally has become fragmented, weaker, non-strategic, and poorly suited to sustaining reform in public education. The net impact of these unfortunate developments is that we now operate in an environment that is very inhospitable to an effective implementation of rigorous standards, strong teacher policies, and solid strategies to garner greater postsecondary readiness.
The bottom line is that accountability has lost its meaning, lost its pinch. And as the concept too often becomes nothing more than “something we’re all for,” the drive to create better options, better sources of teachers, better ways of running schools diminishes. Never before have we needed more to strengthen education for our children. Yet, just as we’ve gotten closer to the top of the mountain, we’ve become divided and fatigued. And we can’t seem to continue the march up.
But one thing keeps me hopeful: our country will ultimately wake up to the deepest reality – unless pressed and held accountable, the system will not educate our young people to the standard required for success. It may take time, but the naysayers will be exposed, mainly and unfortunately through a slowdown in student gains that accompanies the lax policies they support. I predict there will come a time in the next decade when reformers will be called back en masse into action to deal with that reality.
In the meantime, good people must stay engaged, keep pressing policies and practices in accord with the next generation of accountability, and work to the extent of their strength and creativity to push the change. It may not be now, but break through we must, and break through we will.
PhillipMarlowe
123 days ago
Between 1990 and 1999, reading scores for black and Latino nine-year-olds rose only 4 points. But between 1999 and 2008, scores for black students rose 18 points (almost 2 grade levels), and Latino scores rose 14 points (about a grade level and a half). From 1990 to 1999, reading scores for 13-year-old black students slipped 3 points, while Latino performance also slipped. But between 1999 and 2008, scores for black 13-year-old rose 9 points from 1999 to 2008.
A more accurate scale would be
1990-2004
and 2004-2008
Considering NCLB was passed in 2001, its effects would have shown up in the second year of implementation at the earliest. (the Jan/Feb 2004 admin of NAEP.)
PhillipMarlowe
123 days ago
So, let’s look at the numbers:
3rd graders
Reading
African Americans
1992-2002 +7 (192 to 199)
2002-2011 +6 (199 to 205
Hispanics
1992-2002 +4 (197 to 201)
2002-2011 +5 (201 to 206)
Asian Americans
1992-2002 +6 (216 to 223)
2002-2011 +12 (223 to 235)
8th graders
Reading
AA
1992-2002 +8 (237 to 245)
2002-2011 +4 (245 to 249)
Hispanics
1992-2002 +6 (241-247)
2002-2011 +5 (247 to 252)
Asian Americans
1992-2002 -1 (268 to 267)
2002-2011 +8 (267 to 275)
Another one bites the dust.
sandy kress
122 days ago
nothing bites the dust, marlowe, except for your mischaracterization of my analysis and the facts.
i picked the ltt data because it allows for an analysis of the impact of the standards based reform movement which began in the mid-90s and culminated in NCLB. more than half the states had adopted NCLB-like reforms before 1999, so the ltt years are perfect for comparing pre and post. this is not just about nclb, but it’s about the effect of the policies which I favor and you oppose. Those policies were significantly in place by 1999 and were made national by nclb.
i put in a comparison of the two decades on math as well, which you omit altogether. i think you omitted math because you know that the improvement there was extraordinary.
PhillipMArlowe
122 days ago
Grade 4
Math
Black
1990-2003 +28 (188-216)
2003-2011 +8 (216-224)
Hispanic
1990-2003 +22 (200-222)
2003-2011 +7 (222-229)
Grade 8
Math
Black
1990-2003 + 15(237-252)
2003-2011 + 10( 252-262)
Hispanic
1990-2003 + 13(246-259)
2003-2011 + 11(259-270)
Asian
1990-2003 +16 (275-291)
2003-2011 +12 (291-303)
Sandy kress
122 days ago
Cute trick, Marlowe.
Let me repeat it once again: the states began turning to the policies you oppose in the mid-90s. By 1999, over half of the states had standards, tests, and consequences or accountability that pinched based on student results.
I happen to know this because I helped put one of the first such systems in place in my own state of Texas, and we were one of the first states to see a NAEP gain of significance. This was, of course, before NCLB. And it was based on gains in states such as ours, Massachusetts, and North Carolina that NCLB was constructed significantly on their policies.
The big and broad NAEP gains began to occur just as we approached 2000. And they have been going up ever since then, as NCLB carried these policies to the rest of the nation.
You know that. Any reader of the data can see it. The late 80s to the late 90s were totally flat, as I’ve shown. That reflects the policies of the pre-accountability period, the policies that you seek to restore, by the way. And it will be back to that flat line that we will return if we go back to those policies.
Sandy kress
122 days ago
In fact, let me cite specific data to prove my point about gains since 2000. I encourage the reader to review the Long Term Trend data I cite in my column. On the main NAEP, it’s confirmed. And here are the salient points for black and Latino students.
Black 8th grade scores went up 7 points in math from 1990 to 2000. They went up 18 from 2000 to 2011. That’s a full grade level better. Latino scores went up 7 in the earlier period, but they went up 17 in the recent decade. Again, this is a grade level better.
For 4th graders, black scores went up 15 points in the earlier decade but 21 points in the last decade. Latino improvement more than doubled from an increase of 8 points to 21.
We’ve had a significant improvement in results since the late 90s. I re-state my warning: if we return to pre-accountability era policies, we will return to pre-accountability trends in scores.
Sandy kress
122 days ago
One final point: note the 13 year to 8 year comparison trick Marlowe tries to pull off. The “pre” period is 13 years, and the “post” is 8. Cute.
Of course, for folks who don’t know the data, one reason he pulls this stunt of having a huge pre- period and a puny post- period is so he can grab the big gain in 2003. Without it, his numbers fall like a house of cards.
I won’t get into a spitting match over the impact of an Act passed in 2001 on gains in 2003. My case is built on the impact of the consequential accountability movement of which NCLB is the major recent chapter, not just NCLB. So, while we’re all on safer ground to use the LTT data rather than main NAEP, anti-accountability voices don’t get to play the “grab the 2003 data” in a 13 year period/8 year period comparison game.
After the IASA, the actions of well over half the states, and NCLB, the only consistent trend in policy was to consequential accountability. Scores have steadily gone up since 2000. That’s the bottom line.
We change that policy at our peril.
PhillipMArlowe
121 days ago
Nice trick of playing with numbers, Kress. SOP for your group.
Klein did it in NYC, Rhee in DC.
As for the accountability, Maryland’s changed in for FY2003 to meet the requirements for NCLB.
But let’s play the data game your way:
8th grade Math
Black
2005 255
2007 260
2009 261
2011 262
BAsed upon that data, your NCLB accountability has flattened. At that rate, it will take Black and Latinos 10 years to make one year of academic gain.
Grade 4 math
Hispanic
2000 207
2005 226
2007 227
2009 227
2011 229
A big NCLB bump?
Then a “significant” NCLB flattening.
As some Londoners wrote for the Silver Jubilee of George V:
Long live our King
25 years of Hunger, Misery and War
sandy kress
121 days ago
Marlowe, as we’ve seen, YOU are the guy who plays tricks with the numbers. Remember the 13 year/8 year trick you tried to play on everyone?
Even after the banner year in 2003, 8th grade black scale scores in math have gone up 10 points, and Latino, 11. 4th grade black scale scores have gone up 8, and Latino, 7. These gains represent roughly a grade level, and scores are now at all time highs.
Where we actually agree is that there does appear to be the beginning of flattening in 2009. I suspect we all have our own hypothesis, and I doubt you and I agree. But mine is that the pinch of accountability is wearing off not only in terms of the impact of NCLB but also a deterioration in state policies generally.
There are certainly other possibilities. But if we’re headed sideways or down now, it’s certainly worthy of solid study as to whether, how much, and why.