Is NCLB Really 'The Da Vinci Code'?

Then I had a Robert Langdon–like epiphany: the seemingly indecipherable codes and riddles…, the hidden meaning of secret phrases…, the perceived lack of any cohesion…. Could the No Child Left Behind Act actually be the Da Vinci Code? It made perfect sense! Does anyone doubt that Opus Dei and the Department of Education are one in the same? If you haven't read the book, you'll have to take my word for it.

As an educator, it's impossible to escape the specter of NCLB. And as an educator and librarian, you're probably wondering how you fit in. At the American Association of School Librarians' conference—October 22–25 in Kansas City, MO—School Library Journal held a workshop to officially embark on our quest to clarify NCLB. We invited Scott Knickelbine of Lownik Communications to help give us a sense of the educational landscape. Based on that program, here are several facts that shed light on some of the murkier aspects of NCLB, while providing you with insights to better understand your school district's challenges and how you can meet them.

• Admit it, you and your colleagues are waiting for NCLB to go away. FYI: a new administration in the White House next fall would not constitute the end of NCLB, whose requirements will be with us until at least 2006 or 2007.
• There is $855 million budgeted for FY 2004 for Reading First, whose aim is to make sure every child in America is literate by the time they begin fourth grade. The funds will be used to support programs that utilize "scientifically proven ways of teaching children to read."
• States can obtain grants to support programs in which students are "systematically and explicitly taught five key components of early reading": phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

What can you do to prepare yourself for NCLB? Here are some tips:

• Check out the What Works Clearinghouse (w-w-c.org), for reviews of programs, products, and practices that enhance student outcomes, and other tools, research, and resources.
• Ensure that your library media center becomes a vital resource for helping students succeed on high-stakes tests.
• Accept the new paradigm shift and take action: the money will not follow you; you have to follow the money. Become an adept grant writer or work with someone or a group committed to consistent trolling for grant funding from federal, state, local, and private sources.
• Public libraries can also be essential players. Both school and public libraries must proactively supplement sagging textbooks that are falling woefully short of supporting the required standards. Public libraries, with their rich and diverse collections, can partner with school libraries to offer wonderful and innovative program options that result in richer learning experiences for students (see News, p. 24).

By exhibiting the willingness and courage to dive in to the vast unknown that is NCLB, to become informed about the crucial role we can play in helping students succeed despite its paradoxes, we can attain education's Holy Grail: enhanced student learning.

Evan St. Lifer, Editor, estlifer@reedbusiness.com