More States Can Seek NCLB Flexibility

Tennessee, North Carolina qualify this year; up to eight states are eligible next year

By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2006

As many as eight states will be eligible in the 2006–2007 academic year to change the way they track student progress under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, says the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). But qualifying for more flexibility under the law won't be easy—states must still meet rigorous accountability standards.

As part of an experimental program, North Carolina and Tennessee were the only two states given permission to alter the way they assess student achievement in the 2005–2006 school year, although 20 states had applied for more flexibility.

“When it comes to ensuring that all students have a quality education, results are paramount,” said Education Secretary Margaret Spellings in May, when she approved the two states for the program. “States that show good faith and good results deserve the opportunity for new ways to show those results.”

Under the new rules, North Carolina and Tennessee will be allowed to track individual student achievement in math and reading from year to year, giving schools credit for student improvement over time. Currently, states are measured solely on whether entire grades pass annual state exams, and those that fail to do so could be forced to pay for student tutoring or to allow students to transfer to other schools.

Speaking on May 17, Spellings said the change was not a weakening of NCLB's demands for student accountability. “This is simply a different way to understand the progress that's being made,” she said, adding that the law's requirement is that all students reach proficiency in reading and math by 2014 still stands.

Responding to complaints from educators that President Bush's sweeping education law is too rigid, late last year Spellings unveiled the pilot program, allowing states to propose a “growth-based accountability model” to meet the requirements of NCLB.

A maximum of 10 states can qualify for the experimental program, and the DOE says the six states that failed to gain approval this year—Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, and Oregon—will be given early consideration next year if they reapply and make recommended changes to their proposals. Other states that plan to apply next year are Indiana, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

The results of the pilot program will be crucial because NCLB is set for a tough reauthorization battle in Congress next year, and even some Republicans are calling for more flexibility.

States are chosen through a rigorous peer-review process that includes academics, state, and local education agencies, as well as those representing education organizations such as the Education Trust and the Council of Great City Schools. The deadline for the six previously rejected states to submit their new growth- model proposals is September 15, and all other states have until November 1. For more information about the program, visit www.ed.gov.