In the next few years, the effects and the consequences of the NCLB Act will start to take effect across our country. Whether we agree with the NCLB or not, it is here for now. As educators, we all need to become better informed about the act and the effect it could have on our careers and our students. If we become better informed about the bill, then we can be an essential link in helping others in understanding this bill passed by our government.
The NCLB does provide each state some leniency in setting proficiency guidelines for their schools. Each state can determine what is deemed as proficient when it comes to testing scores. Many states are lowering their test scores so more students can pass or meet the "proficiency guidelines". By doing this, states can find the loopholes to get by the NCLB Act. I believe this is one of the major problems with this act. We are lowering our expectations to meet certain guidelines, but maybe the states have no other choice.
Here in Ohio, the impact of the NCLB Act is already being felt. In the Newark Advocate, Friday February 20, 2004 edition, there was an article about how some Ohio schools are now keeping their gifted students in their own building. In some schools, gifted students are sent to another school with other gifted students and the testing scores only counts towards that school. Now the individual schools are keeping these students so they can get a better overall score on standardized testing at their home school. Gifted programs are now being implemented in each of these buildings instead of congregating all of these students to one place. This is just one way the NCLB has already started to impact some of the districts here in Ohio.
In my home school district, we implemented a new tutoring program this year that goes on Monday through Thursday in all major core subjects. We call it ASI or after school intervention. Students who are struggling in these areas are kept after school, with parental permission, for two hours to get extra help from a certified teacher in that content area.
