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Federal program may leave all children behind
This week’s Adequate Yearly Progress reports, associated with the federal government’s No Child Left Behind program, reveal that Fairview Elementary is the first school in the county to fail AYP standards.
The results don’t really reflect the quality of the school or the education that the school provides to its students. By requiring all student subgroups within each school to meet the same unrealistic standards, it appears No Child Left Behind is designed to make public schools fail.
It is like making an announcement tomorrow that every student in Jackson County must play football this upcoming year. Whether you are good at football or not, you have to play. Whether you are interested in football or not, you have to play. Even if you would rather play volleyball or soccer, you have to play football. Whether you understand the game of football or not, you have to play. Athletes that like football and like to play would likely be left behind because the coaches would have to spend more time teaching the game to students who couldn’t care less.
As Superintendent Sue Nations said, each school must score 100 or fail. Imagine the outcry from parents if children brought home a test with a zero just because one answer was wrong.
That’s not the American way. In fact, it almost sounds Communistic.
In the case of Fairview, eight of nine subgroups met AYP standards. Only students with disabilities came up short, and even they passed a follow-up test. Given those facts, for the entire school to fail is simply wrong.
Because Fairview fell short of the federal mandates, its students will be given the option of going to Scotts Creek or Cullowhee Valley. It is not fair that Title I funds have to provide transportation for students who choose to leave Fairview. Title I is federal money, which is designed to provide money for additional teachers, books, and materials for students who are struggling; having Washington bureaucrats mandate it be spent for transportation instead is especially galling for teachers and administrators with limited resources.
Fairview has always performed well in testing under the state’s ABC program and has been named a School of Distinction. For such a school to now be labeled “failing” shows just how flawed the program is.
The fundamental idea of NCLB is solid – all children deserve an opportunity to succeed. However, there is no way that every child is going to meet objectives at the same time. Some learn fast and zoom through lessons while others struggle. As long as all kids do their best, it should be OK.
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