Category Archives: No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

EdSource Extra!: California may seek a waiver from No Child Left Behind law — on its own terms

Posted on by

By Louis Freedberg

The California Department of Education is recommending that California apply for a waiver from the most onerous conditions of the No Child Left Behind law — but not under the conditions set by the Obama administration under a waiver program it announced last fall.

Instead, California would apply to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for a waiver under a separate section of the decade-old NCLB law — Section 9401  – which allows whoever is secretary to grant waivers on a case by case basis.

via California may seek a waiver from No Child Left Behind law — on its own terms.

Education Week: Duncan Road Tests General Election Speech to “Mom Congress”

Posted on by

by Alyson Klein

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gave the administration’s general election arguments on education a trial run Monday, in a speech before the “Mom Congress.” He talked-up some of the department’s greatest hits over the past three years, such as No Child Left Behind waivers, Race to the Top, Promise Neighborhoods and the Investing in Innovation grants, as well the president’s push to boost Pell Grants and invest in community colleges.

via Duncan Road Tests General Election Speech to “Mom Congress”.

Education Week: Duncan Defends Waivers, Competitive Grants to Congress

Posted on by

by Alyson Klein

The clash between the Obama administration, which loves its signature Race to the Top and other grant programs, and folks in Congress who want to see a bigger investment in funding for special education and disadvantaged students, is clearly not going away anytime soon.

via Duncan Defends Waivers, Competitive Grants to Congress.

California Progress Report: Why Are Many of Our Children’s Teachers Still Students Themselves?

Posted on by

By Maribel Heredia, Plaintiff in Lawsuit Against the Department of Education

Four years ago, my son Joey — who was in first grade at the time — came home from school and said, “Mommy, my teacher wasn’t there today. She went to college.”

via Why Are Many of Our Children’s Teachers Still Students Themselves?.

The Educated Guess: ACSA: NCLB waiver too weak as is

Posted on by

By John Fensterwald – Educated Guess

The organization representing state school administrators says that if California wants its request for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law to be taken seriously, then the State Board should give Secretary of Education Arne Duncan more of what he is demanding.

via ACSA: Waiver too weak as is – by John Fensterwald – Educated Guess.

The Educated Guess: More gain, no pain NCLB waiver

Posted on by

By John Fensterwald – Educated Guess

Gov. Jerry Brown described his relationship with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a “work in progress” after a face-to-face meeting last week in Washington. Californians will soon find out how much progress if the State Board of Education next week approves a very different request for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law than the one Duncan will be expecting.

via More gain, no pain NCLB waiver – by John Fensterwald – Educated Guess.

Education Week: House ESEA Bills Would Damage Some Students’ Access to Diplomas

Posted on by

by Nirvi Shah

A pair of bills attempting to rewrite parts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—what’s now called No Child Left Behind—could be devastating for some students with disabilities, advocates for these students say.

via House ESEA Bills Would Damage Some Students’ Access to Diplomas.

EdSource Extra!: Steinberg introduces new proposal for reforming school rating system

Posted on by

By Louis Freedberg ~ EdSource Extra

After his last legislative effort on the subject was brusquely rejected by Governor Jerry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is making another effort to reform California’s dozen-year-old method of ranking its public schools.

via Steinberg introduces new proposal for reforming school rating system.

Education Week: Federal Role in K-12 at Heart of ESEA Hearing

Posted on by

by Alyson Klein

Anyone following the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would be able to guess at the big question hanging over a hearing on the House GOP bills to rewrite the law: What’s the right role for the federal government in helping to improve K-12 education?

via Federal Role in K-12 at Heart of ESEA Hearing.

The Educated Guess: First round of NCLB waivers

Posted on by

By John Fensterwald – Educated Guess

In early March, the State Board of Education will decide whether California will apply for the waiver from the No Child Left Behind law that the federal Department of Education awarded to an initial 10 states on Thursday. While not ruling out that possibility, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson hinted strongly Thursday that he remains inclined not to go there.

via First round of NCLB waivers – by John Fensterwald – Educated Guess.

Sacramento school a case study for NCLB waiver

Posted on by

The Educated Guess

By Kathryn Baron

A couple hundred children sitting cross-legged covered the floor of the multipurpose room at Oak Ridge Elementary School in Sacramento. Behind them, parents, grandparents, and siblings filled rows of metal folding chairs, while teachers stood beside their students. The room was abuzz with excitement as principal Doug Huscher bounded onto the stage and led everyone in a cheer.

via Sacramento school a case study for NCLB waiver – by Kathryn Baron.

Education Expected to Take Turn in State of the Union Spotlight

Posted on by

Politics K-12

by Alyson Klein

Education is one of four areas President Obama will focus on during his State of the Union address tonight night, according to this Associated Press story. The big question is: What will he say?

In giving this election-year State of the Union speech, Obama may brag about some of the steps his administration has taken on education, including creating the Race to the Top education redesign competition, and offering states wiggle room under key parts of the No Child Left Behind Act if they agree to take-on the administration’s reform priorities.

via Education Expected to Take Turn in State of the Union Spotlight.

Federal government would require new teacher evaluation systems in thousands of state schools

Posted on by

EdSource Extra!

By Louis Freedberg ~ EdSource Extra

In order to qualify for a waiver from some of the most onerous provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, California would have to introduce new teacher and principal evaluation systems linked to student test scores in thousands of California schools that receive federal Title 1 funds  by the 2014-15 school year.

via Federal government would require new teacher evaluation systems in thousands of state schools.

ESEA Bills Are ‘Full Retreat From Accountability’ for Special Education

Posted on by

On Special Education

by Nirvi Shah

The new House Republican bills that tackle reforming the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (otherwise known as No Child Left Behind) “represent a full retreat from accountability for students with disabilities and other disadvantaged children,” the National Center for Learning Disabilities said this week. (Read what other groups say about the bills here.)

Like the Senate rewrite of NCLB, the Republican bills would do away with adequate yearly progress, the crux of the law and the mechanism by which schools are held accountable for their students’ performance.

via ESEA Bills Are ‘Full Retreat From Accountability’ for Special Education.