Oakland Trib/EDDRA: Local Official Defends NCLB

From the Oakland Tribune via EDDRA

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From: eddra@yahoogroups.com [mailto:eddra@yahoogroups.com]
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Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2007 3:01 PM
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Subject: [eddra] Local Official Defends NCLB

The following quote is from a San Francisco officer of the Bush Administration in a letter the Oakland Tribune responsing to a February 7th opinion piece published by an Oakland Public Schools parent critical of NCLB ultimatium of all children at grade level by 2014.

"More reading progress was made by 9-year-olds in five years (1999-2004) than in the previous 28 years combined." This quote is mostly likely from talking point issued by the Bush Department of Education. Seems I recall Dr. Bracey on Eddra pointed out that when Margaret Spellings used the same talking point she was overlooking that NCLB started in 2001 and certainly was not implemented until at least a year later; and therefore claiming credit for increase in scores would need to be shared with the Clinton administration. NCLB covers more than 9-year-olds and a claim for effectiveness of NCLB logically means a look at more than the scores for one age group. Also, under NCLB both reading and math scores are tested and it is not made clear in which academic area the claim for the NCLB efficacy NCLB is being asserted.


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'No Child Left Behind' is working
Article Last Updated:02/10/2007
07:15:31 AM PST

In the world of the author of the Feb. 5 My Word, "No Child Left Behind backs Oakland schools against wall," expecting schools to teach our children to read and do math at grade level or better is a fantasy and an ultimatum.

I would call it the very purpose of a public education. And I believe many parents would agree.

The author is correct, however, in that the No Child Left Behind Act has had "an enormous impact on Oakland" and the entire country. Our nation is focused as never before on improving the academic achievement of students who have been historically overlooked.

Consider that, for the first time, all states now have accountability plans in place to ensure that students are on track to reach grade level or better by 2014. Or that, under NCLB, schools must disaggregate student performance data so parents, teachers and the public know whether schools are doing their job of educating minority and disadvantaged students. Before the law's passage, just a handful of states disaggregated data.

Test results demonstrate that NCLB is working. The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, or Nation's Report Card, showed all-time highs in math and reading achievement among fourth-graders.

NAEP also found that achievement gaps between Hispanic and African-American students and their white peers have fallen to all-time lows in several categories. More reading progress was made by 9-year-olds in five years (1999-2004) than in the previous 28 years combined.

This is the impact of NCLB. It's a positive one. And it's benefiting Oakland's families.

Christopher Wright
U.S. Education Secretary
Regional Representative
San Francisco
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