No Child Left Behind

 

The majority of K-8 students in the state of Iowa participate in the Iowa Statewide Testing Program and take the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), according to the website for The University of Iowa, the institution that administers the assessment.

In the North Winneshiek School, educators set specific goals with each student and emphasized the importance of doing well on the assessment, The Decorah Newspapers reported.

The No Child Left Behind Act states that students who achieve ITBS scores within the 41st to 99th percentile for reading comprehension, mathematics total and science are considered to be proficient, according to the news source. However, any pupils who score below this range are not.

In North Winneshiek, ITBS results revealed that students in grades three through eight performed the strongest in science, the news outlet reported, with mathematics and reading their next best subjects, respectively.

While Tim Dugger, the superintendent of the school, was quoted by the news source as saying that it gets harder for institutions to achieve adequate yearly progress (AYP) each year, the school managed to meet its AYP goals across several key areas. For instance, 84 percent of fifth graders were found to be proficient in reading. 

 

It's become a requirement for public schools to assess how well their students perform when compared to the rest of the country. Through the No Child Left Behind Act, schools must choose a form of standardized testing to determine exactly where their students measure up.

However, although some private schools in Pennsylvania are opting out of taking tests, some Catholic schools and other private institutions are choosing to take the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT 10), according to the Bucks County Courier Times.

The news provider reports that these institutions are finding that they're attracting parents who are concerned that public school systems spend too much time in their curriculum focusing on prepping students for performing on standardized tests.

The SAT 10 is available to children throughout their academic careers ranging from kindergarten to high school, and tests them in reading comprehension, science and mathematics. Test takers must complete the test using multiple choice, short answers and extended responses.

 

Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, the government has been using standardized test scores to track the progress of public schools and the curricula they offer to their students. Some schools that continue to show low test scores are sometimes stripped of funding or forced to lay off teachers.

However, the state of New Jersey is finding that overall, its schools are making progress in boosting standardized test scores, according to NorthJersey.com. The results of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) standardized tests showed that some districts are making improvements in terms of student performance.

"We are moving forward," Kathy Regan, director of curriculum and instruction for the Glen Rock school district, told the news provider. "We rolled out a new math program and our scores are unbelievable. We are now moving forward and staying focused on writing and reading."

The NJ ASK is typically given to public school students in grades three through eight. The exams are typically given in March, April or May.

 

Since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, states have been subjecting students to standardized tests in order to gauge performance. There are a variety of standardized tests available such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT 10), but some states are looking to adopt unified standards.

The Common Core State Standards initiative has been adopted by 38 states thus far, with the goal of providing a clear understanding of how students in certain areas match up against the rest of the nation. States that have not yet chosen to adopt the standards include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Maine, Virginia, Alabama, Texas and Alaska.

The standards' website suggests that adopting this form of testing could be beneficial to schools, as they provide understandable content through building on the strengths of current state standards. There is also evidence to prove that they work in determining whether or not students are prepared for college.

 

Standardized tests are used to gauge students' academic performance against the rest of the country. With the No Child Left Behind Act, it's mandatory that all public school pupils take a standardized test in order to determine if their school systems are teaching them the things they need to succeed in academia.

While math and reading are a big focus of standardized tests, Stephanie Rossi, a teacher at Wheat Ridge High School in Colorado said she believes that social studies should be a focus in state standardized testing, according to Colorado's NBC affiliate, 9 News.

"If we're making decisions based upon a state assessment, then there should be state assessments in all curricular areas," Rossi told the news provider. "Don't exclude some and highlight others, because then you're distinctly sending a message that these core areas matter and these are secondary."

As of now, the state has the Colorado Student Assessment Program, which focuses on reading, writing, math and science for grades 3 through 10.

Many students go through the stress of preparing for standardized tests, as there's a lot of pressure with ensuring they increase their performance. Since the No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that public school students must increase their Adequate Yearly Progress each year, many work to ensure they receive high marks.

However, while students may feel the heat, teachers could be feeling it worse, according to Paragould, Arkansas's ABC affiliate, KAIT 8.

Teachers understand the importance of ensuring their students are ready for standardized tests, which is why they may take on the burden if the pupils do not excel in performance. Additionally, many schools are starting to hold educators accountable for a lapse in improved scores.

The news provider reports that many teachers at Paragould High School have been banding together to come up with effective lesson plans.

"If one teacher has really great ideas on how to help their kids in that particular area, then we share those ideas and then we work together," English teacher Jenny Hollis told the news provider.

There are some ways that teachers can take the pressure off of students, such as making the review process fun with games and continually offering practice tests to help pupils advance their knowledge.

 

As the temperatures heat up, the time for standardized testing nears for students across the country. While some schools may have been able to push their exams back a few weeks because of all the snow they had, many institutions are beginning to distribute the standardized tests.

Students in Pennsylvania are gearing up for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSAs) with a significant amount of pressure, according to the Bucks County Courier Times. The news provider reports that the No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that schools must see a 100 percent improvement in Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) by 2014.

Parents have been getting involved in helping students prepare for the exams, as schools with underperforming scores could face action from the government.

The Erie Times-News reports that educators have been stressing the importance to students to take these exams seriously.

"A lot of the preparation is sending the message that this is important," Millcreek schools superintendent Michael Golde told the news provider. "When you explain that to the students, I believe they understand."

 

At the beginning of the week, Obama made the announcement that he was planning on overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act. However, many people are still skeptical as to whether or not this plan will work.

Although the president said he wanted education reform to happen before the start of the 2011/2012 school year, many people believe that this might not be possible, according to ABC News. The news provider reports that although the reform plans have received bipartisan support, many government officials believe that it is not attainable in the time frame given.

"We need to take the time to get this right - we cannot allow an arbitrary timeline to undermine quality reforms that encourage innovation, flexibility, and parental involvement," House Committee on Education and the Workforce chairman Representative John Kline told the news provider.

The Hill reports that Kline continued that he knew Obama's urgency was a result of the election year, but he wants to ensure that the change is done right rather than for the benefit of votes.