The controversial No Child Left Behind Act – sometimes referred to as the nation’s “report card” - is up for reauthorization this year.
While lawmakers in Washington debate over its value and track record – educators in New Hampshire and elsewhere continue to grapple with its myriad of standards and procedures.
NHPR’s Dianne Finch visits a school in Rochester that has failed to meet yearly progress goals under No Child – and is paying the consequences.
(Reading class ambi)
For three years in a row Rochester Middle School hasn’t raised math and reading test scores enough to meet the benchmarks laid out in the No Child Left Behind Act.
So this year it was placed under what’s called “corrective action.”
That means the school must make a series of changes ranging from curriculum adjustments to after school tutoring and teacher training.
(Hallway lockers etc.)
Thirteen-year-old Mike Wilkins says he’s worried that stigma associated with the school might hurt his chances to get into a good college.
"It makes me mad. I’m trying really hard to pass and I’m above the standard.”
But not all kids at Rochester Middle School share Wilkins’ confidence.
Like many schools across the state – his struggles to raise performance scores partly due to a relatively large special education.
Rochester’s Superintendent Mike Hopkins says that 25% of his students have special needs.
And many of them can’t be expected to pass standard grade-level tests.
"No one’s saying get rid of idea that we want students to be proficient - but the thought that 100% of the students will be proficient isn’t realistic.”
And Hopkins argues that NCLB regulations aren’t flexible enough to accommodate those subgroups.
“Well in our district 25% of the students who were tested last year were special education. We’re not saying the 25% shouldn’t be proficient but some in there would have a difficult time being proficient.”
Department of Education’s Administrator Deborah Wiswell says that studies show that many special ed students can pass standard grade-level tests.
They just need more individualized instruction.
“Of the students with disabilities it’s a very very small percentage who cannot demonstrate proficiency.”
She adds NCLB allows students with severe disabilities to take an alternative test that measures their progress realistically.
But that testing option has been a point of confusion in Rochester.
Administrators at the middle school, including the principal, Valier McKenny, believed that only a very small number of the students were allowed to take the alternatives.
“Only 1% of those students are able to have alternate assessments so in this particular district we have cheldren who are in the eight grade who for example have Downs Syndrome who cannot take the alternative assessment but who read at first or second grade level.”
But DOE’s Wiswell says Rochester misunderstood the 1% rule – and that more kids could have taken exams designed to suit their abilities.
She added that the standard grade-level test can also accommodate students with special needs – by giving them more time or reading the test out loud for those who can’t read.
And she adds that the state wipes out up to 2% of test scores so that the lowest scores don’t weigh down overall school performance.
Still, Wisiwll doesn’t completely fault the school for misinterpreting hard to decipher federal rules.
“I think in an effort to try and make things fairer they came up with some pretty complex formulas..which we end up having to deal with and try to help our schools and districts understand and it isn’t easy….uhm…I’m not sure how to fix that.”
(Math class ambi)
Despite all the confusion, at Rochester Middle School teachers are working hard to bring test scores up for all students.
Sarah Keller teaches math during the day.
(math class ambi)
And she also teaches math after school to students who are having trouble.
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“It does get frustrating at time when you’re expect a student to make such gains and it just isn’t something that is necessarily realistic considering that they do have a learning disability. One person’s growth isn’t necessarily what’s proper for another student.”
Schools across the state are wrapping up this year’s assessments and results should be in by early next year.
If Rochester once again fails to make adequate yearly progress, it could face more intense interventions from the state.
For NHPR News, I’m Dianne Finch
