MythBuster

It is conventional wisdom that No Child Left Behind is causing a “race to the bottom.” It is conventional wisdom, but is it correct?

It's Being Done

By improving instruction and making sure no child falls through the cracks, Port Chester, New York, offers insights on the kinds of things middle schools can do to ensure student success.

The Achievement Alliance
The Achievement Alliance was founded to provide accurate,
non-partisan information about student achievement and
No Child Left Behind. It is a project of the following
organizations:
Business Roundtable
Citizens Commission on Civil Rights
Education Trust
National Center for Educational Accountability
National Council of La Raza

What's New

The issue of teacher quality gets moved to the front burner; The cost of remediation is calculated, and the amount is staggering; National Center for Educational Accountability releases a study of “best practices;” Connecticut NAACP kept out of court temporarily; No Child Left Behind Commission hears testimony on state standards, which includes Fordham Foundation’s assessment that state standards fall short of what students need; NCLB Commission assesses what is needed for a good growth model.

Other Voices

Cincinnati Enquirer says it’s time we made sure poor students and students of color are taught by qualified teachers; Hartford Courant says one school sets an example for how to get off the state’s “needs improvement” list. (Hint: it has to do with improving instruction).