What are the particular pieces of the puzzles that are being forgotten under the NCLB that need to be focus on

Question

What are the particular pieces of the puzzle that are forgotten under the NCLB that need to be focus on the most?

Answer 1

While student achievement should be the focus, other things get in the way.  In my state, by 2012, ALL students are supposed to be performing at 100% proficiency in all areas.  Well, what about the ESL children?  Why would we have special education, if every kid is to be at proficiency in all areas?  I work in a district that is 20% special ed, so every single one of our kids count (that high number is thanks largely to School Choice/vouchers- severe brain drain!!!  Thanks to NCLB for that, too).  And we can get alternate assessments for 1-2%, which doesn't even cover all of the more severe and profoundly delayed children.  Sounds like there won't be any special education to me.  

How do you catch children up- be it because they enter school unprepared as others, because they moved often, or because they have poor attendance.  You don't have time to do that.  There are supposed to be additional programs, but how do you administer these and still make sure the child is exposed to the regular curriculum?  

Sure there are SES afterschool programs.  Some of these are good, but some are a joke.  In my district, we had one who just bought books from a dollar store for the kids to work out of!!!  How is that a good supplement to the school day?   They were paid $1700 per child for homework help.  Ugh.

Answer 2

LEARNING.

Students do not LEARN anymore, the individualism and creativity and thinking skills are GONE.

Kids are all put in the same box, being spoon fed info like robots so the school can get more money.

They are growning up to be mindless robots and not be able to think for them selves.

HITLER AND COMMUNISM, ANYONE ?!?!

All this is NOT the teachers fault! They are being forced to do all this or lose their jobs

Answer 3

You aren't a dept of education staffer are you?

That  was a joke.

Ok,  This may not address you question, but it's my opinion that nclb has overlooked mastery of content. School districts have had to buy  into the idea of testing as a means to justify their performance, when the instruments they are using shouldn't  be used for that purpose.

Short answer- we teach to tests not for mastery of subject.

Off soap box, back in my corner.

Answer 4

One big piece is ESL students.  ESL students are expected to perform at the same level as native speakers, as far as meeting AYP is concerned.

Answer 5

One area overlooked is what they call "small populations" or "subgroups."  This includes ESL and Special Education students.  If the number of students falls below 30, their STAR test results don't count.  This has resulted in lower scoring students being placed in Special Day Classes, etc, even when they are not disabled so their scores do not count against the school's API scores.  This is also why many school districts fight tooth and nail against full inclusion.  Principals want high-scoring kids so their API scores are good.  In my opinion, NCLB has fostered disability and differently-learining discrimination.

Additionally, there is now no time for creative hands-on learning because teachers are busy teaching to the stupid test.  The pace of teaching is so quick that if a student falls behind, it is difficult for them to catch up.  If they score low on the yearly testing, the student is referred for Special Education.  There is no time for teachers to actually teach anymore.  They cannot use their creativity to teach and don't have time to teach various styles to make sure all are being taught in a way they can learn.  I feel sorry for teachers today.