About NCLB

Dear [Congressperson]:

I care about the quality of schools in my neighborhood and across the country. I want every child—regardless of race, income, or special needs—to succeed. In other words, I support the goals of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the current version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 

What I don’t want is for the schools in my neighborhood to be judged solely on test scores. I don’t want them to be called “failures” and be punished for not meeting arbitrary “progress” percentages that have no scientific basis. And I don't want them held to accountability requirements and then not given the resources and tools to do the job. The trust and support that must be present in a healthy learning environment are diminished when educational professionals feel they are judged by test scores alone.  

To meet the goal of ensuring all children master a challenging curriculum, Congress must revise the law. Its emphasis must shift from applying sanctions for failing to raise test scores to holding states accountable for making the systemic changes that improve student achievement. 

Some parts of the law should remain because they are beneficial to our students. Schools must continue to report the test scores of minority and low-income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities. NCLB is correct that every class should have a highly qualified teacher. And the law is right to expect schools and states to be accountable for the success of all students.  

But students cannot succeed unless the schools actually improve the quality of what’s happening in the classroom and support from home. For this to occur, the federal government must help schools improve the capacity of their human resources – the educators – and strengthen parent involvement. 

In addition, the law must be changed to recognize that students in all schools do not start from the same place and to give schools credit for making improvements in student achievement. Schools must be judged not only on test scores, but on a wider range of assessments of learning (multiple measures); and they must be evaluated on how well they are implementing the systemic changes necessary to improve learning. Schools with greater needs must be given greater resources. The federal government must fund a substantial portion of the costs of carrying out the needed changes, as well as provide Title I funds for all eligible children. 

Based on nationwide experience and research, more than 120 national education, civil rights, religious, disability and civic organizations have already identified the key principles of what must be done to help NCLB meet its goals. You can see the Joint Organizational Statement on NCLB at www.edaccountability.org.  

I ask that you endorse those principles and support the general approach for implementing them that has been developed by the Forum on Educational Accountability. I ask that as Congress begins reauthorization of NCLB/ESEA, you represent on Capitol Hill my desires and the desires of your other constituents to overhaul the law. 

The quality of public education in this country is important to me and to the future of our country. It is time to be serious about our commitment to all students.