An OSBA newsletter for school board members on the No Child Left Behind Act — April 2006

Curriculum issues                                                                               by Rob Delane, director of school board development
Diagnostic assessments an important tool for teachers
The primary purpose of diagnostic assessments, which are aligned to the new academic content standards, is to provide a tool for teachers in checking student progress toward meeting the standards. Diagnostic assessments show a concept that is not understood by all students and/or a concept that is not understood by one or a few students. This information allows teachers to adjust classroom instruction for the entire class and/or provide more personalized instruction or intervention based on an individual student’s ability. All districts must use diagnostic assessments in grades K-3 regardless of adequate yearly progress (AYP) status. For more information, visit www.ode.state.oh.us/proficiency/diagnostic_achievement/diagnostic_default.asp.

Legal issues                                                                                                                             by Hollie F. Reedy, staff attorney
States eager to jump on growth model bandwagon
Ten states have applied to the U.S. Department of Education for approval into a pilot project allowing states to use a growth model to measure student achievement. The advantage of using a growth model over AYP is that it tracks students’ individual achievement and rewards progress, even if the school or district itself has not reached the proficiency goals set by the AYP time line. Ohio was not eligible for the first year of the pilot project, for which 10 slots were available. South Carolina and Delaware were the first two states to receive letters of approval for parts of their assessment systems for the pilot project. The letters of approval are only one step in the approval process. The National School Boards Association supports the use of the growth model in assessing performance under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), while critics argue that inclusion of the growth model in assessment weakens the law and contributes to a lack of uniformity in how each state meets NCLB requirements.

Legislative issues                                                                                     by Fred Pausch, director of legislative services
U.S. Senate Adopts FY ’07 budget resolution
The U.S. Senate adopted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 budget resolution on March 16 by a vote of 51-49. The resolution adds more than $16 billion to President George W. Bush’s original request. An important amendment for education was passed in this bill, cosponsored by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The amendment (No. 3048) will add $7 billion to the budget for education and health care. It also will restore cuts in programs such as Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that were made in FY ’06, bringing education funding back to FY ’05 levels. “Funding for education and other programs under the Departments of Health and Human Services, and Labor has been decimated since 2005,” Specter said. “Health and education are the two major capital assets of the country. We have gone beneath the muscle, beneath the bone, and into the marrow with these cuts.”