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

Legal issues                                                                                                                                     by Hollie Reedy, staff attorney
USDOE releases tool kit to help states assess students with disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education is offering states a tool kit that provides guidance on the assessment and progress of students with disabilities. The kit includes technical assistance on using testing accommodations and information on current research. It is available at www.ed.gov and is divided into separate printable sections. One highlight is the “Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities.” This manual is only one part of the tool kit, and does not carry the designation of formal policy guidance from USDOE.

New nonregulatory guidance available for schoolwide programs
The federal education department has released new guidance for designing schoolwide programs to raise achievement in Title I schools. The major focus is on how to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, develop a comprehensive plan and evaluate the program developed. It also answers technical questions. Access the guidance at www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/designingswpguid.doc.

Two states selected for pilot project using growth model
Only two states, among eight that applied, were selected by USDOE for the first year of a pilot project assessing the addition of a growth model. That model assesses and rewards states and schools for individual student progress over time while maintaining accountability and compliance with the NCLB’s goals. The states selected were North Carolina and Tennessee. Ohio was not among applicants for the first year of the project, but submitted a growth model proposal for the 2006–07 school year. The deadline for states to apply for 2006–07 is Nov. 1, 2006.

No states meet highly qualified teacher deadline
All states were to have met the requirement that every teacher of a core subject be highly qualified in that subject by the 2005–06 school year. As of this writing, no state had fully met the requirement. Nine states face penalties, including the possible loss of federal funds; Ohio is not among them. Teacher shortages in rural areas in many states, including Ohio, is one barrier to attaining full compliance. Most states are very close to being able to show compliance, but two states — Pennsylvania and Connecticut — have had their methods for determining highly qualified teacher status rejected by USDOE.

Legislative issues                                                                                               by Fred Pausch, director of legislative services
NCLB panel holds third meeting
The Commission on No Child Left Behind held its third meeting on May 22 in Atlanta. The focus of the session was to assess whether NCLB accountability measures are producing results. The commission’s goal is to uncover the successes of NCLB, as well as provisions that need to be changed or eliminated. Chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson and former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, the commission is to report its recommendations to Congress and the White House in early 2007.

Curriculum issues                                                                              by Rob Delane, director of school board development
Free NCLB guide full of helpful information
Want to find out more about the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) but don’t have a lot of free time on your hands? Now you can, with the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) new pocket guide, “A Guide to Education and No Child Left Behind.” This free, easy-to-use resource provides helpful information and budget facts on key aspects of NCLB. Order your copy by calling (877) 433-7827 or TTY/TDD, (877) 576-7734. Copies also can be ordered via fax at (301) 470-1244; online at www.edpubs.org; or by writing to: ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. The guide also is available online at www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/guide.