No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

No Child Left Behind (NCLB), signed into federal law by President Bush in 2002, is having a tremendous impact on Michigan’s public schools and schools across the country. The legislation represents the largest ever involvement in K-12 education by the federal government.

The law was designed around the idea that not all students are making the academic progress they need to make in order to become successful adults. Three key requirements of the new law are: closing the achievement gap for low-income students, minority students, and students with disabilities; holding schools accountable for all students performing at a high level; and having a “highly qualified” teacher in every classroom.

NCLB strives for each student to be proficient in reading and mathematics (as defined by each state) by the 2013-14 school year. States will set incremental percentage goals based on 2001-02 data and what it will take to get to 100 percent proficiency by 2013-14. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) made toward the 2013-14 goal will be measured in terms of student subgroups for a school, district, or state. The same target goals will apply to all subgroups in all schools across the state. Those subgroups are: 1) the school as a whole; 2) white; 3) African American; 4) Native American; 5) Asian/Pacific Islander; 6) Hispanic; 7) multiracial; 8) limited English proficient; 9) students with disabilities; and 10) economically disadvantaged students.

If even one student subgroup in one subject does not make its targeted goal, then the entire building is considered as not making AYP.

NCLB and Michigan

In addition to measuring schools according to standards set under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the State Board of Education remains committed to Education YES!, begun in 2001 in Michigan.

Both Education YES! and NCLB require reading and mathematics assessments for students in grades 3-8. NCLB requires that students in high school be tested at least once in reading and mathematics, so Michigan will continue its testing of high school students in all four subject areas (reading, mathematics, science, and writing) at grade 11.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will be required of every state on a biennial basis beginning in 2002-03. Michigan continues to participate in all NAEP sampling requests and uses the tests as an indicator.

Both Education YES! and No Child Left Behind hold high standards for academic achievement as their cornerstone, but they measure progress toward reaching that goal differently.

In Michigan, Education YES! takes into account more than a single test on a single day. We believe it is only fair to use multiple measures to rate the quality of our neighborhood public schools

Both systems are aligned through the use of a final “filter.” In Michigan, if a school building receives all A’s on its Education YES! report card but does not make Adequate Yearly Progress, it will only receive an overall “B” letter grade. If a school building receives unacceptable grades in all subject areas but continues to make AYP, this building will be accredited under the new system.