Saturday, February 12, 2011

NCLB Reauthorization Proposal Seeks to Reward Broad Curricula

As part of a plan to "renovate a flawed NCLB law and outline a reenvisioned federal role in education", the Obama administration proposes providing competitive grants to states and high-need districts to strengthen the teaching and learning of arts, foreign languages, history and civics, financial literacy, and environmental education.

With the current law long criticized for its constricting compliance requirements on student performance in math, reading and optional science assessments, the reauthorization proposal would encourage a broader  subject base using the 2010 Race to the Top grants model.  While the NCLB Act has always employed a "stick" for math and reading exams, it would be offering a "carrot" for eligible units to keep its instructional offerings broad under the new plan.

Overall, the NCLB reauthorization suggests maintaining the same five priorities embedded in the Race to the Top program: (1) College and Career Ready Standards (2) Great Teachers and Leaders in Every School (3) Equity and Opportunity for All Students (4) Raise the Bar and Reward Excellence and (5) Promote Innovation and Continuous Improvement.

Though the administration's proposal was issued in March 2010, it remains relevant today considering Education Secretary Arne Duncan's recent recommendation for members of the National School Boards Association to think "reauthorization, reauthorization, reauthorization" (of the 2007 version of NCLB) as the next pressing thing on his agenda: Secretary Duncan's statement.  In his State of the Union Address on January 25, President Obama did declare that the NCLB Act would be replaced, but the US Department of Education continues to post the 2010 document as the proposed basis for the law's modification.  There is no set timetable for reauthorization, but the Obama administration believes prospects for doing so are brightest this year.

See NCLB Reauthorization Proposal  for your own review.

2 comments:

  1. Will mandated tutoring be a part of the the Re authorization Proposal? I just pre ordered a book called SES Made Easy and am thinking about starting a tutoring company that provides services to low income children.

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  2. Nice question whose answer I don't think is known yet. You are obviously up to speed on what "is"-- but it sounds like an 'inside baseball' question that will be resolved later.

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