|
Spellings promised flexibility to committed states Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/education/11340644.htmhttp://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/education/11340644.htm
Posted on Fri, Apr. 08, 2005
EDUCATION
No Child Left Behind concerns addressed
Education secretary Margaret Spellings promised a more sensible approach in dealing with states on No Child Left Behind law.
BY BEN FELLER
Associated Press
MOUNT VERNON, Va. - Education Secretary Margaret Spellings came into her job promising to deal with horror stories from states about the No Child Left Behind law. Now state leaders say she appears to be delivering on the promise -- with a catch.
Spellings pledged Thursday to take a more sensible approach to enforcing the law, starting with allowing many more children with disabilities to be held to different academic standards.
The flexibility isn't open to all states, only to those that prove they are committed to President Bush's education law, mainly by raising test scores.
''States that understand this new way of doing things will be gratified,'' Spellings told state school chiefs and other education leaders invited to hear her announcement.
''It makes sense, plain and simple,'' she said. ``Others looking for loopholes to simply take the federal funds, ignore the intent of the law and have minimal results to show for their millions of dollars in federal funds will think otherwise and be disappointed.''
Spellings arranged the gathering at George Washington's estate in Virginia as a symbolic reminder of a meeting there three years ago, when the state school chiefs celebrated Bush's new education law.
This time, they came to hear Spellings outline her prove-it-first terms for cooperation. She will favor states that don't challenge principal points of the law -- yearly testing of students in reading and math in grades three to eight and public reporting of scores for all major groups of students. She wants proof that states are raising achievement.
And she said she is inclined to work with states that do even more than the law requires, including the yearly high school testing that Bush wants in federal law but Congress hasn't endorsed.
Overall, Spellings said, she wants support from state leaders who have grown restless over Bush's education law, yet do it without eroding high expectations for all children.
State leaders contend the law sets unreasonable and rigid standards for many children.
Utah is poised to pass a bill giving priority to its own education goals, and other states are clamoring for change.
Florida last week joined the chorus of complaints that the act is too demanding.
Education Commissioner John Winn asked the federal government to approve three changes in how Florida complies with the law, most notably in how the state counts different groups of students.
No Child Left Behind requires schools to target groups such as racial and ethnic; low-income and special-education.
Florida's threshold for counting groups of students is currently 30, one of the most stringent cut-offs in the nation.
The state wants that raised to 15 percent of a school's enrollment.
Winn praised the federal government's changes.
Herald staff writer Steve Harrison contributed to this report.
|
|
