This third edition of the "ES Review" brings together, in one setting, some of the best work from 2008-09. It features: (1) K-12 Accountability (Measuring Skills for the 21st Century (Elena Silva); Beyond the Bubble: Technology and the Future of Student Assessment (Bill Tucker); Testing the Limits (Bill Tucker); Changing the Game: The…

This article presents a progress report on urban school districts' efforts to execute the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act, a law they greeted with both hope and fear due to the sanctions it authorized against failing systems. To investigate their progress, the Council of the Great City Schools conducted a survey of its 60 member urban…

For more than one hundred years, the United States has been the scene of academic warfare between traditional and progressive educators. During most of the nation's history, many Americans have assumed that the primary purpose of school is to pass on to children the information and skills necessary to survive in society. This traditional view…

The Oregon Department of Education is required by the U.S. Department of Education to establish targets for expected rates of growth for every school in order to close the achievement gap. The Oregon Department of Education will work in partnership with key partners such as ESDs, universities, community-based organizations, and professional…

Although committed to the core goals of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) advocates that flaws remain in the law and its implementation in the areas of: (1) Accountability, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Assessments; (2) Teacher Quality; (3) Paraprofessionals; (4) School Improvement and Public…

"The No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB) aims to strengthen state Title I accountability systems to spur the improvement needed to reach the law's goals: that all students will reach proficiency by 2013-14. NCLB requires states and districts to report and act on student test results in a host of new ways. Among the many actions states and…

This paper examines school-related policies and strategies that have been proposed or justified, at least in part, on the basis of their potential for reducing black-white test score gaps. These include strategies, one of which is greater integration, to reduce differences in the quality of teachers faced by black and white students; school and…

This two-page fact sheet is introduced by Department of Education Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, who states that she recognizes the contribution that nonpublic schools make towards the educational excellence and strength of our society, and that the Department is committed to ensuring that private school students and teachers…

Asserts that closing the racial achievement gap does not necessarily require more competition and choice, but does require that educational objectives are clearly defined, practices adequately aligned, and evaluations based on long-term effectiveness. Highlights the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), discussing sociological and historical…

A brief overview of national issues in public education in 2002. Discusses the views of advocates and opponents of the No Child Left Behind Act and the school voucher movement; federal, state, and local government challenges to local school board authority; and school funding and general economic issues. (WFA)

This report presents findings about teacher quality from two longitudinal studies, the National Longitudinal Study of "No Child Left Behind" (NLS-"NCLB"), and the Study of State Implementation of Accountability and Teacher Quality Under "No Child Left Behind" (SSI-"NCLB"). The research teams for these two…

In this report, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides a summary of its FY 2005 accomplishments. Also, in recognition of the 25th anniversary, some of the significant cases that OCR has resolved over the years are highlighted. The last quarter century was eventful and challenging for OCR. Major U.S. Supreme Court decisions, such as "Grove…

Since Mueller vs. Allen (1983), several legal decisions have attempted to clarify what is the appropriate relationship between religion and public education in a democratic society. During this time, the United States legal system has shifted, moving the historic "establishment clause" away from a strict "separationist" view…

"Outlook" is the monthly newsletter of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). This issue contains the following articles: (1) House Poised to Act on Education Tax Deduction; (2) PDK Poll [34th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools] Shows Big Jump in Support for School Choice;…

The Title I program, created in 1965, is the largest federal program supporting elementary and secondary education and is intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state standards and assessments. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) expanded the…