The NCLB Gauntlet

We started the Olympics this week! Students are in teams working on their ancient city-state identity and mixing it with modern twists, such as, they declare their own anthem (a lot of Chris Brown suggestions, he is dreamy) and devise their own slogan. The classroom has the right kind of noise, students are collaborating with students they might not have collaborated with before and they are working with multiple mediums to display their understanding.

Next week we start the official Room 504 games, and it could not come at a better time for students. Fifth grade (along with 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th) will undergo its second round of PSSA testing. Even though the students will start the day with two to three hours of independent silent testing, at least we can end it with the Olympic games. No Child Left Behind emphasis on standardized gives charter high schools new criteria to use when evaluating applications from incoming freshmen. Being in a charter school, this added twist does not go unnoticed by our administration or by our students. Students know that these scores will effect where they will end up in three years. This made me think about how far these test scores will follow our students.

While No Child Left Behind weighs heavily on standardized testing in order to track each individual student’s progress, it does not actually track whether each individual student graduates or not. I came across an article in the New York Times a couple weeks back discussing the discrepancy between what states report to the federal government in terms of graduation rates, and what the states publicize at home. In every case, the number reported to the federal government is higher. The article cites No Child Left Behind as one of the reasons for the divergence.

Since school funding is allocated based on the results of these tests, schools have great incentive to paint the best picture for their school. In addition to using valuable classroom time to teach to the test, No Child Left Behind has actually created an incentive for schools to persuade failing students to drop out. Students who do not perform well on standardized tests are not being tested, and therefore not reflected in the school’s official report to Washington. How is it that standardized tests haunt students all the way up to graduation but never ensures students receive their diplomas?

It is amazing that these fifth graders are under so much pressure. These tests will determine if they go to Central High School or West Philadelphia High School. In some ways, it will determine whether they will be encouraged to shine on standardized tests, or persuaded to sit them out, take one for the team and just drop out.

At least this week we can let loose with a little ancient Greek-style classroom competition. We will wear our olive leaf crowns proudly, cheer each other on and hopefully, momentarily forget about the stress, the over-emphasized importance of standardized testing and the obstacles No Child Left Behind has laid before us.

New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/education/20graduation.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin