Northland Christian School is a private, Christian, PK-12 school located in Northwest Houston, Texas, United States.
83-401: Northland Christian School (NCS) was established in the spring of 1974. Seeking to create a school in their community that combined excellence in education with a commitment to teaching Biblical principles, a group of dedicated families from Bammel Church of Christ gathered $ 1,000 of seed money, sought teachers who shared their vision, and found a physical location for the school. Instrumental in
166-518: A standardized test annually to students in selected grades. To improve student outcomes, the act identified several strategies school districts could employ, such as teacher professional development, educational technology, and activities to involve parents. The act also required each local agency to determine the average number of students in daily attendance in the K-12 schools it served to allocate grant money effectively for NCLB programs. Additionally,
249-562: A 1% permissibility ceiling and is for students facing significant cognitive disabilities. (Current as of March 2008) Former State Board of Education candidate Mark Loewe identified scoring mistakes made on questions of the Spring 2003 TAKS Mathematics and Science tests; two of the science questions were discussed in The New York Times . Incorrect scores were issued to more than 400,000 students. According to Loewe,
332-648: A child’s performance, as well as academic growth. The grade 3-8 STAAR tests in reading and mathematics, by law, must be linked from grade to grade to performance expectations for the English II and Algebra I end-of-course assessments. During a speech at the Texas Association of School Administrators’ Midwinter Conference in Austin, Scott also said the last TAKS-based school accountability ratings will be issued in 2011. Ratings will be suspended in 2012 while
415-465: A combined enrollment of 43 students. Currently, NCS has around 425 students annually. With the recent hire of a new Head of School, NCS is celebrating 50 years during the 2024-25 school year. It is a Christian school, with Biblical integration in the classroom. Located in NW Houston, it is the local community Christian school representing zip codes from all over North Houston. As of the fall of 2019,
498-572: A different school (public, private, or otherwise) for their child to attend if their district failed to meet state standards; however, critics stated that this move would take funds away from schools that needed the most funding. The NCLB Act was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on March 22, 2001, and it was coauthored by Representatives John Boehner (R-OH), George Miller (D-CA), and Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH). As it made its way through
581-458: A new accountability system is developed. No Child Left Behind Act The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 ( NCLB ) was a 2002 U.S. Act of Congress promoted by the presidency of George W. Bush . It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students. It mandated standards-based education reform based on
664-597: A retooled version of the proposed EOC exams, called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). STAAR will be used for the 12 end-of-course assessments mandated by SB 1031 in 2007 and the new grade 3-8 assessments mandated by HB 3 in the 2009 legislative session. In June 2013 TEA announced another change to the testing requirements as a result of HB 5. The five assessments required for graduation are Algebra I, English I (combined reading/writing), English II (combined reading/writing), biology, and U.S. history and
747-531: A state can make its statewide tests easier to increase scores. Missouri, for example, improved testing scores but openly admitted that they lowered the standards. A 2007 study by the U.S. Dept. of Education indicates that the observed differences in states' reported scores is largely due to differences in the stringency of their standards. Many argued that local government had failed students, necessitating federal intervention to remedy issues like teachers teaching outside their areas of expertise, and complacency in
830-539: A subgrant of the SEA. Supporters of the NCLB claim one of the strong positive points of the bill is the increased accountability that is required of schools and teachers. According to the legislation, schools must pass yearly tests that judge student improvement over the fiscal year. These yearly standardized tests are the main means of determining whether schools live up to required standards. If required improvements are not made,
913-545: A third over the law's first five years. There was only one program that helped improve the gifted: they received $ 9.6 million. In the 2007 budget, President George W. Bush zeroed this out. While NCLB is silent on the education of academically gifted students, some states (such as Arizona , California , Virginia , and Pennsylvania ) require schools to identify gifted students and provide them with an appropriate education, including grade advancement. In other states, such as Michigan , state funding for gifted and talented programs
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#1732771891988996-411: Is calculated as shown. The raw score for the 4th grade writing test is calculated as shown. Then, the raw score is converted to a scaled score. As with the other tests, a scaled score of 2100 meets the standard and 2400 is a commended performance. In 2007, the 11th grade "met standard" level was a raw score of 42, 10th was 44, and 9th was 28; 7th "met standard" with 26 points and 4th with 20. However,
1079-428: Is easier for schools to sufficiently improve. Education researchers Thomas Dee and Brian Jacob argue that NCLB showed statistically significant positive impact on students' performance on 4th-grade math exams (equal to two-thirds of a year's worth of growth), smaller and statistically insignificant improvements in 8th-grade math exam performance, and no discernible improvement in reading performance. Critics argue that
1162-732: Is exempt from TAKS ( Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills ) since it is a private school. Students in grades Kindergarten to 9th grade take the Stanford Achievement Test . Students in grades 3,5, and 7 take the OLSAT Achievement Test . In 7th grade, students identified as "gifted and talented" used to take the SAT Test for admission into Duke's TIP Program, before the Duke TIP Program shut down due to COVID-19. In 10 or 11th grade, students take
1245-416: Is graded on a scale of 0–4. Students must earn a score of 2 or better on their written composition in order to meet the standard in writing or ELA. The open-ended items (short answer) are graded on a scale of 0–3. The ELA (10th–11th grade) raw score is calculated as shown in this chart. The 9th grade reading test raw score is calculated as shown in this chart. The raw score for the 7th grade writing test
1328-616: Is no consensus on what traits are most important and most education policy experts agree that further research is required. Several of the analyses of state accountability systems that were in place before NCLB indicate that outcomes accountability led to faster growth in achievement for the states that introduced such systems. The direct analysis of state test scores before and after enactment of NCLB also supports its positive impact. A primary criticism asserts that NCLB reduces effective instruction and student learning by causing states to lower achievement goals and motivate teachers to "teach to
1411-480: Is required to pass and 2400 is required to earn "commended" status. Performance standards showing the raw scores are available online. The essay and short answer portions found in grade 4, 7, 9, 10, and 11 are scored by graders in Dallas, Austin, and Albuquerque. The graders are not all teachers, but Pearson requires its graders to have a bachelor's degree and prefers experience in education. The written composition
1494-609: Is the issue with teachers teaching to the TAKS test, instead of the standard Texas curriculum. In order to reduce the burden of field testing, the Texas State Board of Education has not released to the public those questions used to determine student scores on the Spring 2005 or Spring 2007 TAKS tests. Regrettably, this prevents public review of the questions and answers (for appropriateness and correctness) and denies opportunities for students, teachers, and others to learn from
1577-459: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by making students with disabilities learn the same material as non-disabled students. NCLB includes incentives to reward schools showing progress for students with disabilities and other measures to fix or provide students with alternative options than schools not meeting the needs of the disabled population. The law is written so that
1660-864: The PSAT/NMSQT test. In 11th and/or 12th grade, students take the SAT and/or the ACT tests. Northland Christian School offers athletics for both middle and high school students. All students are also required to participate in Physical Education or Athletics. There is an option for students participating in Olympic-level sports such as gymnastics, cheerleading, tumbling, soccer, taekwondo, karate, baseball, football, and swimming outside of school as off-campus PE to take study hall if they document at least 15 hours per week. Northland Christian School provides
1743-627: The United States Senate on December 18, 2001 (voting 87–10). The Act was then signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2002. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 aimed to increase school accountability for student educational outcomes and reduce disparities between lower-performing and higher-performing students and districts. To achieve these goals, NCLB required all federally funded public schools to administer
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#17327718919881826-512: The tests. However, university-level experts in each of the fields review each high school-level test for accuracy. Grade-level teachers also review test items for appropriateness prior to field testing and review the field test results in order to select the best questions for inclusion in the test item bank. With Senate Bill 1031 in spring 2007, Texas legislators repealed TAKS in favor of End of Course exams in high school; however, this change will happen gradually. Students who enter ninth grade in
1909-579: The 2011-2012 school year must still take the TAKS test; all students that entered high school in the 2011-2012 school year or later must switch to the STAAR test. Homeschoolers cannot take the STAAR; they can continue to take the TAKS test if desired. The Texas Education Agency, Pearson, and Texas educators collaborate to make TAKS. First, teachers reviewed the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (state-mandated curriculum) to determine
1992-856: The 2011-2012 school year will have to take end-of-course exams in core subjects. Students who entered ninth grade before 2011 will still have to pass the exit-level TAKS to graduate. A calendar which shows the field test and implementation schedule has been developed. According to the Texas Federation of Teachers, the EOC will require students taking either the Recommended or Advanced curriculum to take three end-of-course exams in each of four core subjects: English I, English II, English III; Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry; Biology, Chemistry, Physics; World Geography, World History, U.S. History In 2010, Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced
2075-601: The American education system culminated with the 1983 release of a report entitled A Nation at Risk , written by President Ronald Reagan 's National Commission on Excellence in Education . This report suggested that America's economic security would be severely compromised unless there were a complete reorientation of the education system and an increase in the set of academic standards that students were expected to achieve. Though many Republican groups historically opposed
2158-724: The Cougars. Northland Christian School provides a variety of fine arts courses of performing and visual arts . Courses such as art, drama, photography, orchestra, choir, and jazz ensemble are available. The debate team has been sponsored and coached by members of the Lanier law firm and family, and has generally been seen by locals as the most successful extracurricular team Northland offers. The extracurricular options at Northland Christian School invite many to take part in their passions. Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills ( TAKS )
2241-800: The District of Columbia, with ninety-eight percent of its schools achieving No Child Left Behind standards. Student performance in other subjects (besides reading and math) will be measured as a part of overall progress. NCLB's main focus is on skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, which are areas related to economic success. Combined with the budget crises in the late-2000s recession , some schools have cut or eliminated classes and resources for many subject areas that are not part of NCLB's accountability standards. Since 2007, almost 71% of schools have reduced instruction time in subjects such as history, arts, language, and music to provide more time and resources to mathematics and English. In some schools,
2324-711: The House of Representatives and the Senate, the bill faced a number of challenges, ranging from Democratic appeals for more funding, to Republican pushback on the increased role of the Federal government in the realm of education. Despite this, the Act garnered bipartisan support in both chambers of the legislature, and it was passed in the United States House of Representatives on December 13, 2001 (voting 381–41), and in
2407-485: The NCLB requirements may ultimately result in science being taught in more elementary schools and by more teachers than ever before. 2/3 of elementary school teachers indicated that they were not familiar with national science standards. Most concern circulates around the result that, consuming too much time for language arts and mathematics may limit children's experience—and curiosity and interest—in sciences. NCLB pressures schools to guarantee that nearly all students meet
2490-940: The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) almost two-thirds of eighth graders missed math word problems that required an application of the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the distance between two points. The teachers correctly anticipated the content of the tests, but incorrectly assumed each test would present simplistic items rather than higher-order items. Another problem is that outside influences often affect student performance. Students who struggle to take tests may perform well using another method of learning such as project-based learning. Sometimes, factors such as home life can affect test performance. Basing performance on one test inaccurately measures student success overall. No Child Left Behind has failed to account for all these factors. Those opposed to
2573-440: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The purpose of MSP is to increase student achievement in science and mathematics by partnering IHE science, math, and engineering departments with elementary and secondary science and math teachers in high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) in order to develop teachers' content knowledge and instructional performance. SEAs may apply for competitive grants and then IHEs and LEAs may apply for
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2656-573: The TEA introduced TAKS (Accommodated), TAKS-M, and TAKS-Alt to assess students receiving special education services. Determination of the appropriate assessment is made by the ARD committee based on each individual student's instructional supports and current level of functioning. A brief description of each assessment can be found on page 19 of the ARD manual. TAKS (Accommodated) has fewer items per page, larger font size, and no field-test items, but still possesses
2739-635: The Texas Education Agency issued false statements about several of the mistakes and failed to correct any of the mistakes. Also controversial is the mathematics section of the exit level test. This section of the test covers Algebra I, Geometry, and minimal use of basic skills, such as graphs, charts, and grids. The controversy lies in the fact that many students who take higher levels of mathematics seem to fail this test because it does not test their higher-level skills, instead testing skills that they have not recently studied. However, many in
2822-646: The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) devoted their attention to global educational development. From the 1960s onward, these organizations increasingly focused on learning outcomes and evaluation procedures that included the evaluation of education systems against defined standards of performance. The 2001 NCLB Act
2905-578: The above points, proponents claim that No Child Left Behind: The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has proposed tying teacher's salaries to test scores. If a district's students do poorly, the state cuts the district's budget the following year and the teachers get a pay cut. Critics point out that if a school does poorly, reducing its budget and cutting teacher salaries will likely hamper the school's ability to improve. The act requires schools to rely on scientifically based research for programs and teaching methods. The act defines this as "research that involves
2988-517: The active role of the federal government in education, lobbying efforts, public opinion, and other political developments in Washington (such as the Republican defeat in the 1996 presidential election) caused congressional Republicans to push for federal educational reforms that emphasized standardized testing and other accountability measures. At the time, increased attention was being paid to
3071-612: The application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs." Scientifically based research results in "replicable and applicable findings" from research that used appropriate methods to generate persuasive, empirical conclusions. Prior to the NCLB act, new teachers were typically required to have a bachelor's degree, be fully certified, and demonstrate subject matter knowledge—generally through tests. Under NCLB, existing teachers—including those with tenure—were also supposed to meet standards. They could meet
3154-476: The basic goals that should come by somewhat relevant to a student. Physical education , on the other hand, is one of the subjects least affected. Some might find this confusing because like many electives and non-core classes, No Child Left Behind does not address Physical Education directly. Two reasons why Physical Education is not adversely affected include the obesity crisis in the United States that
3237-489: The bill faced challenges from both Democrats and Republicans, it passed in both chambers of the legislature with significant bipartisan support. Many provisions of the act generated significant controversy. By 2015, bipartisan criticism had increased so much that a bipartisan Congress stripped away the national features of No Child Left Behind. Its replacement, the Every Student Succeeds Act , turned
3320-530: The classes remain available, but individual students who are not proficient in basic skills are sent to remedial reading or mathematics classes rather than arts, sports, or other optional subjects. According to Paul Reville , the author of "Stop Narrowing of the Curriculum By Right-Sizing School Time," teachers are learning that students need more time to excel in the "needed" subjects. The students need more time to achieve
3403-437: The curriculum standards must be applied to all students, rather than having different standards for students in different cities or other parts of the state. The act also requires schools to let military recruiters have students' contact information and other access to the student, if the school provides that information to universities or employers, unless the students opt out of giving military recruiters access. This portion of
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3486-500: The educational community praise the test not for testing higher-level skills but for its assessment of critical thinking based on lower-level skills. The TAKS test's grading standards have come under fire, as some deem them to be too easy. In addition, hundreds of schools throughout Texas have been investigated and audited by the Texas Education Association due to suspicious scoring discrepancies. Also, there
3569-414: The elementary and secondary schools are located on the same campus with grades PreK 3-12th grade. The students take classes in 7-8 different buildings depending on grade level. The Northland Christian School Campus is located on Sylvanfield Avenue, close to a major intersection of FM 1960 and Stuebner-Airline Road, and Bammel North Houston and Veterans Memorial (continued from Stuebner Airline). Northland
3652-490: The face of continually failing schools. Some local governments, notably that of New York state, have supported NCLB provisions, because local standards failed to provide adequate oversight over special education, and NCLB would let them use longitudinal data more effectively to monitor Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). States all over the United States have shown improvements in their progress as an apparent result of NCLB. For example, Wisconsin ranks first of all fifty states plus
3735-640: The federal government is trying to reverse through programs like First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign, which among other things, looks to improve the quantity and quality of physical education. Secondly, there is research, including a 2005 study by Dr. Charles H. Hillmam of The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that concludes that fitness is globally related to academic achievement. The opportunities, challenges, and risks that No Child Left Behind poses for science education in elementary and middle schools—worldwide competition insists on rapidly improving science education. Adding science assessments to
3818-452: The focus on standardized testing (all students in a state take the same test under the same conditions) encourages teachers to teach a narrow subset of skills that the school believes increases test performance , rather than achieve in-depth understanding of the overall curriculum. For example, a teacher who knows that all questions on a math test are simple addition problems (e.g., What is 2 + 3?) might not invest any class time on
3901-558: The following sports: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball. Sixth grade students are allowed to try out for seventh grade teams. Eighth grade students are allowed to try out for high school sports if needed by the school to fill in the vacant spots, such as on the junior varsity baseball team. The sports services provided by Northland Christian School allow many students to participate in competitive leagues between other schools and do what they love to represent
3984-399: The founding of NCS were DeAnna and Jim Graves, in whose honor their elementary school building is named. DeAnna was Northland Christian's first Head of School, as well as one of its first dedicated teachers, among countless other roles. Jim Graves served as a board member for 20 years and supported Northland Christian in those crucial early years. NCS officially opened in the fall of 1974 with
4067-528: The given level for their age, no matter how effective the teacher is. While statewide standards reduce the educational inequality between privileged and underprivileged districts in a state, they still impose a "one size fits all" standard on individual students. Particularly in states with high standards, schools can be punished for not being able to dramatically raise the achievement of students that may have below-average capabilities . The term "all" in NCLB ended up meaning less than 100% of students, because by
4150-829: The goal of 100 percent proficiency is unattainable. Charles Murray wrote of the law: "The United States Congress, acting with large bipartisan majorities, at the urging of the President, enacted as the law of the land that all children are to be above average." The system of incentives and penalties set up a strong motivation for schools, districts, and states to manipulate test results. For example, schools have been shown to employ "creative reclassification" of high school dropouts (to reduce unfavorable statistics). For example, at Sharpstown High School in Houston , Texas , more than 1,000 students began high school as freshmen, and four years later, fewer than 300 students were enrolled in
4233-410: The increase in scores between 2000 and 2003 was roughly the same as the increase between 2003 and 2005, which calls into question how any increase can be attributed to No Child Left Behind. They also argue that some of the subgroups are cherry-picked —that in other subgroups scores remained the same or fell. Also, the makers of the standardized tests have been blamed for making the tests easier so that it
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#17327718919884316-429: The intended purpose of preventing drug and alcohol use by students, as well as programs that would deter students from committing acts of violence in schools. The act also provides funds to states in order to enable students who have been expelled from school for certain offenses to perform acts of community service. Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) is education policy from Title 2, Part B, Sections 2201–2203 of
4399-488: The items are field-tested on Texas students. Using the input of the teacher committee and the results of field-testing, TEA and Pearson build the TAKS. A more detailed explanation is available from the Student Assessment Division of TEA. The science, social studies, math, and reading tests (before grade 9) consist of multiple-choice questions scored by computer. On each test, a scaled score of 2100
4482-429: The law emphasized improving the communication of information about student achievement and school performance to parents through reporting systems designed to reflect best educational practices. Schools that receive Title I funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 must make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in test scores (e.g. each year, fifth graders must do better on standardized tests than
4565-513: The law has drawn a fair amount of criticism and has even led to political resistance. For instance, in 2003 in Santa Cruz, California , student-led efforts forced school districts to create an "opt-in" policy that required students affirm they wanted the military to have their information. This successful student organizing effort was copied in various other cities throughout the United States. The act outlines programs and requirements that have
4648-476: The minimum skill levels (set by each state) in reading, writing, and arithmetic—but requires nothing beyond these minima. It provides no incentives to improve student achievement beyond the bare minimum. Programs not essential for achieving mandated minimum skills are neglected or canceled by those districts. In particular, NCLB does not require any programs for gifted, talented, and other high-performing students. Federal funding of gifted education decreased by
4731-426: The objectives to assess on each grade level. Then educators determined how the objectives could be best assessed and developed guidelines outlining eligible test content and test-item formats. TEA created a test blueprint. Each year Pearson develops test items based on the objectives and guidelines, and the TEA reviews those items. Teacher committees are brought to Austin to review the proposed test items, and finally
4814-815: The points needed to meet the standard may change slightly from year to year depending on the test's level of difficulty, so all students should do their best and not aim for a particular numeric score. The TAKS reading/ELA scale is linked with the Lexile Framework for Reading. Thus, Lexile measures are reported out for students in grades 3–11. A Lexile measure can be used to match readers with targeted text and monitor growth in reading ability. Texas high school seniors cannot graduate unless they pass exit-level TAKS tests in English language arts, social studies, math, and science. During their junior and senior years of high school, students are given five chances to pass
4897-447: The practical applications of addition, to leave more time for the material the test assesses. This is colloquially referred to as " teaching to the test ." "Teaching to the test" has been observed to raise test scores, though not as much as other teaching techniques. Many teachers who practice "teaching to the test" misinterpret the educational outcomes the tests are designed to measure. On two state tests, New York and Michigan , and
4980-555: The premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals could improve individual outcomes in education. To receive federal school funding, states had to create and give assessments to all students at select grade levels. The act did not set national achievement standards. Instead, each state developed its own standards. NCLB expanded the federal role in public education through further emphasis on annual testing, annual academic progress, report cards, and teacher qualifications, as well as significant changes in funding. While
5063-554: The previous year's fifth graders). If the school's results are repeatedly poor, then steps are taken to improve the school. States must create AYP objectives consistent with the following requirements of the law: The act requires states to provide " highly qualified " teachers to all students. Each state sets its own standards for what counts as "highly qualified." Similarly, the act requires states to set "one high, challenging standard" for its students. Each state decides for itself what counts as "one high, challenging standard," but
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#17327718919885146-430: The remnants over to the states. Prior to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. Its goal was to provide additional resources to low-income students, but following its enactment, the nation repeatedly fell short of meeting the law's goal of providing full educational opportunities to students. Fears concerning
5229-442: The same as any other student's score. Common acceptable changes include extended test time, testing in a quieter room, translation of math problems into the student's native language, or allowing a student to type answers instead of writing them by hand. Simply being classified as having special education needs does not automatically exempt students from assessment. Most students with mild disabilities or physical disabilities take
5312-480: The same content as standard TAKS. TAKS-M (modified) is adjusted to have a larger font size, fewer items per page, reduced number of answer choices, and embedded questions depending upon the subject being assessed. While the TAKS-M items use simplified wording, content is still assessed on grade level. Only 2% of students per district will be permissibly scored as "Proficient" using the TAKS-M. TAKS-Alt (alternative) has
5395-563: The same requirements set for new teachers or could meet a state-determined "...high, objective, uniform state standard of evaluation," aka HOUSSE. Downfall of the quality requirements of the NCLB legislation have received little research attention, in part because state rules require few changes from pre-existing practice. There is also little evidence that the rules have altered trends in observable teacher traits. American educators have been struggling to identify which teacher traits are important contributors to student achievement. Currently, there
5478-420: The same test as non-disabled students. In addition to not requiring 5% of students to be assessed at all, regulations let schools use alternate assessments to declare up to 1% of all students proficient for the purposes of the Act. States are given broad discretion in selecting alternate assessments. For example, a school may accept an Advanced Placement test for English in lieu of the English test written by
5561-432: The schools face decreased funding and other punishments that contribute to the increased accountability. According to supporters, these goals help teachers and schools realize the significance and importance of the educational system and how it affects the nation. Opponents of this law say that the punishments only hurt the schools and do not contribute to the improvement of student education. In addition to and in support of
5644-486: The scores of students with IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) and 504 plans are counted just as other students' scores are counted. Schools have argued against having disabled populations involved in their AYP measurements because they claim that there are too many variables involved. Stemming from the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
5727-613: The scores of the highest-performing students (90th percentile and above) hardly budged. "There's a fallacy in the law and everybody knows it," said Alabama State Superintendent Joe Morton on Wednesday, August 11, 2010. According to the No Child Left Behind Act, by 2014, every child is supposed to test on grade level in reading and math. "That can't happen," said Morton. "You have too many variables and you have too many scenarios, and everybody knows that would never happen." Alabama State Board Member Mary Jane Caylor said, "I don't think that No Child Left Behind has benefited this state." She argued
5810-437: The scores on the STAAR test were no longer calculated into a students final grade for the course. The new tests will be used beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. Students in the graduating Class of 2015 will be the first students who must meet the end-of-course testing requirements, as well as pass their classes, in order to earn a diploma. The new tests will be significantly more rigorous than previous tests and will measure
5893-488: The senior class. However, none of these "missing" students from Sharpstown High were reported as dropouts. The act is promoted as requiring 100% of students (including disadvantaged and special education students) within a school to reach the same state standards in reading and mathematics by 2014; detractors charge that a 100% goal is unattainable, and critics of the NCLB requirement for "one high, challenging standard" claim that some students are simply unable to perform at
5976-418: The state of education in the nation because prior to the 2000 United States presidential election , then-candidate George Bush made a number of campaign promises related to bipartisan education reform. The increased focus in the United States on educational standards and accountability reflected international education policy developments and debates. After World War II, international organizations such as
6059-523: The state, and simplified tests for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) and Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) options, for example, are portfolio assessments . Organizations that support NCLB assessment of disabled or limited English proficient (LEP) students say that inclusion ensures that deficiencies in the education of these disadvantaged students are identified and addressed. Opponents say that testing students with disabilities violates
6142-468: The students had not yet made it all the way to a "proficient" level of achievement. Since 2005, the U.S. Department of Education has approved 15 states to implement growth model pilots. Each state adopted one of four distinct growth models: Trajectory, Transition Tables, Student Growth Percentiles, and Projection. The incentives for improvement also may cause states to lower their official standards. Because each state can produce its own standardized tests,
6225-534: The test. Students new to Texas public education who enroll after January 1 of the school year in which they are otherwise eligible to graduate may use scores from the SAT or ACT to replace the ELA and Math TAKS. However, students are still required to pass the exit level science and social studies TAKS test as well as satisfy all coursework requirements in order to be eligible to receive a Texas high school diploma. In 2007,
6308-761: The test." A primary supportive claim asserts that systematic testing provides data that shed light on which schools don't teach basic skills effectively, so that interventions can be made to improve outcomes for all students while reducing the achievement gap for disadvantaged and disabled students. The United States Department of Education points to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, released in July 2005, showing improved student achievement in reading and math: These statistics compare 2005 with 2000 though No Child Left Behind did not even take effect until 2003. Critics point out that
6391-448: The time the 100% requirement was to take effect in 2015, no state had reached the goal of having 100% of students pass the proficiency bar. Students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and who are assessed must receive the accommodations specified in the IEP during assessment; if these accommodations do not change the nature of the assessment , then these students' scores are counted
6474-412: The use of testing to determine educational achievement prefer alternatives such as subjective teacher opinions, classwork, and performance-based assessments . Under No Child Left Behind, schools and teachers were held almost exclusively accountable for levels of student performance. But that meant that even schools that were making great strides with students were still labeled as "failing" just because
6557-507: Was cut by up to 90% in the year after the Act became law. A 2008 study by the Fordham Institute suggests that the lack of incentive for schools to meet the needs of high achieving students had serious consequences: while between 2000 and 2007 students in the lowest 10th percentile (low performers) had improved their average performance on the 4th grade reading portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress by 16 points,
6640-605: Was enacted in its first form in 1991, and then reenacted with new education aspects in 2006 (although still referred to as IDEA 2004 ). It kept the EAHCA requirements of free and accessible education for all children. The 2004 IDEA authorized formula grants to states and discretionary grants for research, technology, and training. It also required schools to use research-based interventions to assist students with disabilities. The amount of funding each school would receive from its "Local Education Agency" for each year would be divided by
6723-534: Was part of this global movement toward greater accountability in education. President George W. Bush first proposed the use of federal aid to create a plan by which to hold schools accountable for the educational outcomes of their students on January 23, 2001; however, as it was initially described, the Act faced significant criticism from interest groups such as the Education Trust because of its inclusion of vouchers. Vouchers would enable parents to choose
6806-584: Was passed, it complied with the law. It replaced the previous test, called the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), in 2002. Those students being home-schooled or attending private schools were not required to take the TAKS test. From 2012 to 2014, the test has been phased out and replaced by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test in accordance with Texas Senate Bill 1031. All students who entered 9th grade prior to
6889-488: Was the fourth Texas state standardized test previously used in grade 3-8 and grade 9-11 to assess students' attainment of reading , writing , math , science , and social studies skills required under Texas education standards. It is developed and scored by Pearson Educational Measurement with close supervision by the Texas Education Agency. Though created before the No Child Left Behind Act
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