Our district superintendent sent out a letter with New Year's goals. Here's an excerpt:
As a district, we are not quite halfway through the school year. Today is the 84th day of instruction and we have 93 days left with our kids. As I reflect on our progress, I continue to believe that we are doing an outstanding job with the kids who are performing on the upper end of our spectrum. We still have an enormous amount of work to do to ensure that all kids are reaching excellence. I feel very good about our schools that have closed achievement gaps, but they are the exception rather than the norm. We have to close those gaps and must continue to work hard to accomplish this goal. When all students, no matter the demographics, reach proficiency, there will be no gaps.
I beg to disagree with the statement that "we are doing an outstanding job with the kids who are performing on the upper end of the spectrum." The part that has me scratching my head is the last statement. How do you interpret this? "When all students, no matter the demographics, reach proficiency, there will be no gaps."
Assuming this is NCLB related, I came across this policy primer:
http://www.subnet.nga.org/educlear/achievement/What is the achievement gap?
The �achievement gap� is a matter of race and class. Across the U.S., a gap in academic achievement persists between minority and disadvantaged students and their white counterparts. This is one of the most pressing education-policy challenges that states currently face.
New urgency at the federal level
Recent changes in Federal education policy have put the spotlight on the achievement gap. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires states to set the same performance targets for children:
� From economically disadvantaged families
� With disabilities
� With limited English proficiency
� From all major ethnic and racial groups
Within a school, if any student subgroup persistently fails to meet performance targets, districts must provide public school choice and supplemental services to those students � and eventually restructure the school's governance. This is required even if the school performs well overall.
In other words, schools now are considered successful only if they close the achievement gap.
Now I know why some teachers have dubbed NCLB "No Child Allowed to Get Ahead."
