PPT Slide
Obviously, in each of the above examples the state failed to meet even the basic criteria that Congress set forth in the Improving America’s Schools Act. And the price of that failure is simply too high. Setting policies that allow schools 50 years or more to move all children to meeting the standards is simply unacceptable.
Fortunately, preserving current law with two very small changes to clarify the adequate yearly progress framework can help to solve the problems outlined in the above examples. Neither asks schools, districts, and states to do more to meet their obligations under federal law. The following proposed changes merely make it clear that federal funds are to be spent in a way that ensures all children are being enabled to meet the state’s standards in all subjects assessed by the state. Enabling 50% of the students to meet the standards in some subjects, but not in others, or chronically failing to make serious (or any) progress toward getting students to meet standards, is not acceptable.