Flashback: 1 year ago-Dave Speas introduces teachers to Ted Strickland

Jimmy, Kenny, and Betty, STEP ASIDE- this guy has you "out credentialed!" Dave Speas realized this long before most of us. John, a Proud CORE member

From: Dave Speas

Subject: Congressman Ted Strickland introduced legislation to correct problems with the testing mandate in NCLB

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005

To: Visit our website at www.ohiocoalition.org

Congressman Strickland (PhD in Psychology) introduced legislation that addresses problems with the testing mandates of NCLB. Below is Dr. Strickland's press release on his legislation.

Strickland (D-OH) introduces NCLB reform law.

WASHINGTON - On the first day of the new Congressional session, Congressman Ted Strickland introduced the Comprehensive Learning Assessment for Students and Schools (CLASS) Act which addresses problems with the testing mandates contained in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

"The No Child Left Behind Act forces unfair and inappropriate decisions about our schools based on a single test score," said Strickland. "My bill will change that.

"Effective and proper standardized tests can be used to measure student progress and target help where it is needed most. However, test scores alone cannot accurately reflect a school's success."

Strickland's legislation will give schools credit for all student improvement, not just improvement that brings a group of students into the "proficient" category. These improvements would include lowering drop-out rates, meeting state report card indicators and other measures based on individual students gains over time. It will also ensure that help is targeted where needed by focusing supplemental services on those groups of students that have failed to improve.

Among other changes, the legislation will also allow student scores on retests to count toward data reporting, and allow students with disabilities whose instructional level is at least three years behind grade level to be tested at an appropriate level rather than forcing them to take grade-level assessments.

"It's not fair to severely disabled students to insist that they be evaluated using the same grade-level tests as other students," noted Strickland. "My legislation will treat these students with the respect they deserve and allow them to grow and learn at a rate that is appropriate for their abilities."

The NCLB Act established two goals when signed into law in 2002. First, the law required schools to make all students proficient in reading and math by the 2013-2014 school year. Second, the law required schools to close the achievement gap between groups of poor and minority students and their more affluent non-minority peers. It also required annual testing in reading and math of all students in grades 3 through 8 and once in grades 10 through 12 beginning in the 2005-06 school year.

"Standardized tests can be useful tools in determining where an individual student's weaknesses are, and which areas can be improved," Strickland pointed out. "But other measures, such as student attendance, dropout rates, and the percentage of students taking Advanced Placement classes, all contribute to the overall picture of a school's success or failure. My legislation will make sure that these and other relevant measures in addition to standardized tests are used when determining which school systems are failing or succeeding.

"If we do not make these changes, I believe more students will drop out of school, good teachers will leave the profession and our public schools will be unfairly penalized."