No Child Left behind and Students with Disabilities in Rural and Small Schools

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Mclaughlin ◽  
Sandra Embler ◽  
Glenda Hernandez ◽  
Elizabeth Caron
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Adequate Yearly Progress ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Small Rural Schools ◽  
Better Than

The recently enacted No Child Left Behind Act (2001) places unprecedented pressure on schools to raise the academic achievement of all students. Through annual testing of students, schools are to use the results of these assessments to demonstrate that they are making adequate yearly progress (AYP). The provisions in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) apply to all states, districts, and schools equally, regardless of size or location. There are concerns, however, about applying the law's provisions in rural schools. Specifically, concerns surround the measurement of adequate yearly progress. In many rural schools, the number of students is small and this is especially true when disaggregating results for subgroups. The current study investigated the implementation of accountability reforms in rural schools and sought to identify schools that were experiencing better than expected results for students, especially students with disabilities. Findings indicate that validly measuring AYP in small rural schools is especially problematic given the small number of students in the subgroup, volatility in year to year scores, and changes in service delivery policies. Implications for accountability and policy are discussed.

scholarly journals Adequate Yearly Progress in Small Rural Schools and Rural Low-Income Schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Farmer ◽  
Man-Chi Leung ◽  
Jonathan Banks ◽  
Victoria Schaefer ◽  
Bruce Andrews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Education ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Adequate Yearly Progress ◽  
The United States ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Education Achievement ◽  
Small Rural Schools ◽  
Adequate Data

Adequate yearly progress (AYP) on No Child Left Behind criteria was examined for a randomly selected sample of districts that qualify for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP). The sample involved 10% of districts that were eligible for the Small Rural Schools Achievement (SRSA) program and 10% that were eligible for the Rural and Low-income Schools (RLIS) program. Based on district reports, nearly 80% of SRSA schools made AYP, 11% failed, and 11% did not have adequate data. For schools in the RLIS program, districts reported that 65% made AYP, 29% failed, and 6% did not report adequate data. The SRSA and RLIS samples had different patterns for the categories of students that did not make AYP. Also, SRSA and RLIS districts were differentially distributed across the United States. Implications for interventions are discussed.  

Adequate Yearly Progress, Small Schools, and Students with Disabilities: The Importance of Confidence Intervals when Making Judgments about AYP

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore Coladarci
Keyword(s):  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Confidence Intervals ◽  
Adequate Yearly Progress ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
School Level ◽  
Opinion Poll ◽  
Small School ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
School Progress

Indicators of school-level achievement, such as the percentage of students who are proficient in a particular content area, are subject to random year-to-year variation in much the same way that the results of an opinion poll will vary from one random sample to another. This random variation, which is more pronounced for a small school, should be taken into account by education officials when evaluating school progress in a policy climate of high stakes. To do otherwise is to risk the false identification of a failing school, whether for all students combined or for the subgroup of students with disabilities. In this article, I describe the application of confidence intervals to the evaluation of “adequate yearly progress” for No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Throughout, I demonstrate the particular relevance of confidence intervals for small schools in general and, more specifically, for the (smaller still) subgroup of students with disabilities.

Has NCLB Encouraged Educational Triage? Accountability and the Distribution of Achievement Gains

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Ballou ◽  
Matthew G. Springer
Keyword(s):  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Mathematics Achievement ◽  
Adequate Yearly Progress ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Achievement Gains ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Reasonable Prospect ◽  
Identification Strategy

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has been criticized for encouraging schools to neglect students whose performance exceeds the proficiency threshold or lies so far below it that there is no reasonable prospect of closing the gap during the current year. We examine this hypothesis using longitudinal data from 2002–03 through 2005–06. Our identification strategy relies on the fact that as NCLB was phased in, states had some latitude in designating which grades were to count for purposes of a school making adequate yearly progress. We compare the mathematics achievement distribution in a grade before and after it became a high-stakes grade. We find in general no evidence that gains were concentrated on students near the proficiency standard at the expense of students scoring much lower, though there are inconsistent signs of a trade-off with students at the upper end of the distribution.

scholarly journals Performance Standards': Utility for Different Uses of Assessments

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Linn
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Performance Standards ◽  
Educational Measurement ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Great Uncertainty ◽  
Assessment Results

Performance standards are arguably one of the most controversial topics in educational measurement. There are uses of assessments such as licensure and certification where performance standards are essential. There are many other uses, however, where performance standards have been mandated or become the preferred method of reporting assessment results where the standards are not essential to the use. Distinctions between essential and nonessential uses of performance standards are discussed. It is argued that the insistence on reporting in terms of performance standards in situations where they are not essential has been more harmful than helpful. Variability in the definitions of proficient academic achievement by states for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is discussed and it is argued that the variability is so great that characterizing achievement is meaningless. Illustrations of the great uncertainty in standards are provided.

scholarly journals Teacher qualification and the achievement gap in early primary grades.

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Easton-Brooks ◽  
Alan Davis
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Achievement Gap ◽  
Elementary School Teachers ◽  
Academic Achievement Gap ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Teacher Qualification ◽  
Early Primary ◽  
Certified Teacher ◽  
Relationship Of

Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110, 115 Stat. 1245, 2002) holds schools accountable for reducing the academic achievement gap between the different ethnic groups and requires elementary school teachers to have at least a bachelors degree and a state certification. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the qualification requirement of NCLB to the goal of reducing the academic achievement gap. The study found that students with a certified teacher for most of their early school experience scored higher in reading than students who did not have a certified teacher. In addition, certification was associated with slightly narrowing the academic gap between African American and European American students across early elementary grades.

Elementary Teachers’ Knowledge and Use of Interventions and Barriers to Promoting Student Self-Determination

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jeong Cho ◽  
Michael Wehmeyer ◽  
Neal Kingston
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Academic Achievement ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Education Improvement ◽  
Perceived Importance

The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) emphasize accountability to improve student academic achievement. Promoting self-determination has been proposed as a means to achieving this outcome. Elementary teachers in 30 states were surveyed to measure (a) their perceived importance of self-determination, (b) to what extent they teach it, and (c) the barriers that inhibit them from teaching it. Both general and special educators assigned considerable importance to self-determination instruction and reported at least occasionally providing such instruction. The authors found a lack of congruence between the value teachers place on promoting self-determination and the time they devote to teaching it. Limitations and implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered.

Administrative Perspectives on the No Child Left behind Act (NCLBA) for Students with Disabilities in Rural Settings

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luann L. Purcell ◽  
Bill East ◽  
Harvey A. Rude
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The State ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact

The impact of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) has provided a significant challenge and opportunity for administrators of special education services at the state and local levels. Leaders representing prominent professional organizations at both the state (National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc.) and local (Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc.) education levels have identified advantages and barriers to successful implementation of the legal mandates. The most significant challenges for special education leaders and managers include: the requirements for adequate yearly progress for all learners, the provision of highly qualified special education service providers, and an adequate amount of attention devoted to all subgroups of learners. The unique difficulties for rural schools providing an appropriate education to all learners, including those with disabilities, are compounded by the effects of supplemental services, choice options, and the identification of adequate resources. The implications for the preparation of effective special education leaders and managers are identified within these parameters.

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