- According to these readings, what were the major issues with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)?
The implementation of the NLCB has been met with a number of challenges over the years. One of the biggest challenges that have faced its implementation is the lack of skilled, qualified and mentored teachers, and the lack of adequate resources (Darling-Hammond, 2007). This is a case mostly observed in the poor schools attended by English Language Learners (ELLs). This reason has led to the declining quality levels of education being offered to the ELLs. Most of the ELL’s attend high-poverty schools that have few resources hence the NLCB has not been able to cater for all their needs. The issue of language barrier has also been an issue that the ELLs are grappling with. Some of the standardized scores being used for assessment use complex languages that the ELLs might not be able to comprehend. This in turn affects their performance. The high-stake consequences of the NLCB have caused students and the schools that serve them to be vulnerable to punishments. This punishment has instilled an element of fear among the ELLs and their respective schools (Menken, 2010). Assessment of the ELLs has become difficult because it is difficult to differentiate what an Ells student knows and what he can do. This is because language affects the outcomes. It is not a valid method to give an ELL on academic content in English.
- What is your position on Linda Darling-Hammond’s discussion at the end of her article on how to make sure that schools don’t leave any child behind?
Linda Darling-Hammond argues that school progress should be evaluated on a number of measures that include class attendance, performance of tasks among others. She goes on further to state that there needs that highly effective teachers to ensure quality of education. The government should also provide adequate resources that would facilitate the learning process. I am in total agreement with Darling-Hammond’s proposal given the deteriorating quality of education under NCLB. One of the key principles of NCLB is to ensure quality of teacher’s in all schools. As she noted, their needs to be elaborate policies on teacher recruitment (skilled and experienced), strengthen their capacities and improve their retention and effectiveness. Students can only achieve success through effective teaching, strong cultures and adequate resources (Darling-Hammond, 2007).
- According to Menken’s article, what have been the main implications of the No Child Left Behind for English Language Learners?
The ELLs have greatly been impacted by the NCLB, mainly negatively. First, they are not able to demonstrate their abilities due to language barrier (Menken, 2010). Most of the exams administered to them are in complex English that they are learning and this leads to poor results in these tests. The introduction of exit exams in a number of states has led to the high number of ELLs under-achievers and drop-outs. Tests administered to them are usually of complex nature as a result of and usually meant for the native speakers (Menken, 2010). Cases of drop-outs and failures had led to ELLs being rejected in a number of schools. A high number of ELLs cannot graduate because of the complex language of these exit exams. Given the tests being used in accountability are nationally and linguistically complex, and administered in a language that they are learning, they end up performing poorly. The ELLs fail to achieve a score of proficient or meet the yearly goals. The consequences of the NLCB have caused the ELL’s vulnerable to punishment (Menken, 2010).
- After reading these two articles, what changes do you think need to be introduced in the current notion of accountability?
References
Darling-Hammond, Linda. "Race, Inequality and Educational Accountability: the Irony of "no Child Left Behind"." Race, Ethnicity and Education. 10.3 (2007): 245-260. Print.
Menken, Kate. "Nclb and English Language Learners: Challenges and Consequences." Theory into Practice. 49.2 (2010): 121-128. Print.
