Secretary's Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer
Department of Education

No Child Left Behind - Part II

In mid-April, I had an opportunity to attend a Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The centerpiece of the conference was the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which we currently know as the No Child Left Behind law. There has been much discussion across the country about the renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act, and a great deal of discussion during our conference was centered on that reauthorization. 

Two key parts of the law have drawn the most attention. The first part is the assessment portion, which deals with academic testing in grades 3-8 and one high school grade. While South Dakota has been involved in testing at all grade levels, there are some states testing all grade levels for the first time this spring. The key for future assessments will be approval at the federal level for regular and alternative assessments, along with continuing to approve the accountability workbooks dealing with adequate yearly progress on an annual basis.

Based on congressional input, there appears to be no interest in backing off the accountability of the No Child Left Behind Act.  However, the timing of the reauthorization could make a significant difference. If NCLB is not reauthorized until after the 2008 presidential election, significant changes could be on the horizon.  If the reauthorization occurs prior to the election, then it may be likely that the act will take on much of its current appearance. 

Another part of the act that has received a great deal of scrutiny is the highly qualified teacher portion. Once again, there appears to be strong support for continuing this portion of the act. The U.S. Department of Education has emphasized the need for accurate reporting data on which teachers are and are not deemed highly qualified. Secondly, we are seeing a real emphasis on a movement towards 100 percent of teachers being highly qualified.  It appears that as long as the data is accurate and states are making a good faith effort towards the 100 percent goal, no sanctions will be implemented. 

As you can tell, there are still many questions relating to the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. After the legislative conference, it does appear that there remains strong support for the basic principles of No Child Left Behind, but it is very possible that certain parts of the law will be modified based on existing and new leadership at the federal level.