During a recent press release, in response to the increasingly unrealistic No Child Left Behind law, President Barak Obama declared, "We can't wait." As 2014, the original deadline for full implementation of the law's requirements, draws nearer, it is becoming incredibly clear that many states will not be able to meet the law's standards in time. Under No Child Left Behind's criteria, an unbelievable 48 percent of schools were labeled "failing" in 2011, and even though the need for revisions has apparently been acknowledged and is underway, the realization of any such rewrite is nowhere in the immediate future.
Despite overwhelming bipartisan support during its formation, No Child Left Behind was flawed from the beginning. It has created a "teach the test" atmosphere in classrooms which forces teachers to skim over the learning process to ensure that students score highly on standardized tests. The law has also mandated strenuous reporting techniques that are both frequent and time consuming; one school testified that "compliance with just one part of No Child Left Behind requires the staff-time equivalent of diverting 82 instructional days away from students each year." Essentially, students are not actually learning and teachers are spending more time composing reports than lesson plans.
To improve this unsavory learning environment and liberate schools from the looming 2014 deadline, the Obama Administration has announced a new program which allows states another option. In place of No Child Left Behind, states can apply for waivers in order to tailor the education reform to their schools' specific needs.
Kentucky was the first of 10 states to apply for and win the waiver. The other nine are New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. Aside from these initial 10 states, another 28 intend on applying, including Wisconsin.
Similar to these other states, Wisconsin's plan for education reform is far better suited for the state than the original No Child Left Behind law. Wisconsin Knowledge Concept Examination testing will slowly be phased out in place of more relevant test strategies which focus on the following three areas: third grade reading, high school dropout rates and test participation. In addition, high school juniors will no longer have to mindlessly fill in circles on useless standardized tests; Wisconsin's application for a waiver includes using the ACT as a means of testing proficiency. By utilizing a test that actually counts toward students' futures, the state can be sure that teens are actually taking the test seriously, which lends itself to more viable results.
Introduction of the waivers sparked mixed reactions among the public, some concerning educational standards and others politics. Education has been a bipartisan issue in the past, but No Child Left Behind supporters that claim by allowing each state the opportunity to make its own rules, the topic approaches dangerously political waters. However, it is clear that the primary concern in this situation is education. No major political party supports hindering education, hence the issue is, as always, bipartisan. The new waivers are simply a more realistic and effective way to achieve the same goal; perhaps they would have received a kinder welcome had it not been assumed that everything is inherently political.
As it is, the nation has only to wait and see if these waivers actually do yield success, though the prospects are good and schools remain hopeful. Wisconsin's plan has yet to be approved, but if it is accepted, students can expect a far more effective education system.
Kate is a new writer to the Daily Cardinal Opinion team. Let Kate know how her first article is by sending all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
