Friday, Dec. 5, 2003 | 9:46 a.m.
One of the criticisms of the federal No Child Left Behind Act has been its cookie-cutter approach to measuring academic progress in public schools. For example, some of the best public schools in Clark County have not met the "adequate yearly progress" standard mandated by the federal government. The reason is that schools have to show progress is being made in every area of a wide range of categories and subgroups. There are no exceptions, including for special education students. Even Green Valley High School, which had the state's most Millennium Scholars last year, was placed on the "watch list." This designation happened solely because 36 special education students, out of nearly 3,000 students overall, had low math scores. If a school doesn't show progress for five straight years, then the school could face federal sanctions.
In light of this unfairness, it is reassuring that within the next several days the U.S. Education Department is expected to soften the requirements. In the future, special education students with severe learning disabilities will be held to a different standard than the rest of the student population. Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, a former special education teacher, said it "sounds like this an acknowledgement from the federal government that students with disabilities may learn in a different way, and at a different pace, than their mainstream peers." While students with severe learning disabilities will be scored differently, they still will be tested and expected to be proficient based on standards that are more in line with their intellectual development, a reasonable policy that squares accountability with reality.
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