'No Child Left Behind' needs another look - NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA:
"When some of the top-rated public schools in the nation have a hard time achieving the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind act, should we be concerned that the American education system is incapable of keeping pace?
Or should we be more concerned that bureaucrats and lawmakers have set goals that are unrealistically high?
Certainly there are elements of both in the debate over No Child Left Behind. As Newburyport's middle school enters the growing ranks of schools considered in need of 'restructuring' due to its test scores, we should consider that the rigid and punitive standards don't necessarily reflect reality."
"When some of the top-rated public schools in the nation have a hard time achieving the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind act, should we be concerned that the American education system is incapable of keeping pace?
Or should we be more concerned that bureaucrats and lawmakers have set goals that are unrealistically high?
Certainly there are elements of both in the debate over No Child Left Behind. As Newburyport's middle school enters the growing ranks of schools considered in need of 'restructuring' due to its test scores, we should consider that the rigid and punitive standards don't necessarily reflect reality."