The More Juneau . . . The Less NCLB
While the Kansas State Board of Education politely asked Secretary Arne Duncan for a waiver from NCLB's 2013-14 deadline of 100% student proficiency, Montana State Superintendent Denise Juneau has gone ahead and just told Duncan that the state won't be raising its target proficiency rates for measuring AYP. Next year, Montana schools are supposed to increase the percentage of students proficient in reading at every grade from 83% to 92% and the percentage of students proficient in math at every grade from 68% to 84%.
In a remarkable letter to the Education Secretary that has somehow escaped widespread attention, Juneau says the state is "reeling" from the "split in priorities" of the existing NCLB accountability requirements and the Department's emphasis on student growth, added data collection, and the resulting uncertain path to continuous improvement. She also complains that increasing the proficiency targets will add to the number of schools needing improvement, and Montana simply doesn't have the capacity to serve them. Besides, she adds, ESEA requirements are "outdated" and "the unrealistic 100 percent goal undermines the work and morale of students and educators and the public’s confidence in