Post written by Matthew Swift and originally featured in Policy Priorities.
Teachers, students, and administrators are aware that any major changes to ESEA could have a huge effect on their school districts. Issues such as common core state standards and waivers are among the many policies that could be affected. Even without reauthorization, ESEA (currently known as No Child Left Behind, or NCLB) affects districts across the nation in numerous ways. Despite the issues ESEA presents, educators are still doing their part to ensure students get a good education.
"When we look at the mandates of NCLB and the testing requirements and the proficiency thresholds ... we're all in the same boat right now," says Matt McClure, superintendent of the Cross County School District in Arkansas. "Every year it becomes more and more difficult, but at the same time we've got to keep striving and do what we know is best for students, and that is to prepare them to be successful when they get out [of
Fast, Free, Online: Because You Can’t Wait to Get Better
All educators want to improve what they do for kids, but they need help doing so. On a daily basis, we’re thinking, planning, and taking steps to improve school climate and culture, provide high-quality curriculum and instruction, be leaders, assess meaningfully, engage our families and communities, support our own professional development, build staff capacity, and more. How do we balance these multiple school improvement priorities in our schools and with one another?
At ASCD we believe that a whole child approach to education is the way to make these improvements. Ensuring that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged sets the standard for comprehensive, sustainable school improvement and provides for long-term student success. The ASCD School Improvement Tool is the newest and best way to get a snapshot of how well your school or district is doing and