NCQE ESEA Recommendations

The federal government is planning on reauthorizing No Child Left Behind this August, and in today’s action we are calling their attention to the demands of our youth, parents, and the community. When NCLB was first written into law in 2002, the goal was to address the achievement gap by supporting good schools, punishing bad schools by removing their funding, and forcing states to implement more standardized tests. Across the country this law has widened the achievement gap, closed hundreds of schools, and increased the dropout rate for poor students of color. AEJ believes that the NCLB needs to be rewritten and should reinvest our tax dollars to ensure that our communities get schools that truly Leave No Child Behind.

1. Increase federal funding and hold states accountable to provide equitable Opportunities to Learn to ensure that all students graduate college- and career-ready.Additional federal funding should be provided and states should be held accountable to guarantee that all students—especially low-income students, students of color, English Language Learners, and Special Education students—have equitable Opportunities to Learn and are prepared for college and career, including:
   
   • The equitable and adequate distribution of highly-qualified teachers
   • Universal access to college-prep curriculum in K-12 education and Algebra by eighth grade.
   • Alignment of college-prep requirements and high school graduation requirements
   • Access to high-quality textbooks, technology, and learning material
   • Support for the social and emotional needs of students
   • Integration of multi-cultural and multi-lingual practices
2. Increase federal funding for student support, including additional funding for emotional and social supports such as Student Success Centers.
   
   • Provide federal funding for discretionary grants for schools and districts to establish Student Success Centers with clearly defined standards based on models developed by organizations in New York, Philadelphia, and Oakland that engage youth- and parent-led organizations in providing peer mentoring and support to ensure that students graduate college- and career-ready and can successfully complete higher education.
   • Work with student leaders and national organizations that represent school support staff to establish national standards for student-to-support staff ratios (e.g., counselors, nurses, school psychologists/social workers)
3. Emphasize holistic student-centered assessments, using multiple measures and performance-based assessments[1], in addition to standardized test scores to ensure all students graduate college- and career-ready.
   
   • Develop and prioritize high-quality assessments of student learning and achievement that measure critical thinking, life skills, and college and career readiness, and track student success after graduation.
   • Disaggregate and publicize student assessment data based on race, ethnicity, income, gender, and special education status.
   • Share assessment results with students and teachers to allow students to learn from their mistakes and develop plans for academic progress.
4. Ensure equitable and adequate distribution of highly qualified teachers who can provide quality instruction that prepares all students for college, careers, and democratic participation.
   
   • Provide additional resources and supports for teachers working in disadvantaged schools.
   • Develop and fund a National Work Study program to provide trained college student tutors for high-need K-12 schools and create a pipeline to the teaching profession.
   • Engage students, parents, and community members in the selection and evaluation of teachers.
5. Develop a holistic definition of college and career readiness.
   
   • Include concepts such as critical thinking, creativity, life skills, and ability to engage in community and democratic institutions.
   • Define clear metrics that measure what it means to be career-ready.
6. Provide alternatives to zero tolerance.
   
   • Provide funding and support for states, districts, and schools to implement positive discipline policies and alternatives to zero tolerance, suspension, and expulsion.
   • Expand restorative justice programs that address the emotional, social, and disciplinary needs of students.
7. Strengthen and promote student, parent and community engagement in schools and education policy decisions.
   
   • Review, strengthen, and enforce standards and capacity-building resources for autonomous parent, student and community engagement
   • Establish a federal “Office of Meaningful Student and Parent Engagement” based on the Oakland, California model.