Few states are on track to meet the teacher-quality requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, but many states are moving quickly to improve student achievement, according to a report by the Education Commission of the States.
The report arrived as the ECS, a Denver-based nonprofit organization that helps state leaders with education policy, faces a transition in leadership. Just days before the group鈥檚 annual national conference began here July 13, ECS President Ted Sanders announced that he would resign at year鈥檚 end. (鈥淭ed Sanders Announces Resignation as ECS President,鈥� July 14, 2004.)
His departure means that one of the nation鈥檚 top education policy and research groups must search for a new leader as states begin to face some of the most challenging parts of the No Child Left Behind law.
The new report on state implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act concludes that no state is on track to meet the law鈥檚 requirements for beefing up the qualifications of teachers at the elementary through high school levels by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
In addition, no state has made great strides in improving teacher training, and only 11 are building ways for teachers to prove strong subject-matter competence as mandated by the law, the federally financed report says.
鈥淚 hope this report will make some of you mad,鈥� said Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, who as ECS chairman presided over the report鈥檚 release July 14.
Last year, the ECS angered some of its members by releasing an early, critical report on state implementation of the federal law. But many of the roughly 550 state leaders here struck a more accepting tone in response to this year鈥檚 report.
鈥淭his report helps us see where we are,鈥� said Indiana鈥檚 state superintendent of education, Suellen Reed, who was a critic of the earlier report. 鈥淭hat helps everybody.鈥� (鈥淟ean State Finances Put Squeeze on Policy Groups,鈥� April 30, 2004.)
Keeping Track
Some of the report鈥檚 highlights:
- More states than last year are on track to comply with major portions of the law, such as requirements for establishing academic standards and tests. All 50 states are on track to meet at least half the law鈥檚 requirements. But just five states are on track to meet all of the law鈥檚 requirements: Connecticut, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.
- States are urged to find ways to use data better to boost yearly academic progress for all students鈥攊ncluding those now at low and high levels of achievement.
- States are also urged to strengthen methods for evaluating the knowledge and skills of current teachers, beyond simply updating their credentials. Mr. Sanders called the low teacher-quality standards in many states 鈥渢he most problematic piece鈥� for states in complying with the law.
- Other advice for states is that they analyze and reshape how they work to improve low-performing schools, revise their education agencies鈥� budgets to increase spending on improvement efforts, and form new collaborations to help struggling schools make sizable improvements.
鈥淥ur progress to date has not realized the full intent and the dream of equality in our states鈥� that was envisioned by the authors of the law, said Mr. Sanders. He presented the report to an audience of governors, state schools chiefs, legislators, state school board members, and other policymakers. The full report, including state-by-state listings, is available on the Web at .
Looking Ahead
Mr. Sanders, who has been the ECS president since 1999 after stints as state education chief in Illinois, Nevada, and Ohio and as a deputy U.S. secretary of education in the first Bush administration, said his impending departure had nothing to do with concerns about the ECS鈥� financial health or last year鈥檚 report on state implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Rather, he wants to spend more time with his family and fewer hours on a demanding job that requires frequent travel. 鈥淚鈥檓 as enthusiastic and idealistic as I was when I came to ECS,鈥� he said.
Other ECS leaders also tried to allay any concerns about the leadership change.
The incoming ECS chairman, Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, said Mr. Sanders had told top ECS leaders months ago that he intended to leave. The Republican added that he wants a new leader to help the organization raise its public profile.
鈥淭he group鈥檚 next leader has a chance to raise its profile 鈥� beyond the education insiders,鈥� Gov. Huckabee said.
Gov. Warner, a Democrat, said the ECS also could expand its role in bringing together other groups of policymakers, such as state superintendents, legislators, and others.
鈥淭he deeper I get into education policy, the more I feel like there needs to be some coordinating entity for all these education groups, and ECS might be able to play that role,鈥� said Mr. Warner, who has completed his ECS term, is the new chairman of the National Governors Association. (鈥淚mproving High Schools is No. 1 Priority for NGA鈥檚 New Chairman,鈥� this issue.)
