In 2002, the Department of Education signed into law one of the most controversial statues in recent history. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is an ambitious overhaul to the nation's educational practices and guidelines. According to Mark E. Jewell in his 2003 article for New Horizons "'No Child Left Behind:' Implications for Special Education Students and Students with Limited English Proficiency” it is evident that “The expressed long-term goal of NCLB is proficiency in reading and math for all students by the 2013-2014 school year.” However, many question how practical and achievable this is for the special needs student.
Criteria for Special Needs
As said by the U.S. Department of Education on its website, it is estimated there are approximately five million special needs students in the country. There are numerous resources for determining if a child is special needs. This criterion is oftentimes taken into consideration when testing; however, in the past, when a child had an IEP or action plan and was special needs, he or she was typically exempted from state-driven testing due to their disabilities.
Unfortunately, under NCLB, even children with serious learning disabilities must take the test and only one percent of the student population is allowed alternate assessment, much to many educators dismay, since so many more classified students are incapable of taking the state tests effectively.
Advocating for Special Needs Child
Since many parents, students and educators are becoming frustrated by the process, it is important that they join together and become advocates for the students involved. The first step to overcoming the obstacles of state testing and NCLB is arming oneself with knowledge. There are numerous websites, including the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) and organizations that are more than willing to explain and assist people with questions and concerns.
Another place to go is the local Board of Education of the child in question. School boards will be able to answer many questions at a district or even a county level, including what accommodations the child is entitled to and testing requirements. Further information can always be acquired by moving up the “food chain,” and contacting individuals from the state board of education and if need be the federal. Many alterations have been made to the original statue simple due to diligent parents who wanted to be advocates for their child.
A School’s Role
Schools themselves are also taking on an active role by creating programs that are state-testing-geared and assigning special needs students to preparatory classes to assist them with the test materials. One state in particular, New Jersey, has several pre-testing years to gauge student progress prior to the state test which determines graduation, the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), According to the NJ HSPA 2007 state summary, special needs students have shown a marked improvement in scores in many districts and more schools have reached AYP. This is in large part due to the preparatory classes for the special needs population.
A Brighter Future
Since NCLB has undergone so many changes over the years, it is anyone's guess as to where the "failure is not an option" trend is headed. A new Democratic president could bring some crucial changes to the educational process. Concurrently, the advocates of special needs students will certainly continue to champion their cause and hopefully increase the public's understanding of NCLB and its effect on the special needs student.
To find out the state testing requirements for your state, one can search the internet or contact the U.S. Department of Education.
Tara Gardner - I have a strong background in both the academic and publishing fields. Prior to teaching, which I have been doing for eleven years, I was ...
