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Aubrey
Bond
Executive Director of Federal
Programs &
Grants
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Federal Programs & Grants/NCLB
3782 Jackson Ave.
Memphis, TN 38108
Phone: (901) 416-4250
Fax: (901) 416-4210
Email: bonda2@mcsk12.net
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What Is "No Child
Left Behind" and
What Does It Mean for Memphis City Schools?
On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB). This legislation includes the federal support that
states and local school districts receive for eligible schools known
as Title I.
NCLB requires that every state and school district develop and implement
standards, assessments and an accountability system in Reading, Mathematics
and Science. By the year 2005-06, students in grades 3 - 8 must be assessed
annually in Reading and Mathematics. By 2007-08, they must also be assessed
in Science.
Because the new federal law focuses on many concepts and instructional
strategies that the Memphis City Schools district has put in place over
the last three years, some of the new mandates will require only minor
changes to district practices to comply with the NCLB.
Consider these current district practices, which
are main elements of the new NCLB law:
1. A strengthened district-wide
core curriculum aligned to state standards and testing
in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, and
standards-based instruction in all subject areas;
2. Investing in high-quality
professional development for teachers to ensure that all Memphis
City Schools teachers meet the definition of highly-qualified before
or by the federal deadline of 2006, as well as aggressive teacher recruitment
programs;
3. An emphasis on
accountability and assessment. These
elements have been in place in the state of Tennessee through its Department
of Education's State, District and School Report Cards,
annual TCAP and Gateway Exams, and the state's lists of schools
that are low-performing, improving or in good standing.
4. A focus
on proven strategies that work, such as the district's
Literacy Plan, School Improvement Plans and academic Intervention programs.
5. Expanded options for parents,
such as the NCLB
Choice Transfer Process which now gives priority to the
most academically challenged students in the lowest-performing schools;
the recently introduced Supplemental Educational Services, which offers
tutoring by state-approved professionals to assist students who need
it most, and Parents' Right to Know about the status of their children's
schools and teachers.
