No Child Left Behind! "Our population is mostly high school age. I am the special education director, I find the program extremely valuable and nothing out there compares." Bonnie Cox, Special Education Director, Somis High School, CA   The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) Signed into law by the US President in January 2002, reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was adopted in 1966. The sweeping reforms of NCLB are intended to reduce the number of experimental programs created under the ESEA and re-focus educational dollars on proven, research-based approaches that will help most children to learn. In brief, NCLB calls for: annual testing of all public school students in reading and math for grades 3-8 and high school by the 2005-06 school year; annual report cards on school performance for parents, voters and taxpayers ensuring that every child reads by the 3rd grade; a highly qualified teacher in every public school classroom by the 2005-06 school year. What is Reading First? Reading First is that component of NCLB that mandates reading proficiency for all children by the third grade. Specifically, Reading First identifies the five areas of reading instruction that have been shown to be effective in helping children learn to read: (1) phonemic awareness, (2) phonics, (3) vocabulary development, (4) reading fluency, including oral reading skills, and (5) reading comprehension strategies. What is Early Reading First? The Early Reading First component of NCLB is intended to prepare young children to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive, and early reading skills to prevent reading difficulties and ensure school success. It is hoped that early intervention will reduce the need to spend special needs funding on older students. What is "scientifically-based" learning? Scientifically based learning is "research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs and employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experience." |
