Back in 2007, the for NCLB reauthorization bill came under fire from many sides. The NEA鈥檚 opposition to potential pay-for-performance programs drew most of the attention.
Barely noticed and hardly debated, though, were minor addition to NCLB鈥檚 goal for student achievement. The current law requires states to track whether students are on pace to be proficient by the 2013-14 school year. The would have added one important 11-word phrase: 鈥渙r be on trajectory to meet or exceed [proficiency] within 3 years.鈥�
I point this out as a follow-up to on growth models. Throughout for Education Sector, Charles Barone judges Tennessee鈥檚 growth model based on the goal in the current law. But it鈥檚 important to note that the most comprehensive proposal to reauthorize NCLB included the same type of statistical measures as Tennessee鈥檚 growth models. The draft would have made proficiency a 鈥渕oving target鈥� (to use Barone鈥檚 words from his report on Tennessee).
Barone鈥檚 criticism of the Tennessee model stands today. But the inclusion of 11 words in a reauthorized law might lead him to write a new report鈥攐ne that looks at the impact of a three-year trajectory in all 50 states.
