Bush's State of the Union 2008

In his last State of the Union address, Bush didn't forget education. No Child Left Behind is one of his legacies so he was sure to mention its successes. He talked about how the United States needs to trust students and give parents the freedom to demand results from their children's schools. He also mentioned that students across the nation have dreams that only education can help them achieve. This is a valid statement, and one that gives hope and inspiration to children from every economic background. It places an importance on the education system and holds individuals partly responsible for their own success. An important success that Bush noted was last year's highest math scores on record for fourth and eighth graders. While this is a great success, what about all the other grades? He also mentioned the improvements in reading and accountability across the nation. Finally, Bush talked about the DC opportunity scholarships which have helped poor students and proposed the Pale Grants for Kids, a 300 million dollar proposal to liberate poor students in failing schools. As far as I can tell, Bush's No Child Left Behind is making the progress it should and will be a great legacy for Bush, although it has a long way to go.

No Child Left Behind - what is this all about and where is it going?

In 2001 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was renamed the No Child Left Behind Act. The act set high standards for public education in the United States, with efforts to insure success in the education of all children.
Measuring Success:
Schools' successes are marked by the AYP Report, which stands for the Annual Yearly Progress Report. This report is basically left to the states. Each state defines what is proficient in math and reading and each state decides what they will include in their AYP each year. The goal of No Child Left Behind is to have every single child become proficient in state testing by the year 2014. The AYP references the minimum level of progress that each school must make in a year in order to reach the goal in 2014.
Title I (statement of purpose)
This title discusses the hope that all children reach their maximum potential and that all children are reaching at least a proficient level of learning. This title proposes ensuring success by improving teacher training, curriculum, and teaching materials. It also addresses the problems with having low-achieving children that detract from other students' learning. This was a large problem in the highest poverty schools and schools with minorites who aren't proficient in english. The title also aims to close the gap between high and low preforming children and hopes to hold states accountable for the success of their schools. This includes recognizing and helping to turn around low preforming schools.
Reading First
The act introduces this reading program especially to low preforming schools to help children get a jump start on their language skills. This program promotes regognition, knowledge of letter sounds, and an early appreciation for literature. To read a transcript of the interview with Chris Doherty, the program director for Reading First, visit this site: http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/doherty.htm
Minority Children
The act aims to ensure that minority children are not forgotten and that they receive all the same services and tools of every other child. Minority children are also expected to be challenged to reach their highest potential.
Protection and Intervention
The act includes provisions to help and take care of children who are abused, neglected, and deliquent. These children are held to the same standards as all the others and are expected to succeed in just the same way.

For videos of school success stories, visit this link: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/reauth/successstories/index.html

The act also includes an outline for the allotment of money and federal grants, procedures for school drop outs, advanced placement opportunities and much more. For more information and the entire bill, visit this link:http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html.

The Basics: Where do the parties stand?

Republicans support:

* student innitiated prayer in schools

* a limited role of federal government in education -> believe that states are mostly responsible for the quality of education in their schools

* increased access to a higher education with the help of savings accounts

*access to college should be based on personal achievement

*school choice

Conversely the Democrats support:

* smaller class sizes
* increased after school activities

* more individual attention to students

* greater amount of federal funding to schools

*information gathered from http://www.ontheissues.org/ visit their website for more information! and from the Government in America Textbook by Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry Twelfth Edition 2006