Special Education, Limited English Proficient Students Making Progress Under NCLB,

Witnesses Tell House Education Panel

Committee Continues Series of Hearings on No Child Left Behind Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Testifying before the U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee today, school administrators and other expert witnesses spoke of the academic progress made by Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and students with disabilities under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  This marked the third in a new series of hearings the panel is holding to lay the foundation for next year’s renewal of the 2002 education reform law. 

“No Child Left Behind’s guiding principle is that all students can learn,” noted Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA).  “And it has reaffirmed our commitment to students that historically have been overlooked in our education system.  In particular, No Child Left Behind has – for the first time ever – aimed to make certain that special education students and those whose native language is not English are provided access to a solid education, are being properly examined, and are continuing to improve.”

NCLB uses the concept of adequate yearly progress (AYP) to help states, school districts, and schools determine if and when they are not meeting expectations.  AYP is based on disaggregated assessment data for at least four subgroups of students: economically disadvantaged, major racial and ethnic minorities, special education, and limited English proficient.

Kristine Neuber, a doctoral student and faculty member at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, affirmed her strong belief in NCLB’s ability to raise the achievement of special education students.

“Stay the course by continuing to include students with disabilities in the accountability systems incorporated into No Child Left Behind,” Neuber, a former special education student, expressed to the Committee Members.  “It is extremely important for students to have access to the general curriculum in order to truly assess their knowledge and give them the opportunity to succeed in life on equal footing with their non-disabled peers.  The principles of high expectations and accountability in the No Child Left Behind Act are moving special education forward – from access to accountability – and have the ability to make significant improvements in the experiences and success of students with disabilities today.”

Rachel Quenemoen, Senior Research Fellow at the National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota, outlined her research as a parent of a disabled child and why she believes in No Child Left Behind’s accountability system.

“Schools with high achievement of students with disabilities were systematically supporting intensive, targeted, research-based instruction through training, resources, and other supports for teachers and students,” Quenemoen said.  “Pushing children out of the accountability system, or watering it down, is to leave them behind.”

Margaret McLeod, Executive Director of the Office of Bilingual Education with the District of Columbia Public Schools, echoed the support for NCLB.  She highlighted for the Committee the valuable impact NCLB has had for limited English proficient students in the Washington, D.C. public schools.

“In the four years since its implementation, NCLB has led to many positive outcomes for children, particularly for those who were often left in the margins of previous school reform efforts,” McLeod said.  “For English language learners, it has meant that schools, districts, and states have had to focus attention and resources on improving the education of these students.”

Don Soifer, Executive Vice President of the Lexington Institute, reaffirmed McLeod’s comments, noting, “All told, there has been a major upgrade in the transparency and accountability for academic progress for English language learners as a result of the reforms of NCLB.  There is no shortage of upward trends where students’ test performance is concerned, either.”

McKeon noted the Committee is planning additional hearings on the No Child Left Behind Act over the next several months.  The law represents the first ever bipartisan effort to bring true accountability and flexibility to federal education programs.  It reflects four essential pillars of education reform: accountability, flexibility and local control, funding for what works, and expanded parental options.  Slated to be reauthorized next year, No Child Left Behind is a comprehensive overhaul of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was enacted in 1965 and is the principal federal law affecting K-12 education.