Human Services News

Center on Education Policy:

Since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, the responsibilities of state education agencies have significantly increased but most states don't have the capacity to meet those new demands, which undermines their ability to successfully implement reform efforts, according to a new report from the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Education Policy.

In a national survey of education officials in all 50 states and in-depth interviews with high ranking education officials in 11 states conducted for the report in late 2006 and early 2007, the Center finds that state education agencies have been stymied by a lack of adequate funding, manpower, and technology.

And the problem seems most pervasive in states with high percentages of schools (26 percent or more) that missed targets for adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the law, which generally reported having more capacity challenges in implementing NCLB than states with lower percentages of these schools.

In the survey, states cite insufficient numbers of staff as the greatest challenge to their capacity to implement NCLB requirements, including requirements to provide technical assistance to districts with low-achieving schools, to monitor these districts, and to determine the effectiveness of supplemental education services.

Inadequate federal funding was also identified by a majority of states as a major problem.

In fact, 32 states reported that federal Title I funds have been insufficient to improve student achievement in low-achieving schools, while only 10 states reported that these funds were sufficient.

The survey finds that most states also report that guidance from the U.S. Department of Education in implementing the requirements of No Child Left Behind was not very helpful, particularly when focused on supplemental educational services.