Human Services News

From Center for Law and Social Policy:

Adaptations to the law provide an opportunity to strengthen students and to re-engage youth who have dropped out.

By increasing graduation rate requirements, opening the door for flexible education options, and encouraging partnerships with other youth-serving systems, NCLB can empower state and local education agencies to give youth the education and skills they need to be successful.

Local education agencies can be incentivized to pay closer attention to these populations through increasing the graduation rate requirements, and Supplemental Education Services and public school choice are potential vehicles for providing these students with the educational environments and supports to increase their academic success.

We also agree that local education agencies must account for each student within their cohort in an effort to accurately determine numbers of dropouts.

Many youth, however, leave school and transition to workforce programs, adult basic education programs, and even directly to community colleges, and do not necessarily return to high school.

These programs often offer a high school equivalent credential, as well as skills training and/or transitional support into a post-secondary program.

Finally, there exists a significant risk that traditional high schools will transfer at-risk or low-performing students to alternative schools in order to maintain AYP.

The ability to use growth models to depict academic progress in schools in addition to standardized testing is a beneficial addition to No Child Left Behind, as it allows LEAs to provide more accurate, balanced portrayals of their schools.

The use of growth models is particularly helpful for alternative educational settings which cater to struggling students, who otherwise may have dropped out without completing their education.

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