CSBA Responds to Recommendations for Corrective Actions Under NCLB

SACRAMENTO – The California School Boards Association today issued the following statements in reaction to the recommendations of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell for corrective action, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, in the 97 local educational agencies that are in Year 3 of Program Improvement.

CSBA Immediate Past President Kathy Kinley, whose district, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, appears on the Assistance list, despite having met nearly 90 percent of its targets under adequate yearly progress, stated, “School districts embrace accountability, but reject the unrealistic demands of NCLB that set up successful schools to be labeled as failures. This situation illustrates why a sensible reauthorization of NCLB is a critical priority for CSBA. The fact is, NCLB will label all schools and districts failures by 2014. It’s not a matter of if a district will fall into corrective action, but when.”

CSBA Executive Director Scott P. Plotkin added, “We appreciate the joint efforts of the governor and superintendent, but remain concerned about the forthcoming details. The effectiveness of the state’s approach with District Assistance and Intervention Teams remains in question. Even if one assumed that all of these districts actually need the type of intervention proposed, which is not an assumption that I would make, the proposed model is not without need of scrutiny.”

CSBA President Paul H. Chatman stated, “CSBA applauds the governor and superintendent for recognizing, unlike the No Child Left Behind Act, that one size does not fit all when it comes to the subject of improving student achievement. We thank the governor and superintendent for their collaboration, for recognizing that not meeting NCLB requirements does not equate with failure, and for their comments recognizing that the state’s goal should be to help these school districts improve, not punish them.”