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PLS Responds to Revised
K-12 Education Law
No child left behind. National policymakers put
some muscle behind this mantra with their approval of the revised Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in January 2002.
The revised ESEA promises billions of additional federal dollars for K-12
schools„along with increased flexibility in how the funds can be spent. The
revised law will also increase pressure on schools to prove that theyÍre
helping all students to meet high academic standards.
Dr. Susan P. McKee, president of Pace Learning Systems, Inc., notes that the
company has been closely monitoring changes in federal policy. ñWe are fully
prepared to help schools and systems in their efforts to leave no student
behind.î
Pace Learning Systems are targeted to meet studentsÍ individual needs, and
have proved to be highly effective in helping students who struggle. The
systems provide constant feedback on student progress, a feature that
educators have praised for years.
Demanding Adequate Progress
The
revised ESEA requires annual statewide testing in reading and mathematics for
all students in grades 3-8 by the 2005-6 school year. By 2007-8, schools must
add testing in science at three points in studentsÍ K-12 careers: once in
grades 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12.
Test results will be broken down in terms of student race/ethnicity, gender,
income, disability, and English proficiency to ensure that schools are
helping all groups to make adequate academic progress.
Schools and systems that are unable to make adequate progress will, over
time, face consequences intended to help them to restructure and improve
their teaching approaches. Also, students attending such schools will be able
to transfer to other public schools in their districts. Students at schools
in the second year of school improvement will have the option to apply Title
I funds to private- or public-sector tutoring services.
Increased Flexibility
& Other Major Changes
School systems will now have
the ability to transfer up to 50 percent of funds within major ESEA programs.
States will also have more flexible use of up to 50% of their state activity
funds.
This increased flexibility is intended to allow more strategic use of federal
funds, in order to meet specific local challenges. States and systems can opt
to transfer this money into the Title I program, which serves the nationÍs
most disadvantaged children. However, no funds may be transferred out of this
program, since Title I efforts play a central role in ñleaving no child
behind.î
Also, competitive Local Flexibility Demonstration Programs will allow a
limited number of school systems to consolidate all non-Title I federal aid
in order to meet local goals. A similar program will be available at the
state level.
The revised ESEA also reveals a heightened federal commitment to improving
reading instruction, teacher quality, and bilingual education.
Providing
Additional Resources
The
injection of billions of dollars into the nationÍs schools began immediately
upon approval of the law. Federal education funding under the revised ESEA
amounts to over $22.1 billion for fiscal year 2002 (which began in October
2001), an increase of 27 percent over 2001 funding.
The Title I program of the ESEA, which focuses on fostering academic success
among AmericaÍs most disadvantaged students, will receive $10.35 billion
under the 2002 budget, an increase of some $1.6 billion over last year.
Furthermore, the Title I funding formula has been altered to benefit schools
that have high concentrations of disadvantaged students.
Nothing Teaches Like
Success
Increased
federal investment in our nationÍs schools promises to yield exciting
results. However, the revised ESEA will be only as powerful as the educators
who meet its challenges. For 25 years, Pace Learning Systems has served
teachers who are dedicated to leaving no student behind.
ñOur nationÍs educators have never had time for guessing games,î Dr. Susan McKee notes. ñFederal
pressure to reach every child only intensifies the importance of proven
practices. Pace Learning Systems recognizes this pressure. We want to help by
continuing to offer products that identify and target struggling studentsÍ
individual needs, then meet those needs. We know that nothing teaches like
success.î
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