NCLB - Measuring progress

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that states (1) improve students' academic performance so that they achieve reading and math proficiency by 2014, and (2) close achievement gaps between high- and low-performing students. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently did a study on how states measure schools' academic achievement, or adequate yearly progress (AYP), in meeting these goals. States now set annual targets using status models that calculate test scores 1 year at a time. In addition to status models, 26 states use growth models that measure changes in test scores over time. Another 22 states, Hawaii among them, are considering implementing growth models. In its report, GAO assesses states' use of growth models, whether they achieve NCLB goals, and how the Department of Education (Education) is assisting states in using growth models.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce asked GAO to testify on its report. The testimony was released on July 27.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT: States Face Challenges Measuring Academic Growth That Education's Initiatives May Help Address, GAO-06-661, July 17, 2006
     Full report (pdf, 2MB, 54p.)
     Highlights (pdf, 372KB, 1p.)
     Abstract (html)

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT: States Face Challenges Measuring Academic Growth, GAO-06-948T, July 27, 2006, Testimony (pdf, 1MB, 24p.)

Related FR posts:

• Report card on NCLB, year 4
• No Child, "a product of negotiation, not law"

See Hawaii Dept. of Education (DOE) AYP news release, July 20, 2006