Set challenging but demonstrably attainable student achievement goals.
Implement an accountability system that judges school effectiveness by measuring the progress of students over time.
Produce
accurate accountability decisions that include all student subgroups
and hold large and small schools accountable for their performance.
Maintain
reporting on student achievement by subgroup without giving schools
numerous ways to fail and only one way to “make” AYP.
Allow IEP teams to determine how students participate in state academic assessments.
Require
states to develop native language and linguistically modified tests and
to provide guidelines for school districts on appropriate
accommodations for limited-English-proficient students.
Ensure that tests are valid and reliable for ELLs when they are included in accountability systems.
Interventions
for schools not making AYP should be research based and aimed at
helping schools to employ the appropriate remedies (e.g. Class-size
reduction, proven programs, and extended school day) to improve student
performance.
Schools
not making AYP should be provided research-based supports at the first
indication that achievement targets are not being met.
Target intervention services to the students in most need and are not meeting the standard.
Require
that supplemental educational service providers use research-based
methods, employ instructors that meet NCLB’s qualification
requirements, and are subject to federal rules regarding discrimination.
Revise
highly qualified requirements to take into consideration the unique
situation of special education teachers and middle school teachers,
among others.
Provide
funding for paraprofessionals to meet qualification requirements and
remain an integral part of schools’ instructional support team.
Provide
universal, high-quality early childhood programs to all children so
they come to school better prepared to learn, with priority
consideration given to disadvantaged children.
