Monday, March 31, 2003
From Education Gadfly:
No Child Left Behind: One Community's Success Story
The Institute for Really Important Education Research
April 2003
This report, from the renowned Institute for Really Important Education Research, takes a close look at the remarkable success story unfolding in the small town of Lancaster, Wyoming. The local school system is striving to meet the ambitious goals set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act and appears to be making significant headway. Though children being left behind at the end of the school day are a problem in many schools, Lancaster Elementary has solved this problem. As the researchers report, the school now has an afternoon carpool pick-up process that is the envy of neighboring districts. This year, they have averaged just 1.6 children per week forgotten at school by their parents, down significantly from last year's average of 3.5 children per week. Furthermore, the average child now waits just 9.7 minutes for his or her parents to arrive, a significant improvement upon last year's 24.3 minutes. As a reason for success, they cite their weekly newsletter, which reminds parents that it's not sufficient to merely drop kids off in the morning-they must be picked up as well. Education Secretary Rod Paige recently visited the campus and declared, "This school is making Amazing Yearly Progress," and predicted that it will be in full compliance with NCLB in just a few years. Of course, school officials lament that they have received no federal funding for a new carpool lane, despite President Bush's promises. You can read all three hundred pages of the report on the web at http://www.ifrier.com/ReallyImportantReport.html. -Susan Newperson
No Child Left Behind: One Community's Success Story
The Institute for Really Important Education Research
April 2003
This report, from the renowned Institute for Really Important Education Research, takes a close look at the remarkable success story unfolding in the small town of Lancaster, Wyoming. The local school system is striving to meet the ambitious goals set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act and appears to be making significant headway. Though children being left behind at the end of the school day are a problem in many schools, Lancaster Elementary has solved this problem. As the researchers report, the school now has an afternoon carpool pick-up process that is the envy of neighboring districts. This year, they have averaged just 1.6 children per week forgotten at school by their parents, down significantly from last year's average of 3.5 children per week. Furthermore, the average child now waits just 9.7 minutes for his or her parents to arrive, a significant improvement upon last year's 24.3 minutes. As a reason for success, they cite their weekly newsletter, which reminds parents that it's not sufficient to merely drop kids off in the morning-they must be picked up as well. Education Secretary Rod Paige recently visited the campus and declared, "This school is making Amazing Yearly Progress," and predicted that it will be in full compliance with NCLB in just a few years. Of course, school officials lament that they have received no federal funding for a new carpool lane, despite President Bush's promises. You can read all three hundred pages of the report on the web at http://www.ifrier.com/ReallyImportantReport.html. -Susan Newperson
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