Policy Briefs (LD News: November 2006)

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Announces Approval of  Quality Growth Models
The U.S. Department of Education has announced approval to implement a  high-quality growth model from Delaware that follows the principles of No Child Left Behind. This is the third state to receive full approval. North Carolina and Tennessee received approval earlier this year. The Department plans to approve no more than ten high-quality growth models for the pilot program, and five slots remain open as Arkansas and Florida await approval before implementation on their on their models.

To read the full press release, click here.

New Book Highlights the Transformation of Federal Education Policy Through No Child Left Behind
A new book by Patrick McGuinn, No Child Left Behind and the Transformation of Federal Education Policy, 1965-2005 (University Press of Kansas), provides an in-depth analysis of how the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) became a law, its political context, and the controversies that surrounded its implementation. His book describes the changing role of the federal government in school reform since the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as well as how education became a major issue in the 1990s for both political parties.

Information can be found by clicking here. To purchase the book from Amazon.com, click here.

National NAEP Report Card on Urban Districts
The U.S. Department of Education has released The Nation's Report Card: Trial Urban District Assessment Science 2005, highlighting the achievement of fourth and eighth-grade students in ten of the largest U.S. school districts that voluntarily participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Participating districts include Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and San Diego, CA.  The site will also feature a live Webcast of the official release event in Washington, D.C. Copies of The Nation's Report Card and additional data collected from the 2005 NAEP Science assessment are available online at www.nationsreportcard.gov.

New Site Offers Information for Educators and Researchers
The Johns Hopkins University Center for Data-Driven Reform has launched a free online Web site, Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE). The new site gives educators and researchers unbiased researched-based information about such topics as mathematics, comprehensive school reform, education service providers, technology in reading and math, and reading for English Language Learners. 

To view the site, click here.