Editorial: No Child Left Behind

With President Bush leaving office in a few days, his groundbreaking No Child Left Behind Act faces an uncertain future. NCLB definitely needs improvement, but it shouldn't be discarded.

The last Congress recessed without reauthorizing the law, and one option is to simply let the program expire after the 2008-09 school year. That doesn't have to happen.

During a visit to Philadelphia last week, Bush heralded the 2002 law, saying it had "forever changed America's school systems." He's right. It has made a significant difference.

The law has improved public education by requiring states to test students annually in language arts and math. It also holds schools accountable for meeting benchmarks.

It has also helped bridge the achievement gap between white and Asian American students and their Hispanic and black peers. But more must be done to ensure that all students learn, regardless of race.

Bush believes NCLB should not be watered down and urged Congress not to tinker with it. But it needs more than tinkers.

With the economy in a downward spiral, public education has taken a back seat in the list of pressing issues facing the incoming Obama administration. Even in these difficult times, though, the education of America's youth deserves attention.

President-elect Barack Obama must make it a priority to figure out what to do with the No Child Left Behind law. During his campaign, Obama expressed support for extending the law. But rather than offer specifics, he called for more flexibility in the law and changes in its funding.

Critics say the law forces teachers to spend too much time "teaching to the test" and unfairly imposes sanctions on schools that fail to improve.

The National Education Association has declared the law a "failed education experiment" that diverted resources from other subjects.

Those legitimate concerns should be fixable without throwing out NCLB and starting from scratch. Chicago schools Superintendent Arne Duncan, tapped by Obama to be his education secretary, has the background as a reformer to reshape the law and make it better.

Under the current law, academic benchmarks have been set that students must meet by 2014. Schools that fail to meet standards will face penalties, and students at failing schools will be allowed to transfer.

The current NCLB standards are unrealistic and unattainable for many low-performing schools. Districts need more latitude when faced with closing failing schools and holding teachers accountable.

Outgoing Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has already taken some needed steps to fix the law. She has put pressure on states by requiring schools nationwide to use the same formula to calculate high school graduation rates by 2011.

The new rules also require low-performing schools to do a better job of informing parents that their children are eligible for free tutoring or for a transfer to a better-performing school in their district.

Of course, a major flaw of NCLB has been its inadequate funding to meet its mandates. Too much is at stake for the country to leave the education of its children behind. NCLB can be fixed. Obama and Congress need to make sure it is.