Much has happened lately. As many of you know, NCLB is being revised by the Obama Administration. There have also been reform measures suggested in the areas of national standards, which would have a powerful impact on the nation. Massachusetts has suggested that, because it has one of the highest standards in the nation, it may ignore the core standards if passed.
I’ve linked the ‘Blueprint for Reform’ as well as a conference call with US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Monday, to provide more information on these changes and their impact. On March 17th, Duncan also testified before Congress with some details, as news providers begin to cover the story.
If you’ve noticed, much of the reform being supported by the new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, former NCLB) in the new ‘blueprint’ aligns with the plan proposed for the Leadership Academy (teacher-leader support, 21st century learning, data-driven instruction, etc.). At Monday night’s School Committee meeting, which addressed the four models for reform at Parker, there was alignment too. The ‘transformation’ model supports many of the efforts written into the Leadership Academy proposal, including more community collaboration, professional development, and extended learning opportunities, among other things.
In these new revisions, much attention is placed on under-performing schools, with both carrots and sticks. The Massachusetts Education Reform Act, passed in mid January (to qualify for the RTT funds), has the same focus. How will these proposals, standards and new laws affect NBHS?
Please feel free to share your thoughts. Thanks!
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