Summarizes results of studies on three questions: 1) Do sanctions-driven accountability systems produce the intended results in NCLB and other attempts? 2) Is it practical and can it be implemented? 3) Is it valued and legitimate
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Acknowledgments About the Editor About the Contributors Introduction Part I. NCLB and Accountability 1. The Pending Reauthorization of NCLB: An Opportunity to Rethink the Basic Strategy - Daniel Koretz 2. Toward a More Effective... more
Acknowledgments About the Editor About the Contributors Introduction Part I. NCLB and Accountability 1. The Pending Reauthorization of NCLB: An Opportunity to Rethink the Basic Strategy - Daniel Koretz 2. Toward a More Effective Definition of Adequate Yearly Progress - Robert L. Linn 3. Beyond Standardization in School Accountability - Mindy L. Kornhaber 4. Promises and Pitfalls: Implications of No Child Left Behind for Defining, Assessing, and Serving English Language Learners - Michael J. Kieffer, Nonie K. Lesaux, Catherine E. Snow Part II. Evidence on How NCLB Is Working 5. Tracking Achievement Gaps and Assessing the Impact of NCLB on the Gaps: An In-Depth Look Into National and State Reading and Math Outcome Trends - Jaekyung Lee 6. Evidence on Education Under NCLB (and How Florida Boosted NAEP Scores and Reduced the Race Gap) - Walter M. Haney Part III. State Capacity to Implement NCLB 7. Interstate Inequality in Educational Opportunity - Goodwin Liu 8. Massive Responsibilities and Limited Resources: The State Response - Gail L. Sunderman, Gary Orfield 9. Low-Performing Schools Programs and State Capacity Requirements: Meeting the NCLB Educational Goals - Heinrich Mintrop Part IV. NCLB: Impact on School Reform and Effects on Minority Students and Schools 10. No Child Left Behind and High School Reform - Linda Darling-Hammond 11. No Child Left Behind and Continuous School Improvement - Willis D. Hawley 12. No Child Left Behind and Reforming the Nation's Lowest-Performing High Schools: Help, Hindrance, or Unrealized Potential? - Robert Balfanz, Nettie Legters 13. Reforming High Schools to Reduce Dropout Rates - Russell W. Rumberger Conclusion - Gail L. Sunderman Index
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Dual enrollment programs offer students the opportunity to enroll in college courses while still enrolled in secondary school. Traditionally, dual enrollment programs have appealed to high-performing college-bound students; however, today... more
Dual enrollment programs offer students the opportunity to enroll in college courses while still enrolled in secondary school. Traditionally, dual enrollment programs have appealed to high-performing college-bound students; however, today there is growing interest in encouraging access to dual enrollment programs for a broader range of students. Increasingly, policymakers are endorsing dual enrollment as a strategy to promote college readiness, increase postsecondary enrollment, and even decrease the cost of college (Cowan & Goldhaber, 2015; Karp, 2012; Struhl & Vargas, 2012). By offering students the opportunity to gain college-level experience while in high school, dual enrollment programs are seen as a strategy for giving high school students a “jump start” on postsecondary education and for improving their performance in college.
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Highlights differences in various between-state ratings of school performance and NCLB\u27s adequate yearly progress (AYP) results; highlights equity issues uncovered and makes recommendations to overcome them
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This paper focuses on the first-year implementation of the choice provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in Buffalo, New
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In this follow-up panel, we discuss what we have learned over the last year about responding to an epidemic or pandemic that has demonstrated a level of transmission unprecedented in the modern era. Two medical doctors that have worked on... more
In this follow-up panel, we discuss what we have learned over the last year about responding to an epidemic or pandemic that has demonstrated a level of transmission unprecedented in the modern era. Two medical doctors that have worked on the front of this pandemic share their experiences transitioning from the “sharp end” of the response. Decisions about how to mitigate hazards have occurred at the personal, institutional, and health policy levels, in real-time, with frequent adaptation, and often in advance of concrete evidence. Over the course of the pandemic, hospital systems revised existing protocols to manage perceived risks in real time using emerging information from other centers. With the introduction of vaccines, there is a new type of risk perception. Is the vaccine perceived to be safe? Is there a disparity in perception among different population groups? That said, analyses are also complicated by emerging viral mutations with unclear implications. What factors increa...
Research Interests: Perception and Pandemic
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A recent report offers a how-to guide for reform advocates interested in removing communities’ democratic control over their schools. The report explains how these reformers can influence states to use the Every Student Succeeds Act... more
A recent report offers a how-to guide for reform advocates interested in removing communities’ democratic control over their schools. The report explains how these reformers can influence states to use the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I school improvement funds to support a specific set of reforms: charter schools, state-initiated turnarounds, and appointment of an individual with plenipotentiary authority over districts or schools. While the report acknowledges that the research evidence on the effectiveness of these reforms as school improvement strategies is limited, it uses a few exceptional cases to explain how advocates seeking to influence the development of state ESSA plans can advance them anyway. As this review explains, support for the effectiveness of these approaches is simply too limited to present them as promising school improvement strategies. The report omits research that evaluates the models relative to other school reform initiatives, and it fails to ...
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Reviews the changes allowed since 2001 to the states in NCLB\u27s rules for implementation
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Summarizes results of studies on three questions: 1) Do sanctions-driven accountability systems produce the intended results in NCLB and other attempts? 2) Is it practical and can it be implemented? 3) Is it valued and legitimate
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Abstract: This paper focuses on the first-year implementation of the choice provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in Buffalo, New York, DeKalb County, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia. After an analysis of the assumptions... more
Abstract: This paper focuses on the first-year implementation of the choice provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in Buffalo, New York, DeKalb County, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia. After an analysis of the assumptions underlying school choice and the ...
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This article examines interactions between the policy environment and schools as institutions to understand how eight middle and high schools in California responded to demands to improve student reading. The authors argue that... more
This article examines interactions between the policy environment and schools as institutions to understand how eight middle and high schools in California responded to demands to improve student reading. The authors argue that school-level reading programs were shaped by the broader institutional environment: institutional norms that govern conceptions of appropriate roles and responsibilities, technical components of the middle and high school curriculum, and the limitations posed by resource constraints. The authors consider the state curriculum policy an impetus for schools to focus on reading development but insufficient to overcome these other important constraints. At the same time, the authors contend that the organization and allocation of resources to support instruction made important contributions to reading development. This article uses data from case studies of eight middle and high schools located in six school districts in California.
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The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) expanded the federal role in American education, and by doing so altered the distribution of power among the federal government, states, and local districts. When the law was enacted, it... more
The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) expanded the federal role in American education, and by doing so altered the distribution of power among the federal government, states, and local districts. When the law was enacted, it was unclear how this change in the distribution of power would play itself out. This study examines the developing set of relationships between federal, state, and local officials under the new law and the factors that have contributed to a growing conflict over implementation. To fully understand the implications of NCLB requires examining these interactions as well as understanding the substantive educational issues it raises. We identify three factors that contributed to the growing dissatisfaction with the law, namely, the Bush administration's approach to federalism, the states’ limited capacity to meet the new requirements, and the fiscal constraints facing state governments. We argue that these factors have contributed to the conflict wi...
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Abstract: Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, every school is subject to the controversial mandates for annual test score gains contained in the federal law. The law represents a profound change in the relationship between the... more
Abstract: Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, every school is subject to the controversial mandates for annual test score gains contained in the federal law. The law represents a profound change in the relationship between the federal government and ...
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In recognition of the increased demands facing state education departments in this accountability-focused era, Gail L. Sunderman and Gary Orfield present results from a study on the response of these agencies to the No Child Left Behind... more
In recognition of the increased demands facing state education departments in this accountability-focused era, Gail L. Sunderman and Gary Orfield present results from a study on the response of these agencies to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In this article, Sunderman and Orfield analyze issues of state capacity, compiling data from interviews, policy and program document analysis, and budget and staffing information. They find that state education departments, which are tasked with intervening in underperforming schools to ensure 100 percent proficiency for all students under NCLB, may not have the necessary human and financial resources or organizational capacity to adequately meet their increased responsibilities. In addition to issues of capacity, structural, functional, and political factors all limit the ability of state education departments to completely fulfill their new administrative roles. Sunderman and Orfield suggest that state education departments have shown g...
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The supplemental educational services (SES) provisions exemplify the principles discernable in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that rely on accountability and competition as mechanisms to improve education and produce better opportunities for... more
The supplemental educational services (SES) provisions exemplify the principles discernable in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that rely on accountability and competition as mechanisms to improve education and produce better opportunities for disadvantaged students. According to the law, SES should help to enhance student achievement, expand
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors About the Contributors Introduction 1. When Federal Power Is Expanded: The Politics of Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act 2. Test-Based Accountability and the Achievement Gap 3. Does NCLB... more
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors About the Contributors Introduction 1. When Federal Power Is Expanded: The Politics of Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act 2. Test-Based Accountability and the Achievement Gap 3. Does NCLB Provide Good Choices for Students in Underperforming Schools? 4. Increasing Bureaucracy or Increasing Opportunities? School District Experience With Supplemental Educational Services 5. Listening to Teachers: Classroom Realities and NCLB 6. Graduation Rate Accountability Under the No Child Left Behind Act 7. Conclusion: Rethinking No Child Left Behind Endnotes References Index
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The role of external partners in school reform in Chicago (Illinois) was studied. The first section of this paper outlines the analytical perspective that guides the study, expressing the view that unless the institutional structure of... more
The role of external partners in school reform in Chicago (Illinois) was studied. The first section of this paper outlines the analytical perspective that guides the study, expressing the view that unless the institutional structure of the system as a whole and teacher autonomy are figured into the design of the program, institutionalizing long-term change is unlikely. The second section presents a brief summary of school reform in Chicago under the 1995 Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act. This section also describes the specific intervention program provided by one partner followed in the study, the LEARN program. LEARN (pseudonym) focused on teachers' instructional practices through a professional development program. The third section describes the research design and data collection strategies, and the fourth section contains findings. The LEARN program was evaluated through interviews with 10 teachers and administrators and classroom observations. Study of the LEARN progr...
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This article examines how school and non-school policies interact to reinforce or disrupt school segregation in the context of suburban communities and how these systems are maintained by structural and institutional mechanisms.... more
This article examines how school and non-school policies interact to reinforce or disrupt school segregation in the context of suburban communities and how these systems are maintained by structural and institutional mechanisms. Methodologically, we use a case study approach to delve deeply into the interpretation and implementation of school attendance zone redesign and non-school policies, specifically land use policies and tools. We draw on neo-institutionalist theory and Ray’s (2019) framework of racialized organizations to make sense of school districts, planning agencies, and their policies. We find that school district rezoning policies provide a weak regulatory framework for desegregating schools because school zoning decisions are not made in a vacuum but rather are shaped by policies and actions taken by other actors in a multi-level governance structure. School zoning policies themselves prioritized capacity over desegregation, and regulations and norms governing the publ...
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Large Mandates and Limited Resources: State Response to the No Child Left Behind Act and Implications for Accountability By Jimmy Kim and Gail L. Sunderman February 2004
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Author(s): Mintrop, Heinrich; Sunderman, Gail L.; Orfield, Gary | Abstract: The Civil Rights Project has been studying the results of NCLB in six states since it was passed and has previously issued 12 reports, as well as two books and a... more
Author(s): Mintrop, Heinrich; Sunderman, Gail L.; Orfield, Gary | Abstract: The Civil Rights Project has been studying the results of NCLB in six states since it was passed and has previously issued 12 reports, as well as two books and a number of articles, on its implementation and the results.Also available at http://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu
Research Interests: Law and Political Science
Increasing Bureaucracy or Increasing Opportunities? School District Experience with Supplemental Educational Services By Gail L. Sunderman and Jimmy Kim February 2004 Revised February 24, 2004
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This study examined the implementation of standards-based reforms in urban schools with high concentrations of low-income students, highlighting the influence of state policy on the development and implementation of school standards.... more
This study examined the implementation of standards-based reforms in urban schools with high concentrations of low-income students, highlighting the influence of state policy on the development and implementation of school standards. Researchers examined the type of state policy three school districts were exposed to, level of teachers' awareness of the state policy on standards, and teachers' perceptions of the implementation of standards. Data collection occurred during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years and involved surveys, interviews, observation, and document analysis. Results indicated that the different policy environments within which schools and districts operated related to how districts and schools interpreted standards. These differences translated into differences in teachers' awareness of standards and perceptions of how well they were implemented. While teachers reported high levels of awareness of standards, they were not the driving force behind their...
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In the transition of governance arrangements in the Chicago Public Schools, several concerns arose regarding the new system=s effectiveness in addressing complex challenges facing the schools. This study examines how the new system of... more
In the transition of governance arrangements in the Chicago Public Schools, several concerns arose regarding the new system=s effectiveness in addressing complex challenges facing the schools. This study examines how the new system of integrated governance improves the conditions for teaching and learning. Furthermore, this study identifies several challenges that the new leadership needs to address. Finally, we discuss the new leadership's constraints and the policy implications of their direction and action.
This paper focuses on the status of federal-state relationships during the first year of implementing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It begins with a discussion of the literature on federal-state relations and the role of the... more
This paper focuses on the status of federal-state relationships during the first year of implementing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It begins with a discussion of the literature on federal-state relations and the role of the federal government in that system. It then compares NCLB to its predecessor, pointing out where the two laws diverge and how they differ in enforcement mechanisms. In the third section, the paper explores the Bush administrations concept of federalism and the factors that are guiding its decisions in education. The fourth section analyzes how federal and state policies interact, focusing on how they conflict or reinforce each other. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for the future of NCLB and suggestions for future research. The NCLB has required many changes that states may not be prepared to implement. States may not have the assessments they need or the data management systems in place to handle the data requirements. To impleme...
Social scientists who study governmental organizations are heavily influenced by Weber’s (1978) conceptualizations of modern bureaucracy. The pursuit of goals by organizations, the growth of specialization and technical expertise, and a... more
Social scientists who study governmental organizations are heavily influenced by Weber’s (1978) conceptualizations of modern bureaucracy. The pursuit of goals by organizations, the growth of specialization and technical expertise, and a chain of legitimate command that is hierarchically arranged are among the bureaucratic constructs derived from Weber and used to describe the administrative apparatus of formal organizations. Using historical analysis, Weber distinguished bureaucratic administration from the other ideal organizational types, namely patrimonial administration and charismatic leadership. Although he considered bureaucracy to be more efficient than patrimonial administration and