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=Standards and Accountability=

The critical attributes of a positive school culture which are exhibited within our program are a widely shared sense of purpose and values; collaborative and collegial relationships; and a focus on professional development and staff reflection. The director of our program contributes to this culture by reminding staff of our mission and purpose, which is the retention of students through graduation. She also encourages staff to share their ideas and is not afraid to address problems as they arise and work toward solutions. Opportunities for continual professional development are provided to staff and strongly encouraged. Our director has effectively created a family-oriented culture where students feel they have a safe place to come to receive help and guidance in navigating the university system.

One effect of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act on public schools is the fact that schools are spending more time on reading and math, sometimes at the expense of subjects not tested. The article stated that “the subject most affected is social studies, while physical education is least affected.” In my opinion, it is important to look at the overall age-appropriate physical and cognitive development growth processes of students when determining what subjects need to be taught. There needs to be a focus on the whole child, not just one area of learning. Subjects like social studies also could be integrated more into the reading or math curricula instead of segmenting them apart and determining that less time will be spent in teaching these subjects.

Another result of the NCLB act is that students are taking a lot more tests. As a mother of four children who have all graduated from Texas schools, I have witnessed in recent years a significant increase in the outcry of parents and teachers that there is too much value and focus placed on testing in schools. When I had my first child, a wise pediatrician told me “Listen to your child, you are the parent, you know your child better than anyone else.” The common sense of parents and teachers observing their students is telling them that our children are being submitted to far too many tests. As a result, we are seeing a generation of students whose study skills and habits are severely lacking because they have simply been taught to prepare for the state-mandated test.

One of the ways that NCLB assures parents that the needs of all students will be addressed is by paying more attention to the learning needs of special populations such as students with disabilities, the economically disadvantaged, and those who are learning English and by requiring that schools be responsible for improving the achievement of each of these subgroups. I will add that I agree with Emily, that most parents are not aware of what the NCLB act does and how it is connected to the state mandated tests.

The Adequate Yearly Progress report is intended to show the data that has been collected about the academic performance of our students and schools. It provides a report of student achievement in reading and math, high school graduation rates, schools making adequate yearly progress, highly qualified teachers, parents taking advantage of tutoring and choice options, state participation in flexibility options, and more. This information enables us to learn what works so students can make greater progress. We can determine where we are as individual schools and as a district and map a course of action for future progress.


 * Analyzing Campus Need and Personal Vision**

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