City Schools Given Notice

A new report by the State Education Department lists nearly half of the citys schools as in need of improvement in order to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Three hundred and seventy-four city schools under Title I a federal government program that provides supplementary money to educationally disadvantaged students are not meeting New Yorks standards on achievement tests. An additional 123 schools were placed on the list of schools requiring academic progress. In total, 40% of the citys 1,200 made the overall list, which Chancellor Joel Klein used to again justify Mayor Michael Bloombergs drastic overhaul of the school system.
"The list of Schools in Need of Improvement released today shows how dramatically the public school system in New York City needs change," said the chancellor in a statement released the same day as the list. In Queens alone, 94 schools were placed on the list.
For a city school system where 60% of its student body fails the state standards, many educators said that the No Child Left Behind Act was a step in the right direction because it forces failing schools to improve over a specified time period.
"I think that it would be fair to say, achievement is the first, second, third, fourth and fifth priority for schools nowadays," said David Ernst, a spokesman for the New York State School Boards Association. "Its lists like this that in part compel it."
Schools receiving Title 1 funding that make the list must provide their students with the option of transferring to a school in the same district that does meet state standards. Title I schools that consistently fail risk the loss of registration and closure.
Ernst, like other educators, still had misgivings about the No Child Left Behind Act and the federal governments track record in funding programs like it. He referred to the Disabilities Education Act, which was past almost 20 years ago, but, according to Ernst, the federal government "never came close to fulfilling their original promise" of funds.
"The federal government needs to show its commitment to federal schools by fairly funding no child left behind," said Samira Ahmed, a spokesperson for Campaign for Fiscal Equity. Adequate funding, Ahmed said, should ensure that every student is in a reasonably sized classroom with a qualified teacher. It should also pay for school libraries and computers.
Other education advocates stated that, although the No Child Left Behind Act was a step in the right direction, the list can misleadingly group high-performing schools with failing ones. The act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002, specifies standards that each school must achieve on mathematics and English language arts tests. Schools are also automatically put on the list if 95% of the student body even if its a poor attendance day do not take the achievement tests. Schools are also judged by the performance of sub-groupings within the student body like students with disabilities or minorities on these tests. If any of the sub-groups fail, then the school is placed on the list.
The stringent requirements have placed traditionally top-rated schools in Queens like Forest Hills High School and Hillcrest High School on this years list under the category of "schools requiring academic progress." Parent coordinators from either high school would not respond to questions about the list.
Since standards vary across states, some education experts debate whether the No Child Left Behind Act can accurately judge how well a states schools are performing. Ahmed said that Education Weekly, a publication for teachers, does an annual list of states with the highest standards. New York and Massachusetts consistently top the list. Having higher standards can place more schools on the list, while lower standards may mask problems in a states school system. The key for schools to succeed, though, said Ahmed, is ensuring that state and federal governments come through with money.