Viewpoints

Assessment-Driven Reform:
A Leadership Approach

The No Child Left Behind Act and Assessment

The No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President Bush on January 8, 2002, has significantly increased the federal government's role in accountability over that imposed by the 1994 version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The new legislation emphasizes a strong federal agenda of accountability measures for holding all children to high standards. It raises the stakes around accountability by creating a major assessment component that calls for annual testing of every student in Grades 3-8 in reading, math, and science. Secretary of Education Rod Paige (cited in WGBH Educational Foundation, 2002a) explained the focus on assessment under the No Child Left Behind Act: "We have to know, with some reliable valid source, whether or not students are learning…. That is why the test is necessary: to answer the question, ‘Are children learning relative to the standard?' "

Though the legislation will hold states accountable for helping students meet high academic standards, states will be able to determine their own standards and develop their own testing instruments. The notion that states can determine their course of action, as long as they are held accountable for results, is not a new concept (Elmore, 2002). What is new is the high level of state accountability for creating standards and evaluating students against those standards.

Embracing the effort to leave no child behind is not a point of contention for most educators. The challenge is to meet the expectations of the No Child Left Behind legislation in a timely and meaningful way. Patricia Albjerg Graham, professor of the history of American education at Harvard University, points out that creating change in schools is a formidable task:

American schools in the 20th century resemble the battleships of World War II. Large, powerful, cumbersome, with enormous crews…. Maneuverability is not their strength. When ordered to change course, they do so, but there are significant delays. The bigger the change in direction, the longer it takes for the ship to achieve the new course. (cited in Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2002)

The challenge for local education leaders is to maneuver as skillfully and expeditiously as possible, given the course that has been outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act.