NCLB certainly has its detractors but one thing it has given us is an outcome that we are all
aiming to achieve. The goal is to improve the achievement of all children.
There is much to be changed with NCLB but when I reduce it to its core it sets an expectation
that all children will achieve and grow in their achievement over time. You might not agree
with what is measured or how it is measured....but the idea is to reach each child and "grow"
them.
Teachers have accepted that goal (before it was law) and have tried to "grow" their children.
They are doing the best they can....they are working extremely hard. However, as the book
states it is more than hard work and doing your best it is doing the right thing.
The question for my staff is are we doing the right thing? If raising achievement results is the
outcome we seek then what are the behaviors we need to impact?
For teachers I would argue that it is the instructional strategies that they use in the classroom.
Are teachers using the instructional strategies or behaviors that have been shown to the be the most
effective? Marzano's work has tried to zero in on the strategies that have been shown via mult. research
studies to "grow" learning. Do teachers use these strategies? If new strategies are developed or studied that
show great impact in the classroom how does a teacher acquire and use those strategies?
But these aren't the only behaviors that impact achievement.
For students one behavior that
makes a big difference is being an active participant in the learning. The tough part about this though is
what the teacher does or allows in the classroom has a great deal to do with the level of engagement
a student can experience in the classroom. I believe all students want to learn and that sometimes as
educators the limits we create in the classroom for the sake of control often impede the engagement
and resulting learning of our students.
Parents also have behaviors that drive the achievement of their children. Is education valued and discussed
in the home? Does the child have access to learning opportunities outside of the school day? Does the parent
discuss and reinforce what the student is learning at school and offer additional experiences to reinforce?
