Director Buck Supports Long-Overdue Revision of Federal NCLB Law

More Iowa schools and districts were identified as “in need of assistance” under the federal No Child Left Behind law based on student performance on state tests taken during the 2013-14 school year, according to the 2014 State Report Card for No Child Left Behind released last week by the Iowa Department of Education. 

The results say more about the arbitrary accountability system under No Child Left Behind than it does about the work under way in Iowa classrooms, Director Brad Buck said. 

“No Child Left Behind has outlived its usefulness as a lever for improving student achievement in our country,” Buck said. “We need some different solutions. In Iowa, we embrace high expectations and accountability, but we must have an approach that dignifies growth and progress as much as proficiency on a test.” 

While most states have obtained a waiver from key components of No Child Left Behind, Iowa must continue to follow the federal law unless it is reauthorized by Congress or Iowa’s system for educator evaluation is changed by state legislators to meet waiver criteria. 

“I continue to fully support Congressional reauthorization, which is long overdue, as well as a significant overhaul of this law,” Buck said. “We want a rigorous system that both acknowledges growth and holds schools and districts accountable without labeling schools that fall short of proficiency targets as failures.”