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Public Agenda Alert -- Feb. 24, 2005
* Report Calls for Reforms to the "No Child Left Behind" Act
* Behind the Headlines: U.S. and Russia to Sign Counterterrorism Accords
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* Report Calls for Reforms to the "No Child Left Behind" Act
A bipartisan panel of lawmakers called for reforms to
President Bush's education initiative, the "No
Child Left Behind" Act. The 10-month study, conducted
by The National Conference of State Legislatures,
concluded that certain aspects of the act need to change,
such as providing states with financial flexibility to
meet the law's goals.
Public Agenda has conducted extensive
research on public attitudes about education reform. Our
study, "Rolling Up Their Sleeves," probed
the attitudes of superintendents and principals
about their jobs. While the vast majority said
the era of testing and accountability is here to stay,
almost nine in 10 called No Child Left Behind an
"unfunded mandate," and most said the law "will
require many adjustments before it can work."
Superintendents from large school districts are much
more likely to support the law's key components than
their colleagues from smaller school systems.
We also summarized a decade of opinion research on
education in our 2003 report, "Where We Are Now."
Our review found that the standards movement is in
full sway in American schools, and support for higher
standards and accountability remains solid among
teachers, parents and students. But beneath the surface,
teachers are discouraged, administrators are besieged
by politics and many teachers and students worry about
an unruly, disrespectful and sometimes violent atmosphere
in American high schools.
Registered users may download free copies of Public Agenda
reports.
- Find out more about "Rolling Up Their Sleeves: Superintendents
and Principals Talk About What's Needed to Fix Public Schools
- Find out more about "Where We Are Now: 12 Things You Need
to Know About Public Opinion and Public Schools
- Visit our issue guide on Education:
- Read The National Conference of State Legislatures report:
- Read The New York Times story:
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