By Joe Nathan
Center for School Change

Concern, crisis, criticism and complacency. Those are four reactions Iíve heard to announcements last week that more than 1/3 of Minnesotaís public schools are on the "needs improvement" list published by the Minnesota Department of Education. The fact is that EVERY Minnesota public school is doing some things well, and every school could improve. So I hope that folks in Caledonia will adopt an attitude of concern, but not crisis, criticism or complacency.

The Caledonia Middle Schools is on the "needs improvement" list, while others werenít. (You can see more details about each of the districtís schools, and about area charter public schools, by going to the Minnesota Department of Education website, education.state.mn.us. Then click on school report cards - upper right side of the home page). Caledoniaís middle school is on the list because of scores from some students with special needsÖa feature of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law that many educators question.

Minnesotaís Department of Education is required to publish the "needs improvement" list by the NCLB law. This complex law requires an ever increasing number of students to meet reading and math standards established by the state, with the ultimate goal being that all students (except for the most profoundly handicapped) will reach the standards by 2014.

This isnít the day to go into a full scale evaluation/assessment of NCLB. Congress currently is evaluating the law. Some changes are certain.

Parents know that you can not fully judge a school ONLY on the basis of test scores. Schools land on, or avoid, the stateís "Needs improvement " on the basis of student test scores, as well as attendance and percentage of students who take the test (Congress required that at least 95% of each major subgroup in a school take the test, or a school would be on the list, even if scores were high. ) The vast majority of students could be passing the stateís test ñ but if a sub group as small as 20 students, of for example, low income, limited English speaking, or students with disabilities does NOT pass the test, the school is on the "needs improvement list. So clearly, more information is needed than just, "is our school on that list?")

Other questions parents should (and do) ask include:

* Does my child feel safe at school?

* Do my children look forward to attending school?

* Is my childís teacher giving me helpful information?

* Does the school respond to my questions and concerns?

* Does the school welcome and encourage my involvement?

* What is the TREND of student achievement in our school?

* What steps is the school taking to improve things, and finally

* How can I help?

The wisest families and educators use test scores as one part of their overall assessment. With neither a complacent or crisis mentality, the next important questions should be:

* How do we retain what we are doing well, and

* How do we improve?

Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota jnathan@hhh.umn.edu,

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