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Conclusion
Since PEN’s first round of NCLB hearings, the public’s views on NCLB have
intensified. The public agrees more strongly with the need for accountability
and sees the role for testing in that context. Yet, as ever greater numbers of
schools are being labeled “in need of improvement,” the public believes more
deeply that reliance on a single test to make this determination is inappropriate
and unfair, especially when resources are scarce and not evenly distributed.
Feelings about what constitutes a ‘highly qualified” teacher have intensified.
As parents and students see teachers – whom they perceive as competent
and capable – being dismissed for lack of requisite certification, and other
teachers – whom they perceive as disengaged – being retained, they question
the validity of the paper credential as the sole determinant of what constitutes
“highly qualified.”
The public’s belief in the community as a true partner in school success has
also intensified. The public is certain that schools cannot go it alone, that
communities must be key partners, and that responsibility and accountability
for student success must be shared.
Most importantly, the public has a perspective on the benefits and challenges
of NCLB that is not often heard. Community members, students, and parents
have the potential to make or break the successful implementation of NCLB,
and their views must be considered.
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