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There was an article in the New York Times magazine section last Sunday (11/26) by Paul Tough called "What it takes to make a student". I urge all of you to read that (its available through many magazine databases). I had no idea about one aspect of No Child. States are allowed to set the standards for what proficient means in the standardized state testing, and they are lowering those standards drastically in order to have more students qualify as proficient. Here is a quote: "The most malignant element of the original law was that it required all states to achieve proficiency but then allowed each state to define proficiency for itself. It took state governments a couple of years to realize just what that meant, but now they have caught on--and many of them are engaged in an ignoble competition to see which state can demand the least of its students. At the head of this pack right now is Mississippi, which has declared 89 percent of its fourth-grade students to be proficient readers, the highest percentage, while in fact, the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that only 18 percent of Mississippi fourth graders know how to read at an appropriate level--the second lowest score of any state. In the past year, Arizona, Maryland, Ohio, North Dakota, and Idaho all followed Mississippi's lead and slashed their standards to label uneducated students educated." You don't need to respond to me, but please make this known in your communities. Sharon Hamer Librarian Hyde School Woodstock, Ct. 06281 860-963-4726 HYDE Preparation for Life -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html --------------------------------------------------------------------