Shortchanging
students

Interactive features

Interactive map: Compare national, state scores

June 6, 2007

Roll over a map to see what percentages of fourth and eighth graders achieved "proficient" scores on state and national tests.

Video: Achievement tests raise anxiety levels

June 6, 2007

High stakes testing has placed a strain on students, teachers, parents and school districts. That's why students are offered after-school preparatory classes at Robert Frost Middle School in Fairfax, Va.

Interactive quiz: Sample NAEP test questions

June 6, 2007

Parents, students: See how well you do when trying to answer questions from a sample National Assessment of Educational Progress eighth grade math test.

Essential reading

Update: Study shows state math, reading tests all over the map

By LEDYARD KING, Gannett News Service | October 4, 2007

A new report finds a wide gap between what students are expected to know on math and reading tests from one state to the next.

In school achievement, appearance often means more than results

By LEDYARD KING, Gannett News Service | June 7, 2007

The 2002 federal No Child Left Behind law was designed to raise education standards across the country by punishing schools that fail to make all kids proficient in math and reading. But the law allows each state to chart its own course in meeting those objectives. The result, according to a Gannett News Service analysis of test scores, is that many states have taken the safe route, keeping standards low and fooling parents into believing their kids are prepared for college and work.

5 years after education law took effect, problems remain

June 7, 2007 |

States get creative in minimizing law's impact

June 7, 2007 |

Tips for keeping kids academically sharp over the summer

June 7, 2007 |

Web sites for more information

June 7, 2007 |

 

Guest opinions

Replace 100 percent proficiency with realistic goals

By FREDERICK M. HESS, Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research | June 7, 2007

When it took effect in 2002, No Child Left Behind required every state to adopt an accountability system with regular testing in reading and math while leaving each state free to decide what material tests should cover, which tests to use, and how to define and measure student "proficiency."

Standardized tests no substitute for challenging course work

By EVA L. BAKER, graduate professor at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies | June 7, 2007

It's time to make serious changes to the No Child Left Behind education law.