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The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002 remains a hot-button issue for parents, educators and students nationwide. Prior to the reactivation and renaming of the law under President George W. Bush, the law existed since 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson, known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The earlier version offered new grants and funding for school districts nationwide to improve education and offer more resources. In 2002, President Bush made additions to the law including "measures to expose achievement gaps among traditionally underserved and vulnerable students," according to www.ed.gov/esea. Specifically, provisions were added to hold states accountable for student achievements and district performances. These evaluations were done through state testing during a student's academic years with the expected outcome that all students nationwide perform at a proficient level in math and reading by 2014. Accountability offered consequences, including cuts in funding or change in accreditation status. In 2012, a new chapter began through the Obama Administration that offered states more flexibility within the law in exchange for detailed state- designed plans. These state-developed plans must include a design to improve the quality of education and lessen the achievement gaps. Of the 50 states, 42 are currently receiving flexibility and utilizing their own state-designed plan. Missouri operates under the waiver, granting flexibility statewide to its school districts. Dr. Maria Fleming, assistant superintendent for Educational Services in the Fort Osage School District, spoke with The Buckner Clarion to explain how the law and its provisions affect the local district. Dr. Fleming has 25 years of experience in educational services. One of the challenges posed by the NCLB Act is the consequences faced for districts that were not at the target level of 100 percent student proficiency. The flexibility waiver protects these districts, including Fort Osage. "That's not the case in Fort Osage, that's not the case in Missouri, that's not the case anywhere in the country because we still face the same challenges we always have." The waiver in which Missouri schools operate under is still held to high standards while eliminating consequences of reaching a nearly impossible goal. "Through the waiver, we still have requirements but are no longer under that penalty of losing funding or losing accreditation if 100 percent of our students aren't proficient," Dr. Fleming states. "We still do the accountability component, the testing component, as well as the expectation that our students' achievement is going to improve. It just looks a little different than it originally did under the NCLB Act," she said. On the opposite side of the spectrum lie benefits that are having notable effects in area districts – recognizing the need for more attention to special services and determining the needs of students who have previously shown educational deficits. "There really are some positive things about NCLB such as a specific emphasis on the achievement of historically underperforming groups. So, students who are from poverty, students who are of color, or students whom English is not their first language as well as groups like special education students," Dr. Fleming said. "I think it has helped us to really think about what needs to be done to help those disadvantaged students or the students who struggle more." One specific impact to students is the increase in testing. Prior to NCLB, tests were administered in grades determined by the subject at hand. Now, students test annually, and receive more specific achievement measures designed to identify the education gaps. Under NCLB, it was up to each state to decide the components of the tests and testing procedures, including the ability to define "proficient." This left an unclear line between states: some students scored low while others possessed exceptional scores. This dichotomy is due to a nonstandard, state-determined definition of proficient. To move toward uniformity, Missouri joined the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Dr. Fleming described the group of approximately 20 states as "working together to develop tests so they are more aligned from state to state. The governor met with other members to make a level playing field of definitions and testing, resulting in the common core standards and assignments aligned to those standards." In Missouri, school programs are evaluated through the Missouri Improvement Program. This system is used to "grade" school districts, releasing an annual "report card" addressing areas of strengths and weaknesses. There are differences, however, according to Dr. Fleming. "Under NCLB, the only evaluations were on English-Language Arts (ELA) and math. With this program, the performance is still based on the tests, but it also looks at college and career- ready standards. They look at how students do on the ACT, how many students from high school move into a college or career and how many of our students are taking advanced or college courses while in high school. They even evaluate graduation and attendance records." This program allows a broad spectrum of measurable areas to be evaluated and addressed. "Fort Osage scored 83.6 percent – well into accredited range and an increase from the previous year," Dr. Fleming said about the 2013-2014 school year. "Our strongest area is our graduation rate. We have had a perfect score the previous two years on our graduation rates. We do a really great job at graduating the students in our district." Evaluating areas where the district did not score as high is also important, as it inherently supports improvement plans to achieve greater success. "The area that could use improving is student achievement. Our performance on MAP tests is good, but it's not great. That is the area we are continuing to work on and we work hard on it, every day," she said. Additionally, Dr. Fleming would like to see more flexibility. In her opinion, one shared by other districts, it is important to recognize the differences between not just various states but various districts within the same state. "The needs of rural districts, such as Fort Osage, are different than districts that serve other areas, such as Kansas City, and it's important to recognize that. " The goal of the NCLB Act is to provide resources in areas needed to close the education gap. For the Fort Osage district, Dr. Fleming believes this is an area that could be better served. She said there are "differences when educating a child who has faced issues such as homelessness or hunger when compared to educating a child from a two-parent home who has someone who asks them how their day was and helps them with their homework." Dr. Fleming feels there are ways to offer these children a better chance at success. "More support for communities and social service agencies would help. We can't do it all ourselves." No Child Left Behind Academic Leader Weighs Pros, Cons for District By Jessica Mauzey