McCain, Obama want to change No Child law, but in different ways

BY PAT KOSSAN
The Arizona Republic
June 30, 2008

Education’s moment in the national political spotlight has come and gone, replaced by a faltering economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . Yet whoever wins the country’s highest bully pulpit could affect every classroom in America .

Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama say they honor the intent of the No Child Left Behind Act: to help poor and minority kids catch up and keep up with their wealthier peers. Yet each candidate wants Congress to revamp the law in different ways.

The McCain campaign is previewing his education plan, which won’t be complete until fall. Obama has a 15-page K-12 education framework with a catalog of new programs. Neither candidate offers specifics about proposed changes to the No Child Left Behind Act.

The 2002 law has three basic requirements for states: create grade-level learning objectives, test kids on these objectives and penalize schools where too many students fail. States not willing to fall in line risk losing federal money.

Most educators and researchers agree the law has helped measure and track academic differences between rich and poor students, often within the same school. Most research shows the law has done little to fix the problem — especially in higher grades. It’s this next step a new administration will face.

State legislators still hold much of the power to shape school systems. But a new administration will exhort Congress to make changes next year, when the No Child Left Behind Act is renewed.

Some questions you might have about how your school could change depending on who wins the White House:

Q. Will my child continue taking annual state tests?

A.Don’t expect that to stop anytime soon, no matter who is president. Results from such tests provide too much useful, long-term data to be scrapped, said Jay Greene, a senior fellow with the Manhattan Institute.

Still, the candidates have heard the complaints: The importance placed on test scores has encouraged some schools to teach to the test, and fixation on the test takes time away from art, music and physical education.

Both candidates want to encourage more sophisticated student evaluations than the multiple-choice math and reading ones used by most states. Both talk about using federal grants for new technology in schools to measure a student’s problem-solving skills in more subjects.

Obama wants to develop national models that could be replicated in states; McCain wants private organizations to do the same.

Q. Will states that require passage of a high school test for graduation continue to require them?

A. This decision is up to lawmakers in the 22 states that require such a test. The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to test their high school students in math and reading but uses the information to judge the school, not individual students.

Q. Will the federal government still require states to take over failing schools?

A. States that already have their own law allowing state takeovers shouldn’t be affected.

Both candidates say a school should get credit if at the end of the year, teachers move students a year ahead academically, even if they’re still not at grade level. States have lobbied for such flexibility.

Both candidates would give states more power to decide when to intervene and take over failing schools.

Q. Are schools likely to get more federal money?

Q. Money has always been a contentious issue between many educators and policymakers. Many school officials say they need more government funding to meet No Child Left Behind’s goals. Many politicians, notably McCain, argue that money isn’t the answer.

A. The different philosophies are reflected in the candidates. Obama proposes to spend $18 billion a year, drawn from delaying some NASA programs and from what is now being spent on the war in Iraq . Among other things, he would lengthen the school day for struggling students and increase aid to early-childhood learning.

McCain would redistribute the existing federal education budget, with no new money. He wants to provide more grants to help district and charter schools replicate successful programs. He also wants to make it easier to open new charter schools and increase funding for tutoring.

Obama and McCain on the education

A comparison of where Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain stand on education issues.

Obama: Lengthen the school day, expand aid to early childhood learning and intervene as early as sixth grade to provide struggling students with special course work and counseling. Would offer families tax credits to help pay for college.

McCain: Provide grants to help district and charter schools replicate successful programs, particularly those with waiting lists. Also would make it easier for private companies and agencies to open charter schools that increase competition for district schools.

Obama: Add $18 billion a year to education, to come from what is now being spent on the Iraq war, delaying some NASA programs and other inefficiencies in government spending.

McCain: Keep existing federal education budget but redistribute the money to more effective teachers, schools and programs.

Obama: Develop models to help states create more sophisticated evaluations that test and track student problem-solving skills in more subject areas. Create different tests that more precisely measure the knowledge and progress of students still learning English and students in special education.

McCain: Find private agencies to develop models to help states create more sophisticated evaluations that test and track student problem-solving skills in more subjects. Require every child, including language learners and special-education students, to take the same test to make sure schools maintain the same high expectations for all students.

Obama: Work with teachers’ unions to make teaching a more competitive, lucrative and innovative career that pays based on performance.

McCain: Find a way around union contracts that stand in the way of making teaching a more competitive, lucrative and innovative career that pays based on performance.

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