Parkland Calls for Changes to 'No Child Left Behind'

The Parkland School Board approved a resolution Tuesday, calling on Congress to replace the school accountability system in the No Child Left Behind Act with one that doesn’t just rely on standardized test scores.

School boards throughout the state are considering the resolution, provided by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

The board unanimously approved the resolution with no discussion.

Superintendent Richard Sniscak said after the meeting that the resolution is timely because Congress is getting ready to review the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

“We’re trying to keep our concerns on the front burner,” Sniscak said.

According to the resolution, the mission of public schools is “to provide meaningful academic instruction and assessment that engages students to be critical and creative thinkers, and successfully prepares them for college and careers.”

States and local school districts, according to the resolution, “should have greater flexibility to make educationally sound decisions that expand opportunities for all students, without an over reliance on standardized test scores.”

The resolution says that “high stakes decisions should be made based on the coursework, tests and quizzes, presentations, projects and papers throughout the student’s career.”

The current system, in contrast, “does not accurately or fairly report student, school and school district performance … it creates an over reliance on high stakes standardized testing.”