Local schools play role in No Child Left Behind Act
Four Warren County Schools are among 500 nationwide chosen to participate in Following the Leaders, a federally funded program designed to show the nation’s schools that the far-reaching requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 are attainable.
Centertown, Dibrell, Eastside and Irving College schools will take part in the program, which will provide access to technology resources and hands-on guidance to assist administrators, teachers and students in achieving the reform measures mandated by No Child Left Behind.
The schools were chosen to take part in the program after demonstrating early No Child Left Behind implementation successes, but recognizing the need for further reforms, said Following the Leaders spokesperson Kimberly Tulp. In addition to a willingness to participate, she said the schools must also be wired with the hardware and Internet access necessary to support the program’s Web-based resources.
Following the Leaders was developed last year by Education Leaders Council, an education advocacy group, in partnership with an assortment of for-profit and non-profit education groups including The Princeton Review.
At the center of the Following the Leaders program is technology. SkillsTutor, a Web-based tool will help students master core subjects and skills will assign them tailor-made lessons, while Homeroom.com will be used as an online assessment and benchmarking tool aligned to state standards and tests. These tools can be used from both school and home, creating a seamless learning environment.
Teachers and principals, too, will be able to use the data gained from these tools to track student performance and create lessons to address areas in which students show a deficiency.
Parents will benefit as well, as they can access regular updates about their child’s academic performance, hopefully encouraging greater involvement in student learning.
Tennessee’s No Child Left Behind report
(AP) – Key data from the No Child Left Behind report issued by the Tennessee Department of Education on Thursday:
— 53 percent of the state’s 1,650 public schools met the federal standards.
— 711 schools were identified as “Target Schools.”
— 33 schools were identified as “On Probation,” with 32 of those schools listed as “improving.”
— The systems with schools “On Probation” are Davidson (two elementary and two high schools), Fayette (one elementary), Hamilton (one middle, four elementary schools), Hardeman (one elementary school); Memphis (seven elementary, one middle and 14 high schools).
— 29 schools were identified for “Corrective Action.”
Source: Tennessee Depart-ment of Education