Laying the Foundation for a New Segregation System

Letter to the Editor of Education Week

James Crawford’s latest rant against No Child Left Behind (“A Diminished Vision of Civil Rights”, June 6) argues that increased accountability, a greater emphasis on reading and math, and better test scores for English Learners are less important than other “opportunities,” like field trips and chess clubs, that these children may miss out on.

As a result of NCLB, all EL students are now taught to state standards, and know that their standardized test scores will be counted along with other students’. Because their progress matters to schools, including progress toward English fluency, test scores and reclassification rates for this crucial population are beginning to improve across the nation.

Relaxing NCLB accountability for English Learners, as Mr. Crawford suggests, would lay a dangerous foundation for a new, federally-sponsored segregation system.