No Child Left Behind

I think that the No Child Left Behind Act has good intentions. The statistics show that so many of our country’s students are lacing in their reading proficiency, and this act is attempting to help those students. The chapter stated that less than one-third of the nation’s fourth grade students are reading proficiently at grade level, and this is a shocking statistic. However, I feel that expecting one hundred percent of students to be reading at grade level seems idealistic. I understand that as a future educator I should want all of my students to reading at grade level, however, to me this seems unrealistic. The truth is there are many students who struggle with reading, and even with the best materials and the best help, they may never reach grade level. As a teacher, I will strive to have all of my students reading at grade level and do everything I can to help them improve. But, even with all of my hard work, I may still have one student who is still reading below grade level. I also feel that holding all students to the same NCLB standards is unfair. There are groups of students, such as ELL or lower income communities, who may not have the necessary tools, money, or programs in order to help those students reach their reading proficiency. Many schools are using a “one size fits all” reading program in order to help their students reach proficiency. But, we have learned that every student has different needs, which is why differentiation is so important. The “one size fits all” reading programs may not work for every student in the school. I think one important change needed in NCLB is to not place so much emphasis on standardized testing. Teachers know that they have students who are not great test takers, but are still reading proficiently. I think that there should be a way to determine if students are reading at grade level aside from using a standardized test.

Almost there!

I am almost there. Only four months until graduating from Bowling Green State University with my Master's in Reading. Hooray!:)