The effects of the No Child Left Behind Act and adequate yearly progress (AYP) accountability systems are only beginning to make their way into book-length studies. The following relies heavily on journal articles and online documents for current information.
Articles
“Defining Adequate Yearly Progress,” by Bruce Buchanan (American School Board Journal, February 2004 supplement: Vol. 191, No. 2, pp. 10–13).
Summarizes the debate over state-to-state variance in
measuring AYP—a sticking point for many educators.
“The No Child Left Behind Act and English Language Learners: Assessment and Accountability Issues,” by Jamal Abedi (Educational Researcher, January/February 2004: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 4–14).
Offers a good synopsis of major issues under debate concerning AYP testing of English language learners, one of the most controversial aspects of NCLB legislation.
“No Child Left Behind: Meeting the Challenges,” special section edited by Leon E. Greene (Principal, May/June 2004: Vol. 83, No. 5, pp. 12–38).
A primer for principals, this special section includes separate articles that address many of the most daunting issues facing today’s administrators.
“Why Does the Gap Persist?” by Paul E. Barton (Educational Leadership, November 2004: Vol. 62, No. 3, pp. 8–13).
Part of a special issue, this article draws on baseline data to identify the most persistent factors that contribute to the achievement gap.
Books
Accountability in Action: A Blueprint for Learning Organizations (2nd ed.), by Douglas B. Reeves (Englewood, CO: Advanced Learning Press, 2004).
A practical guide for schools and districts struggling to create comprehensive accountability systems.
School Accountability, edited by Williamson M. Evers and Herbert J. Walberg (Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press, 2002).
Together, the prominent educational researcher-authors of a collection of articles make a compelling argument for the necessity of implementing a meaningful and challenging accountability system into the U.S. public school system.
Makes a pro-NCLB argument for the necessity of current accountability measures as the only effective way to close the ongoing achievement gap.
“My School Didn’t Make Adequate Yearly Progress—So What Does That Mean?” by Nancy Kober, with Naomi Chudowsky & Diane Stark Rentner (TestTalk for Leaders, September 2004: No. 3, pp. 1–16). www.cep-dc.org/pubs/TestTalk/CEPTestTalk3.pdf
A useful summary of the basics of AYP and what the results have revealed so far. Especially good for teachers and parents.
No Child Left Behind Act: Improvements Needed in Education’s Process for Tracking States’ Implementation of Key Provisions (Washington, DC: Government Accounting Office, 2004). www.gao.gov/new.items/d04734.pdf
What have AYP assessments revealed so far? This government office report to the Secretary of Education draws on nationwide AYP results to offer a broad overview of areas in need of improvement. An indepth look at AYP from the
federal point of view.
“The Perverse Incentives of the No Child Left Behind Act,” by James E. Ryan (New York University Law Review, July 2, 2004: Vol. 79, No.3, pp. 932–989). www.law.nyu.edu/journals/ lawreview/issues/vol79/no3/NYU303.pdf
One of the more indepth and scathing critiques of the
current accountability system to have yet been written.
Organizations
Council of Chief State School Officers
Accountability, including Adequate Yearly Progress
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