Rising to the Challenge of

NCLB

by Rhonda Barton

chart, 'Districts that are small, rural'

The U.S. Congress’ sweeping education reform plan, embodied in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), is changing the way schools do business around the country. For small, rural, and/or isolated schools, NCLB presents even more of a challenge to the status quo. Nonetheless, many of these schools are rising to the challenge with innovative approaches to fulfilling the spirit of the law.

In a recently published Topical Summary (June 2003), the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory highlights some creative solutions found around the region for meeting NCLB requirements and documents some of the impediments. "Our intent is to present an overview of issues and tactics to get the conversation going," says Steve Nelson, NWREL’s Director of Planning and Service Coordination.

Investigators in each of the region’s five states conducted surveys and interviews to form the basis of the report. Researchers were drawn from the Montana Small Schools Alliance, Washington Rural Education Center, Intermountain Center for Education Effectiveness at Idaho State University, Oregon Small Schools Association, and Alaska Staff Development Network.

Survey respondents—ranging from county and district superintendents to principals, teachers, trustees, and curriculum directors—ranked Adequate Yearly Progress as their chief stumbling block in complying with NCLB. The second biggest concern was quality teacher recruitment and training. Educational requirements for paraprofessional staff came in third.

The reasons that these provisions of the law present monumental challenges speak to the nature of rural, isolated, and small schools:

In schools with small populations, the impact of one or two outlying assessment scores can be "deceptive and debilitating."
At a time when all schools are financially squeezed, funding new initiatives is of great concern, especially in communities with a shrinking revenue base. Limited budgets also hamper the districts’ ability to attract and keep highly qualified staff.
Declining enrollment, faced by many rural districts, affects all facets of NCLB.
Geographic isolation is detrimental in hiring personnel and providing continuing education programs, as well as addressing school choice.

Saying "one size does not fit all," an administrator in Alaska wonders how a school with just three teachers in K–12 can meet the requirements. "What works in Detroit and Dallas does not necessarily work in Haines or bush Alaska," he says.

Around the region, small and rural districts are looking to state education agencies for leadership and assistance in complying with NCLB. They’re also developing collaborations among themselves, pooling resources, and forging partnerships with universities and community colleges. For some, distance learning programs and other innovative uses of technology are the answer. Others are creating job-sharing arrangements, recruiting retired teachers, and reconfiguring staff needs. For all, maintaining their commitment to children remains the overarching priority.

The Topical Summary, Challenges and Opportunities of NCLB for Small, Rural, and Isolated Schools, is available online at www.nwrel.org/planning/reports/NCLB/NCLB.pdf or in hard copy by request, while supplies last.

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