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October 24 and
25, 2002 in Washington, DC
The Mid-Atlantic Deans and
Superintendents Network held its fall meeting on October
24 and 25, 2002, in Washington, DC. The focus of the
meeting was on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and
how its provisions would affect the state and local
school districts. Among the concerns were the evaluation
and accountability requirements of NCLB, how the
implications of the act would affect the work of the
Mid-Atlantic Deans and Superintendents Network for the
next three years, and a plan to implement a project
evaluation design that is consistent with the
requirements of the NCLB.
Guest speaker Mary Conk-Kusler,
the legislative specialist of the American Association
of School Administrators (AASA), presented an overview
of the NCLB, focusing on the provision of the NCLB that
requires state and local schools to bring every student
to “proficiency” in 12 years. According to the NCLB,
states must now establish “adequate yearly progress”
targets, which are significantly higher than they have
been under past legislation. Furthermore, the penalty
for missing these targets will be very severe. Ms. Conk-Kusler
acknowledged that this would create a problem for many
state and local school officials.
The NCLB Also sets new
requirements for qualified teachers and teacher aides.
These points generated a discussion about the greater
need for deans and superintendents to institute a
greater number of significant partnerships to improve
teacher quality and professional involvement. Ms. Conk-Kusler
concluded her presentation by urging the participants to
continue the dialogue on this important legislation and
to take immediate action to improve the education of all
children.
A panel of state Title I
officials led a discussion about the state and district
accountability standards, and each member of the panel
shared strategies for meeting the requirements of the
NCLB. Ronald Houston, Superintendent of the Delaware
Department of Education, stated that the NCLB would
provide educational leaders with the tools to give all
children a chance at a quality education. The
Superintendent of District of Columbia Public Schools,
Dawn Richardson, reminded the participants of the value
of sharing information with each other. Other
participants in the panel included Linda Dold of the
Collins, New Jersey, Department of Education; Sarah Hall
of the Maryland Department of Education; and James
Goodhart, consultant with Temple University’s Laboratory
for Student Success. Mr. Goodhart shared some of the
assessment strategies that are currently underway in
Pennsylvania.
The focus of the meeting then
turned to the P-16 projects, which focus on teacher
quality, schools, and student achievement. The
Co-Chairperson of the Mid-Atlantic Deans and
Superintendents Network, Eloise Forster, provided the
participants with the tools and information to measure
the results of all of the seven P-16 projects. Ms.
Forster also shared with the participants a framework
developed by the National Study for School Evaluation to
ensure consistency.
Finally, Matt Walker, the
legislative assistant to New Jersey Congressman Robert
Andrews, provided the participants with a historical
perspective of the developments of the NCLB, and
indicated that he would share the work of the
Mid-Atlantic Deans and Superintendents Network with
Congressman Andrews. He also stated that he would like
to be invited again to continue the dialogue with the
Mid-Atlantic Deans and Superintendents Network.
The primary goal for the meeting
was to help the participants better understand the NCLB
and its implications for schools and colleges in the
preparation of teachers and school leaders. According to
a preliminary review of the feedback, it appeared that
the Mid-Atlantic Deans and Superintendents Network was
able to achieve this goal.
The next meeting will be held on
February 7, 2003, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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