The New Business of Education-David Hoff of "Education Week" on the Future of NCLB
Monday, February 18, 2008SUSIE GHARIB: We've seen how the No Child Left Behind law has been a significant factor in the growth of testing and tutoring services over the past six years. But now the law is up for review by Congress and it's not clear whether it'll continue in its present form. I talked with David Hoff, associate editor at "Education Week." He covers issues concerning the law's reauthorization and I began by asking him whether he expects major changes.
DAVID HOFF, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, EDUCATION WEEK: There will be some major changes, but at this point, things are really up in the air. We're going to see a big debate over how students are testing and tested and exactly what is going to be expected of them into the future.
GHARIB: So, David, tell me, do you expect any changes on the emphasis of meeting performance targets?
HOFF: No, I don't expect that they'll back away from performance targets. They may push back a deadline for students trying to reach proficiency, but in the end I think Congress is really committed -- and a lot of the national policymakers -- are really committed to having students meet some level of proficiency, at least in reading and math, as the law currently says.
GHARIB: The law didn't mandate any national tests or achievement levels and as you know that was really good for the testing companies, because businesses then could design a different test for students in every state. Do you think that there's going to be a push to replace that system with a single nationwide test?
HOFF: No, I don't think so. There may be some people who bring it up as an option, but in the past, whenever Congress has been presented with a question of creating national standards or national tests, it has backed away from it pretty quickly. You know, the local districts out there throughout the country do not want Washington coming down from above and saying, this is what you should make your students learn. And I think Congress, members of Congress hear that pretty loudly. They've had opportunities to create a single, national test twice in the past 20 years or so. Under President Clinton, it was rejected when the Republicans controlled Congress, And then when the first President Bush proposed it in 1991, the Democratic Congress rejected it.
GHARIB: Right.
HOFF: So I don't see the dynamics on that changing much.
GHARIB: Speaking of politics in Washington, we know that a new administration will be coming to Washington next year. From what you've been hearing, will that change results in a rethinking of education policy?
HOFF: I think it's clear that although the presidential candidates -- many of them -- are critical of No Child Left Behind, but when you look beyond their initial rhetoric, you se that they, I think, buy into a lot of the important elements of it and that is the bottom line of accountability. So when it comes down to it, I think testing is still going to be part of this law in the end.
GHARIB: Hoff also noted that although there was a big rise in Federal spending on education immediately following the passage of No Child Left Behind, the rate of increase has since slowed. And as a result of budget pressures on Congress, he doesn't expect Federal funding of education to rise dramatically in the coming year.
