Each year the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District sponsors a community forum to discuss issues, programs, and legislation that will impact BKW's future. The most recent two community forums (November 2004 and 2005) discussed the new state testing programs and the challenge of the No Child Left Behind legislation. The following addresses some of the questions posed by community members who attended these forums.

What is No Child Left Behind?
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was one of the first major pieces of legislation signed into law by President Bush. This bi-partisan law emphasized accountability through testing, use of scientifically researched teaching methods, information to help parents make sound educational choices, and more flexibility for local communities to use federal funding.

The goal of NCLB is to ensure that all children reach academic proficiency on State academic achievement standards no later than the 2013-2014 school year.

What are the state requirements?
All states, including the state of New York, are required to set clear and high standards for what students in each grade should know and be able to do in the core academic subjects of reading and math. States will measure each student's progress with tests aligned to the standards.

How does New York State test?
Beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, all children in grades 3 through 8 were required to take a state test in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. These tests are scored and the results will be returned to schools in the fall of 2006. These scores are also reported to the public through each individual school district's report card.

Children's scores are reported within ranges from level 1 to 4. To be considered proficient in the academic area children need to score in the range of level 3 to 4. Children who score in level 1 and 2 are required to receive additional support to meet the academic standard.

In the high school, the new provisions require students to meet higher academic standards through the course work defined by the Board of Regents.

Students must now pass Regents exams in the area of Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and a proficiency exam in a foreign language to receive their high school diploma.

What does this mean for BKW?
For a district like Berne-Knox-Westerlo, there are financial as well as educational implications.

There are costs associated with the delivery and scoring of tests. Test provisions requiring personnel support must be made for children with needs. After a test is given, scoring occurs at the local or regional level, which incurs substitute teacher costs.

Professional development for teachers must be provided on district conference days. Trainers and consultants are needed to provide these programs at a cost to the district.

The major educational implication is known as Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), a level of proficiency BKW must meet each year. BKW's student performance on state tests determines its AYP. The district's AYP index is based on a formula determined by the number of students who score in each of the levels 1-4 on the state tests. Each year, the AYP number is set higher to ensure that all children will reach proficiency levels by the year 2014.

Schools that do not meet their yearly progress level will be identified for improvement. A school could be required to change its program and adopt new methods to show improvement. Supplementary services may need to be provided by the district to students not meeting the standard. Corrective action could also result in a school having funding deferred or reduced.

Where can I go for further information?
The federal government Web site has lots of information on NCLB. You can access the Web site at www.ed.gov.