No Child Left Behind–School Partnerships

For years, researchers, policymakers, and educational administrators have acknowledged that there is a profound gap in educational outcomes among children of different races, backgrounds, and cultures, particularly between poor children from ethnic minority groups and children from the White middle class. Due to disparities among students' learning levels, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic factors, as well as demographic changes in society, programs targeted for extended learning and school improvement must meet the needs of the whole student and include academic, physical, social, emotional, and mental health resources. The fact is that many students face problems that hinder their success in school. Moreover, many schools and districts work with limited resources and lack the infrastructure needed for school and student success. Responding to the need to provide alternate learning environments, Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001. The NCLB raised the bar by issuing policy-based incentives that were created to force schools to reach proficiency on state-level mandated tests. Significantly, NCLB required that schools and [Page 666]districts draw upon the powers of parents and members of community agencies to provide supplemental educational services to schools. The proposed mandates must be met, regardless of the viewpoints of districts and schools.

NCLB requirements necessitate that school and district leaders have the knowledge and skills necessary to engage community partners in whole-school reform planning related to student achievement. Importantly, they must draw upon the resources and power of parents and the communities for students' alternative academic needs and work to involve partners in whole-school systemic improvement efforts. The requirement is that all students achieve proficiency, in math and reading by 2014. The aim is that all schools and districts meet adequate yearly progress (AYP). This means that schools and districts plan AYP goals and set specific targets for all students, including subgroups such as students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, students with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, and low-income students. To measure progress toward the goals, NCLB requires states to annually test students in Grades 3 through 8. The districts and schools that continue to fail to make AYP are subject to sanctions that include corrective actions and restructuring. Importantly, the districts and their schools have to target school improvement strategies that assist in planning and meeting goals. Parents and community organizations who demonstrate the ability to positively impact achievement, particularly for low-income and minority students, are then chosen to provide supplemental education services.

School accountability systems, improved instructional practices, and school community alliances are not isolated entities and must work collectively to bring about desired instructional improvement. The premise is that the partnerships work together to meet and enhance the instructional needs of educational programs in schools. Alternatively, many school districts, especially those in low-income and isolated rural areas, have children and families with inadequate health care. Some may not have access to adequate health care. Furthermore, many of those districts do not have school psychologists or social workers and need health care partnerships that provide case management services for families and children in need of outside supports. These connections are important in the prevention of future problems and play important roles in the development of effective school–community partnerships.

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