are we really leaving no children behind?

NCLB - blog from edweek


I love the points the author of this article makes.  I especially appreciate when she says "My reaction: This is crazy. Why would the federal government create a system so mad that it labels a good school as failing?"


That's exactly my problem with the program. Well, I mean, I have a million issues with NCLB. (Mostly surrounding AYP, as my paper suggested. And by suggested, I mean plainly stated over and over.)


But I don't understand why, when a school is progressing too slowly, it is labeled as failing. Obviously, progress is not failure. That's just illogical. The basic definitions of the words themselves completely contradict each other. 


Progress: "a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage." 
Failure: "deterioration or decay."


Now, don't those seem to be complete opposites? That's 'cause they are. A school making progress, even if it may be less than the "adequate" progress, is still making progress. Still moving toward a goal, not deteriorating nor decaying.  I think it's ridiculous that the label of failure needs to be used at all.  Why not try something a bit more positive? Like, simply, "making progress". 


I understand that the fear of being seen as failing helps push people to do better. But what happens once that stigma is in place? Once a person fails, they have two options. Try again and try harder. Or accept failure and stop trying.  


With NCLB, it's difficult for schools who have hit that failure position to achieve.  Mostly because, once a school is considered at the failing point, it's because they haven't been progressing quickly enough for more than a few years.  Usually logic would dictate that missing AYP by a few points a few years in a row means the schools is somewhat peaking.  A steady growth of 2% a year is not suddenly going to jump to 15% (because they'd have to make up the gap as well.) 


But still, my question is, why is a growth of 2% so much worse than a jump of 15%? Shouldn't we celebrate the success of 2% instead of deeming it "not good enough"? 


America, what are you coming to?