Federalism and Education
No Child Left Behind
Answer the following questions:
1. What do states get from the federal government under this act?
In general, all states whom meet the standards and requirements of this educational program are granted federal funding.
2. What are some of the things states have to do in order to get the federal money?
In order to receive federal funding, the states and their respective schools must meet a series of standards, basic goals, and or required progress. AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) is needed to be met. The main instance is in test scores Each year, its fifth graders must do better on standardized tests than the previous year's fifth graders. All schools, local educational agencies, and States are accountable for improving the academic achievement of all students, and identifying and turning around low-performing schools that have failed to provide a high-quality education to their students, while providing alternatives to students in these schools to allow students to receive a high-quality education. Resources are to be distributed to schools in need in order to help reach these standards. Also, the overall quality and time devoted to enriching the education of students is to be increased so as to meet these standards as well as increasing accountability and responsibility of teachers whom preside over said students.
3. On what does the National Education Association base its criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act?
The National Education Association bases its criticism of the NCLB on the concerns that it would erode the historical federal role in public education of targeting resources to marginalized student populations as a means of helping to ensure equity of opportunity for all students In other words, the argument that is presented is that shared responsibility and fairness should be front and center in student success. NEA’s message to Congress is to provide more flexibility, empower educators, and focus on the Lyndon B. Johnson's original ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) program to focus on the promise of equity and fairness, not high stakes standardized tests.
4. Is the No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate? Explain
In effect, the No Child Left Behind Act IS an unfunded mandate. As explained in the "consequences" of failing to meet the standards of the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) states must improve over consecutive years by either acquiring more qualified teachers and to reevaluate and revise the nature of the educational programs in the state that these issues occur. In order to continue to receive funding from the federal government, states must contend with the standards laid out in the NCLBA and improve the condition of education. Therefore, this act is by all means an unfunded mandate.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In comparison, we will now look at the Race to the Top, another education program and an issue of federalism.
1. Where does the power and authority rest in this situation? Justify that
constitutionally. In this issue, the power and authority remains in no one government; neither the state nor the federal government. This act, or contest as it really is, provides federal funding for states whom competitively attempt to gain higher scores or points which were rewarded to states who met certain performance standards. These are often referred to as an annual professional performance review for teachers and principals, complying with Common Core standards, lifting caps on charter schools, improving low-performing schools, and building data systems.
2. According to the Constitution, which level of
government do you think should have the power and authority in this situation?
Explain.
As stated above, this is not entirely a matter of authority, but a contest for funding for education, however, the standards are federally based. In order to really make it a fair contest with an actual incentive, the authority of setting standards should reside in the government granting the funding--the federal government.
3. Who should decide what matters ought to be governed mainly or
solely by national laws? Explain.
To answer this question on a more general level, all matters that are governed by national laws should be decided by the federal government. The federal government or federal law as stated in the Supremacy Clause, is the supreme law of the land, and supersedes the decisions and rulings of state governments.
4. Equality and participation are the
two competing values at stake in federalism. It is virtually impossible to have
more of one of these values without having less of the other. How are these
values demonstrated in this issue?
Equality and participation as demonstrated by the above issue can really only be linked with the participation in the states of a federally funded program to help better the educational standards of the states. Equality is honestly ignored in this situation as it some states may participate, receiving high scores/points and receiving great funding by the federal government, and as some states (quite a few as expressed in the chart shown below) not submitting or failing to meet the standards and thus receive a degree of funding. This program does not truly strike at the issues of the low standards and brokenness in our educational system. Equality, therefore, is ignored.
No Child Left Behind
Answer the following questions:
1. What do states get from the federal government under this act?
In general, all states whom meet the standards and requirements of this educational program are granted federal funding.
2. What are some of the things states have to do in order to get the federal money?
In order to receive federal funding, the states and their respective schools must meet a series of standards, basic goals, and or required progress. AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) is needed to be met. The main instance is in test scores Each year, its fifth graders must do better on standardized tests than the previous year's fifth graders. All schools, local educational agencies, and States are accountable for improving the academic achievement of all students, and identifying and turning around low-performing schools that have failed to provide a high-quality education to their students, while providing alternatives to students in these schools to allow students to receive a high-quality education. Resources are to be distributed to schools in need in order to help reach these standards. Also, the overall quality and time devoted to enriching the education of students is to be increased so as to meet these standards as well as increasing accountability and responsibility of teachers whom preside over said students.
3. On what does the National Education Association base its criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act?
The National Education Association bases its criticism of the NCLB on the concerns that it would erode the historical federal role in public education of targeting resources to marginalized student populations as a means of helping to ensure equity of opportunity for all students In other words, the argument that is presented is that shared responsibility and fairness should be front and center in student success. NEA’s message to Congress is to provide more flexibility, empower educators, and focus on the Lyndon B. Johnson's original ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) program to focus on the promise of equity and fairness, not high stakes standardized tests.
4. Is the No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate? Explain
In effect, the No Child Left Behind Act IS an unfunded mandate. As explained in the "consequences" of failing to meet the standards of the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) states must improve over consecutive years by either acquiring more qualified teachers and to reevaluate and revise the nature of the educational programs in the state that these issues occur. In order to continue to receive funding from the federal government, states must contend with the standards laid out in the NCLBA and improve the condition of education. Therefore, this act is by all means an unfunded mandate.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In comparison, we will now look at the Race to the Top, another education program and an issue of federalism.
1. Where does the power and authority rest in this situation? Justify that
constitutionally. In this issue, the power and authority remains in no one government; neither the state nor the federal government. This act, or contest as it really is, provides federal funding for states whom competitively attempt to gain higher scores or points which were rewarded to states who met certain performance standards. These are often referred to as an annual professional performance review for teachers and principals, complying with Common Core standards, lifting caps on charter schools, improving low-performing schools, and building data systems.
2. According to the Constitution, which level of
government do you think should have the power and authority in this situation?
Explain.
As stated above, this is not entirely a matter of authority, but a contest for funding for education, however, the standards are federally based. In order to really make it a fair contest with an actual incentive, the authority of setting standards should reside in the government granting the funding--the federal government.
3. Who should decide what matters ought to be governed mainly or
solely by national laws? Explain.
To answer this question on a more general level, all matters that are governed by national laws should be decided by the federal government. The federal government or federal law as stated in the Supremacy Clause, is the supreme law of the land, and supersedes the decisions and rulings of state governments.
4. Equality and participation are the
two competing values at stake in federalism. It is virtually impossible to have
more of one of these values without having less of the other. How are these
values demonstrated in this issue?
Equality and participation as demonstrated by the above issue can really only be linked with the participation in the states of a federally funded program to help better the educational standards of the states. Equality is honestly ignored in this situation as it some states may participate, receiving high scores/points and receiving great funding by the federal government, and as some states (quite a few as expressed in the chart shown below) not submitting or failing to meet the standards and thus receive a degree of funding. This program does not truly strike at the issues of the low standards and brokenness in our educational system. Equality, therefore, is ignored.