America's "Failing" Schools: How Parents and Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind

Rating:
Summary: Are America's Schools Really Failing?
Review: W. James Popham has written the authoritative guide to understanding the controversial No Child Left Behind Act. He subtitles the book "How Parents and Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind," but he goes beyond his mission by shining a sorely needed spotlight into the esoteric world of assessment in terms lay readers can grasp. In so doing, he explodes the myths surrounding the accountability movement that is affecting all stakeholders in public schools.

It's hard to imagine a more timely volume, given the far-reaching implications of NCLB and the media's inability to pierce the self-serving rhetoric from vested interests of all parties. Popham's impressive background in assessment makes this book a badly needed corrective.

Walt Gardner taught for 28 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He writes frequently on education.

Rating:
Summary: What it means for a school to be declared "failing"
Review: America's "Failing" Schools: How Parents And Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind by education testing expert W. James Popham focuses upon providing parents and classroom teachers with clear, precise explanations of the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" doctrine and the implications this policy has for standardized testing, as well as what it means for a school to be declared "failing", and concrete suggestions for what can be done in response to such a school (and school district) condition. America's "Failing" Schools is timely and welcome reading which is especially commended to the attention of concerned parents, classroom teachers, school administrators, citizen groups like the PTA, and governmental policy makers on the state and federal level in the field of K-12 public education.

Rating:
Summary: What it means for a school to be declared "failing"
Review: America's "Failing" Schools: How Parents And Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind by education testing expert W. James Popham focuses upon providing parents and classroom teachers with clear, precise explanations of the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" doctrine and the implications this policy has for standardized testing, as well as what it means for a school to be declared "failing", and concrete suggestions for what can be done in response to such a school (and school district) condition. America's "Failing" Schools is timely and welcome reading which is especially commended to the attention of concerned parents, classroom teachers, school administrators, citizen groups like the PTA, and governmental policy makers on the state and federal level in the field of K-12 public education.

Rating:
Summary: Failing Schools or Failing Law?
Review: James Popham's book "America's 'Failing' Schools: How Parents and Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind" is an up front and simply written piece that argues why the No Child Left Behind Act is actually hurting our students and schools instead of helping them. Popham explains how school report cards are not an accurate portrayal of a school's credibility, just as standardized tests are not a fair judgment of a student's abilities. He goes on to challenge both parents and teachers alike to speak up against this unfair assessment and demand better tests and more indicators to determine the educational health of our nation's students and schools. Popham's book clarified all questions I had regarding the No Child Left Behind Act as well as broadened my outlook on the negative effects standardized testing has on our country. Although his book contains some bias, he supports his claims and (as a teacher himself) has the credibility to speak his mind.