A few months back I told you we had a movie viewing for the film “What Black Men Think”. One of the stars of the evenings was my buddy’s wife who stole the show and still has the ladies raving about how much they liked her and what she had to say. Since the ladies that were at the house that evening enjoyed her so much we thought we’d share her with you, our readers. Enjoy!

No Child left Behind: A Parent’s Guide
by Stacy E. H. Gray

When No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became a law, I saw a great opportunity for all children.  As an educator, I recognize the flaws with NCLB - lack of funding for academic interventions, inconsistent practices from state to state, ineffective consideration for special education students and limited-English speakers, and so on.  But at its very rudimentary level, NCLB’s goal is quite groundbreaking and noble - holding schools accountable for the achievement of each student.  This should be the dream of every parent!

I’m not a parent, but I’ve worked with thousands of children in my thirteen-year career as a math teacher, assistant principal, and central office administrator.  Clearly, any student who struggles in school will need additional support and academic interventions.  The tests developed under NCLB are a way to identify these struggling students (and high-achieving students).  NCLB opens the door to scrutinize individual student achievement and allow parents to seek academic support for their children.

NOTE: An essay can be written to explain how a student, school, district, and state receive a “passing grade” under the guidelines of NCLB.  This forum is not meant to explain the ins and outs of that process.  This guide is intended to help a parent(s) support his/her child’s needs.

NCLB merits that parent involvement look differently from the traditional ways to what we may be accustomed – joining the PTA and booster clubs, attending Open House, etc.  A parent should determine how the NCLB tests impact his child’s educational success.  A number of parent actions should take place to ensure this success. 

You don’t have to know the ins and outs of the NCLB standards to support your child and the school.  Here are a number of things you should do. 

1. Work with your child’s school to identify the dates of NCLB testing.  Find out from school staff what they are doing to prepare your child for these tests.
2. Find out your child’s past test scores.  Find out how these scores are being used to determine your child’s class schedule.  Schools sometimes place students in advanced and remedial classes based on these test scores.
3. Research the NCLB testing standards in your state.  For example, Maryland parents should spend considerable time on these websites to see sample tests, school report cards, and other helpful information – www.mdreportcard.org and www.mdk12.org.
4. Talk with your child about their knowledge of these tests.  They should be able to articulate their understanding of these tests.
5. Communicate with your child’s teachers about how they are supporting your child in meeting the standards of these tests.
6. Schedule a parent-teacher conference, including your child, to identify his/her learning style.  This conversation should include a discussion about their strengths and weaknesses as a learner.  CAUTION: This conversation is not about their learning habits!  You can ascertain this information as a separate topic in this conference.  You and the teacher should know if your child is a visual, kinesthetic, or auditory learner.  Knowing this information will help the teacher develop class activities to meet your child’s learning style.  Go to www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm to identify your child’s learning style.
7. Have your child take practice tests that align with the NCLB tests.  Your child’s school should be able to help with this.  In Maryland, you can go to www.mdk12.org for sample tests.  Other states have websites where you can ascertain similar information.
8. Stay tuned for school events and attend as many as you can.  Period.  Schools make unfair judgments about parents based on their attendance to school events, especially parents whose children who are struggling in school.
9. Visit your child in class.  Schools will work with you to schedule class visits.  Your child will hate this; persevere through this.
10. Become an ally with your school.  Help to shape and support the decisions teachers/administrators make.  Assume the best about your child’s teachers and administrators - working WITH school staff versus AGAINST them, will yield better long-term results for your child’s school experience.
11. Find a friend who is an educator to accompany you to school meetings (especially for meetings that you anticipate as being difficult).  They can be a valuable, non-biased advocate for you and your child in these meetings.
12. As your child gets older, become more involved in their education.  Most parents tend do the opposite for a number of reasons.  This is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen!  The support parents provide looks differently as children get older.  Ask teachers and administrators what you can do to support your child at elementary AND secondary levels.

 In working with parents at the middle and high school level, for those who have CONSISTENTLY used at least nine of these strategies, I noticed that their children have no problems being successful on the NCLB tests, and more importantly, in school.  It’s that simple.