Washington scene.

LEGISLATION; ELEMENTARY education of children with disabilities; FEDERAL legislation; EDUCATIONAL accountability; ACADEMIC achievement

The article focuses on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, scheduled for 2007, in the U.S. NCLB is a useful document signed by 58 education, civil rights, and citizens' organizations, as well as advocacy groups for children and those with disabilities. It is remarkable that so many groups agreed on a piece of federal legislation, since they differed on selected NCLB issues in the past. But, they all support its goal of strong academic achievement by all students, accountability for results, especially for children not well-served by public education in the past and a critical role for the federal government in attaining the goals. To ensure that NCLB is fair and effective, the critique calls for a major shift in philosophy and policies, asking that its emphasis shift from applying sanctions for failing to raise test scores to holding states and localities accountable for making the systemic changes that improve student achievement. In other words, states and districts must be just as, if not more, accountable as the students, teachers, and schools now held accountable.