Depending on interpretation of the language, the new plan may actually reduce the share of children eligible for such transfers, she said.
According to one reform group, school districts should be required to conduct internal annual audits of available space for transfers. This policy would help ensure that schools are maximizing the use of available spaces, said Andrea Messina of the Commission on No Child Left Behind, which has gathered feedback on the law’s performance.
The annual audits may help determine whether the system “can keep NCLB’s promise to provide immediate options and help for students stuck in chronically struggling schools,” she added.
Moreover, few students in failing schools are able to access the free tutoring and supplemental services available to students under the law. Fewer than 17 percent of eligible students are taking advantage of these options, Messina said.
“We must continue to ensure that there is an academic bottom line on behalf of children that provides immediate help to students as we work to improve school performance,” she added. Miller’s committee is reviewing comments on its draft, but there is no timetable for legislative action.
--Charles Dervarics
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