Idaho wants clean slate on No Child fines

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Board of Education has asked the U.S. Department of Education to wipe the slate clean for hundreds of public schools that face sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The board is asking the federal agency to erase student progress measurements taken between 2002 and 2006, the years for which the sanctions are based, and allow Idaho public schools a new time frame for meeting proficiency standards under the federal education mandate.

The board argues Idaho students weren’t prepared to meet the federal standards because of poor statewide education standards exams that failed to accurately measure student performance.

In a letter Tuesday, board Executive Director Mike Rush asked that Idaho schools be held to be measured beginning with 2007 statewide test results, because those exams were taken after the state improved its testing system.

The state was fined $103,000 in 2005 after the federal agency determined Idaho did not have an adequate testing system.

If the previous system was considered inadequate, Rush said, state schools shouldn’t be held accountable.

“How can you say that a school didn’t make progress if your initial measurement was not valid?” he said.

The Department of Education is reviewing the request.

If granted, it could release hundreds of Idaho public schools from requirements to provide students with outside tutoring or allow them to attend more successful schools.

But schools could also face a new round of sanctions if student performance still doesn’t measure up.

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, said he opposes the request for a do-over because it defeats the purpose of accountability.

The No Child Left Behind law requires students in public schools to be performing at grade level by 2014.

About 30 percent of the nation’s schools aren’t making adequate yearly progress – mostly because students didn’t make steady gains in required math and reading exams given in grades three through eight and again in high school.

About two-thirds of Idaho schools have fallen short of meeting some benchmarks.

Idaho schools that have faced sanctions have diverted resources to help improve student performance in subjects such as reading, math and language.

Some students have been required to give up electives and attend classes to help them improve their performance.