Report notes increase in Maryland's failing schools
The number of Maryland schools that have not met federal standards and had to restructure has increased rapidly in the past year, according to a report by the Center on Education Policy. Twenty-nine more schools were added to the list, bringing the total number of schools in restructuring to 85 this academic year.
For the past five years, CEP has kept close track of how states are implementing No Child Left Behind. The report said that while Maryland's increase in schools in restructuring is notable, it is not unexpected because it has been five years since NCLB was initiated. So a school that wasn't meeting the standards has just that long before regulations say something radical has to be done to improve it.
A Maryland official, Ann Chafin, described this as a "bubble moving moving along" when interviewed by the authors of the report. Even so, the discouraging news is that we aren't finding many schools in this category that have improved a lot over the last few years.
CEP said only 13 schools have managed to improve enough to get out of restructuring. What is the most popular way to restructure a school? CEP says most schools are replacing all or most of the staff.
We will see if it works.
Baltimoresun.com's 
Comments
If most of the schools slated for restructuring can't improve enough to keep from being restructured, it means there needs to be some sort of warning and intervention before a school gets that bad. Otherwise, by the time a school gets a warning, it just means it's too late.
Posted by: Simon | April 6, 2009 2:37 PM
Do I understand this report after a quick read? Of the schools in some sort of restructuring, only 8% have actually emerged after state help,all sorts of interventions, new administration, new staffs, money, etc.Is this correct? And the most common strategy is the total replacement of staff! I understand that every profession has those who do not/can not successfully do their job,but a whole staff? Maybe they are glad to leave if the school is that bad. But where do these staff members go? Quit? Another school? Another county? Retire? Another career? The CAO's office? North Avenue or some other "out of the classroom" position? Where? If they have not left the system, how have we fixed a perceived "problem"?
Are they really the problem? When are we going to begin to hold parents and students accountable? Send kids to school who are ready to learn, want to learn, are well behaved, and healthy! At least AAA does not seem to accept the state restructuring status quo. Restructuring has been the threat for years. Some think the state is going to swoop in and make miraculous changes. Not the case. Change is going to come when society in general changes. Just as we are seeing differences in Obama's tone in government, we need to see a change in attitude towards education. Families,educators, and community members need to take a unified stand.
Posted by: wise educator | April 7, 2009 5:18 PM