• How to Start and Grow a Think Tank
• Grassroots Leadership Guide to K-12 Education Reform
  • Prologue
  • Decide What Type of Organization You Want to Become
  • Building and Maintaining an Effective Board
  • Get Things Up and Running
  • Legal Reference Material
  • Organize Your Staff and Volunteers
  • Examples of Programs and Operational Materials
    • Overview
    • Suggested Questions to Ask Before Starting a Project
    • School Choice Plans
    • Sample Education Program Overview
    • Sample Project: Leveraging Reform from the No Child Left Behind Act
    • Markets Aren't Magic: School choice improves K-12 education, but only if it's properly structured
    • Marketing Idea: Greatest Scam on Earth
    • Eight Week Event Checklist
    • Sample Speaker's Itinerary
    • Glossary of Terms
  • Building Coalitions
  • Getting Your Message Out/Media Relations
  • Talking with Legislators
  • Raising Money
  • History of School Choice
  • Education Reform Research and Resources
  • Resources
• Taking Donors Seriously
• Fundraising Fundamentals

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Sample Project: Leveraging Reform from the No Child Left Behind Act

A Project of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation

Background

Regardless of promises made, the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) will not be able to deliver educational success for all children in this country. But it will shake up the status quo, allowing us to have forthright conversations about the current system that is rotting from the inside out. The data derived from NCLB reporting requirements will force market-driven, legitimate alternatives. It will highlight the absurdities inherent in a monopoly. So we should use it while we can.

Depending on who wins the upcoming presidential election, the NCLB Act will be curtailed or strengthened. Because of this, some state education officials are doing only the bare minimum to satisfy NCLB requirements. Either way, it's a battlefield.

Ironically, most of the people who will directly and immediately benefit from free-marketeers winning the education reform battle still do not understand why conflict of this magnitude is necessary. We must startle parents of school-aged children into understanding the severity of problems in the current education system, without making them terrified of the messenger. Only then will citizens adopt the necessary alternatives. This is beginning to occur all across the country.

Powerful NCLB leverages are possible through the mandated private-sector alternatives that must be afforded to students in schools failing to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Data for 2002-03 for the1,956 public schools in our state show that 389 did not make AYP status and received "On Alert" designation. Fifty schools failed entirely, and parents of students in those schools were supposed to receive notice that the district must pay for private-sector alternatives. Only one of those 50 schools complied. Several districts told us flatly that they had no intention of sending such a notice to parents. Of course, this violates the law, but unless somebody protests, the schools can get by with it.

This year many more schools in our state will be on the "failing" list. This means nothing if media and parents don't know about it, and if consequences aren't applied. The statutory structure of NCLB gives us the opportunity to implement a program that will promote alternatives in a district where children aren't receiving a proper education and school officials are non-responsive and resistant to change.

Specific Project Goals and Objectives

Specific 2003-04 NCLB numbers on schools in the AYP, On-Alert and Failing categories will be available in several weeks. Last year, the information was released in random order, with no context. We had to re-create tables and information ourselves to release to the media. Of course, we made this a news story of itself. We presume we will have to do some of this ourselves again this year.

The difference in our plan this year is our proposal to put teeth into the NCLB requirements and to help the public understand how alternatives can be used to help students who are in academic trouble. Specifically, schools that make the "failing" list for the fourth consecutive year are required to inform parents that the district must pay for private-sector alternatives for their children. We want to create a "poster child" school, where the community is informed about the true academic status of the school, the limited future of students trapped in a consistently underperforming school, and the legal alternatives.

Implementing this project will require accomplishment of the following tasks:

• Selection of a "poster child" school based on the following criteria:
  • The school is in its fourth year on the "failing" list.
  • The administration has demonstrated a reluctance to provide a genuine remedy.

• A credible number of parents and community leaders are willing to take action.
  • Students most closely meet the categories identified in NCLB: 1) English language learners, 2) low income, 3) minority, 4) homeless and/or 5) children with disabilities.
  • Private sector alternatives already exist and there is capacity to develop more. The district is well covered by major media.

Informational material developed and printed for the different tasks during the project.
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• A straightforward and understandable explanation of the NCLB, the district's current problems (including financial analysis) and the alternatives offered under NCLB.
• A menu of private-sector alternatives with contact information, the costs if used under NCLB, and an easy-to-understand form parents can use to inform the district of the options they choose.
• A description of how other "failing" schools applied a workable remedy, unlike the poster child school.
  • Information for the media, including news advisories, PSAs and ads.
  • Information for use at speaking engagements and editorial board meetings.
  • A user-friendly website with links to all publicized information about the project.

Identification of existing educational alternatives and new potential providers.

• Identify and meet with local, private providers.
• Identify potential new providers and work to gain availability for that area.

Ensuring legislative protection of free market alternatives.

• Assist policymakers in identifying and supporting legislative action that limits government regulation of free-market alternatives and ensures that school districts and the OSPI cannot limit community/parental access to information on choice and available alternatives.
• Outline the state's essential learning requirements to facilitate service providers compliance.

Evaluation

• The community will know the poor academic status of the school, the lack of a proper remedy, and the ways in which that school allocates funds. In addition to the media goals listed below, we will host two Town Halls and speak to at least three community organizations.
  
  
• A coalition of parents and students in the chosen community will clearly understand their options and a credible number will use them. To the degree the information is available to us, we will document the families who elect to use alternative services. We will ask which alternative was selected, how it will be used and why that particular option was selected. A community leader(s) will be identified who can spearhead efforts and pursue the options into the succeeding year.
  
  
• Private-sector alternatives will be published in an easy-to-use format.
  
  
• We will gain significant media attention: at least three major stories, a dozen letters-to-the editor, an op-ed, a PSA, perhaps a paid ad, and at least two radio interviews. We will have news clips and websites to illustrate our reach.
  
  
• A model will be established that can easily be replicated in any community statewide.
  
  
• Legislators will be briefed, and interference with alternative programs will be minimized.
  
  
• Legislators will have more information to support alternatives and see the value in their availability.
  
  
• A final project report will be prepared that includes our publications, media clips, quantitative information about the impact, and a "blueprint" that can be implemented in other districts across the state.