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Mike Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute breaks down the shortfalls of the education system and “No Child Left Behind.”
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America -- no longer celebrate success the nation's brightest students are being pushed to their full potential executive VP of the Thomas -- and Eli Lilly.
It's live from Seattle.
This is something like that that I talk about a lot then you say that -- The reasons for this or what.
Well what we're seeing is that our top students are losing ground over time in particular we did a study that found that.
Kids that are in the sixth grade at the very top of the pack ninetieth percentile almost half of them.
Lose altitude by the time they get to the tenth grade were just losing them there and totally dropped back down to earth.
Two big reasons we think one is the pressure from the federal No Child Left Behind act which has been all about.
Bringing up the achievement of kids at the bottom and -- had success -- that and that's important we made big progress -- -- country and bring in those kids but we're seeing total stagnation at the top.
The other is our schools nationwide and by and large gotten rid.
Of tracking kids by ability used to be in his high school and middle school.
The B three levels you'd have you know the remedial the regular in the honors.
Most schools are now -- all the kids together so are the highest achieving kids are grouped in with everybody else they're not getting the challenge that they need.
So probably us to -- the fixes what.
What should we be doing right now so that you know we help the kids are lagging but we certainly make sure that the kids who have that special spark.
Can achieve the to the optimum potential.
Yet -- that we think that we need to make sure that all kids have the right to get pushed into get challenged we can't have this.
Single minded focus just on the lowest achieving kids they need attention but they can't get all of the attention.
We also need to move back to a place where we can.
Group kids and by achievement levels so that in middle school in high school of you know kids that are ready to get pushed to accelerate to take there's more challenging courses.
I can be put in a classroom with other kids like that and get pushed.
As far as they can go we've got this right now sensitive.
Mike this is Tracy Byrnes I have to tell you I agree with you that No Child Left Behind is actually hurting.
Our brighter smarter kids because we're seeing programs -- for those kids because of money issues there's budget constraints everywhere.
I know -- my kids' school on the honors math program was cut.
Because there was not enough money left to do things and so as a result we're spending all this money on this No Child Left Behind program which.
Hot to tell you I don't think has been all that successful I've talked to teachers -- say it's a colossal mess and yet are -- kids are suffering as well.
Yeah no absolutely and in that look this is a larger pattern we've seen the last twenty years.
The whole focus is -- You know let's let's focus on closing the achievement gap raising.
It's even at the bottom and -- get we've had success I mean huge gains for kids that are our lowest achieving students and that's important it's critically important.
But the same time we're seeing our top kids just totally stagnate.
And you know other countries don't do this our competitors around the world.
Take pains to identify their most promising students nurture them challenge them let them make sure they fulfill their full potential.
We are not doing that and if we -- to remain you know the global leader we've got to turn us around.
You know once again like I think we see where the notion affair can backfire on us big time we appreciate the report -- despite how.
-- you know Crescent fallen and might be and said it might be would really appreciate you working it thanks a lot.
