Ancient and modern names of cities of Gujarat

Ancient and modern names of cities of Gujarat

This approach makes sense to most citizens, but in practice it will require overcoming years of ingrained assumptions about the proper roles of the federal, state and local governments in providing America's children with a quality education.

Title I came into being as part of the landmark ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) of 1965 and remains the centerpiece of the federal role in public education. Its purpose always has been commendable: to boost academic performance of poor and disadvantaged children and reduce the performance gap between rich and poor students. Despite this clear and present commitment, Title I has failed to deliver the results it promised. The academic achievement of disadvantaged students has not been significantly improved, and the performance gap between rich and poor has not been significantly narrowed.

Perhaps the most glaring example of a critical area where Title I efforts have failed to produce results is reading. Despite a purported emphasis on reading and language arts, reading preparedness in our schools is severely lacking. A great deal has been learned about how and when to focus on reading and reading readiness. This research indicates that the quality of early childhood literacy programs predicts later reading success and language development, and offers greater potential for overall academic success.

This legacy of failure results largely from misplaced priorities and flawed design. Chief among these shortcomings are a focus on process rather than results, a proclivity for funding school systems rather than children, and a design that leaves parents on the outside looking in as decisions are made that affect their children's education and future.

In many states, nearly 39 percent of state education department staff are required to oversee and administer federal education dollars, though they account for only about 8 percent of total spending. A needed focus on improving the academic performance of disadvantaged children has taken a back seat to demands that money be spent in dictated categories and that mandated processes be meticulously followed and accounted for. Though the federal contribution to education is small, it has a dramatic effect on state and local policies. Today, more and more, that effect is slipping from positive to neutral to harmful.

Bureaucratic micro-management of inflexible and burdensome regulations never will improve the education of a single child. Washington must recognize the proper role of state, local and school leaders to set priorities and make decisions on how to achieve educational goals. It also must recognize the primacy of parents as children's first and most important teachers.

In exchange for this freedom and flexibility, state and local officials should be held accountable for delivering results for all children. Meaningful accountability requires clear and measurable standards, and annual assessment of student learning at the state level. On this basis, there should be rewards for success and real consequences for failure. This point is critical to assuring that all children, regardless of income or location, receive the quality education they deserve.

If our democracy is to endure and prosper, we cannot continue to tolerate two systems of education - one of high expectations for the children of the fortunate and one of lesser standards for children of poverty and color. What is most important is that it need not be this way.

 ગુજરાત: પ્રાચીન અને અર્વાચીન નામો

It is a matter of faith among all educators that the involvement of parents is a vital component of educational success, particularly among disadvantaged students. Yet, as currently configured, the system denies parents the opportunity to take action on behalf of their children when schools fail them. Federal policy has more than a little to do with that denial.

It is a matter of justice that parents should have the ultimate authority to decide what type of education their children receive and that federal dollars - like state and local dollars - should follow the lead set by parents.