Writing Center: No Child Left Behind

Hello Readers,

Students are still recovering from Spring Break coma and as a result the Writing Center isn't getting much traffic so Colleague N and I started discussing the No Child Left Behind ( NCLB ) policy in relation to the the Writing Center and its services.  I didn't pay much attention to NCLB then because I attended semi-private schools since the 3rd grade.  Colleague N, on the other hand, went to well off public schools. 

The buzz word that I kept hearing from the Media concerning NCLB was "accountability."  My childish notion of "accountabilty" was tantamount to being responsible in general.  But later I learned that accountability in NCLB was used in the context of business marketing techniques.  According to Diane Ravitch this strategy is devoid of any substantial curriculum, standards, and educational vision.  NCLB is a federal law that mandated States to reach a number that is considered proficient testing scores.

A flaw in this policy is that States are responsible for creating and administering the test making it easy for abusers to disregard test content ( knowledge ) so they can manipulate the data to get the right numbers ( considered as proficient testing scores ).  This dishonest manipulation of the numbers was better than facing consequences from the federal government ( such as funds withheld etc. )

Colleague N's friend was a teacher in a low performing school.  Her friend left her position when the principal asked her to pass students, who weren't proficient.  The principal wanted to make sure that his school met its quota in order to secure funding and other benefits from the federal government.  Who knows how many schools in the U.S. are doing this? They neglect that their actions have consequences.

It's becoming more evident that these consequences have reached the college level.  Our Writing Center's Director told us a story of a recent heated discussion about the depleting oral and written language skills of students and how the English Department may not be addressing this issue efficiently.  It's unfair and unrealistic for College English classes ( which are mostly made up of composition and literature classes working under the assumption that College students have the basic understanding of mechanics ) to solely address this problem in ONE semester. 

How can Colleges and Universities help students unlearn/relearn 576 weeks ( 12 years from 1st grade to 12th grade ) worth of early education/miseducation in 15 weeks ( 1/4th of 1 year )? Maybe instead of having 1-3 General English classes, Colleges and Universities could provide more English classes to those who need it, and continue to support various resources, such as Academic Success Centers and Writing Centers!