FY 2008 Annual Report of Achievements - Gallaudet University

NCLB Implementation at the Clerc Center
National mission priority area: Literacy
Principal Investigator(s)
Delk, Linda
Other Investigator(s)
Dukes, Daniel
Farmer, Marilyn
Winston, Shaitaisha
Project description
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was passed to close the achievement gap for students of color,
students with disabilities, English language learners, and students who are economically disadvantaged
through evidence-based school reform. The NCLB goal is for all children to become proficient in
reading, mathematics, science, and social studies by the year 2014. The newly reauthorized Education of
the Deaf Act (August 2008) now requires the Clerc Center to adopt a state’s challenging academic
content standards, achievement standards, and assessments and implement this education accountability
system no later than the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
Development
Prior years. Curriculum work done in previous years was identified under the project
“Standards for Achievement.” Prior years’ work focused mainly on academic content standards.
Implementation of draft content standards and benchmarks began during the 2002-2003
school year. MSSD students learned to use portfolios to document their progress toward the five
overarching student outcomes in FY 2003. These outcomes included (a) essential academic
knowledge and skills, (b) communication, (c) critical thinking and decision making, (d) emotional
intelligence (EQ), and (e) life skills.
In FY 2005, teachers at KDES began tracking student achievement and attainment of
benchmarks through documentation in student portfolios. A review of the Clerc Center language
arts standards was conducted in preparation for compliance with NCLB. A review of selected state
accountability plans (which included standards) was also conducted in FY 2005 to gain an
understanding of how various states were responding to the requirements of NCLB.
In FY 2006, selected state content standards were examined to identify those that were both
highly rated and most closely matched the Clerc Center’s current standards and benchmarks.
Delaware’s content standards were identified to replace the Clerc Center standards under the
outcome of essential knowledge (academics).
In FY 2007, the Clerc Center began using the Delaware content standards to guide
instruction. Instructional departments and teams in the demonstration schools began a process of
reviewing the standards to see what aspects of the Delaware content standards teachers were already
covering in their current instructional programming, units, and courses.
FY 2008 activities and/or product(s).
• In March 2008, the Clerc Center mapped out the plan of action for adopting a state’s
accountability system, including both academic content standards and academic performance
standards and assessments. The Clerc Center engaged consultants with expertise in state
accountability systems, assessment, and curriculum to help with this process.
• State Review Committees were formed at both KDES and MSSD to evaluate the
accountability systems of nine highly rated states east of the Mississippi. These states had
high ratings on their implementation of NCLB, were recommended by a consultant,
and/or had features that matched existing Clerc Center programs in some way. Each
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