Mathematics: No Child Left Behind

In 2001 Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act(ESEA), which initially originated in 1965 as the federal government's attempt to aid K-12 educational programs on state and local levels. This new law, called the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) impacts every public school in the country - primarily in how progress is measured and accountability is ensured. Some of the major mandates of this law that particularly affect mathematics programs are as follows:

Teachers must be "highly qualified" in their content area(s).

Paraprofessionals must be certified with demonstrated knowledge of and ability to assist mathematics classes.

Instructional materials must be based on "scientific, evidence-based research" that shows how those materials improve student performance.

New statewide content and academic achievement standards in mathematics that must describe basic, proficient, and advanced levels of achievement.

State assessments (aligned with standards) in mathematics for all students in grades 3-8.

Individual student progress measured against state standards.

Assessment of "higher order thinking skills and understanding".

Evidence of adequate yearly progress (AYP).

Disaggregated data reported in annual public report cards.

To effect reform many of these changes require diligent efforts in improving curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Ongoing embedded professional development plans are essential to meeting the needs of paraprofessionals, teachers, trainers, and administrators.

To this end, Galusha Hill Consulting assists schools and districts in areas such as mathematics curriculum development and alignment, adoption of standards-based math programs, mathematics content training for teachers and paraprofessionals, problem solving and performance-based assessment, "training the trainers" paradigms, and district-wide planning to ensure accountability and to enhance student performance.

Inservice Workshops
Institutes
Onsite/Online Courses
Classroom Residencies

NCLB
NCTM
Problem Solving and Assessment
Math Content