Schools seek break in federal standards

Schools working to enroll students displaced by Hurricane Katrina could be penalized for their kindness under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Students who missed class time because of the storm now are having to transfer to new school systems, and education officials say they're concerned the new arrivals might not be able to meet the same standards as normal students.

"These students come from devastated areas, have had a traumatic experience and now are having to adjust to a new school," said Vanessa Lillie, a spokeswoman for the National Education Association.

More than 247,000 public and private school students in Louisiana and 125,000 in Mississippi have been displaced, she said.

She argued that many of those students will be put at a disadvantage from having to adjust to new schools in states with different curriculums.

The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to make measurable yearly progress in test scores or face possible penalties.

A school that fails to meet federal goals for two consecutive years is labeled in need of improvement, and if students continue to fall short, the school could face a loss of funding.

"These schools who open their arms to students are going to be punished financially for accepting these students," Lillie said. "The NEA is asking for a year extension for schools that have taken in large numbers of students."

The organization sent a letter Sept. 1 to U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings asking her to consider this proposal.

But for school systems flooded with thousands of evacuees, a more immediate concern is making sure the new students are enrolled as soon as possible.

More than 6,500 students have registered with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.

So far, 4,400 have been assigned to a school, and even fewer have actually begun to attend, said Tai St. Julien, a public information officer with the school system.

"We are making the necessary arrangements for these students to become permanent students," she said.

For now, the new arrivals will be required to meet the same standards as other students, she said.

North Carolina has welcomed 651 school-age children so far, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

The academic refugees have not put any real strain on N.C. schools, said Vanessa Jeter, director of communications for DPI.

But in Texas, the sheer number of transfers is stretching resources.

"As of Monday, we had approximately 33,318 (new students)," said DeEtta Culbertson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency.

Some formerly shuttered schools have been reopened, and the maximum teacher-to-student ratio required by the state has been waived in some cases, she said.

But so far, she said, the state has been able to accommodate all of the relocated students.

The Texas Education Agency also sent a letter to the U.S. Education Department on Thursday asking for more funding and more flexibility when it comes to No Child Left Behind.

Spellings has not responded yet to the demands, but she met with about 40 different education groups last week and has shown a willingness to negotiate, Lillie said. "They had a very productive meeting."

 

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.