Let's tighten school testing standards

I read a very good article in the Wall Street Journal on Oct 5 about the "No Child Left Behind" educational program.

The idea that every child must become "proficient" in reading and math is fine, but there appears to be a wide variation in what the word "proficient" means from state to state. The Northwest Evaluation Associates and Thomas B. Fordham Institute have strong scales to measure proficiency, and they are getting scores from primary and middle schools that vary from the sixth to the 77th percentile on the NWEA's test.

In addition, the states can and do make the tests easier if the third- to sixth-grade pupils aren't doing as well as they, the state, feel the kids should be doing. I'm not aware that there is any concerted effort to firm up the teaching methods of schools and districts where kids are not testing well. This NCLB is basically flawed and needs a wholly different approach. The Congress simply must revamp the program and arrange for a congressional committee to put together an educational evaluating test series for grades third to sixth so that every state is being compared to each other. You have to mandate that districts re-teach their teachers some way in frankly doing a better job of teaching. My feeling is that not enough pure teaching and what it takes to accomplish this is being pursued nationally. This "No Child Left Behind" is not living up to its name.

It is up to Congress to step up and reorganize the program to ensure that this admirable idea be run in such a way that our youngsters will be better prepared to handle secondary school work.

Charles Barr Jr.

St. Charles