This is part of an article from a daily education news brief that I get. You can go to the link to read the rest, but you might have to be a subscriber. If so, let me know and I will be happy to find it and send the rest. I think it's interesting that so many people like to talk about how great our schools "used" to be, and I've heard people on the radio claim that Arkansas schools are so much better (one comparison, recently) but nobody, including the feds, even know what "proficient" means. SO that begs the question, what DOES it mean and what DO we do to get our kids to it? How do we address the many, many, many needs our children have in a way that is meaningful for all of them and what role does the community play in this goal? Probably more than the scope of the article, but I get a little fired up. :) http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/04/18/33proficient.h26.html? Not All Agree on Meaning of NCLB Proficiency By David J. Hoff Article Tools The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act is simply stated: All children should be proficient in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year. But more than five years after the law was enacted, it remains unclear what ³proficient² means. Because the federal law gives the states the power to define proficiency, there are 50 different definitions of the term. And policymakers are sending mixed messages about how to judge the rigor of each state¹s standards. Some experts criticize the states for not matching the proficiency levels in the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and others suggest the goal should reflect grade-level expectations. ³It sounds good, and we think we know what it means,² Laura S. Hamilton, a senior behavioral scientist for the RAND Corp., said of the proficiency goal. ³In reality, it¹s almost meaningless.² Still, Secretary Spellings, Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., and other leading federal policymakers say that universal academic proficiency is one of the most important principles in the law and should be retained as Congress works to reauthorize the NCLB legislation this year. Many endorse adding science to the list of subjects students should be expected to master by the 2013-14 deadline. ³The goal of all children being able to read, do math, and do science at grade level is the right goal to keep our eye on even as we make adjustments in how we get there,² said Aaron K. Albright, the press secretary for Democrats on for the House Education and Labor Committee, of which Rep. Miller is the chairman. ³Nothing is more important to our country than providing each and every child with a first-rate, world-class education.² As Congress considers changes to the law, it will have to address the question of what it means to be proficient and who will write that definition.