Accountability has become a key word
in education. The landmark legislation, No Child Left
Behind, holds states, school districts, individual
schools, and teachers accountable for classroom results.
States are implementing strong academic standards for what
every child should know in reading, math, and science for
elementary, middle, and high schools. Students are expected
to demonstrate their mastery of requisite concepts and skills
through extensive testing.
Test results will be included in annual
state and district report cards the public can use to measure
their schools' performance and their state's progress against
the standards. These state and district reports will reveal
the test results for every student group, including those
who are economically disadvantaged; members of racial, ethnic,
and language minorities; and students with disabilities.
The report cards also will provide results by gender and
migrant status to help identify and close the achievement
gap between students of various groups.1
In addition to increased accountability,
No Child Left Behind supports the use of effective, research-based
education methods and appropriate classroom technology.
Teachers and administrators throughout
the country are striving to meet the standards imposed by
No Child Left Behind, but in a highly diverse society, it
can be difficult to close the learning gap. The old methods
don't always work. A new millennium requires new strategies.
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill believes that all
students, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic
group, or ability level should have the opportunity and
tools to succeed on state and federally mandated tests,
and our unique PassKey program is an effective, proven method
that addresses many of the concerns raised by the provisions
of No Child Left Behind.1
Used in schools throughout the country
for nearly 20 years, PassKey: A Prescriptive Learning
System, is an easy-to-use, self-paced learning tool
that helps a wide range of students gain proficiency in
mathematics, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
Hundreds of computer-based lessons span five skill levels
and reading levels from 1.6 to 12.9. The lessons challenge
every learner, from beginning to advanced. You can choose
just the modules you need to achieve the results you want.
This report presents the stories of eight
schools across the nation that have selected the PassKey
program. Some schools use the program for remediation; some
find it especially useful for ESL students. Some teachers
choose PassKey to give at-risk or learning disabled students
an additional learning strategy. Others give every student
the opportunity to experience the PassKey difference. No
matter how the program is implemented, the results are the
same—an increase, sometimes dramatic, in test scores.
Those who have used the program are eager
to share their stories. You may contact those who have been
identified in each article to learn more about how they've
used PassKey to help their students, and how you might do
so as well.
