Dear Colleagues,
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, adopted by congress in 2001, was a federal response to lagging academic performance by American students. The legislation attempted to improve the quality of education for all children while simultaneously closing the achievement gap between lower and upper income students. Among other things, NCLB legislation imposed tighter academic standards and placed greater emphasis on standardized testing--specifically on math, science, and literacy skills. While the legislation has had some notable successes, it has also been met with widespread dissatisfaction. Although classroom teachers and school administrators have been most affected by NCLB, many museum educators have also reported changes both positively and negatively in museum visitation and program participation by schools as a direct result of the legislation. Seven years later, as Congress considers reauthorizing the bill, museums have yet to get a firm grasp on how they have been affected by this landmark legislation or how they might use the legislation to benefit their institutions and the communities they serve. To further the conversation about NCLB, the Midwest Region of EdCom in partnership with the Association of Midwest Museums is presenting a day long seminar called No Museum Left Behind: Museum Educators Respond to NCLB Legislation. The program will be held at the Loyola University Museum of Art on Friday, March 14, 2008. Participants in the program will leave the seminar with a firm understanding of NCLB legislation mandates, learn ways they can adapt existing programs to meet state and national standards, and discover ideas how to create new programming that fulfils NCLB requirements.
Because the conversation is still new, Midwest EdCom and the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum have prepared a short survey for museum educators about their experiences and attitudes toward NCLB. Please take a few moments to fill out this short survey and forward the link along to your fellow museum educators
http://mccormickfoundation.org/Lists/No%20Child%20Left%20Behind/NewForm.aspx?Source=http%3A%2F%2Fmccormickfoundation%2Eorg%2FLists%2FNo%2520Child%2520Left%2520Behind%2Foverview%2Easpx. Results of the survey will be shared at the No Museum Left Behind seminar and then distributed publicly shortly thereafter.
Thank you for your time and help.
Kind regards,
Nathan Richie
Nathan Richie
Director of Exhibits and Programs
McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum
Chicago, IL
(312) 222-3211
NRichie@FreedomMuseum.US
