The No Child Left Behind Act, passed by congress in 2002, is intended to force schools to improve by creating testing requirements and milestone goals. If schools fail to meet the goals, the act offers parents the option of transferring their children from under performing schools, to ones that are doing better. But in Columbus not many parents are taking that option.
Columbus School officials have made sure parents realize they have the option of moving their children, but of the more 10,000 who could have transferred under No Child Left Behind, this year about 600 students switched to new schools. Others transferred through the district's parent choice lottery. Superintendent Gene Harris says moving children to new schools can be disruptive, so she hopes parents will consider their options carefully.
