Federal Federal File

HBO Film Examines School in NCLB Era

By Alyson Klein — June 17, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Is the No Child Left Behind Act the right vehicle for improving education, particularly in the high-poverty urban schools that seem to be struggling the most? A new documentary, scheduled to air on the cable channel HBO beginning June 23, tries to answer that question.

Filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond spent the 2004-05 academic year capturing life at Frederick Douglass High School in the 82,000-student Baltimore school system. At that time, the school had failed to meet the goals of the NCLB law and faced possible sanctions from the state of Maryland.

The documentary, “Hard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card,” outlines the challenges facing the high school. Few students come from two-parent homes, and just a handful of parents show up on back-to-school night. Many students don’t come to school for weeks on end, forcing the principal, Isabelle Grant, to track them down at home, in part because of the attendance requirements of the federal law.

The documentary also highlights the dropout problem, because schools must report dropout data under NCLB. Douglass High has about 500 students in 9th grade, but only about 200 seniors. One 12th grade English teacher says it takes a “special” kind of student to make it to senior year at Douglass because so few are able to meet that milestone.

Still, the film presents a balanced picture of the school, showing its award-winning debate team, a choral concert, and a vibrant discussion of “Macbeth” in an English class.

The film notes that in Maryland, end-of-year high school tests will not count as a graduation requirement until 2009. So many students choose to put only their names on their test papers.

But the stakes are very high, viewers are reminded. The school could close if it fails to make sufficient progress.

The documentary focuses more, though, on the societal challenges facing some schools that fail to meet the goals of the NCLB law than on the law itself. And it offers few solutions to those problems.

“We feel strongly that offering simple solutions to complex problems is inherently misleading in documentary filmmaking,” Mr. Raymond said in press materials distributed by HBO.

A version of this article appeared in the June 18, 2008 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by Boys Town
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Opinion What's Really at Stake for Education in This Election?
What a Harris or Trump presidential victory might mean for federal education policy, according to Rick Hess.
5 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Trump's K-12 Record in His First Term Offers a Blueprint for What Could Be Next
In his first term, Trump sought to significantly expand school choice, slash K-12 spending, and tear down the U.S. Department of Education.
11 min read
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens at left as President Donald Trump speaks during a round table discussion at Saint Andrew Catholic School on March 3, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens at left as President Donald Trump speaks during a round table discussion at Saint Andrew Catholic School on March 3, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The education policies Trump pursued in his first term offer clues for what a second Trump term would look like for K-12 schools.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal From Our Research Center How Educators Say They'll Vote in the 2024 Election
Educators' feelings on Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump vary by age and the communities where they work.
4 min read
Jacob Lewis, 3, waits at a privacy booth as his grandfather, Robert Schroyer, fills out his ballot while voting at Sabillasville Elementary School, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sabillasville, Md.
Jacob Lewis, 3, waits at a privacy booth as his grandfather, Robert Schroyer, fills out his ballot while voting at Sabillasville Elementary School, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sabillasville, Md.
Julio Cortez/AP
Federal Q&A Oklahoma State Chief Ryan Walters: 'Trump's Won the Argument on Education'
The state schools chief's name comes up as Republicans discuss who could become education secretary in a second Trump administration.
8 min read
Ryan Walters, then-Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent, speaks at a rally, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Ryan Walters speaks at a rally on Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City as a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction. He won the race and has built a national profile for governing in the MAGA mold.
Sue Ogrocki/AP