- Paul Weckstein & Stephen J. Wermiel, “The Need for Equal Opportunity and a Right to Quality Education” (Human Rights, Summer 2008) (PDF) CLE co-director Paul Weckstein sets forth the rationale for and the legal bases of every child’s right to quality education, including under Title I/NCLB and civil rights statutes.
- Paul Weckstein, “A Lever for Reform: Does NCLB leave any place for vocational education?” (Leadership Insider, 2004) (PDF) CLE co-director Weckstein argues that, on its face, the intent and purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act is consistent with the goals of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins); therefore, we need to conceive of academic mastery as something quite different from grim drill narrowly aimed at test score gains and to discard the outdated notion of vocational education as narrowly defined occupational training for specific jobs.
- Center for Law and Education, et al. v United States Department of Education, Nos. 02-5225, 04-5150, D.C. Cir., Plaintiffs-Appellants Brief, June 25, 2004 (PDF), Plaintiffs-Appellants Reply Brief, Aug. 10, 2004 (PDF) Appeal from dismissal of action based on lack of standing 315 F.Supp.2d 15 (D.D.C.2004); CLE challenged the composition of a negotiated rulemaking committee assembled by US DOE to propose regulations as required by the Title I/No Child Left Behind Act.
- Paul Weckstein, “Accountability” in Reporting on Race, Education & No Child Left Behind: a guide for journalists, Race and Public Policy Program, Applied Research Center, 2003 (PDF) CLE co-director Weckstein argues for a shift in how we view NCLB’s accountability provisions from punitive and stigmatizing to a system of responses that relies more on on encouraging continuous improvement and could improve student performance and insure that no students languish in ineffective programs.
- Paul Weckstein & Stephen J. Wermiel, “The Need for Equal Opportunity and a Right to Quality Education” (Human Rights, Summer 2008) (PDF) CLE co-director Weckstein identifies three related risks for mobile students in the implementation of NCLB: (1) “in determining schools’ academic progress, some mobile students may not be…assessed or counted, reducing the likelihood that their academic needs will get attention;” (2) “some practices that schools might pursue to avoid accountability for lower achieving students may promote student mobility;” and (3) family mobility may make it harder for students and their families to access the required program elements.”
- Paul Weckstein, “School Reform and Enforceable Rights to Quality Education” from Law & School Reform: Six Strategies for Promoting Educational Equity, edited by Jay Heubert, Yale Press (1999) (PDF) Essay by co-director Weckstein describing the framework for standards based education reform and the kind of framework necessary to implement the right of every child to a high-quality education.