Schools that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress for six consecutive years are subject to the accountability provisions of No Child Left Behind. The restructuring options prescribed by law include strong measures, such as turning failing schools into charter schools or allowing the state to take them over. But some of the options amount to little more than revising the administrative staff. Sara Mead examines the sparsely populated restructuring landscape and reports that most locales are opting for the easy way out. Nelson Smith explains why, if failing district schools are to reopen and become successful charter schools, they need first to close.

The Easy Way Out by Sara Mead

Charters as a Solution? by Nelson Smith