Running on a platform of change, Sen. Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Presidency by one of the biggest margins of victory in recent history, and it is change that the incoming Obama administration will likely bring to federal education policy.

Regretfully, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind, did not occur in 2008, and with a flagging economy and two wars, education is not likely to be among the top priorities of the new administration. As a result, it is unclear whether a reauthorization of ESEA will occur in 2009, or if we will have to wait even longer.

Although education might not be a top priority for Obama, he has taken a comprehensive approach to education reform. Thus when the reauthorization does occur, we can expect some fairly major changes to ESEA in the areas of middle level reform and the high school dropout crisis, and improving assessments and accountability under ESEA.

President-Elect Obama has been proactive in his efforts to improve middle level education and reduce the high school dropout rate, and in 2007 he introduced the Success in the Middle Act (S. 2227), which NASSP helped draft, and which reflects NASSP’s Policy Recommendations for Middle Level Reform.

“The dropout problem begins well before high school,” said Obama in his education reform plan, available on his Website. “The middle grades are a crucial, but often overlooked, segment of the educational pipeline,” the plan continued.

The Success in the Middle Act received a warm response on Capitol Hill, and NASSP expects several components of the bill to be included in the reauthorization of ESEA.

Among the most controversial aspects of the ESEA have been assessments and the determination of adequate yearly progress (AYP). President-Elect Obama supports the use of “a broader range of assessments that can evaluate higher-order skills, including students’ abilities to use technology, conduct research, engage in scientific investigation, solve problems, [and] present and defend their ideas. These assessments should provide immediate feedback so that teachers can begin improving student learning right away,” according to responses received to a questionnaire NASSP sent to Obama.

In his efforts to reform how AYP is determined, Obama believes that the accountability system needs to include more than a single student test. Obama would push for the inclusion of multiple measures of student learning within subject areas, and give states the option of including evidence of student achievement in areas beyond reading and math.

NASSP supports the use of multiple measures of student achievement, including end of course exams, student portfolios, senior projects, the ACT, PSAT, and SAT, in addition to performance on standardized tests, including state assessments. For more information on NASSP’s stance on these issues, visit www.principals.org, and click on “Legislative Advocacy.”

In addition, Obama supports the creation and enhancement of state leadership academies and investments in professional development for school principals. Obama also backs the development of multi-tiered credentialing systems that “encourage principals to grow professionally over the course of their careers, and particularly within their first few years on the job, when they are most open to and in need of professional development,” according to his campaign Website.

NASSP strongly supports school leadership academies, many of which are currently funded by the federal School Leadership program. NASSP is also working with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to develop a national certification for principals.

To support these changes, Obama would advocate for an additional $18 billion investment in education. The majority of this investment ($10 billion) would be targeted toward early childhood education.

As the Obama administration gets to work addressing the nation’s problems, efforts are already underway at NASSP to help the new administration navigate the complex field of education, and making clear that school leaders play a central role in student learning, and thus in all school reform efforts.

To learn more about Obama’s education plans and NASSP’s positions on these issues, visit www.principals.org/obama.