I compare this to when I was a student. Because it was hard to go from top 10% to top 1% I didn't get any special award. But some students got awards for 'impro

I compare this to when I was a student. Because it was hard to go from top 10% to top 1% I didn't get any special award. But some students got awards for 'improvement'. A lot of my colleagues thought the same thing. "WTF, this dumbass goes from failure to average and gets a plaque, while I've been busting my ass all year for an attaboy?" I'm sure it seems stupid, but when you've been groomed for 12 years to attain achievements any achievement is seen as a positive. It's probably not correct, but it's how I see NCLB. Being rewarded for being a failure 9/10 of the time.