No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act is a re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. President George W. Bush's education reform bill was signed into law on Jan. 8, 2002. This legislation calls for state and local school districts to considerably raise expectations for students in the subjects of mathematics and language arts. The No Child Left Behind Act was developed to create procedures intended to shut achievement gaps between different groups of students. States are mandated to increase student testing, gather and publicize subgroup results, guarantee a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, and guarantee that all students, despite of socioeconomic factors, attain a capable level of education and that no child will be left behind.

NCLB was designed with four pillars in mind, as a basis for the government’s reforms. These pillars include stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities, proven education methods, and more choices for parents. With accountability in mind, The U.S. Department of Education says that “States are working to close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency.” This means that progress reports and additional special assistance may be required to ensure student success. The Act also provides schools with a high level of flexibility in spending federal funds on improving education.

In order to measure student progress, the government has required that each state tests their students on the information they are required to know. States are obligated by the law to create their own standards for what a child should know or learn in each grade (Hyun, 2003, 119). The state then has to administer a standardized test to the all children in the state at certain to ensure adequate yearly progress. Each state is able to make the standards as high or low as they please, but the results...