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The No Child Left Behind Act aimed to improve American education through accountability, flexibility in funding, scientifically based research, and giving parents more choices. It evaluates schools annually with standardized tests and rewards successful schools while providing funding for struggling ones. The law has sparked debate on education reform.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed in 2001 and was designed to address growing concerns about the quality of American education. Since its passage, the law has stimulated much debate, with supporters arguing it improved American education and detractors pointing out the failures with the act. It was one of the first major pieces of legislation passed by the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.
According to the White House and the Department of Education, the law has four pillars. The first is the idea of accountability: a standard needs to be established by which schools are measured, and there will be rewards and consequences for improvement and failure respectively. The second is more flexibility with funding, allowing schools to allocate money as needed rather than as dictated by others. The third is ‘scientifically based research’, a term which appears heavily in the text of the NCLB Act, meaning that teachers should use established rather than experimental teaching methods. Fourth, the law should give parents more choices by allowing them to transfer out of schools that aren’t functioning up to standard.
No Child Left Behind focuses on the declining state of American education and places a strong emphasis on creating positive outcomes, especially in the areas of math and reading. The people who created the act felt the existing education system was failing many American students, especially low-income students, and they felt the law would fill the gaps in American education by bringing all students up to a basic standard. It is based on a simple reward and punishment system; schools that perform well will receive incentives, additional funding and more support. Failing schools are expected to rapidly improve their standards so that students have the best chance of a good education possible or the opportunity to move on to a better school.
Under the law, schools are evaluated annually with the help of standardized tests, which are supposed to be administered to all students. The school’s performance is compared to a state standard, as well as other state schools, and a proper annual progress report is released to the public, who can inspect it to see how the school is doing. Struggling schools are expected to make visible improvements, and funding is offered to assist with teacher training, mentoring, and other programs. Schools that demonstrate significant progress or are already setting higher standards are rewarded for their work.
Nearly all Americans want to see an improvement in education and would like all students to have an equal chance of success. Proponents of No Child Left Behind argue that the act is improving American education in positive and measurable ways. Detractors of the law, especially classroom teachers, have pointed out many shortcomings in the law that have yet to be addressed by the Department of Education. Whether effective or not, the act has certainly spurred discussion on education reform in the United States.
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