56 NCLB
No Child Left Behind: Cure or Curse?
by
Elizabeth (Betsy) Donoghue
Edono002
Learning Objectives:
- The reader will be able to name the components of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
- The reader will be able to identify why some support NCLB.
- The reader will be able to describe what factors are of concern in NCLB.
- The reader will be able to identify what changes have been made to NCLB.
| “No matter what your circumstance, no matter where you live, your school will be the path to promise of America. … [We are] challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. … We will leave no child behind.” — George W. Bush in his acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention, September 9, 2004 . (“Text of Bush Speech”, 2004) |
| “We must fix the failures of No Child Left Behind. We must provide the funding we were promised, give our states the resources they need and finally meet our commitment to special education.” — Barack Obama in his speech, “What’s Possible for Our Children,” May 28, 2008 (“Text of Obama Speech”,2008, para. 17) |
Introduction
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was a major emphasis of the Bush Administration education policy. (“How to Fix”, 2007) The law was meant to hold schools accountable for student progress, and, in fact, to expect that all children will be able to perform at or above grade level in reading and math by the year 2014. (“Key Policy”, 2002; “How to Fix”, 2007)
Since the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), many educators and politicians have loudly expressed their disagreement with the law and its regulations, while others have lauded the accomplishments of successful schools around the country. The Obama administration is poised to begin implementing its agenda, which has been critical of aspects of the No Child Left Behind legislation. This paper will examine how NCLB hopes to cure America’s schools, what parts of NCLB are considered of concern to the schools and students, and what changes to NCLB some hope will help American students meet their potential.
Standards Set by No Child Left Behind
“The 4 Pillars of No Child Left Behind
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Schools are Accountable for Students’ Results In an effort to increase accountability, all states must have state standards for performance and test their students on these standards. Each state develops its own standards and tests. In addition, schools must track the performance of certain groups of students who have not performed as well in the past, (i.e. minority students, students in poverty, students with disabilities) and attempt to “close the achievement gap.” (“Four Pillars”, 2004, para. 1). The Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) towards the goals are monitored, and schools must meet certain improvements within a specific timeframe or major restructuring will be required, including “replacing administation and staff, reopen as a charter school, state takeover” (“Key Policy Letter”, 2002,in Restructuring (Year Four)).
Local Control NCLB allows states and co