Critique of No Child Left Behind

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As Rodney Paige, former Secretary of Education, said, “We have an educational emergency in the United States of America” (Hursh, 2007). The American ideal of egalitarianism essentially states that individuals should have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams, and an important part of being able to achieve this is attaining a quality education. Students of differing racial, cultural, socioeconomic, and ability levels should all have the same opportunities in receiving a high-quality education. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is seeking to change this. The NCLB is the current authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (Houston, 2007), which was passed during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. Every five years the ESEA is renewed. It is currently due for renewal in 2014.

In 2001, the ESEA was reissued as the NCLB. It was brought into power to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged students by implementing yearly standardized testing in English, Math, and after 2007, in Science as well. It holds states, school boards, schools, and teachers accountable to a higher standard. Students are to be 100% proficient in english and math by 2014. As reported by Laura Chapman, some experts believe that up to 85% of schools will fail to meet the target of being 100% proficient in reading and math by 2014 (2007). States have to meet Adequate Yearly Proficiency (AYP) rates, and if they do not meet these rates for two years in a row, sanctions would start to be applied. Students would be able to choose to leave that school for another school that is meeting their individual AYP rate or to receive free tutoring. In more serious cases, schools that have not m...

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...The failed promise of the no child left behind act. Race, Ethnicity and Education,10(3), 295-308. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/62050783?accountid=14789

Lee, J., & Reeves, T. (2012). Revisiting the impact of NCLB high-stakes school accountability, capacity, and resources: State NAEP 1990-2009 reading and math achievement gaps and trends. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 34(2), 209-231. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1018478080?accountid=14789

Milner, A. R., Sondergeld, T. A., Demir, A., Johnson, C. C., & Czerniak, C. M. (2012). Elementary teachers' beliefs about teaching science and classroom practice: An examination of Pre/Post NCLB testing in science. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 23(2), 111-132. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1011395880?accountid=14789

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