No Child Left Behind

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The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is a comprehensive federal initiative designed to improve the educational performance of all students. Although it is a reauthorization of earlier Elementary and Secondary Education Acts (ESEA), NCLB represents a major expansion of the federal government's role in public education. Rather than merely providing financial assistance to states in their efforts to set standards and improve student achievement, the act explicitly mandates compliance to high standards and sanctions states and schools that fail to meet set criteria (Hardman & Muldur, 2004; Yell & Drasgow, 2005). Figure 2.5 offers a quick introduction to NCLB.

With governance of schools the purview of individual states, the federal government cannot enact laws that mandate uniform policies and procedures. Nonetheless, it influences schools powerfully by invoking other provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Just imagine for a moment how different our schools would be if the Constitution did not protect our rights as citizens. In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the landmark case that struck down racial segregation in public schools, the Supreme Court used the 14th Amendment to rule that separation between groups prevented equal educational opportunities. Without such federal intervention, states would have had the option of continuing the practice of "separate but equal." As with IDEA, the 14th Amendment and Brown were significant factors in legal decisions associated with the provision of a free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities.

In enacting NCLB, Congress was asserting that states were not doing enough to ensure that all students were performing adequately in school. Many students, once again, were being denied equal opportunities for success. NCLB requires states to reduce the disparity in performance between those groups of students who typically achieve and those students who have had difficulties meeting standards, often due to economic disadvantage, linguistic differences, or disability status.

Major Components of NCLB  NCLB legislation is based on five core principles: (1) strong accountability for results; (2) expanded flexibility and local control of schools; (3) an emphasis on teaching methods based on scientific research; (4) expanded options for parents, particularly those whose children attend low-performing schools; and (5) highly qualified teachers.

Strong Accountability for Results. Among educators, the letters of the alphabet that most closely follow NCLB are AYP. AYP refers to adequate yearly progress, the minimum standard, or benchmark, expected of every student and school (see Figure 2.6). NCLB makes it very clear that states must develop clearly defined goals, or proficiency standards, and then assess if individual students and schools meet these targets. Comparing student performance data to the standards allows parents to know how their child is doing at school. In turn, policymakers and school leaders are able to assess how individual schools and school districts are performing in relation to state standards. In addition to measures of performance for all students across schools and districts, states are required to parse out, or disaggregate, data for specific groups of students, including those who are economically disadvantaged, members of varying culturally and linguistically diverse groups, and students with disabilities. Schools that meet their AYP goals receive positive public acknowledgement of effort. Those that do not meet their goals for two years running are deemed in need of improvement.