Analyzing the No Child Left Behind Act

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No Child Left Behind (NCLB) created a national curriculum that would be taught in every school in America. The No Child Left Behind Act plays an enormous role in the education system. It touches on a broad variety of issues relating to public education, including the dispersal of federal funds and parental choice in the case of failing schools and for the learning disabled.

Before the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 became law, the U.S. Supreme Court on May 17, 1954 passed Brown v. Board of Education law that outlawed racial segregation in public schools and determined that the "separate but equal doctrine" was unconstitutional. The Brown case served as a guide for motivating education reform and forming the legal means of challenging segregation in all areas of society. Since then, many states have been re-segregating and educational achievement and opportunity have been falling for minorities. (Brown v Board of Education Summary)

In 1965, Congress passed The Elementary and Secondary Education Act emphasizing again, equal access to education and establishes high standards and accountability. The law authorizes federally funded education programs that are administered by the states. In 2002, Congress amended The Elementary and Secondary Education Act and reauthorized it as the No Child Left Behind Act 2001. (Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA))

No Child Left Behind is the 21st-century recognition of this first major federal venture into education policies an area that is still mainly a state and local function, as visualized by our Founding Fathers. On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act.

T he Act include increased accountability for States, school districts, and schools; greater choice for parents and students, mainly those attending low-performing schools; more flexibility for States and local educational agencies (LEAs) in the use of Federal education dollars; and a stronger emphasis on reading, especially for our youngest, low income, and minority children. (OVERVIEW Executive SummaryARCHIVED INFORMATION)

Increased Accountability

The NCLB Act will strengthen Title I accountability by requiring States to implement statewide accountability systems covering all public schools and students. These systems must be based on challenging State standards in reading and mathematics, annual testing for all students in grades 3-8, and annual statewide progress objectives ensuring that all groups of students reach proficiency within 12 years. Assessment results and State progress objectives must be broken out by poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency to ensure that no group is left behind.

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