Guide Note

Signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was intended to improve the performance of U.S. schools. The act increased accountability at the state and local levels for the improvement of student performance, as measured by a series of standardized tests. No Child Left Behind also seeks to provide parents with more options when choosing schools. NCLB one of the most hotly debated standards-based education reforms.

Fast Facts

Increased focus on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 23, 2001
Passed the U.S. Senate on June 14, 2001
Sign by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002
Requires that 100% of students meet reading and math standards by 2014

Criticisms

The incentives and penalties used to encourage compliance with No Child Left Behind, have led critics to claim that states and school systems are "gaming" the system in order to meet the new standards. Critics also believe that the use of standardized testing as a metric for success, encourages teachers to emphasize testing skills over general education. These issues, combined with a general lack of funding, have led critics of NCLB to label it as an unreasonable mandate.

Categories

News | Political Issues and Controversies | Legislation | Politics

View Note History

No Child Left Behind

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: No Child Left Behind and A Desktop Reference
Wikipedia: No Child Left Behind Act
White House Official Site: No Child Left Behind Act
National Education Association: No Child Left Behind
NoChildLeft.com: Committed to Repeal of NCLB
The New York Times: "Battle Grows Over Renewal"
WashingtonPost.com: "'No Child' Target Is Called Out of Reach"

No Child Left Behind News Stories

WashingtonPost.com: Bush: No Child Left Behind is Working (September 26, 2007)
WashingtonPost.com: "Congressman Offers Revisions to 'No Child'" (August 29, 2007)
WashingtonPost.com: "Dozens in GOP Turn Against Act"
USAToday.com: "How NCLB has Changed our Schools"
The Christian Science Monitor: 'No Child Left Behind' Losing Steam
Google News Search: No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Behind Background and Articles

The New York Times: "Schools Cut Back Subjects..." (2006)
Online NewsHour: NCLB Impact on Special Needs Students (2005)
The Christian Science Monitor: "Local Discontent with NCLB Grows" (2005)
The Nation: "The Issue Left Behind" (2004)
Education Week: No Child Left Behind Articles

No Child Left Behind Commentary

National Education Association: Videos of Teachers' NCLB Stories
The Wall Street Journal: "No Politician Left Behind" Editorial (2004)
National Review: Leaving My Lapel Pin Behind

No Child Left Behind Controversies and Criticism

Business Week: "No Bush Left Behind" (2006)
USAToday.com: "Education Dept. Paid Commentator to Promote Law" (2005)
MilitaryFreeZone.org and Video: Military Free Zone Documentary
MotherJones: "No Child Unrecruited" (2002)

No Child Left Behind Message Boards and Blogs

Teacher Magazine Talkback: Perspectives on NCLB
Think Progress: NCLB Search
Redstate: NCLB Search
Technorati: Tagged NCLB

No Child Left Behind Central Figures

George W. Bush
- FOXNews.com: Bush Pressures Congress...
Margaret Spellings
- MSNBC.com: Education chief: No Child Nearly Perfect (2006)
Edward Kennedy
- WashingtonPost.com: "No Retreat on School Reform"
Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Concord Monitor: "Clinton Assails 'No Child'"

No Child Left Behind Humor

Related Searches

George W. Bush | The Bush Administration | Margaret Spellings | Department of Education | Teachers' Unions | School Vouchers