Preview

No child left behind

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1596 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
No child left behind
No Child Left Behind

The education policy that I chose is on education today and the influence of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. In 2001, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. The NCBL is a United States Act of Congress, which includes Title 1 (program for disadvantaged students offered by the government). This Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. Each state is required to give these assessments to all students to receive federal school funding. This Act does not set the standards nationwide; each individual state sets the standards. Diane Ravitch, an education philosopher was a supporter of this Act when it was being passed. She believed that every child had the right to a proper education. As the years passed she acquired more experience and knowledge on the Act, and is now completely opposed to the NCLB Act. Ravitch believes that the states dumb down the standards in light of the NCLB. The question now is: is the No Child Left Behind Act seeking to repair the problem, or is it the cause?

Under NCLB, the accountability of a child's education is examined by the Federal government and turned into the hands of the state. This was the first time an American president has set a goal of universal proficiency in reading and mathematics for all children. The federal emphasis on literacy, reading, and mathematics emphasizes teacher and school accountability, with negative consequences when schools do not meet established improvement goals (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Under NCLB the state must have accountability provisions that include how they will close the achievement gap. According to the Department of Education the achievement gap is defined as such; The difference between how well low-income and minority children perform on standardized tests as compared with their peers.

For many years, low-income and minority children have fallen behind their white peers in terms of academic achievement

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    When reading the 2007 article by education expert Linda Darling- Hammond called “Evaluating ‘No Child Left Behind’”, Darling- Hammond goes into depth and criticizes just how much the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) accomplished in five years. The author begins by using a neutral and agreeable tone with how the law was supposed to be “a victory for American children”. She also genuinely acknowledges that the notoriously known NCLB Act initially brought high hopes for us Americans to have a sophisticated and reformed education system for our children. But almost just as fast as she agrees that the law was intended for good, she gets right to her point that she opposes the law by using much of logos and connects pathos and ethos along the lines.…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teachers and schools should be held accountable, but not judged by some test that is a blanket test. This act takes away the ability of teachers to actually be able to teach, they just instruct to what is on the test. Students learn at different levels; this test hurts those students that may not learn quick as the others or learn in the same way. The NCLB is an even bigger problem in areas such as Chicago, Atlanta schools with children that come from poorer families and do not get the help they need at home.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Thomas, Jacqueline R. "Achievement Gaps Linger between Students from Low-income Families and Their Peers." The Connecticut Mirror. N.p., 19 July 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.…

    • 2569 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed into law in January, 2002 by President George W. Bush. On the surface, because of bipartisan support, the act brought about, for the first time, surveillance measures to ensure that all school-aged children would receive a free, quality, public education. When researched historically we see the pattern that has emerged through policy and politics that has brought about NCLB. As a result of the acceptance of NCLB, we have created a way of viewing success in education by standardized testing, a monster in and of itself in it’s cost and ability to quantify the successful components of a good liberal education. It is necessary to understand how the Act came about, how it is being implemented, and the problems that have ensued to gain a good perspective about the philosophy and policies of the NCLB.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “A hopeful America is one in which not one child is left behind.” This quote from President George W. Bush at a recent news conference represents the current philosophy of our government on education. In 2001 President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The new law is an updated version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which was signed into law in 1965. Since then standardized testing has been a part of our school system in one form or another, yet there is little evidence that these tests have improved children’s learning through the years.…

    • 1969 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ravitch (2010) has a sense of urgency and submits a call to action regarding standards. She believes that high-stakes testing and choice have ruined the American educational system, and that some educational reforms can be misleading. Like many others, Ravitch (2010) was initially in favor of No Child Left Behind although she quickly became disillusioned as she came to realize that it did not raise expectations nor require curriculum. It placed a disproportionate…

    • 229 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nclb Thesis

    • 1474 Words
    • 6 Pages

    NCLB continued to increase the role of the federal government in states, but increased standardized testing standards which required schools to be at 100% proficiency level and diminished the focus of additional subject matter, such as foreign language and history. It allowed the federal government the provision to categorize school’s improvement within five years, as well as punish schools who fail to reach the proficiency levels by forcing these schools to restructure, give management power away, or give up and shut…

    • 1474 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Growth Mindset

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Currently, there exists a vast academic achievement gap in higher education between minority, low income students…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No Child-Left Behind Act

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (often referred to as No Child Left Behind) was a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools. President George W. Bush described this law as the "cornerstone of my administration" (Department of Education). It allows low-income families, whose children traditionally have less academic opportunities, to move to private school or specialized charter schools via a school voucher. The act was expected to introduce high standards for education, the belief that all children, regardless of class, should have equal opportunities to learn, and accountability for failing school systems. However, the act…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When children grow up in low income communities where most adults are less educated, there is lower expectations since not many hold a degree in higher education. This also applies to their academic performance, because these children have no one to turn to when not understanding their school work. As a result, these children are discouraged from possibly pursuing better…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 2002, President Bush signed into law No Child Left Behind Act, to ensure that every state is testing every child. (http://www.whithouse.gov/infocus/education/2007) Students from culturally, and linguistically backgrounds, expanding access to tutoring, help parents to get information in time for their children. Our children must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to compete in the global economy. (Judy,R.,Reading in content areas.pg.71,2006)…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When it comes to the children of America’s education, every child depends upon the accountability of their family, educators and the government. When President George W. Bush was in office, he expressed that “Too many of our neediest children are being left behind”. President Bush proposed the legislation of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) on January 8, 2002, to improve the quality of life and education for our nation. The No Child Left Behind Act was one of the more favorable and focused policy problems, shortly after the September 11th, attack. As it is understood, the government strongly believed that it was a necessity to continue to improve education now more than ever. The policy process was a pluralistic approach along with…

    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Achievement Gap Essay

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This gap can be seen in different contexts such as grades and test scores, and is seen starting from preschool all the way to college. The dimensions of the achievement gap include opportunities that not all children have access to such as school funding, class sizes, teacher quality, healthcare, food, recreational activities, summer enrichment programs and shelter. Some people in the education field and government think that these factors are uncontrollable. But, when looking at the achievement gap those factors are overlooked, and replaced the idea that children of color are inferior, or it is their culture that allows them to fail (Boykin & Noguera, 2011; Wilson…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No Child Left Behind Act

    • 383 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The No Child Left Behind Act, a federal social program that tries to encourages after school programs should be eliminated and the extra funds given to schools to decide where it goes.…

    • 383 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Across America political officials, educators and public figures agree that changes need to be made in our education system to make a concrete different to students and see better schools. Standards-Based Reform was introduced, and especially emphasized in the No Child Left Behind Act. Among many other arenas like providing resources to support the students in need, improve teachers’ skills and preparation, and integrating technology in education, this Act focuses on…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays