No child left behind

No Child Left Behind Act
De’Vaka Newton
Ashford University: ENG 122
Instructor: Evan Halpine-Berger
June 01, 2014

The No Child Left Behind Act is a legislation that was signed by President Bush whereas states would conduct student assessments annually in reading and math that are linked to state standards. It reveals the schools that are failing towards making progress and those that are excelling in reading and math. Many still believe that this legislation had good intentions however there are still children being affected. The NCLB Act is not effective at reaching the goals and need to be reworked because so much focus on reading and math other educational areas are being neglected, still missing the fundamentals because limitations for teachers and students, results for schools if requirements are not being met, and low academic performance.
The NCLB Act has robbed students of their chances of getting a good education. Even though much attention is focused on math and reading children still are missing the fundamentals in those subjects and others. It is understood that in life reading and math are subjects that are needed in order to make it in this society. However; the other subjects are just as important and should be treated in the same manner. How can so much neglect be put towards our children and their education? Everything that children learn they will use at some point of their life. “ To find additional time for reading and math, the two subjects that are required to be tested under NCLB and that matter for accountability purposes, 71% of districts are reducing time spent on other subjects in elementary schools at least to some degree” (Jennings & Rentner, October 2006). Passing the test doesn’t mean that each child has learned the fundamentals. This limitation causes our children to struggle and fail. As an alternative summer school or allowing children to progress to the next grade knowing that they are not ready. Knowing what the problems are and the ways that they can be fixed the focus still will never be on these type of issues.
It is obvious that neglecting to see the limitation on the teachers causes limitations on their students. There is so much that is expected of teachers but funding is limited for them to purchase the supplies that are needed to provide for our children. There are still some teachers that have more passion for their jobs than others so they will use their own money or ways to do what is necessary. Needed more teachers to not only want to work for just a check but to want to work to see the impact they can make on children lives. Children learn but not at the same level as they will never be at the same levels of academic success. Each child is different and learns differently but yet all are tested in the same manner.
The program that the federal government provides focuses only seems to be on testing. Adequate yearly progress (AYP) the statewide accountability test mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act that requires all schools to make the required progress. This testing still affects many children because they all learn differently so why not give them test based on the way they learned. However school systems around the world differ in many aspects. There are important sources that include examination systems, existence of high-stake incentives for students and teachers, and provide instruction for remedial lagging students. It still puts burdens on schools requiring what many feel unnecessary testing, and doesn’t provide schools financially to pay for testing. The focus of NCLB was to help increase student academic performances and achievements but yet more so on testing. “NCLB will cost states about 10 times as much as they receive from the federal government. The rules are so prescriptive that in time virtually all public schools and districts in the states will be declared as failing regardless of their achievement pattern (Mathis, Spring 2004).
When children feel they have someone who cares about them and their education they thrive for excellence and having a goal to meet they strive towards their goals. Many anticipated the NCLB would lessen people living in poverty, drop outs and young teen pregnancy. In order to accomplish this and keep it going is going to require more from teachers. The requirements on having highly qualified teachers have caused improvement even though many have criticized the NCLB there has been improvement in achievement scores. If educational requirements for teachers were established earlier all students would receive quality education. Having teachers held to a certain criteria concerns wouldn’t be focused so much on low-income families, and racial and ethnic minorities. Each child would be receiving the same treatment across the board and all schools would be meeting the requirements. NCLB offers states rewards in return for what their teachers accomplish with the children. However, “It mandates explicit and increasingly severe sanctions (from implementing public-school choice to staff replacement to school restructuring) for persistently low-performing schools that receive Title I aid (Dee & Jacob, Fall 2010). Schools that don’t meet the requirements loose students if a parent chooses to move them to a school with a higher AYP but yet it still affects the children that don’t relocate.
Our children attend school to get an education in order to succeed in life. Yet they are stereotyped and treated differently. However, education is the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning, through functional educational systems. The school system needs to inspire the students to want to learn as well as better themselves from grade to grade including each subject. Remembering teachers in the past had so much passion for what they were doing. If the educational system is not in the same agreement to the structure, and only there to collect a paycheck then for those that are there to educate shouldn’t have the Board of Education support. There should not be any type of support in the goals they are trying to reach in their classroom, how they inspire students to attend school or learn. This is a situation that will always be open to conflict.
Therefore, as individuals can help encourage the federal government to create stronger policies and increase funding to the states for education. We can also focus more advocating for more school reforms based on active student engagement in their schools and communities. Being parents must help our educators to meet those expectations to our children by being supporters and also must help our children to meet the expectations of the educators. Voicing concerns to administrators doesn’t stop until changes are seen and still continue to educate ourselves as well as our children. Finding courage to change the things that should be changed and accept that there are some things that can’t be changed.

References
Dee, Thomas S.; Jacob, Brian A.; Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Fall 2010, pp.149-94
Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner; Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools, October 2006
William J. Mathis; No Child Left Behind Act: What Will It Cost States, Spring 2004

References: Dee, Thomas S.; Jacob, Brian A.; Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Fall 2010, pp.149-94 Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner; Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools, October 2006 William J. Mathis; No Child Left Behind Act: What Will It Cost States, Spring 2004