preview

No Child Left Behind Research Paper

Best Essays

No Child Left Behind | A government attempt to fix American Education | Erica Cowan |

Abstract Despite the vast majority of Americans that are educated though public school systems very successfully, many student of minority or low-income backgrounds have been “left behind.” The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), was the Bush administration’s attempt to help ensure that every public school student had a right to a solid education. A main goal was to have every school achieve higher scores on standardized testing each year and eventually by 2014 every student should score proficiently on their tests. Funding for NCLB was supposed to cover all the added costs that the schools would occur, but the funding ran out and schools are …show more content…

Every year since 2002, the goal has been to increase the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). With the plan that was set, by 2014 every student should be able to pass every exam. If schools cannot meet the specified AYP, it becomes identified as a school needing improvement. If no improvement occurs the school will be subject to a complete takeover. There are very specific categories of progress that need to be reported. Every sub group needs to have improvement in its AYP. “‘The result is that the lowest-performing subgroup will ultimately determine the proficiency of a school, district or state,’ says Rich Cardullo, one of the authors of a paper published in the September 26th issue of Science magazine, which analyzes testing data from California's elementary schools” (“All students proficient on state tests by 2014,” 2008). All teachers are required to become “highly qualified.” Every teacher must have at least a bachelor’s degree, full state certification, and have demonstrated knowledge in the core subject they are instructing. To demonstrate knowledge, new teachers must take and pass their state’s certification exam or they must meet a “High, Objective, Uniform Standard of Evaluation” or HOUSE. There is also an Alternative Certification Program where teachers can teach while they are still being trained and certified (“Are you ‘highly qualified’ according to NCLB?” 2010). Parents should have more options when sending their children to school. If a

Get Access